ضَمانٌ على أَن الغَرام طَويلُ

إِذا شَحَطَت دارٌ وَبان خَليلُ

A guarantee that passion is enduring,

When the homestead is distant and the friend has departed.

أَقولُ لِنَفسي حينَ جَدَّ بها الأَسى

نَهَيتُكِ عَن ذا وَالفَريقُ حُلولُ

I say to my soul when sorrow strikes it hard,

"I warned you of this while the tribe was still dwelling here."

فَأَمّا وَقد جازوا الغَميمَ وَلَعلَعا

وَحالَت حُزونٌ دونَهُم وَسُهول

Now that they have traversed al-Ghamim and La‘la‘,

And rugged hills and plains stand between them and us,

فَبَرِّد جَوى قَلبٍ أُطيلَ عليلُهُ

بِفَيضِ دموعٍ في الجفونِ تَجولُ

Then cool the burning of a heart whose sickness lingers long,

With a flood of tears roving within the eyelids.

سَقى أَينَ حلّوا أَو سَقى مُنتَواهُم

مِنَ المُزنِ رَجّاسُ السحابِ همولُ

May the rain water wherever they settle or wander,

From thundering clouds pouring forth abundant streams.

أُعَلِّلُ نَفسي بِاللِقاء وَدونَ ما

أُرَجّيهِ دهرٌ بِالوَفاءِ مطولُ

I comfort my soul with hopes of meeting, yet between

My desires stands a time that delays fulfillment.

فَلا النَفسُ تَسلوهُم وَلا الوجد مُقصرٌ

وَلا الصَبرُ مُذ بانَ الخَليطُ جَميلُ

The soul does not forget them, nor does passion wane,

Nor has patience been fair since the loved ones departed.

وَقَد زَعَموا أَنَّ الشِفاءَ مِنَ الجَوى

دُموعٌ مَرَتها زَفرَةٌ وَعَويلُ

They claimed that the cure for the heart’s burning affection

Is tears drawn forth by sighs and loud wailing.

فَما بالُ جَفني لا يَجِفُّ وَعَبرَتي

دِراكاً وَلم يَبرُد بِذاكَ غَليبلُ

So why does my eyelid not dry, and my tears flow in succession,

Yet the burning thirst within is not cooled by this?

وَما أَنسَ مِ الأَشياءِ لا أَنسَ مَوقِفاً

لَنا وَالعُيونُ الرافِقاتُ غُفولُ

Whatever things I may forget, I shall never forget a moment

We shared while the watching eyes were unaware.

تُكاتِمُني وَجداً وَتَرنو بِمُقلَةٍ

ضَعيفَةِ رَجعِ الطَرفِ وَهيَ تَقولُ

She conceals her passion from me, gazing with an eye

Of languid glance, as she softly speaks:

سَلِ اللَهِ أَن يَسقى الحِمى عَلَّ رَجعَةً

لَنا عِندَما تَهتَزُّ مِنهُ بُقولُ

"Ask God to water the sanctuary; perhaps there will be a return

For us, when the greenery sways within it."

فَيَلتَئِمَ الشَعبَ الذي صَدَعَ النَوى

وَيَحزَنَ مِن بَعدِ السُرورِ عَذولُ

"That the rift caused by separation may be mended,

And the envious blamer may grieve after his joy."

فَلَمّا اِستَحثَّ البَينُ وَاِنشَقَّتِ العَصا

وَنادى مُنادٍ بِالرَحيلِ عَجولُ

But when separation hastened, and the bond was severed,

And a crier called out for a hurried departure,

تَمَنَّيتُ لَو روحي تُباعُ بِنَظرَةٍ

إِلَيها وَلكِن ما إِلَيهِ سَبيلُ

I wished my soul could be bartered for a single glance

At her, but to that path there is no way.

وَمَوّارَةُ الضَبعَينِ مُحكَمَةُ القَرا

أَمونُ السُرى عَبرَ الهَجيرِ ذَمولُ

And a she-camel with swaying forelegs and sturdy back,

Trusty in night travel, trotting through the midday heat.

بَعيدَةُ ما بَينَ التَرائِبِ جَسرَةٌ

تُلاحِظُ ظِلَّ السَوطِ أَينَ يَميلُ

Wide between the ribs, bold and imposing,

She watches the shadow of the whip, seeing where it falls.

جَشِمتُ عَلَيها الهَولَ أَمّا نَهارُها

فَوَخذٌ وَأَمّا لَيلُها فَذَميلُ

I braved the terrors upon her back; her day is a trot,

And her night is a brisk, unceasing pace.

خَلا ساعَةٍ أَقضي عُجالَةَ راحِلٍ

إِذا حانَ مِن شَمسِ النَهارِ أُفولُ

Save for an hour when I snatch a traveler’s brief rest,

When the sun of the day draws near to its setting.

فَسَيَّرتُها ما بَينَ بُصرى وَأَبيَنٍ

وَمِن كابُلٍ حَتّى أَشاحَ طَفيلُ

I drove her between Busra and Abyan,

And from Kabul until the shadows shifted.

فَما نَظَرَت عَيني وَلا مَرَّ مِسمَعي

بِحَلٍّ وَلا حَيثُ اِستَقَلَّ رَحيلُ

My eye has not seen, nor has my ear perceived,

In any settlement, nor where travelers depart,

كَمِثلِ بَني عيسى حِفاظاً وَنائِلاً

إِذا عَمَّ أَقطارَ البِلادِ محولُ

Any like the Sons of Isa in honor and generosity,

When drought encompasses the corners of the land.

جَحاجِحَةٌ غُرُّ الوُجوهِ تَآزَروا

بِآراءِ صِدقٍ زانَهُنَّ عُقولُ

Noble chieftains of radiant countenances, supporting one another

With truthful counsels adorned by wisdom.

سَما بهمُ عيسى إِلى الذُروَةِ التي

تَعِزَّ عَلى مَن رامَها وَتَطولُ

Isa ascended with them to the summit that

Is cherished and lofty, beyond the reach of aspirants.

فَهُم حَيثُ هذا الخَلقُ حُسنَ تَواضُعٍ

وَهُم بِالعُلى فَوقَ السِماكِ نُزولُ

They walk among the people in beautiful humility,

Yet in glory, they dwell above the stars of Arcturus.

رَوابِطُ جَأشِ القَلبِ في يَومِ زَيغِهِ

إِذا أَسلَمَ البيضَ الحِسانَ حَليلُ

Steadfast of heart on the day when courage wavers,

When a husband might surrender his beautiful bride in fear.

وَمَأوى ضَريكٍ أَتعَسَ الدَهرُ جَدَّهُ

وَأَمنُ طَريدٍ قَد نَفاهُ قَبيلُ

A refuge for the destitute whose luck time has ruined,

And safety for the outcast whom his tribe has exiled.

مُحمدُ لَم أَحمَدكَ وَحدي وَإِنَّما

بِحَمدِكَ مَن فَوقَ البَسيطِ يَقولُ

O Muhammad, I am not alone in praising you; rather,

Through your praise, everyone on earth speaks.

رَأَوكَ لما قالوهُ أَهلاً فَدَوَّنوا

لِحَمدِكَ أَبواباً لَهُنَّ فُصولُ

They deemed you worthy of their words, so they chronicled

Volumes of praise with many chapters.

فَإِن ذَكَروا بَأساً فَأَنتَ مُقَدَّمٌ

وَإِن ذكروا عُرفاً فَأَنتَ مُنيلُ

If they mention valor, you stand in the vanguard;

And if they speak of kindness, you are the granter.

وَهوبٌ لِمَضنونِ الصَفايا تَبَرُّعاً

إِذا الشَولُ لَم تُرفَع لَهُنَّ ذُيولُ

Giving freely of the most precious, hoarded wealth,

Even when the milk-camels yield no abundance.

حَليمٌ إِذا ما الحِلمُ كانَ حَزامَةً

وَسَوطُ نَكالٍ إِن غَضِبتَ وَبيلُ

Forbearing when forbearance is wisdom’s dictates,

Yet the whip of your punishment, if angered, is severe.

وَمَوقِفِ هَولٍ قُمتَ صَعبَ مُقامِهِ

وَلِلبيضِ في هامِ الكُماةَ صَليلُ

In stations of terror, you stood your ground firmly,

While swords clattered against the skulls of the brave.

فَفَرَّجتَ ضَنكَ المَأزِقَينِ بِعَزمَةٍ

يُفَلُّ بها بَعدَ الرَعيلِ رَعيلُ

You dispelled the distress of the crisis with a resolve

By which battalion after battalion is shattered.

مَساعٍ هيَ الدُنيا مَعالٍ وَمَفخَرٌ

وَأَجرٌ إِذا حَقَّ الثَوابُ جَزيلُ

Endeavors that are the very world of glory and pride,

And a reward, when recompense is due, that is ample.

فَلا مَجدَ إِلّا قَد تَجاوَزتَ قَدرَهُ

فَكُلُّ ثَناءٍ في عُلاكَ قَليلُ

There is no glory whose measure you have not surpassed,

So all praise falls short of your true eminence.

فَما لِلمَطايا دونَ بابِكَ مَوقِفٌ

وَلا لِمَديحٍ في سِواكَ دَليلُ

The riding beasts have no halting place but your door,

And praise finds no guide in any but you.

وَدونَكَ مَدحاً عَن مَقامِكَ قاصِرٌ

وَفي نَفسِهِ عِندَ الرُواةِ جَليلُ

Accept this praise, though it falls short of your station,

While in itself, among the narrators, it is deemed great.

أَزارَكَهُ فِكرٌ بِمَدحِكَ مولَعٌ

لِأَنَّ مَكانَ القَولِ فيكَ بَجيلُ

It was brought to you by a mind fond of your praise,

For the place of speech regarding you is dignified.

وَما كُنتُ مِمَّن يَجعَلُ الشِعرَ مَكسَباً

وَلَم يَطَبِّبني لِلمَطامِعِ قيلُ

I have never been one to make poetry a trade,

Nor has a speech ever seduced me with greed.

وَلكِن غَمامٌ مِن نَداكَ أَظَلَّني

فَأَخضَلتُ فيه وَالزمانُ مَحيلُ

But a cloud of your generosity cast its shadow over me,

And I was drenched in bounty while the times were barren.

وَلَستُ بِشُكري مُستَزيداً وَإِنَّما

لكُم طَوقُ مَنٍّ في طُلايَ ثَيقيلُ

I do not seek more by offering my thanks,

But the collar of your favor upon my neck is heavy.

سَأَذكُرُهُ ما بَلَّ ريقيَ مِقوَلي

وَما ناخَ شَجواً بِالأَراكِ هَديلُ

I shall mention it as long as moisture wets my tongue,

And as long as the dove coos mournfully on the Arak branch.

وَصَلِّ إلهَ العالمينَ مُسَلِّماً

عَلى مَن لهُ في المَكرُماتِ دَليلُ

And send blessings, O God of the worlds, with peace,

Upon him who holds the proof of all noble deeds;

مُحمدٍ الهادي الأَمينِ وَآلهِ

كَذا الصَحبِ ما هَبَّت صَباً وَقَبولُ

Muhammad, the Trustworthy Guide, and his family,

And his Companions, as long as the gentle winds blow.