لَم أَرَ عيراً جَمَّةَ الدُؤوبِ
تُواصِلُ التَهجيرَ بِالتَأويبِ
I have not seen a caravan as persistent as fate
Continuing migration with hardship
أَبعَدَ مِن أَينٍ وَمِن لَغوبِ
مِنها غَداةَ الشارِقِ المَهضوبِ
Farther than any distant and unwelcoming place
Leaving one morning at dawn
نَجائِباً وَلَيسَ مِن نَجيبِ
شَبّابَةَ الأَعناقِ بِالعُجوبِ
Secretly and not from a noble one
With young, prideful necks
كَاللَيلِ أَو كَاللوبِ أَو كَالنوبِ
مُنقادَةً لِعارِضٍ غِربيبِ
Like the night, or fox, or she-camel
Led by a western guide
كَالشيعَةِ اِلتَفَّت عَلى النَقيبِ
آخِذَةً بِطاعَةِ الجَنوبِ
Like partisans glance at their leader
Holding to the command of the south wind
ناقِضَةً لِمَرَرِ الخُطوبِ
تَكُفُّ غَربَ الزَمَنِ العَصيبِ
Violating the course of events
To curb the difficult era
مَحّاءَةً لِلأَزمَةِ اللَزوبِ
مَحوَ اِستِلامِ الرُكنِ لِلذُنوبِ
Erasing receiving the cornerstone of sins
When they appeared to the earth from nearby
لَمّا بَدَت لِلأَرضِ مِن قَريبِ
تَشَوَّفَت لِوَبلِها السَكوبِ
They longed for its downpour
Like the longing of a sick man for the doctor
تَشَوُّفَ المَريضِ لِلطَبيبِ
وَطَرَبَ المُحِبِّ لِلحَبيبِ
And the lover's passion for the beloved
And the writer’s joy in a colleague
وَفَرحَةَ الأَديبِ بِالأَديبِ
وَخَيَّمَت صادِقَةَ الشُؤبوبِ
And truthful clouds gathered
So thunder rose up like an orator
فَقامَ فيها الرَعدُ كَالخَطيبِ
وَحَنَّتِ الريحُ حَنينَ النيبِ
And the wind moaned the moan of the prophet
And the veiled sun in eyebrows knitted
وَالشَمسُ ذاتُ حاجِبٍ مَحجوبِ
قَد غَرَّبَت مِن غَيرِ ما غُروبِ
It had darkened without setting
And the earth in its gray dress
وَالأَرضُ في رِدائِها القَشيبِ
في زاهِرٍ مِن نَبتِها رَطيبِ
In flowering plants lush and fragrant
After the flames and tribute were spent
بَعدَ اِشتِهابِ الثَلجِ وَالضَريبِ
كَالكَهلِ بَعدَ السِنّ وَالتَحنيبِ
Like an old man after years and cares
Youth was replaced by aging
تَبَدَّلَ الشَبابَ بِالمَشيبِ
كَم آنَسَت مِن جانِبٍ غَريبِ
How much strangeness has it eased!
How many comet tails it opened!
وَفَتَّقَت مِن مِذنَبٍ يَعبوبِ
وَغَلَبَت مِن الثَرى المَغلوبِ
And it conquered the conquered land
And relieved a suffering people
وَنَفَّسَت عَن بارِضٍ مَكروبِ
وَسَكَّنَت مِن نافِرِ الجَنوبِ
And calmed the southern dissidents
And satisfied a generous people
وَأَقنَعَت مِن بَلَدٍ رَغيبِ
يَحفَظُ عَهدَ الغَيثِ بِالمَغيبِ
Who keep the rain clouds' promise
Sweet saliva with brief showers
لَذيذَةَ الريقِ مَعَ الصَبيبِ
كَأَنَّما تَهمي عَلى القُلوبِ
As if they arouse ardor in hearts
