أَرَسمُ سَودَةَ مَحل دارِسُ الطَلَلِ
مُعَطَّلٌ رَدّهُ الأَحوالُ كالحَلَلِ
I draw the image of Sowda, abode of the one who frequents ruins,
Frustrated, his state reversed like anklets.
لَمّا رأى أَهلَها سَدّوا مَطالِعَها
رامَ الصُدودَ وَعادَ الوَدُّ كالمَهَلِ
When her people saw him they blocked his approaches,
He aimed for rejection and love returned like a swollen she-camel.
وَعادَ ودُّكَ داءً لا دَواءَ لَهُ
وَلَو دَعاكَ طوالَ الدَهرِ للرحَلِ
Your love has returned as an illness without cure,
Even if it called you for life to pack up.
ما وَصلُ سَودَةَ إِلّا وَصلُ صارِمَةٍ
أَحَلَّها الدَهرُ داراً مأكلَ الوَعَلِ
I don’t arrive at Sowda except the arrival at fierce Sareema,
Time has made it a land for foxes to eat.
وَعادَ أَمواهُها سَدماً وَطارَ لَها
سَهمٌ دَعا أَهلَها للصّرمِ وَالعِلَلِ
Its channels have become blocked and an arrow has flown for it
Calling its people to illness and defects.
صَدّوا وَصَدَّ وَساءَ المَرءَ صَدُّهُمُ
وَحامَ لِلوِردِ رَدهاً حَومَةَ العَلَلِ
They blocked off and the blocking of them did the man wrong,
And he yearned for the rose, the intensity of defects.
وَحَلّؤُهُ رِداهاً ماؤُها عَسَلٌ
ما ماءُ رَدهٍ لَعَمرُ اللَهِ كالعَسَلِ
And its being returned by him, its water is honey,
By God, the water of being rejected is not like honey.
دَعا الحَمامُ حَماماً سَدَّ مَسمَعَهُ
لَمّا دَعاهُ رآهُ طامِحَ الأَمَلِ
The dove called a dove but it blocked its hearing
When it called him, it saw him ambitious of hopes -
طُموحَ سارِحَةٍ حَوم مُلَمَّعَةٍ
وَمُمرعُ السِرِّ سَهلٌ ماكِدُ السَهَلِ
Ambitions of a free woman, intense, smooth,
And the secret's confidant is easy, scheming easy.
وَحاوَلوا رَدَّ أَمرٍ لا مَرَدَّ لَهُ
وَالصُرمُ داءٌ لأهلِ اللَوعَةِ الوُصُلِ
And they tried to repel an order which has no repeal,
And estrangement is an illness for the people of passion and connection.
أَحَلَّكَ اللَهُ أَعلى كُلِّ مَكرُمَةٍ
وَاللَهُ أَعطاكَ أَعلى صالحِ العَمَلِ
May God grant you the highest of every glory,
And God has given you the best of righteous work.
سَهلٌ مَوارِدُهُ سَمحٌ مَواعِدُهُ
مُسَوَّدٌ لِكِرامِ سادَةٍ حُمُلِ
Its pastures are easy, its resting places spacious,
Blackened for the generosity of masters carried.
