هَل تَعرِفُ الرَبعَ الَّذي تَنَكَّرا
بَينَ المَواعِيسِ إِلى وادي القِرى
Do you know the quarter that was disguised
Between the lanterns to Wadi Qura
إِلى الشَرى يا حَبَّذا ذاكَ الشَرى
حَيثُ تَرى مِنهُ الكَثيبَ الأَعفَرا
To Ash-Sharaa, how excellent is that Ash-Sharaa
Where you see from it the yellowed sand dune
مُعَمَّماً بِنَورِهِ مُؤَزَّرا
يَغشى نَسيمُ الرِيحِ ذاكَ العَبهَرا
Covered with its light, girded
The breeze of the wind spreads that fragrance
وَالرَندَ فَيّاحَ الشَذا وَالعَرعَرا
حَتّى تَسُوفَ بِالوِهادِ وَالذُرى
And the myrtle fresh with aroma and flowers
Until it roams in the valleys and plains
عُوداً قُمارِيّاً وَمِسكاً أَذفَرا
مَنازِلاً ذَكَّرنَ مَن تَذَكَّرا
Aloeswood and musk make it prosperous
Dwellings that remind those who remember
عَيشاً هَنيِئاً وَزَماناً أَنضَرا
يا صاحِبيَّ غَلِّسا أَو هَجِّرا
A blessed life and a green era
O my friend set forth or estrange
وَقَبِّلا العِيسَ المَخُوفَ الأَكدَرا
طَلائِحاً تَنفُح في صُفرِ البُرى
And kiss the feared, sombre calf
Doeskin bags give off scent in the yellow wasteland
كَأَنَّها مِنَ الوَجيفِ وَالسُرى
قِسِيُّ رامٍ أَم جَرِيدٌ حُسِّرا
As if they were from carrion and charnel
Is it a firm rope or a peeled palm branch
قَلائِصاً باتَت لَغُوباً حُسَّراً
يَكتُبنَ بِالأَيدي عَلى وَجهِ الثَرى
Withered garments that spent the night folded
They write with hands on the earth’s face
مِنَ الذَميلِ أَحرُفاً وَأَسطُراً
قُلنا لَها وَالنَجمُ قَد تَغَوَّرا
From ink, letters and lines
We said to it while the star had set
وَالصُبحُ قَد أَسفَرَ أَو ما أَسفَرَا
وَهِيَ مِنَ الإِدلاجِ تَخفى أَو تُرى
And dawn had broken or nearly broken
It hides in the darkness or can be seen
يا عِيسُ أُمّي المَلِكَ المُؤَمَّرا
وَانتَجِعي ذاكَ الجَنابَ الأَخضَرا
O Jesus my mother the appointed King
And withdraw to that green side
فَإِن أَزَرناكِ المُعِزَّ الأَزهَرا
فَما تَرَينَ نَصَباً وَلا نَرى
If we visit you, the most blossoming protector
Then you see no misfortune and we see none
يا خَيرَ قَيسٍ مَحتِداً وَعُنصُرا
دُونَكَ هَذا الكَلِمَ المُسَيَّرا
O best of Qais argumentative and helper
Below this destined speech
أَرَّقَنِي تَأَليفُهُ وَأَسهَرا
وَبِتُّ لا أُطعِمُ أَجفاني الكَرى
Its composition kept me awake and sleepless
And I stay not feeding my eyelids sleep
حَتّى نَظَمتُ المُونِقَ المُحَبَّرا
قَلائِداً مِنَ القَريضِ نُدَّرا
Until I strung the inked pearls
Necklaces of poetry, strung
كَأَنَّما أَنظِمُ مِنها جَوهَرا
تِجارَةٌ قَد أَربَحَت مَن أَتجَرا
As if I string from them a jewel
A trade that has profited those who traded
فاسلَم وَلا زِلتَ الأَعَزَّ الأَكبَرا
مُؤَيَّدا مُسَدَّداً مُظَفَّرا
So submit and you still remain the greatest elder
Supported, guided, and victorious
مُعَمَّراً وَلا تُرى مُغَمَّرا
Long-lived and not seen senile
