أقولُ وَهزَّتني إليكَ أريجةٌ

كما مالَ غُصنٌ أو تَرَنَّحَ نشوْانُ

I say, and a scent has shaken me to you

As a branch leaned, or a nashwan sighed

وفي المهدِ مبغومُ النداءِ وكلما

أهابَ بشوقي فهوَ قسٌّ وسحبان

And in the cradle is the gloomy call, and whenever

My yearning dared, it became harsh and withdrawn

يَجِدُّ بقلبي حُبُّهُ وهو لاعبٌ

ويبعثُ همّي ذكْرُه وهو جذْلان

His love scratches my heart while he plays

And the memory of him revives my worries while he is a fawn

وأُخْرى قد استفَّ الزمان شَبابها

ولم يُرْوِها إنَّ الزمانَ لظمآن

And another whom time has taken away her youth

And did not water her, time is surely thirsty

حناها فأمستْ كالهلالِ وزادها

صباحَ مشيبٍ غالها منهُ نقصان

He bent her until she became like a crescent and increased her

A morning of aging which diminished her

ولم أرَ كالتَّقْويسِ شيئاَ هو البِلى

ولا سيَّما إنْ قام بالشَّيبِ بُرْهان

And I haven’t seen anything like fate

Especially if white hair stands as proof

بكتْ ولأمرٍ ما بكتْ أُمُّ واحدٍ

لها كلّ يومٍ من تَفقُّدِهِ شان

A mother cried for something she didn’t cry for

For her every day from missing him there is a matter

إذا ما التقتْ أَجْفانُها ودموعُها

ففي كلِّ شيءٍ لي دموعٌ وأجفان

When her eyelids meet and her tears

So in everything I have tears and eyelids

تقول أبا يحيى وتعرض لوعةً

بذكري فيلتفُّ ارتياح وريحان

She says, oh Abi Yahya, and shows agony

By my remembrance, so comfort and basil smell good

وليسَ بيَ الإضرابُ عنكَ ولا بها

ولكنَّ إشفاقَ الوحيدة سلطان

And inaction towards you is not in me, nor in her

But the compassion of the only one is the authority

وجازعةٍ للبينِ مثلي ولم تَكُنْ

لِتَسْلُو ولو أنَّ التَّلاقيَ سلوان

And grieving the separation like me, and she would not

Delight even if the reunion is delightful

تصدَّتْ لتوديعٍ فكادتْ يؤُودُها

قلائِدُ فيها من دموعيَ ألوان

She resisted farewell, it almost bid her farewell

Necklaces in which are shades of my tears

وجودُ أميرٍ كلما مرَّ ذكرهُ

فهاتِ اسقني إنَّ الأحاديث ألحان

And the existence of a prince whenever mentioned

Come, let me drink, talks are surely melodies

فتىً قلما تلقاهُ إلا مُرَحباً

تلوذُ بِحقويْهِ كُهولٌ وشُبَّان

A young man you rarely meet unless greeted

Youths and elders seek refuge in his truth

وليس بموسى غيرَ أنّي رأيْتُهُ

وكلُّ قناةٍ دون عَلياه ثُعْبان

And he is not Moses, but I saw him

And every canal without Ali is a snake

ولا هو نوحٌ غير أني رأيتُهُ

وَرَأْفَتُهُ جُوْدِيْ وَجَدْوَاهُ طوفان

Nor is he Noah, but I saw him

And his kindness is my generosity, and his rain is a flood