أتَاني أنَّ مَنزِلَهَا الهِضَابُ

وَمَنزِلَنَا الأبَاطِحُ والرّحَابُ

News came that her abode was the highlands

While ours were the flat plains and wide spaces

فَخَامَرَني لِرؤُيَتِهَا غَرَامٌ

يَهُونُ لِمِثِلِهِ الخُطَطُ الصّعَابُ

So I was seized by a passion to see her

For one like it obstacles seem easy

وَفي طَرقِي مَفَاوِزَ لَيسَ يَدرِي

مَسَالِكَهَا لِبيضَتِهِ العُقابُ

My route held open deserts where none knows

The paths but the soaring eagles

فَخُضتُ لَهَا التَّنَائِفَ تَحْتَ لَيلٍ

جَفَانِي فِيهِ أهْلِي والصّحَابُ

I crossed the wastes in the dark of night

My tribe and friends left behind

سِوى سَرجٍ تَحَمَّلَهُ سَبُوحٌ

وَغَضْبٍ لا يَلَذُّ لَهُ قِرَابُ

Save a mount that bore me, Sabuh

And rage no kin can withstand

قَرَنْتُ بَيَاضَهُ بِسَوَادِ عَيِني

وَجَمَّعَنِي وَطَلْعَتَهُ النِّقَابُ

I paired its whiteness to my eyes' darkness

And my veil gathered me and its ascent

صَرَفْتُ ظِباهُ نَحْوَ

يُكَلِّمُهُ إذَا انْفَحَمَ الخِطَّابُ

I turned its muzzle where none can speak

When resolve is shattered and words fade

فَأنَّسَنِي وَوَحشُ اللَّيلِ يَسطُو

عَلَى أمْثَالِهِ ظُفُرٌ ونَابُ

It gave me company though the night's beasts raged

With claws and fangs against its like

وَشَاهَدْتُ المَنِيةَ دوُنَ سَلمَى

وَكَانَ بُلُوغَهَا العجب العَجَابُ

And I saw death itself short of Salma

And reaching it was wondrous strange

فَقَالَتْ مَن تُرَاهُ أعَزَّ مِنِّي

فَقُلْتُ وَحَقِّك المَلِكُ المُهَابُ

It said "Who do you see mightier than I?"

I said "By your truth, the mighty revered king"

أبو الحَسَنِ المُفِيضِ عَلى البَرَايَا

مَحَاسِنَ لا يُحِيطُ بِهَا الحِسَابُ

Abu al-Hasan the rain overflowing the land

With beauties beyond all reckoning

هوَ البَاشَا الذِي خَضَعَتْ وذَلَّتْ

لِسَطوتِهِ مِنَ الأمُمِ الرّقَابُ

He is the Pasha whom the nations' necks

Bowed and bent to his might

بِنَفسٍ لاَ تَمِيلُ إلى وَضِيعٍ

وَكَفٍّ لاَ يُعادِلُهُ السَّحَابُ

With a soul that declines no disgrace

And a palm no clouds equal

وَعَزمٍ يَنشدُ الثَّقَلانِ فِيِه

بِغَيِرِكَ صَارِماً ثُلِمَ الضّرّابُ

A purpose seeking the two weights

Where without you the keenest blade is blunted