قِرى دارِهِم مِنّي الدُموعُ السَوافِكُ

وَإِن عادَ صُبحي بَعدَهُم وَهوَ حالِكُ

Their homes are watered by my copious tears

Though my morn returns after them destroyed

وَإِن بَكَرَت في ظُعنِهِم وَحُدوجِهِم

زَيانِبُ مِن أَحبابِنا وَعَواتِكُ

And though I rose early amid their resting places and tombs

The places of our loved ones are adorned

سَقَت رَبعَهُم لا بَل سَقَت مُنتَواهُمُ

مِنَ الأَرضِ أَخلافُ السَحابِ الحَواشِكُ

It watered their meadows, nay it watered their last abode

With latter rains from the clouds bursting with showers

وَأَلبَسَهُم عَصبَ الرَبيعِ وَوَشيَهُ

وَيُمنَتَهُ نَبتُ النَدى المُتَلاحِكُ

And clothed them in the finery of spring and adorned them

With the soft drops of dew dripping from the meadows

إِذا غازَلَ الرَوضُ الغَزالَةَ نُشِّرَت

زَرابِيُّ في أَكنافِهِم وَدَرانِكُ

When the meadows court the roe-deer, they are bedecked

With carpets amidst their resting places and circling streams

إِذا الغَيثُ سَدّى نَسجَهُ خِلتَ أَنَّهُ

مَضَت حِقبَةٌ حَرسٌ لَهُ وَهوَ حائِكُ

When the rain dons its garment, you would think

That an epoch has passed, keeping watch over it while it weaves

أَلِكني إِلى حَيِّ الأَراقِمِ إِنَّهُ

مِنَ الطائِرِ الأَحشاءِ تُهدى المَآلِكُ

Guide me to the quarters of the lovely sparrow

For from that bird of good omen lucky stars are guided

كُلوا الصَبرَ غَضّاً وَأَشرَبوهُ فَإِنَّكُم

أَثَرتُم بَعيرَ الظُلمِ وَالظُلمُ بارِكُ

Consume patience while still fresh and drink it in

For you have saddled the camel of darkness and darkness is blessed

أَتاكُم سَليلُ الغابِ في صَدرِ سَيفِهِ

سَناً لِدُجى الإِظلامِ وَالظُلمُ هاتِكُ

The lion cub of the thicket has come to you with his sword

Its sharp edge ready in the darkness of night to attack

إِذا سيلَ سُدَّ العُذرُ عَن صُلبِ مالِهِ

وَإِن هَمَّ لَم تُسدَر عَلَيهِ المَسالِكُ

When the torrent is unleashed the excuses dry up

And when resolved, the roads are not closed off to him

أَلَحَّ وَماحَكتُم وَلِلقَدَرِ اِلتَقى

غَريمانِ في الهَيجا مُلِحٌّ وَماحِكُ

You persisted and fate brought together

Two disputants in passionate debate, one stubborn the other persistent

هُوَ الحارِثُ الناعي بُجَيراً وَإِن يُدَن

لَهُ فَهوَ إِشفاقاً زُهَيرٌ وَمالِكُ

He who weeps for Bujair even if brought near

Is like Zuhair and Malik in his compassion

رَقاحِيُّ حَربٍ طالَما اِنقَلَبَت لَهُ

قَساطِلُ يَومِ الرَوعِ وَهيَ سَبائِكُ

A battle-hardened warrior who has often seen

The battalions wavering on a day of clamor as they surge

وَمُستَنبِطٌ في كُلِّ يَومٍ مِنَ الغِنى

قَليباً رِشاآها القَنا وَالسَنابِكُ

And one who extracts every day from the rich

Booty watered by the spear and arrows

مُطِلٌّ عَلى الآجالِ حَتّى كَأَنَّهُ

لِصَرفِ المَنايا في النُفوسِ مُشارِكُ

One who gazes at fate until it seems he

Shares in dispensing doom among souls

فَما تَترُكُ الأَيّامُ مَن هُوَ آخِذٌ

وَلا تَأخُذُ الأَيّامُ مَن هُوَ تارِكُ

For time does not spare one who takes

Nor does time vanquish one who desists

صَفوحٌ إِذا لَم يَثلِمِ الصَفحُ حَزمَهُ

وَذو تُدرَإٍ بِالفاتِكِ الخِرقِ فاتِكُ

Clement, when clemency does not soften his sternness

And one who wards off death blows with a splitting coat of mail

رَبيبُ مُلوكٍ أَرضَعَتهُ ثُدِيَّها

وَسِمعٌ تَرَبَّتهُ الرِجالُ الصَعالِكُ

A lord's foster-son nurtured at her breast

And one whose hearing was trained by mighty warriors

وَلَو لَم يُكَفكِف خَيلَهُ عَرَكَتكُمُ

بِأَثقالِها عَركَ الأَديمِ المُعارِكُ

Else their horses beneath the riders' weights

Would have shredded the hides of war

وَلَولا تُقاهُ عادَ قَيضاً مُفَلَّقاً

بِأُدحِيِّهِ بَيضُ الخُدورِ التَرائِكُ

And were it not for Him protecting their flank

They would have returned ripped to pieces

وَلَاِصطُفِيَت شَولٌ فَظَلَّت شَوارِداً

قُرومُ عِشارٍ ما لَهُنَّ مَبارِكُ

By the white feathers of the whizzing arrows

And the choice herds would have been left neglected

إِذاً لَلَبِستُم عارَ دَهرٍ كَأَنَّما

لَياليهِ مِن بَينِ اللَيالي عَوارِكُ

Else you would have worn the shame of an age as though

Its nights amongst nights were disgraceful

وَلَاِجتُذِبَت فُرشٌ مِنَ الأَمنِ تَحتَكُم

هِيَ المُثلُ في لينٍ بِها وَالأَرائِكُ

And furnishings of safety would have been pulled out from beneath you

The example of soft furnishings and couches

وَلَكِن أَبى أَن يُستَباحَ بِكَفِّهِ

سَنامُكُمُ في قَومِكُم وَهوَ تامِكُ

But He refused to allow your authority in your people to be violated

While it remains intact and perfect

وَأَن تُصبِحوا تَحتَ الأَظَلِّ وَأَنتُمُ

غَوارِبُ حَيَّي تَغلِبٍ وَالحَوارِكُ

And that you wake under shade while you

Are the protectors of my quarters and environs

فَتَنجَذِمَ الأَسبابُ وَهيَ مُغارَةٌ

وَتَنقَطِعَ الأَرحامُ وَهيَ شَوابِكُ

Then relationships would split though clinging together

And kinship ties would snap though intertwined

فَلا تَكفُرُنَّ الصامِتِيَّ مُحَمَّداً

آيادِيَ شَفعاً سَيبُها مُتَدارِكُ

Do not then deny favors to the Silent One Muhammad

Whose hands will compensate with intercession

أَهَبَّ لَكُم ريحَ الصَفاءِ جَنائِباً

رُخاءً وَكانَت وَهيَ نُكبٌ سَواهِكُ

He brought you the sweet breezes as tailwinds

And ease, while they were headwinds causing adversity

فَرَدَّ القَنا ظَمآنَ عَنكُم وَأُغمِدَت

عَلى حَرِّها بيضُ السُيوفِ الفَواتِكُ

So he turned away the thirst of the spear points from you and sheathed

The sharp blades of the swords

وَآبَ عَلى سَعدِ السُعودِ بِرَحلِهِ

عِتاقُ المَذاكي وَالقِلاصُ الرَواتِكُ

And time moved into the realm of auspicious destiny

The freedman of good fortune and the intimate friend of blessings

غَدا وَكَأَنَّ اليَومَ مِن حُسنِ وَجهِهِ

وَقَد لاحَ بَينَ البيضِ وَالبَيضِ ضاحِكُ

As though the morn emerged today from his beautiful face

Gleaming between white and white, smiling

حَياتُكَ لِلدُنيا حَياةٌ ظَليلَةٌ

وَفَقدُكَ لِلدُنيا فَناءٌ مُواشِكُ

While you live life is short

And when you go loss for life is imminent

مَتى يَأتِكَ المِقدارُ لا تُدعَ هالِكاً

وَلَكِن زَمانٌ غالَ مِثلَكَ هالِكُ

Whenever fate comes to you, leave not as one perished

But time itself will pass as one destroyed in your stead