تَضاعَفَ ضَعفي بَعدَ بُعدِ الحَبائِبِ

وَقَد حَجَبوا عَنّي قِسِيَّ الحَواجِبِ

My weakness has doubled since the absence of loved ones

And their stern brows have been veiled from me

وَمُذ أَفَلَت تِلكَ الكَواكِبِ لَم تَزَل

مُوَكَّلَةً عَنّي بِرَعيِ الكَواكِبِ

Since those stars set, they have not ceased

To be occupied with me in guiding the stars

فَما آيبٌ لِلهَمِّ عَنّي بِرائِحٍ

وَلا رائِحٌ لِلعَيشِ عَنّي بِآيِبِ

So neither grief departs from me with a passing scent

Nor life approaches me with one who comes

وَنادِبَةٍ ناحَت سُحَيراً بِأَيكَةٍ

فَهَيَّجَتِ الوَسواسَ في قَلبِ نادِبِ

A wailing woman cried out mournfully with anguish

And stirred up misgiving in the heart of the mourner

تَنوحُ عَلى غُصنٍ أَنوحُ لِمِثلِهِ

وَهَل حاضِرُ يَبكي أَسىً مِثلُ غائِبِ

She laments over a branch, and I lament for the like of it

Does one present weep the sorrow of one absent?

بِوادٍ بِوادي الغوطَتَينِ رُبوعَكُم

رَبيعي وَمِن ذاكَ التُرابُ تُرابي

In the valley, in the valley of Al-Ghoutatayn, are your meadows

My springtime, and from that soil is my dust

يَزيدُ اِحتِراقي وَاِشتِياقي إِلَيكُم

إِذا صاحَ بي عَرِّج عَلى الدارِ صاحِبي

My burning and my longing for you increase

When my companion calls to me, "Stop by the abode!"

وَأَهوى هَواها مِن رِياضٍ أَنيقَةٍ

فَتَصرِفُني عَنها صُروفُ النَوائِبِ

And I desire it from elegant gardens

So the vicissitudes of fate divert me from it

تَظَلُّ ثُغورُ الأُقحُوانِ ضَواحِكاً

إِذا ما بَكَت فيها عُيونُ السَحائِبِ

The smiles of the beauties remain

When the eyes of the clouds weep over them

كَأَنَّ لَميعَ البَرقِ في جَنَباتِها

سُيوفُ مُعينِ الدينِ بَينَ الكَتائِبِ

As if the flashing of lightning in their sides

Were the swords of the helper of religion among the regiments

فَتىً لَم يَعُد حَتّى تَعَفَّر قَرنُهُ

كَأَنَّ عَلَيهِ الضَربَ ضَربَةُ لازِبِ

A young man who did not refrain until his spearhead was bloodstained

As if the striking against him were the blow of a piercing blade

حَشِيَّتُهُ سِرجُ عَلى ظَهرِ سابِحٍ

وَحُلَّتُهُ دِرعٌ عَلى غَيرِ هارِبٍ

His saddlecloth is a blanket on the back of a swimmer

And his coat of mail is armor on one who does not flee

غَدا في المَعالي راغِباً غَيرَ زاهِدٍ

وَفيما سِواها زاهِداً غَيرَ راغِبِ

Tomorrow he set out aspiring to glory, not an ascetic

And in anything other he was an ascetic, not aspiring

يَظُنُّ صَلاحُ الدينِ فُرسانَ جَلَّقٍ

كَفُرسانِهِ ما الأَسَدُ مِثلَ الثَعالِبِ

Saladin thinks the knights of Gallaq

Are like his knights. The lion is not like jackals.

غَداً تَطلُعُ الشامُ الفِرِنجَ بِفَيلَقٍ

مُعَوَّدَةٍ أَبطالُهُ لِلمَصائِبِ

Tomorrow Damascus will charge the Franks with a regiment

Whose heroes are accustomed to misfortunes

رِجالٌ إِذا قامَ الصَليبُ تَصَلَّبَتِ

رِماحُهُمُ في كُلِّ ماشٍ وَراكِبِ

Men, when the cross stands, their spears

Are crucified in every charging horseman and rider

لَها اللَيلُ نَقعٌ وَالأَسِنَّةُ أَنجُمُ

فَما غَيرُ أَبطالٍ وَغَيرُ جَنائِبِ

For them the night has drinking and the tongues are stars

So none but heroes and none but wildly blowing winds