لاحَ وَعقدُ اللَّيلِ مَسلوبُ

بَرق بِنارِ الشَّوقِ مَشبوبُ

The night's bonds loosened, and lightning sparked with a flame of yearning

The horse asked not about the neighbor as he raced to pasture

طَوى الفَلا يَسألُ عَن حاجِرٍ

وَهوَ إِلى رامَة مَجلوبُ

Intoxicated wandering for the camel in its folds

And warning thunder and rain to drive off the lingering cloud

ضَلالَةً لِلبانِ في طَيِّها

سُكرٌ وَلِلقِمريِّ تَطريبُ

My lids I bound in vigil, so tear-drenched were they

I asked the lightning about you, and on it a line was writ

وَعارِضٍ يَجمَعُ نُدّادَهُ

زَجرٌ مِنَ الرَّعدِ وَتَرهيبُ

Would that it had shown more than the valley concealed

Or would that I forgot to remember you, for it is torment and pain

عَقَدتُ أَجفاني بِهدّابِهِ

فَهوَ بِماء الدَّمعِ مَقطوبُ

A blamer feigned sympathy with me, and some reproach was his advice

He thought my love for you a passing folly, though it was proper

أَسأَلُهُ عَنكُم وَفي بَرقِهِ

سَطرٌ مِنَ الأَخبارِ مَكتوبُ

Why speak of the like unless your explanation is rebuke?

My two friends, turn back! For ahead are strange wonders

فَلَيتَهُ أَظهَرَ مِن جَوشَنٍ

ما كَتَمَت تِلكَ الأَهاضيبُ

And tell me where the dawn sun lies, for the hue of morning is perplexing

Oh how I suffer estrangement, which sent the Arabs roaming to Rome

أَو لَيتَني أَذهَلُ عِن ذِكرِكُم

فَإِنَّهُ هَمٌّ وَتَعذيبُ

Fate led me to it, and who fights fate is vanquished

Will you two then fault a tribe whose fires blaze in the air?

وَلائم يُظهِرُ إِشفاقَهُ

عِندي وَبَعضُ النُّصحِ تَثريبُ

None but the searchers know their traces in the wilderness

Perhaps it is the fires of the Malhama clan, that destroy all around

ظَنَّ غَرامي بِكُم صَبوَة

وَهوَ مِنَ الآدابِ مَحسوبُ

And if their kin have gone, their hospitality falls on the foreign guest

A people we recalled, though the wind with none but them conversed

ما لَكَ لا حَدَّثتَ عَن مِثلِها

إِلَّا وَتَعليلُكَ تَأنيبُ

Our fondness caused the winds and stars delight

Parties from 'Amir they gathered, and pitched a tent at Al-Jawza

يا صَاحِبَي رَحلي أَعِيدا أَما

نِيَّ فَفي الغَيبِ أَعاجيبُ

When asked, their virtue was ready, and elegant their manner

Eloquence shone before the dew, and good cheer was as beloved as beauty

وَخَبِّراني أَينَ شَمسُ الضُّحى

فَإِنَّ لَونَ الصُّبحِ غِربيبُ

The fire of battle wondered at the flames of their hands, yet they are gentle

Forgetting the past, they inclined to Malik

وا أَسَفي مِن غُربَةٍ طَوَّحَت

فيها إِلى الرُّومِ الأَعارِيبُ

And a secret in him was unveiled, once concealed

He is a spear aloft, far from the reach of spears

قادَني الدَّهرُ إِلَيها وَمَن

يُحارِبُ الأَقدارَ مَغلوبُ

And after him the channels flowed straight

His thoughts reveal the unseen, while people's minds only grope

فَهَل تَشيمانِ عَلى راهِطٍ

ناراً لَها في الجَوِّ ألهُوبُ

Crises of time are in his palm, and fate's torrents made calm

His perfection spares you listing his faults

دونَ سَناها كُلُّ مَجهُولَةٍ

تَعرِفُها الجُردُ السَّراحِيبُ

And any advice to shun him is avoidance

He has a station beyond comprehension

لَعَلَّها نارُ بَني مَلهَم

تُعقَرُ في أَرجائِها النِّيبُ

For gray hairs, guidance and correction

It rose with him and so after him

إِن خَلَت في المَحْلِ أَخلافُها

دَرَّت عَلى الضَّيفِ العَراقيبُ

In the horizon it still rises and sets

As honored as a house with a sanctuary

قَومٌ ذَكَرناهُم وَمِن دونِهِم

لِلرِّيحِ إِسآدٌ وَتَأوِيبُ

Oh son of Ali, how did dew become obligatory upon you, rather than voluntary?

Before you the people strayed from its path

فَرَنَّحَتنا لَهُم نَشوَة

يَطرَبُ مِنها الرَّاحُ وَالكُوبُ

And few pursued what was sought

After you, none were guided but by your minarets

ذَوائِبُ مِن عامِرٍ ضَمَّها

بَيتٌ عَلى الجَوزاءِ مَضروبُ

The people of Sham were unharmed though rain abandoned them, for your goodness flowed

How many meadows you have in their valleys

لَهُم إِذا أَمَّهُم سائِلٌ

فَنٌّ مِنَ الجودِ وَأسلوبُ

That the scent of musk reaches its guards

You are no slender-waisted woman, Muzna, strutting among them

طَلاقَةٌ تُشرِقُ قَبلَ النَّدى

وَالبِشرُ مِثلُ الحُسنِ مَحبوبُ

With trailing robes dragging behind

Rather, one related to the victorious King made it flourish

تَعجَبُ مِن إِسعارِ أَيديهِمُ

نارُ الوَغى وَهيَ شآبيتُ

His hands gave generously when life was miserly and bounty withheld

O best of those whose light the mounts of misfortune climbed

لانوا وَفيهِم لِلعِدى قَسوَة

وَالغَيثُ مَرجُوٌ وَمَرهوبُ

I heeded your charity, though friends failed with distance

So my love of you remains though spears ignited it

تَناسَوا قَبلَ إِلى مالِكِ

وَبانَ سِرٌّ فيهِ مَحجوبُ

And the ardor of a doe, all reproach above me

My age kept me from you, though it brought me close in quest

فَهوَ سِنان طالَ عَن رُمحِهِ

وَاعتَدَلَت بَعدُ الأَنابِيبُ

I found a land whose lightning glittered, guarded by a wolf

Without me, it is but ruins where an owl hoots

أَبلَجُ تُبدي الغَيبَ أَفكارُهُ

وَكُلُّ رأي النَّاسِ تَجريبُ

Can my hopes, if fulfilled in thought, order and arrange?

Will you believe me if gain is false, and lies cheat?

أَزِمَّةُ الأَيام في كَفِّهِ

وَجامِحُ الأَقدارِ مَجنوبُ

For after prolonged sorrow, Joseph healed Jacob's agony

كَمالُهُ يُغنيكَ عَن عَدِّ ما

فيهِ وَكُلُّ النُصحِ تَجنيبُ

لَهُ مَحَلٌّ دونَ إِدراكِهِ

لِلشُّهبِ تَصعيدٌ وَتَصويبُ

أَوفى عَلَيها فَلَها بَعدَهُ

في الأُفقِ تَشريقٌ وَتَغريبُ

تَشرُفُ إِن قابَلَها مِثلَما

تَشرُفُ بِالبَيتِ المَحاريبُ

يا ابنَ عَلِيَّ كَيفَ صارَ النَّدى

عَلَيكَ فَرضاً وَهوَ مَندوبُ

قَبلَكَ ضَلَّ النَّاسُ عَن نَهجِهِ

وَعَزَّ شَأوٌ فيهِ مَطلوبُ

فَما هَدى بَعدَكَ قُصَّادَهُ

إِلَّا مَنارٌ لَكَ مَنصوبُ

ما ضَرَّ أَهلَ الشَّامِ أَن يُخلِفَ

الغَيثُ وَإِحسانُكَ مَسكوبُ

كَم لَكَ في واديهِمُ رَوضَةً

نَمَّ إِلى رائِدِها الطِّيبُ

ما أَنتِ يا مُزنَةُ خَطّارَة

فيها وَلا ذَيلُكِ مَسحُوبُ

وَإِنَّما رَوَّضَها عارِض

إِلى نَصيرِ المُلكِ مَنسوبُ

جادَت يَداهُ حينَ ضَنَّ الحَيا

وَالخَيرُ مَمنوعٌ وَمَوهوبُ

يا خَيرَ مَن نُصَّت إِلى نارِهِ

ضَوامِرُ البُزلِ المَصاعِيبُ

رَعَيتُ إِحسانَكَ عِندي وَقَد

خانَ مَع البُعدِ الأَصاحِيبُ

فَلي غَرامٌ بِكَ ما أَضرَمَت

زِنادَهُ البِيضُ الرَّعابِيبُ

وَصَبوَة نَحوَكَ عُذرِيَّةٌ

فَكُلُّ مَدحي فيكَ تَشبيبُ

أَبعَدَني مِنكَ زَمان لَهُ

في طَلَبي وَخدٌ وَتَقرِيبُ

وَأَلفُ دارٍ بَرقُها لامِعُ

الآلِ وَراعي سَرحِها الذِّيبُ

ما هِيَ مِن بَعدِيَ إِلَّا كَما

أَقفَرَ في الأَطلالِ مَلحوبُ

فَهَل أَمانِيَّ إِذا راضَها

في الفِكرِ تَقديرٌ وَتَرتيبُ

تَصدُقني فيكَ إِذا ما

المُنى خِداعٌ وَأَكاذِيبُ

فَقَد شَفى الغُلَّةَ مِن يوسُفٍ

بَعدَ طَويلِ الحُزنِ يَعقوبُ