مَا إنْ تذكَّرتُ أيامي بذي سَلم

إلاّ مزجتُ دموعي مِن أسىً بدَمِ

Whenever I recall my days in Dhi Salm

I mix my tears with blood out of sorrow

ولا حكَى لي قومٌ باللّوى خِيَمٌ

إلاّ وناديتُ وآشوقا إلى الخيم

Whenever people pitched tents of devotion for me

I called out longingly for the tents

يا بانةَ العَلَم الغربي فوقَ قُبا

ما حالَ جيراتِنا يا بانةَ العَلمُ

O pillar of the western world up on the hill

What is the state of our neighbors, O pillar?

وكيفَ أخدارُ لَيْلَى بعد رحلتنا

سَقَى معَاهدَ ليلى واكفُ الدَّيم

And how is Layla after our departure?

Layla's settlements have quenched the shelters

قالوا شُغلْتَ بليلي وهي فارغة

فقلتُ ليسَ المُعَافى مثلَ ذي سِقَمِ

They said you were busy with your Layla while she was free

So I said, he who is unwell is not like one who is well

قالوا فزارتك كَي تُبْرى فزدت ضَنىً

فقلتُ برْدُ لِماها زاد في ألمي

They said she visited so you would be cleared But I said

The coolness of her waters increased my pain

مَا إن يحِنُّ إلى الأوطان مُغْتربٌ

إلاّ حَنَنْتُ إلى أيامي القِدَمِ

When an expatriate yearns for home

I yearned for my early days

قالوا المِشيبُ وقارٌ قُلْتُ طَيْشْي

إلى العُقَار وذاتِ الدّل والحَومِ

They said gray hair is dignity I said my madness

Is for medicine, raisins, rice and meat

والطيْرُ يُبكرُ إذا خيطَ الصَّباح بدى

لرزقها وأنا للكاس والنَّغمِ

The birds rise early when dawn breaks

For their livelihood, while I rise for the cup and melody

ولو اراد متابي مَا ذرى وبرى

لإِبنة الكرمِ يتلوها ابنتُ الكرمِ

If the proud one wanted, he would not see or graze

To the generous lady, followed by the daughter of the generous

فيُونُسٌ بعدَ بطنِ الحوتِ خلَّصَهُ

وحَلَّ عُقْدةَ موسى صاحبُ الكلمِ

Jonah was saved after the belly of the whale

And the companion of the word untied Moses' knot

مَا كانَ أحسنَ أيامي وَاطيبَها

يا ابنَ الحسين رفيع القدر والهممِ

How good and sweet were my days

O son of Hussein, of high worth and aspiration

وصَاحبُ الخَضْرِ كم لي قد رَعَا ودَعا

فصرتُ أفْصَحُ مَنْ يمشي على قَدِم

The companion of Al-Khidr, how much he shepherded and prayed for me

I became the most eloquent of those who walked on feet

كنّا إذا مَا التقينا والفقيه بها

كنّا لجملةِ ذاك القومِ كالخَدَمِ

Whenever we met, my mentor and I

We were to that group like servants

يا رحمةَ الله لا تنْأي ضَرائِحهم

ويا غَمَامُ عليها حُلّ وانسجمِ

O God's mercy, do not avoid their tombs

And O clouds, descend and blend upon them

ويا رياحَ النَّعَامى باكري سَحَراً

تلك القبورَ وقولي يا قبورُ عمي

And O winds of the ostriches, rise early at dawn

To those graves, and say: O graves of my pillars

جِيْرانَنَا مِنْ قديم الدهر سَادَتنا

ونحْنُ مِن نعم الساداتِ في نِعمِ

Our neighbors since ancient times are our masters

And we, from the best masters, are in bounty