يَا سَعْدُ بِاسمِكَ فَألُ مَنْ يَستَنْطِقُ

حَيَّا دِيارَكَ صَيِّبٌ يَتَدَفَّقُ

O Sa'd, I invoke your name, so who will speak?

A lover sings the praise of your abode overflowing

حَدِّثْ عَنِ الرّيمِ المُقِيمِ بِرَامَةٍ

هَلْ غَرَّبُوا بِخِيامِهِ أمْ شَرَّقُوا

Tell us of the people staying in Ramah,

Have they pitched their tents facing west or east?

عَهْدي بهم نَزَلوا العذيْبَ وَقَصْدُهم

وَادِي العَقِيقِ وَبَعْدَ ذَاكَ الأبْرَقُ

I remember when they descended to Al-Adhaib heading

Towards Wadi Al-Aqeeq and beyond to Al-Abraq

تِلكَ المَنَازِلُ لَمْ أهِمْ بِرُسُومِهَا

إلاَّ لأسْمَعَ قَولَهَا لَو تَنطِقُ

Those dwellings, I did not care for their features

Except to hear them speak, if only they would

وَالدَّارُ يَذكُرُهَا اللِّسَانُ مُعَرِّضاً

وَالقَلْب بِالسُّكَّانِ مِنْهَا أعْلَقُ

The tongue recalls the house turning away

While the heart clings to its dwellers intensely

وَالنَّفْسُ تَخْضَعُ لِلمَلِيحِ وَإنَّمَا

يَرْمِي بهَا أقْصَى المَرَامِ الرَّونَقُ

And the soul yields to the beautiful though

The height of ambitions lures it with grace

وَلِعَارِضٍ أبعَدْتُ عِلمِي جَانِباً

حَتَّى عَشِقْتُ وَلُمْتُ مَنْ لاَ يَعْشَقُ

To a coquette I turned my knowledge aside

Until I loved and became enamored with one who loves not

وَذَهَلْتُ عَنْ قَولِ العَوَاذِلِ مَالَهُ

خَلَعَ العِذَارَ لِبارِقٍ يَتَألَّقُ

And I forgot the talk of maidens that has

No modesty like a brilliant lightning flash

نَظَرُوا كَمَا نَظَرَ الخَلِيُّ مَخَايلاً

لَكِنَّهُمْ لَمَّا رَأوْهَا رَنَّقُوا

They looked just as Al-Khalil looked flirtatiously

But when they saw her, they melted away

تَفْتَرُّ عَنْ كَالبَرقِ أبصَرَ ضَوْءَهُ

مَنْ بَاتَ مِنْ سُخْطٍ لَهُ يَتَشَوَّقُ

Dazzling like lightning, whoever spent the night angry at it

Yearns to see its light at dawn

وَيَلُوحُ تَحْتَ الجِيدِ مِنْ أطوَاقِهَا

فَجْرٌ إذَا كَذَبَ السَّمَاءُ يَصْدُقُ

Behind her bracelets, a dawn appears which if

The sky lies, it speaks the truth

وتَمِيسُ كَالغُصْنِ الرَّطِيبِ يَنَالُهُ

مِنْ جانبِ البَطْحَاءِ سَيْلٌ مُغْدِقُ

She is delicate as a fragrant branch caressed

By a torrential flood from the side of Al-Bat'ha

تِلْكَ التي سَارَتْ وَقَلبِي إثرَهَا

كَالبَازِ فِي إثرِ الشَّرِيدِ يُحَلِّقُ

She whose procession my heart followed

Like a falcon trailing a fleeting prey

لَمْ أنْسَ إذْ قَالَتْ وَقَدْ وَدَّعْتُهَا

بَانَ الخَلِيطُ فَقُلْ بِمَنْ نَتَوَثَّقُ

I cannot forget when she bade me farewell

The time of parting had come, so she asked whom do we trust?

قُلْنَا عَلِيُّ بنُ الحُسَينِ مَلاذُنَا

قَالَتْ ظَفِرْتَ إذا وَعَزَّ الأبلَقُ

We said: “Ali ibn Al-Hussein is our refuge”

She said: “You are fortunate when the courageous becomes prevailing”

ذَاكَ الذِي يَنْسَى الغَرِيبُ بِقُرْبِهِ

أوطَانَهُ وَيجُودُ مِنْهُ المملِقُ

He who when the stranger stays near him

Forgets his homeland and is generous to sycophants

مَلْكٌ لأيَّامِ الشَّبابِ مَحَاسِنٌ

وَإذا تُعَدُّ فَلَهوَ مِنْهَا الرَّيِّقُ

A possession of the days of youth, embodying perfections

Yet if you count them, the best part of it is little

غَلِطَ الزَّمَانُ بِهِ لِغَيرِ أوَانِهِ

وَلَرُبَّ شَيءٍ دُونَ وَقتٍ يُخْلَقُ

Time has wronged him, out of his era

And many a thing is created before its due time

حَمَلَتْ بِهِ الأيَّامُ فِي تَعْنيِسِهَا

وَاستَرْضَعَتْهُ وَهيَ عُجْفاً شَملَقُ

The days carried him in their humiliation

And nurtured him while they were withered and worn out

وَبِهِ استَعَادَتْ مَا مَضَى من عُمرِهَا

وَشَبَابِهَا وَكَذا العَوَائِدُ تُخرَقُ

Through him, they regained what had passed of their life

And youth, customs too can be changed

إذْ قامَ بِالعِبء الثَّقِيلِ لِثَأرِهِ

وَالحَزمُ بِالشَّهْمِ السُؤَيَّدِ أوفَقُ

When he took on the heavy burden to avenge

And wisdom through steadfast determination is more appropriate

وَسَعَى لِرَدّ المُلْكِ وَهْوَ مُصَمِّمٌ

كَالسَّهْمِ من خَلْفِ الرَّمِيةِ يَمْرُقُ

And he strove to restore the kingdom with determination

Like an arrow slipping through the bow

مِنْ بَعْدِ ما قَذَفَتْ به أيدِي النَّوَى

فِي كُلّ تَرُوعُ ناجعةٍ وَتُغلِقُ

After the hands of fate had tossed him

Into every frightening and terrifying situation

كَالبَدرِ إذْ حَازَ الكَمَالَ وَسَيْرُهُ

تَدرِي المَغَارِبُ كَوْنَهُ وَالمَشرِقُ

Like the crescent moon when it attains fullness and its course

East and west know its existence

نَاهِيكَ مِنْ أسَدِ إذَا حَمِيَ الوَغَى

وَبِهِ يُلاَذُ إذَا يُرَاعُ الفَيْلَقُ

Let alone a lion, when war intensifies

In whom the elephants can seek refuge

تَلْقَاهُ لِلخَطْبِ الجَلِيلِ مُبادِراً

وَإلَى النِّزَالِ بِكُلّ فَجً يَسْبُقُ

You will find him initiating great endeavors

And preceding to every dangerous confrontation

فَأفَاضَ منْ بَحْرِ الخَمِيسِ مَنَاهِلاً

غَصَّتْ بهَا طُرُقُ الرُّبَى وَالخَيْفَقُ

So he brought forth springs from the sea of Al-Khamis

With which the roads of sustenance and livelihood overflowed

يَنْحَطُ مِنْ بَطنِ الجَزَائِرِ فَيْضُهُ

وَيَسِيحُ لِلخَضْرَاءِ وَهوَ المُغرِقُ

Its floods gush from the stomach of islands

Roaming freely towards greenery, overflowing

أمْوَاجُهُ الخَيْلُ العِتاقُ وَإنَّهَا

يَملاَ الفَضَاءَ صَهِيلُهَا وَالهَندَقُ

Its waves are steeds set free, filling the horizon

With their neighing and the clanging of spears

تُذرِي سَنَابِكُهَا عَلَى أعطَافِهَا

مِثلَ السَّحِيقِِ يَجِفُّ مِنْهُ المُهْرَقُ

Its ships scatter their arrows atop its surges

As thick as torrents from which pigeons drink

وكَأنَّهَا العِقبَانُ تَحْمِلُ فَوقَهَا

أسْدَ الشَّرَى وَبِكُلّ طَرْفٍ تُمْشَقُ

As if they are ravens carrying atop them

The lion of valor, striking with every feather

لَمْ يُعْيِهَا التأوِيبُ فِي إدلاَجِهَا

كَلاَّ وَلاَ قَطْعُ الفَيَانِي مُخلِقُ

Maneuvering them in the dark deterred them not

No, nor the cutting off of supplies stopped them

حَتَّى أنَاخَ عَلَى طَرِيقِ مُغِيرَةٍ

قُلْنَا حَدِيثُ الفألِ عَنهَا أصدَقُ

Until it docked on the coast of Mughira

We said the omens’ talk of it is more truthful

مَا رَدَّ كَفُّ الكَافِ صَدَمَتَهُ وَلاَ

مَنَعَ الرَّدَى مَتريسُهَا وَالخَندَقُ

Neither the blocking of hands, nor trenches

Prevented its onslaught and barricades

وَدَعَتْهُ تُونِسُ بَعْدَ فَجْرِ خَمِيسِهَا

وَالهَامُ فِي كُلّ الجِهَاتِ تُفلَّقُ

Then Tunisia invited it after the dawn of its Al-Khamis

And zeal in every direction burst forth

فَتَعَانَقَا إذْ ذَاكَ منْ فَرطِ الهَوَى

وَكَذا المَشُوقُ إذا رآهُ الشَّيِّقُ

So they embraced then, out of intense passion

That is how the eager one acts when he sees the coquette

وَكَذَلِكَ الأخطَارُ يُدرِكُهَاالذي

يَلِجُ المَضِيقَ وَفِي العَزِيمَةِ يَصْدِقُ

And so do perils meet those who

Venture into straits with sincere determination

فَخرٌ بِهِ حَازَتْهُ تُونِسُ وَحدَهَا

لَمْ تَلْقَهُ دَارُ السَّلاَمِ وَجِلِّقُ

It gained through him alone, Tunisia did

The abode of peace did not attain it, by God

يَا أيُّهَا المَلِكُ الذي نَظَرَ السَّنَا

فِي وَجْهِهِ الأسنَى فَقَالَ مُوفَّقُ

O king, who looked at the adversities

In his face, and said: I am content

مَا لِي أحَاوِلُ شَرْبَةً مِنْ عَفوِكُمْ

فَأُذَادُ وَهوَ عَلَى الوَرَى يَتَدَفَّقُ

Why would I attempt to drink from your pardon,

Only to be prevented, while it flows to all people?

إنْ كَانَ لِي الذَّنْبُ العَظِيمُ فَحُلْمِكُم

يَبْلَى بِهِ ذَاكَ العَظِيمُ وَيَمْحُق

If my sin is grave, your forbearance

Will destroy that gravity and erase it

قَالَتْ قتيلةُ للرسُول وربَّمَا

منّ الفتى وهو المُغيظ المُحنِق

The slain woman said to the messenger - and perhaps

From the young man who is furious and enraged:

هَذِي حَرَائِرُ خَاطِري وَجَّهْتُهَا

خَدَماً لعِزِ مَقَامِكُمْ لاَ تُعتَقُ

“These are the free women of my thoughts, I sent them

As servants of the glory of your station, they cannot be set free

جَاءَتْكُمُ تَمشِي عَلَى اْستِحيَائِهَا

وَلَكُمْ بِكُلّ عِبارَةٍ تَتَمَلَّقُ

They came to you walking in their shyness

And for you they have every endearing expression

وَمَدَائِحِي كَالدُّرّ مَوضِعُ حُسنِهِ

عِنْدَ المَلِيحَةِ رَأسُهَا وَالمُخْنَقُ

My praises are like pearls, their beauty lies

With the fair lady, at her throat and bracelet

يَبلِى الزَّمَانُ وَخَلْقُهَا مُتَجَدّدٌ

يَروِي الغَبِيُّ حَدِيثَهَا وَالأشْدَق

Time perishes while their creation is renewed

The foolish and the wise share tales of them

فانظُرْ لَهَا نَظَرَ الشَّقِيقِ وَأولِهَا

خُلُقَ الكَرِيمِ فَإنَّ مِثلَكَ يَشْفَقُ

So look upon them with a brotherly eye, and make them

The first to enjoy your noble character, for the like of you shows compassion

وَاسْلَمْ بِحَالَةِ غِبطَةٍ حَتَّى تَرَى

وَلَدَ البُتُولِ وَأنْتَ حَيٌّ تُرزَقُ

And live in joyful bliss until you see

The Virgin’s son while you are alive, being granted sustenance”