أَفي ما تُؤَدّي الريحُ عَرفُ سَلامِ

وَمِمّا يَشُبُّ البَرقُ نارُ غَرامِ

In what the wind whispers, is there a fragrance of peace?

And from what the lightning ignites, is there a fire of passion?

وَإِلّا فَماذا أَرَّجَ الريحَ سَحرَةً

وَأذكى عَلى الأَحشاءِ لَفحَ ضِرامِ

Why else would the wind gently stir at dawn

And kindle embers in my heart with its touch?

أَما وَجُمانٍ مِن حَديثِ عَلاقَةٍ

يَهُزُّ إِلَيهِ الشَيخُ عِطفَ غُلامِ

Could it be from the tales of a love

That pulls the old man to the youngster's affection?

تَحَلَّت بِهِ مابَينَ سَلمى وَمَربَعٍ

سَوالِفُ أَيّامٍ سَلَفنَ كِرامِ

It adorned what's between Salma and Marba'

With memories of glorious days long past

لَقَد هَزَّني في رَيطَةِ الشَيبِ هَزَّةً

أَرَتني وَرائي في الشَبابِ أَمامي

In my graying hair, it shook me with a jolt

Showing me behind, my youth ahead

فَلَولا دِفاعُ اللَهِ عُجتُ مَعَ الهَوى

وَجُلتُ بِواديهِ أَجُرُّ خِطامي

Had it not been for God's defense, I would have faltered to desire

And roamed its valley, dragging my rein

وَرُبَّ لَيالٍ بِالغَميمِ أَرِقتُها

لِمَرضى جُفونٍ بِالفُراتِ نِيامِ

Many a night I stayed up restless

With sleepy eyes by the Euphrates' sleepers

يَطولُ عَلَيَّ اللَيلُ ياأُمَّ مالِكٍ

وَكُلُّ لَيالي الصَبِّ لَيلُ تَمامِ

The night grows long for me, O mother of Malik

And all the nights of my youth are nights of perfection

وَلَم أَدرِ ما أَشجى وَأَدعى إِلى الهَوى

أَخَفقَهُ بَرقٍ أَم غِناءُ حَمامِ

I know not what incited me and led me to passion

A flashing lightning or the cooing of a dove?

إِذا ما اِستَخَفَّتني لَها أَريحِيَّةٌ

عَثَرتُ بِذَيلي لَوعَةٍ وَظَلامِ

When an aromatic breeze toys with me

I stumble into the darkness of agony

وَخَضخَضتُ دونَ الحَيِّ أَحشاءَ لَيلَةٍ

يُخَفِّرُني فيها وَميضُ غَمامِ

I murmured in the dead of a night

Which a passing cloud kept making darker

فَقَضَّيتُها ما بَينَ رَشفَةِ لَوعَةٍ

وَأَنَّةِ شَكوى وَاِعتِناقِ غَرامِ

I spent it between a sip of torment

And moaning of complaint and embracing passion

وَأَحسَنُ ما اِلتَفَّت عَلَيهِ دُجُنَّةٌ

عِناقُ حَبيبٍ عَن عِناقِ حُسامِ

The best thing a voluptuous one turned to

Is a lover's embrace, not the sword's edge

فَلَيتَ نَسيمَ الريحِ رَقرَقَ أَدمُعي

خِلالَ دِيارٍ بِاللِوى وَخِيامِ

If only the morning breeze gently stirred my tears

Through the homesickness of dwellings and tents

وَعاجَ عَلى أَجراعِ وادٍ بِذي الغَضا

فَصافَحَ عَنّي فَرعَ كُلِّ بِشامِ

And lamented in the valleys of Dhi Al-Ghadha

Bidding every branch in Bisham farewell on my behalf

مَسَحتُ لَهُ عَن ناظِرِيَّ صَبابَةً

وَأَقلِل بِدَمعي مِن قَضاءِ ذِمامِ

I wiped off a mist from my eyes for him

And with my tears, relieve the tightness of my reins

فَيا عَرفَ ريحٍ عاجَ عَن بَطنِ لَعلَعٍ

يَجُرُّ عَلى الأَنداءِ فَضلَ زِمامِ

So O morning breeze that stirs from the belly of dawn

Dragging its tail over the dunes' tops

بِما بَينَنا بِالحِقفِ مِن رَملِ عالِجٍ

وَفي مُلتَقى الأَرطى بِسَفحِ شِمامِ

With what's between us, the desert sands of 'Alaj

And where the meadows meet at the foot of Shimam

تَلَذَّذ بِدارِ القَصفِ عَنِّيَ ساعَةً

وَأَبلِغ نَداماها أَعَمَّ سَلامِ

Delight for an hour in the abode of my beloved

And convey her dwellings my profoundest greetings

وَقُل لِغَمامٍ أَلحَفَ الأَرضَ ذَيلَهُ

فَلَفَّ فُجاجاً تَحتَهُ بِإِكامِ

And tell the clouds that wrapped the land under its folds

Folding layers under it with determination

أَما لَكَ مِن ظِلٍّ يُبَرِّدُ مَضجَعي

أَما لَكَ مِن طَلٍّ يَبُلُّ أَوامي

Can you offer a shade to cool my bed?

Can you offer a shadow to wet my eyelids?

وَأَيُّ نَدىً أَو بَردِ ظِلٍّ لِمُزنَةٍ

عَلى عَقبِ أَترابٍ رُزِئنَ كِرامِ

What dew or cool shade for deep sorrows

After nobles were buried in tombs?

وَقَفتُ وُقوفَ الشَكِّ بَينَ قُبورِهِم

أُعَظِّمُها مِن أَعظُمٍ وَرِجامِ

I stood perplexed between their graves

Revering them above the greatest and loftiest

وَأَندُبُ أَشجى رَنَّةٍ مِن حَمامَةٍ

وَأَبكي وَأَقضي مِن ذِمامِ رِمامِ

I lament with more profound wailing than a dove's

I cry and spend my tears to their last drops

قَضوا بَينَ وادٍ لِلسَماحِ وَمَشرَعٍ

وَغارِبِ عِزٍّ في العُلى وَسَنامِ

They passed in a valley of generosity and glory

And setting suns at the highest peaks

وَمُنتَصِبٍ كَالرُمحِ هِزَّةَ عِزَّةٍ

وَفَتكَةَ بَأسٍ وَاِستِواءَ قَوامِ

Standing tall like a spear, shaking with pride

And ferocity in battle and upright posture

وَمُنصَلِتٍ كَالسَيفِ نُصرَةَ صاحِبٍ

وَضِحكَةَ بِشرٍ وَاِعتِزازَ مَقامِ

Unsheathing like a sword, aiding their comrades

With happy laughter and pride in their positions

وَمُنتَقِلٍ مُستَقبِلٍ كَعبَةَ العُلى

يُصَلّي بِأَهليها صَلاةَ زُؤامِ

Moving onward, facing their destiny like the Ka'ba

Praying for its people at first light

تَهِلُّ لَهُ مِن عِفَّةٍ في طَلاقَةٍ

كَأَنَّ بِبُردَيهِ هِلالَ صِيامِ

Chastity dawns upon them with elegance

As if the new crescent adorns their attire

وَما ضَرَّهُ أَن يَستَسِرَّ لِعاتِمٍ

إِذا ما بَدا في آخِرٍ بِتَمامِ

It did not harm them to hide in darkness

If they appeared fully in the end