سرى والدحى شوق إليه وتذكار

خيال أضاءت من ضلوعي له نار

The morning star and the twilight of dusk evoke longing for him and remembrance,

An apparition lit a fire in my ribs for him,

أتى ساعياً لا أصغر الله سعيه

ومن دونه يبدو نزوع وأخطار

He came seeking - may God not diminish his quest -

While without him tendencies and perils appear.

سرى من أعالي أرض طيبة طارقا

ألي وصحبي بالابيرق خطار

He strode from the heights of blessed Taif knocking

At my door and my companions' with tapping,

فأيقظني من دون صحبي ولم انم

ولكنني أطرقت والكرب سمار

So he woke me, without waking my companions, and I had not slept,

But I bowed my head and sorrow took hold.

اموه بالتهويم سر قدومه

إذا ما استزارته شجون وافكار

I obscured from him the secret of his coming

When regrets and thoughts asked about him,

ولا عار في اني اموه بالكرى

عليه ولكن الكرى دونه عار

And it is no shame that I obscured with lies

About him - but lies about him are shameful.

فافرشته خدي وطاء على الثرى

لتضحي به منه رسوم وآثار

So I laid him down on my cheek, a bier on the soil,

To sacrifice him, so customs and traces would show.

وأسكنته خوف العيون نواظرى

لترخثي عليه من جفوني استار

And I settled him into the fear of my watching eyes

So curtains of my eyelids would fold over him.

جاى وجهه ليلي وجلي حديثه

همومي فقل بدر حات منه اسمار

The face of his night came to me, and the talk of his day

Lightened my worries - so speak - have the lines of darkness cleared?

وأشرق ما حولي وطاب أريجه

وما ثم الاضيف طيف وإخبار

And what was around me shone, and his scent was fragrant,

And nothing remained but the guest's phantom and news.

فقلت الاحت طلعت الشمس ام بدا

لي البر ام للصبح قد حان إسفار

So I said "Has the sun risen or has righteousness appeared to me,

Or is it dawn time for the morning to depart?

ام الحجرة الغراء مدت سنورها

عليها لاحت بين ذلك أنوار

Or has the pearl-white chamber extended its lanterns,

Upon which lights appeared amidst that?"

أم الروضة الفيحاء هب نسيمها

والافما في ساحة البيد عطار

"Or has the breeze of the fragrant garden blown,

And those aromas in the open plain of the land?"

وقلت بروحي أنت ياخير طارق

نأت بي برغمي عن زيارته الدار

And I said to myself "You, best of visitors,

Come to me against my will to visit the house."

بعدت ولم يبعد محب فؤاده

لا حبابه من بعد فرقهم جار

"You were far away, but your loving heart was not far

From its loved ones - no separation makes it remote."

بعيشك قل لي كيف سلع وحاجر

وكيف عهود لي هناك واسرار

"Tell me of your living - how are prior homes and dwellings

And covenants I have there, and secrets?"

مواطن عز تنبت العز تربتها

وترفع فيها للمحبين اقدار

"Cities of glory where glory grows from its soil

And raises the distinction of lovers there,"

تضيء لساريها مواطن ركبها

فتر شدهم منها شموس واقمار

"Which illuminate landing places for its seekers,

So suns and moons tie them to it."

تخيرها دارا بأمر الإله

رسول على كل الخلائق مختار

"God chose it as a house by divine order -

A messenger selected over all creation."

تحط بها أو زار من جاء قاصدا

إليها سواء جاروا الحي ام زاروا

"Alight at it, or visit it seeking,

Equally whether you live next to it or visit it."

ولولا شذاها ما اهتدي الركب نحوها

ولولا سنا من حل في أرضها حاروا

"Without its allure none would be guided to it,

Without its loftiness those who stayed in its land would stray."

ديار بها يحمي النزيل وكيف لا

وفيها لمن فيها توسد أنصار

"Lands where the guest is protected - how not! -

And in it supporters cushion those within it."

نعمت بها تلك الليالي التي مضت

وآناؤها من رقة الوصل اسحار

"Blessed by it were those nights now gone,

Whose times of gentle bonding were daybreaks."

أشاهد إني شئت تربة أحمد

كما تشتهي آمال لفي وتختار

"I behold, if I wish, the soil of Ahmed,

However hopes roam and choose."

عسى نهلة أخرى بأكناف طيبة

على ظمأ تطفي بها هذه النار

"Maybe another drink at the edge of blessed Taif

Will quench this fire's thirst."

ومن عجب أن النوى عن قصورها

يطول وما للشوق عنهن إقضار

"And how strange that resolve moves away from its palaces,

Yet longing for them has no waning."

رعى الله أيام المصلى وجاده

من المزن محلول الشآبيب مدرار

"May God protect the days of the Masjid and grace it

With continuousdownpour of youths, streaming."

وحيا الحيا ما بين سلع إلى قبا

حدائق اللاحداق فيهن أوطار

"And give life to the living, between Sule and Quba,

Gardens with no limits, having game to hunt."

منازل كانت للنبي منازها

وللوحي فيها والملائك تكرار

"Dwellings that were resorts for the Prophet,

And places of revelation, where angels frequented."

معاهد فيها للرسول وصحبه

بقية آثار تروق وإيثار

"Sanctuaries where the Messenger and his companions covenanted,

Remnants that please and prefer."

كأني أرى فيها الرسول وحوله

بأرجائها تلك الصحابة حضار

"As if I see therein the Messenger, and around him

Those companions, attending."

حنيني إليها قربة وتولهي

حضور وتذكاري المعالم إذكار

"My yearning for it is a duty, and devotion to it

Is presence and my memories of its features are remembrances."

أجيره ذاك الحي لا تنكر والهوى

علينا فما فيه على الصب إنكار

"I apologize for the resolve away from your plains,

And what lover parted from love has excuses?"

هواكم به تهدي بشائر رشدها

كما يهتدي بالشمس والبدر أبصار

"I claim to be faithful, and that whenever

I fail to return to you one day, I am betraying."

فلا تنكروا سبق الدموع لبينكم

فكل مدي للدمع بالبعد مضمار

"Upon you is God's peace, while the morning breeze blows

And sways aromatic branches of ban trees."

ومن عجب أن أشتكي البعد عنكم و

أسى ولمغنا كم بقلبي أسرار

"And how strange that I complain of distance from you,

Of sadness - while with me in my heart are secrets."

فأثناه قلبي حرة ومدامعي

عقيق فإني بعد ذا شطت الدار

"So my heart has excused it as confused, and my tears

As carnelian - for after this I have crossed lands,"

ألفق عذرا للنوى عن ربوعكم

وما لمحب فارق الحب أعذار

"I look for pardon for resolve away from your plains,

And what lover parted from love has excuses?"

وأزعم أني ذو وفاء وأنني

متى لم أعد يوماً إليكم لغدار

"I claim that I am faithful, and that if

One day I do not return to you, I am betraying,"

عليكم سلام الله ماهبت الصبا

وهزت فروع البان نكباء معطار

"To you - God's peace, while the morning blows

And sways aromatic branches of ban trees."

ولا كان هذا العهد آخر عهدكم

وأن حال أخطار هناك وخطار

"As if this were the last covenant with you,

And that peril and dangers are there."

وإني وأن أبطأت عنكم وصدني

الأساود عنكم والأسود لصبار

"And that even if I am late to you, and lions

Prevent me from you - yet lions are patient."

فلا فوز إلا في المفاوز نحوكم

ولا شوق إلا والردى دونكم جار

"So there is no success but in plunging toward you,

And no longing except and perdition lies beyond you."