وَلا أَنسَ يَوماً عِندَ وانَةَ مَنزِلي

وَقَولي لِرَكبٍ رائِحينَ وَنُزَّلِ

I shall never forget the day I halted at the ruins

And said to a company who were departing and alighting:

أَقيموا عَلَينا ساعَةً نَشتَفي بِها

فَإِنّي وَمَن أَهواهُمُ في تَعَلُّلِ

"Stay a while with us, that we may solace ourselves with you,

For I and those I love are afflicted with parting's malady."

فَإِن رَحَلوا ساروا بِأَيمَنِ طائِرٍ

وَإِن نَزَلوا حَلّوا بِأَخصَبِ مَنزِلِ

If they travel on, good luck attends them;

If they encamp, they light in a lush meadow.

وَبِالشَعبِ مِن وادي قَناةٍ لَقيتُهُم

وَعَهدي بِهِم بَينَ النَقا وَالمُشَلَّلِ

I met them in the gorge of Qanat's valley

While my pact with them stood firm between Al-Naqa and Al-Mushallal.

يُراعونَ مَرعى العيسِ حَيثُ وَجَدنَهُ

وَلَيسَ يُراعوا قَلبَ صَبٍّ مُضَلَّلِ

They pasture their beasts where the vegetation blossoms,

Not where the heart of a lover in error might pasture.

فَيا حادِيَ الأَجمالِ رِفقاً عَلى فَتىً

تَراهُ لَدى التَوديعِ كاسِرَ حَنظلِ

So, O driver of camels, go gently with one

Whom you see at the parting like a fawn with a broken leg.

يُخالِفُ بَينَ الراحَتَينِ عَلى الحَشا

يُسَكِّنُ قَلباً طارَ مِن صَرِّ مَحمَلِ

He alternates between walking and riding the litter,

To give rest to a heart that has fled from the pain of departure.

يَقولونَ صَبراً وَالأَسى غَيرُ صابِرٍ

فَما حيلَتي وَالصَبرُ عَنّي بِمَعزَلِ

They say, "Show fortitude!" But sorrow will not be patient.

What can I do, when fortitude keeps away from me?

فَلَو كانَ لي صَبرٌ وَكُنتُ بِحِكمَةٍ

لَما صَبَرَت نَفسي فَكَيفَ وَلَيسَ لي

Had I possessed fortitude, had I been wise,

My soul could not have been patient - how then, when I am not?