وما لي تمنٍّ غيرُ لقياكَ ساعةً

بعيش لنا في ذَا الزمان رَغيدِ

I have no wish but to meet you one hour

To live with you now in this time, happy,

لعل نجوم البُعْد يُمْسِين أُفَلاً

ونجمُ التَّداني طالعٌ بسعودِ

Perhaps the stars of distance may set,

And the star of nearness may rise in good fortune,

وَعَلَّ سحابَ البين يقشعُ بعدمَا

تَدَاعَى بها مِن بارقٍ وَرُعُودِ

And the clouds of estrangement disperse after

Having gathered in flashes of lightning and thunder,

وعلَّ مصابيحَ اللقاءِ توقدتْ

ونار التنائى آذنتْ بخُمُودِ

And the lamps of meeting are lit,

While the fire of separation has given notice of dying out,

عَسَى وعَسى حقّاً من الله واجبا

هو الرَّازق الوهابُ خيرُ وَدُودِ

May it be, may it be, as Allah has willed,

He is the Giver, the Bestower, the Best, the Most Loving,

وإذْ نحن في السبعين عاماً تتابعتْ

ونطمعُ أيضاً بعدها بمزيدِ

And we, as seventy years have gone by in succession,

Still hope too for more afterwards.

شديدٌ علينا هَجركمْ وبِعادكُمْ

وَتزْعم هذا البعدَ غيرُ شديدِ

Harsh upon us is your estrangement and your distance,

And this distance claims it is not harsh.

بعادُك أضْنانَا وهجرُك ساءَنا

وذا الصبر في هذين غيرُ مُفِيدِ

Your estrangement hurts us, your separation evil,

And this patience in both is not useful.

ومرّتْ بِنا بضعٌ وسبعون حِجةً

وما أنجزت أيامنا بوُعودِ

Seventy-odd pilgrimages have passed by us

And our days have not fulfilled their promises.

فالله ربّي في بقيةِ عُمرنا

فلم يبقَ مِنه صاح غيرُ زَهيدِ

So, my Lord, for the rest of our lives,

Of which there only remains a small, trifling amount,

فإنك من ماءِ خُلِقت وطينةٍ

مهين فلا من صخرة وحديدِ

For you were created of water and clay,

Vile, not of rock and steel,

هلمَّ نُقَضِّي العمر في الدين خالصاً

ونخلعُ ذِكرى عالجٍ وَزَرودِ

Come, let us spend the rest of our life sincerely in religion,

And cast off the memory of curing and prevention.

فإن كنتَ ذَا فهمٍ وعقل وفطنةٍ

فخذْ قولَ محمودِ المقالِ مجيدِ

If you are sensible, intelligent and perceptive,

Take the saying of the excellent, splendid speech.

فإنى أنا الخلُّ الوفيُّ فلا تجِدْ

سِواى محبّاً دائماً بِعهُودِي

I am the sincere friend; find not

Other than me, a loving constant friend in my pacts.

فهذا الذي عندي وخذْ بنصِيحتي

وهذا وِدَادِي خالصاً لوَدِبدِ

This is what I have, so take my advice,

And this is my affection, truly for my beloved,

عليَّ بأنْ أبدي الجوهر مِن فَمي

وأجلو معانيها بيوت قَصيدي

It is up to me to express the essence from my mouth

And clarify its meanings—the houses of my ode.

نصحتُ وأدَّيتُ النصيحةَ جاهداً

إلى أهلها والسامعونَ شهُودِي

I have advised and performed my advice vigorously

To its people, while my witnesses are present.