حَبَّذا طَيْفُ عَلْوَةٍ حِينَ أَسْرَى

مِنْ زِياراتِهِ فَفَكَّ الأَسْرَى

Blessed was the ghost of Alwa when it passed by

And freed me from captivity with its visit

زارَنِي وَالصَّباحُ قَد لاحَ فِي اللَّيْ

لِ وَقَدْ لِلنَّسِيمِ الفَجْرَا

It visited me as dawn shone in the night

And the morning breeze stirred

وَبَنو نَعْشَ شاخِصاتٌ إلَى القُطْ

بِ حَيارَى وَالنَّسْرُ يَقْفو الإِثْرا

With palm-branches pointing to the sand dunes

Bewildered, and the eagles in pursuit

وَالمَصابِيحُ أَطْفَأَتْها يَدُ الصُّبْ

حِ فَشابَتْ مَفارِقُ الرَّوْضِ ذُعْرَا

The lamps were extinguished by the hand of dawn

So the orchard outskirts grew dark and gloomy

وَسَقيطُ الغَمامِ يَرْشَحُ دُرّاً

فَوْقَ أَوْراقِهِ فيُصْبِحُ دُرَّا

And drizzle from the clouds sprinkles pearls

Onto its leaves, making them glisten

جادَها وابِلُ السَّماءِ رَشاشاً

فَهْيَ تَبْكِي طَوْراً وَتَضْحَكُ طَوْرَا

It poured from the sky in a light shower

At times crying, at others laughing

نَقَشَتْها أَيْدِي الرَّبيعِ فَلاَ تُزْ

هِرُ إلاّ بِيضاً وَحُمْراً وَصُفْرَا

The hands of spring adorned it, so it only blooms

White, red, and yellow

يَتَلامَعْنَ فِي الدُّجَى كالَدَّنانِي

رِ وَيُعْطِينَ فِي الدُّجُنَّةِ عِطْرَا

Gleaming in the gloom like gold pieces

And spreading fragrance in the orchards

وَعَلى سِرِّ سِتْرِ عَلْوَةَ بَيْتٌ

ما تَراهُ العُيونُ إلاّ شَزْرَا

Over Alwa's secret place lies a home

Eyes can only see from afar

ضُرِبَتْ دُونَها المَضارِبْ وَالْتَفَّ

تْ عَلَيْهِ الرِّجالُ شُعْثاً وَغُبْرَا

Tents were pitched around it and men gathered

Disheveled and covered in dust