خلِّني أندبُ الرسمَ والطللا

ودع اللومَ منّي والعذَلا

Let me lament the abode and its ruins

Spare me from blame and disgrace

واِنظراني بربع الحبيب لكي

أقتضي الفرضَ منه وأنتفلا

And look at me in the dwelling of the beloved

That I may fulfill my duty and pluck flowers

مربع طال ما قد صحبتُ به ال

عيشَ في غفلاتِ الصِّبا خضلا

An abode whose company I have long kept

Living in the heedlessness of youth confusedly

ولكم في ملاعب عرصته

كنتُ ناشدت عزلته غزلا

And how often in its playgrounds

I sought its solitude amorously

حيث ترمقني البيض محتكماً

في برودِ الشَباب ومقتبلا

Where the white doves judge me

In the coolness of youth and at its prime

يا لذاك الزمان وزهرته

ولعصرٍ تصرَّم واِنتقلا

Oh that time and its blossoming

And an epoch that has passed and gone

زمنٌ ما ألذَّ مشاربه

كم ألذّ مشاربه وحلا

A time whose drinks were most delicious

How delicious were its drinks and joys

ما تذكَّرته قطّ إلّا وقد

هام قلبي لذكراه واِشتعلا

Whenever I remember it

My heart yearns for its memories and is set ablaze

وأغنُّ كأنَّ مجاجتَه

نطفةُ المزنِ مازجَت عسلا

And I sing as if the mingling of its wine

Were a globule of honey mixed with pure honey

رُمتُ تقبيلَ ورد وجنتهِ

فاِنثنى مُطرقاً واِنزوى خَجلا

I went to kiss the rose and its garden

But it bowed its head shyly and drew away bashfully

لاحَ لي قمرٌ تحت جنحِ دجىً

وقضيباً على الدّعصِ معتدلا

A moon appeared to me under the wing of night's darkness

Poised evenly on a staff of beauty

أحورُ العينِ يحوي لحاظَ مها

وينصُّ إذا نصَّ جيد طلا

The gazelle of his eyes contains glances of magic

And aims straight when he aims his slender figure

يا له من غزال أموت إذا

صدَّ عنّي وأحيا إذا وصلا

Oh what a gazelle whose death I die when he turns away

And whose life I live when he comes near

يرشق القلبَ منّي بأسهمه

كلَّما رقرقَ الأعينَ النجلا

He pierces my heart with his arrow-like glances

Whenever his soft eyes wink

يسحر العقل باللَّحظ منه فهل

لحظه كان بالسِّحر مكتحلا

He captivates the mind with his gaze, so is not

His glance like magic eyedrops?

غصَّ بالسَّاق خلخالُه وشكا

في الفعومة مئزره الكفلا

His anklet was buried in his leg and complained

Of his wide trousers binding it

حبّه حبّه إذ يوادعني

حينَ أبصرني عنه مُرتحلا

His love, his love when he bids me farewell

When he sees me leaving him

قام عند الوداعِ وقال ألا

تترك الآن الرحيلَ ألا

He stood at the farewell and said, won't you

Leave now, won't you?

ولأي فتى أنت تطمعُ في

مستجدّ السرى جدد أو فلا

And for what youth do you hope

To find a new road, renew or waste away?

فأجبتُ وقلتُ له لفتىً

كامل في مكارمهِ كملا

So I replied and said to him, "For a youth

Perfect in his virtues, complete."

قالَ من هو قلتُ فلاح هو ال

غيثُ في الجود كالغيثِ إن هطلا

He said, "Who is he?" I said, "A farmer who is

Like rain in generosity when it pours forth."

ملك من بني الأزدِ مفخره

في سماءِ المعالي سمَا وعلا

A king from the tribe of Azd, its pride

In the sky of glory, ascending and rising high

أيقظته لما نال من كرمٍ

هممٌ في العُلا جاوزت زحلا

I woke him when he attained the determination of generosity

Ambitions that in greatness exceeded Saturn

كم أفاد الوفودَ ندىً ولكم

كان من جاهه أمدد الظّللا

How much dew he brought to pilgrims! And how much

By his glory he extended shade!

ولكم في جيوش البغاةِ له

وقعةٌ أنست النسر والجملا

And how many times against the rebels

He had a battle that humbled the eagle and camel

ومضى ما رقى في ذرى جبل ال

مجد كان هو الحاذقُ الوقلا

He ascended, rising to the lofty peaks of

Glory's mountain, its guide and protector

جايز جايز في تألّدهِ

عادل في ممالكه عدلا

He is openhanded in his munificence

Just in his kingdoms, practicing justice

بالتعفّف تلقاه ملتحفاً

بالتَّكرم تلقاه مُشتملا

You will find him cloaked in chastity

And encompassed in generosity when you meet him

وترى إن نظرتَ إليه على ال

وجه منه لماء الحَيا بللا

And if you look upon his face, you see

The water of life has moistened it

لا تلم فيه حاسدَه فلقد

يقتل الوردُ في شمِّه الجعلا

Do not blame his envier, for the rose too

Is killed by the beetle in its fragrance

صمدٌ في السؤال محرَّمة

للعفاة عليه مقالةُ لا

He is steadfast, safe from asking,

And begging from him is forbidden

أَيُّها الملك الشيجبيّ ومن

يهب الجردَ والأينقَ الذلَلا

O Sheyghabi king who gifts horses

And beautiful decorated houses

عش ودم ناعمَ البالِ لا اِنكسفت

شمسُكم ولا بدرُكم أفلا

Live in ease with a serene mind

Your sun shall not be eclipsed nor your moon fade