عُقَيلِيَّةٌ أَمّا مُلاثُ إِزارِها
فَدَعصٌ وَأَمّا خَصرُها فَبَتيلُ
She wraps herself in a loose cloak, her waist so slender,
Sheltering with the tribe where an-Nu'man's valley lies.
تَقَيَّظُ أَكنافِ الحِمى وَيُظِلُّها
بِنُعمانَ مِن وادي الأَراكِ مُقيلُ
Is not a glance from you but little, if you glanced at me?
Nay, from you nothing's little, so high you rank in my eyes.
أَلَيسَ قَليلاً نَظرَةٌ إِن نَظَرتُها
إِلَيكِ وَكَلّا لَيسَ مِنكِ قَليلُ
O you whose soul's most dear, above all dear souls to me,
Of pure-hearted friends we have none like you, close and wise,
فَيا خِلَّةَ النَفسِ الَّتي لَيسَ فَوقَها
لَنا مِن أَخِلّاءِ الصَفاءِ خَليلُ
Who hid your love from us - no enemy discovered it,
No stranger gained access or spied out our secret prize.
وَيا مَن كَتَمنا حُبَّهُ لَم يُطَع بِهِ
عَدوٌّ وَلَم يُؤمَن عَلَيهِ دَخيلُ
Shall I not visit where fear of foes gives me no rest,
When longing for you holds me, and the road to you lies clear?
أَما مِن مَقامٍ أَشتَكي غُربَةَ النَوى
وَخَوفَ العِدى فيهِ إِلَيكِ سَبيلُ
My heart's unease continues while you are thus,
Moon of my soul, all smiles withheld and meetings denied.
وَإِنَّ عَناءَ النَفسِ ما دُمتِ هَكَذا
عَنودَ النَوى مَحجوبَةً لَطَويلُ
O paradise of life, O goal of all I wish and want,
O light of my eye, is there a way to you for me?
فَيا جَنَّةَ الدُنيا وَيا مُنتَهى المُنى
وَيا نورَ عَيني هَل إِلَيكِ سَبيلُ
Many's the enemy, and my woes are long,
While my strength with you is little, and far is my place to be.
فَدَيتُكِ أَعدائي كَثيرُ وَشِقَّتي
بَعيدُ وَأَشياعي لَدَيكَ قَليلُ
When I came, it was with a weak excuse,
So I voiced my excuses - how can I speak them now?
وَكُنتُ إِذا ما جِئتُ جِئتُ بِعِلَّةٍ
فَأَفنَيتُ عِلّاتي فَكَيفُ أَقولُ
Not every day for me is there need, my land, of you,
Not every day have I a messenger to you I can allow.
فَما كُلُّ يَومٍ لي بِأَرضِكِ حاجَةٌ
وَلا كُلُّ يَومٍ لي إِلَيكِ رَسولُ
When there is none I can send, the zephyr's breath
From me to you will be messenger enough, I vow.
إِذا لَم يَكُن بَيني وَبَينَكِ مُرسَلٌ
فَريحُ الصَبا مِنّي إِلَيكِ رَسولُ
O comfort of my eye, would that you could be ours,
The substitute for all goodness, proven and tried!
أَيا قُرَّةَ العَينِ الَّتي لَيتَ أَنَّها
لَنا بِجَميعِ الصالِحاتِ بَديلُ
Ask if God permits a Muslim to be killed, unavenged.
By other than blood-money - or is there a blood-debt owed by you?
سَلي هَل أَحَلَّ اللَهُ مِن قَتلِ مُسلِمٍ
بِغَيرِ دَمٍ أَم هَل عَلَيَّ قَتيلُ
By God, if you were mine all time, till time itself grew cold,
I'd die, no cure could heal me - so strong my passions, so true.
فَأُقسِمُ لَو مَلَكتُكِ الدَهرَ كُلَّهُ
لَمُتُّ وَلَمّا يُشفَ مِنكِ غَليلُ
Pages of reproach I've folded away to unleash some day -
Unfolded, one day, the reproaches will be plenty and new.
صَحائِفُ عِندي لِلعِتابِ طَوَيتُها
سَتُنشَرُ يَوماً وَالعِتابُ طَويلُ
Regrets stir my heart - I travel with my clan,
And for you no raid ends with you numbered among the slain.
أَراجِعَةٌ قَلبي عَلَيَّ فَرائِحٌ
مَعَ الرَكبِ لَم يُكتَب عَلَيكِ قَتيلُ
So do not take my sin on yourself; you are weak,
And the burden of my blood on the Last Day will be heavy to bear.
فَلا تَحمِلي ذَنبي وَأَنتِ ضَعيفَةٌ
فَحَملُ دَمي يَومَ الحِسابِ ثَقيلُ
