لِعَزَّةَ مِن أَيّامِ ذي الغُصنِ هاجَني

بَضاحي قَرارِ الرَوضَتَينِ رُسومُ

For the honor of the days of him of the branch, desires have stirred me,

The traces of the two gardens' decision trouble me,

فَروضَةُ أَلجامٍ تَهيجُ لِيَ البُكا

وَرَوضاتُ شوطىعَهدُهُنَّ قَديمُ

So a garden of cups excites me to tears,

While the gardens of my life with them is an old pact,

هِيَ الدارُ وَحشاً غَيرَ أَن قَد يَحِلُّها

وَيَغنى بِها شَخصٌ عَلَيَّ كَريمُ

It is a house made desolate but a generous soul may settle it

And sing of it, over me being so noble,

فَما بِرِباعِ الدارِ أَن كُنتُ عالِماً

وَلا بِمَحَلِّ الغانِياتِ أَهيمُ

So I had no knowledge of the house's yards,

Nor did I rave about the singing girls,

سَأَلتُ حَكيماً أَينَ صارَت بِها النَوى

فَخَبَّرَني ما لا أُحِبُّ حَكيمُ

I asked a wise man where the loved ones had gone

And he told me what I do not like, O wise one!

أَجَدّوا فَأَمّا آلُ عَزَّةَ غَدوَةً

فَبانوا وَأَمّا واسِطٌ فَمُقيمُ

They went travelling, and the family of Honour left at dawn

And stayed away, while the middle folk remained,

فَمَضا لِلنَوى لا بارَكَ اللَهُ في النَوى

وَعَهدُ النَوى عِندَ المُحِبِّ ذَميمُ

They left for the loved ones - may Allah not bless the loved ones!

And the pact with loved ones is despicable to a lover,

لَعَمري لَئِن كانَ الفُؤادُ مِنَ النَوى

بَغى سَقَماً إِنّي إِذَن لَسَقيمُ

By my life, if the heart suffers lovesickness for the loved ones,

Then I indeed am sick,

فَإِمّا تَرَيني اليَومَ أُبدي جَلادَةً

فَإِنّي لَعَمري تحتَ ذاكَ كَليمُ

So if you see me today showing patience,

Still, by my life, under that I am submissive,

وَما ظَعَنَت طَوعاً وَلَكِن أَزالَها

زَمانٌ نَبا بِالصالِحينَ مَشومُ

And my misery was not voluntary but time,

Boding ill to good men, took it away.

فَواحَزنا لَمّا تَفَرَّقَ واسِطٌ

وَأَهلُ الَّتي أَهذي بِها وَأَحومُ

So pity me when the middle folk split up

And those I rave about and pine for;

وَقالَ لِيَ البَلاغُ وَيحَكَ إِنَّها

بِغَيرِكَ حَقّاً يا كَثيرُ تَهيمُ

And speech told me - woe to you - she belongs

In truth, O Kuthayyir, to another that you rave about!

أَتَشخَصُ والشخص الَّذي أَنتَ عادِلُ

بِهِ الخُلدَ بِينَ العائِداتِ سَقيمُ

Do you dare when the one you equal

In eternity among lovers has grown feeble?

يُذَكِّرُنيها كُلُّ ريحٍ مَريضَةٍ

لَها بِالتِلاعِ القاوِياتِ نَسيمُ

She reminds me, every sick wind

That blows on the high, crumbling ruins, has a gentle breeze,

تَمُرُّ السُنونَ الماضِياتُ وَلا أَرى

بِصَحنِ الشَبا أَطلالَهُنَّ تَريمُ

The years gone by pass without my seeing

In the palm trees' courtyard their long-gone traces.

وَلَستُ اِبنَةَ الضَمرِيِّ مِنكَ بِناقِمٍ

ذُنوبَ العِدى إِنّي إِذَن لَظَلومُ

Nor am I, for you, Umayma's daughter, a avenger of wrongs -

Truly then I am unjust!

وَإِنّي لَذو وَجدٍ لَئِن عادَ وَصلُها

وَإِنّي عَلى رَبّي إِذَن لَكَريمُ

But I have a passion - if her favours return

Then truly to my Lord I am generous!

إِذا بَرَقَت نَحوَ البُوَيبِ سَحابَةٌ

لِعَينَيكَ مِنها لا تَجِفُّ سُجومُ

When a cloud lightens in Buwaib's direction

May showers from it not dry up for your eyes,

وَلَستُ بِراءٍ نَحوَ مِصرَ سَحابَةً

وَإِن بَعُدَت إِلّا قَعَدتُ أَشيمُ

I am not averse when a cloud heads for Egypt

And even if distant, still I sit keening,

فَقَد يوجَدُ النَكسُ الدَنِيُّ عَنِ الهَوى

عَزوفاً وَيَصبو المَرءُ وَهوَ كَريمُ

So the base outcast may refrain from love

In disdain, while the noble man raves on,

وَقالَ خَليلي ما لَها إِذ لَقيتَها

غَداةَ الشَبا فيها عَلَيكَ وُجومُ

My friend said, 'Why did gloom cover her face

When she met you in morning's first light?'

فَقُلتُ لَهُ إِنَّ المَوَدَّةَ بَينَنا

عَلى غَيرِ فحشٍ وَالصَفاءُ قَديمُ

I said, 'Love between us is unsullied

And our close friendship is of old.'

وَإِنّي وَإِن أَعرَضتُ عَنها تَجَلُّداً

عَلى العَهدِ فيما بَينَنا لَمُقيمُ

Though I turned from her, exerting myself

To keep our pact, still I remained loyal,

وَإِنَّ زَماناً فَرَّقَ الدَهرَ بَينَنا

وَبَينَكُم في صَرفِهِ لَمَشومُ

Time has separated us - time's caprice bodes ill,

And between you and I it is inauspicious,

أَفي الدَينِ هَذا إِنَّ قَلبَك سالِمٌ

صَحيحٌ وَقَلبي مِن هَواكِ سَقيمُ

If this faith of yours is secure

And my heart for love of you is sick,

وَإِنَّ بِجَوفي مِنكِ داءٌ مُخامِراً

وَجَوفُكِ مِمّا بي عَلَيك سَليمُ

In my heart I have a lingering sickness from you

While your heart has safety from what is in me,

لَعَمرُكِ ما أَنصَفتِني في مَوَدَّتي

وَلَكِنَّني يا عَزُّ عَنكِ حَليمُ

By your life, you did not do justice to my love!

But still, O Pride, I am forbearing to you.

عَلَيَّ دِماءُ البُدنِ إِن كانَ حُبُّها

عَلى النَأيِ أَو طولَ الزَمانِ يَريمُ

My body's blood be upon me if love for her

In avoidance or length of time should become frail!

وَأُقسِمُ ما اِستَبدَلتُ بَعدَكِ خُلَّةً

وَلا لَكِ عِندي في الفُؤادِ قَسيمُ

I swear I have not replaced your sweet company since,

Nor for you in my heart found any partner.