دَنِفٌ بَكى آياتِ رَبعٍ مُدنَفِ
لَولا نَسيمُ تُرابِها لَم يُعرَفِ
A land where ruins of dwellings weep
Were it not for the dust raised by the wind, they would not be recognized
طابَت لِأَقدامٍ وَطِئنَ تُرابَها
فَنَفَحنَ نَشرَ لَطيمَةٍ مَعَ قَرقَفِ
It was trodden by feet and so its soil gave off
The fragrance of herbs together with tarragon
أَرَجٌ أَقامَ مِنَ الأَحِبَّةِ في الثَرى
وَصَرىً أُريقَت بِالدُموعِ الذُرَّفِ
A place where loved ones stood in the soil
And tears like pearls were shed
أَخَذَ البِلى آياتِها فَرَمى بِها
بِيَدِ البَوارِحِ في وُجوهِ الصَفصَفِ
Time has erased its landmarks and scattered them
At the hands of fate, in the faces of time
وَحدي وَقَفتُ وَلَم أَقُل مِن عَبرَةٍ
وَقَفَت حَشايَ بِها لِحادينا قِفِ
I stood, bereft of tears
My companions stopped with me for our guide
وَحَسَدتُ ما غادَرتُ فيها مِن بِلىً
وَبَلَوتُها بِوَميضِ طَرفٍ موسَفِ
I envied what ruins remained there
Suffering for them with a sad, fleeting glance
وَظَلِلتُ أُلحِفُ في السُؤالِ رُسومَها
وَالمَنعُ مِن تُحَفِ السُؤالِ المُلحِفِ
I persistently asked about its relics
But asking insistently leads to being deprived
فَلِنُؤيِها في القَلبِ نُؤيٌ شَفَّهُ
وَلَهٌ بِظاعِنِها وَبِالمُتَخَلِّفِ
So let us perceive it in our hearts, with clear perception
Feeling longing and regret for the departed
وَكَأَنَّما اِستَسقى لَهُنَّ مُحَمَّدٌ
فَرُسومُهُنَّ مِنَ الحَيا في زُخرُفِ
It is as though Muhammad beseeched rain for them
So their features have life in decoration
سَأَلَ السِماكَ فَجادَها بِحَيائِهِ
مِنهُ بِوَبلٍ ذي وَميضٍ أَوطَفِ
He asked the clouds and they poured down their bounty
A glistening rain from them, gently streaming
مُتَعانِقُ الحَوذانِ تَنشُرُهُ الصَبا
خَضِلاً وَتَطويهِ كَطَيِّ الرَفرَفِ
Intertwining branches that the morning breeze unravels
And folds up like the fluttering of wings
وَثَوى الرَبيعُ بِها فَلَيسَ يُقِلُّهُ
عَنها نَئيحُ سَمومِ قَيظٍ مُعصِفِ
Spring has settled in it, undiminished
By the howling heat of a blazing summer
حَمَلَت رَجايَ إِلَيكَ بِنتُ حَديقَةٍ
غَلباءُ لَم تُلقَح لِفَحلٍ مُقرِفِ
My hopes carried me to you, O daughter of the garden
A proud one who was not mounted by a virile stud
نُتِجَت وَقَد حَوَتِ الهُنَيدَةَ وَاِبتَنَت
في شَطرِها وَتَبَوَّعَت في النَيِّفِ
She conceived and carried the fertilized egg
And ovulated during her period of heat
فَأَتَت مَحَلّي وَهيَ حَملُ بَناتِها
تَسري بِقائِمَتَي خَريقٍ حرجَفِ
Then she came to my abode while bearing her daughters
Striding awkwardly upon arthritic knees
فَاِعتامَها ذو خِبرَةٍ بِفُحولِها
نَدَسٌ بِجِبلَةِ خَلقِها مُتَلَطِّفِ
She was serviced by a knowledgeable one with his males
An excellent fit for her innate disposition
حَتّى إِذا تَمَّت فَلَم يُعجِزهُ مِن
أَشلائِها مَذخورَةُ المُتَلَهِّفِ
Until when she was done, nothing of
What she reserved made him lose vigor
صارَت إِلَيَّ بِجُؤجُؤٍ ذي مَيعَةٍ
قَدَمٍ تَدِفُّ بِهِ وَعَجزٍ مِصرَفِ
She came to me bleating, with elegant tread
Kicking with her hindlegs and waggy tail
تَنسَلُّ في لُجَجٍ حَكَت أَغمارُها
فِعلَ المُحَمَّدِ في الزَمانِ المُجحِفِ
Slithering into hollows whose depths
Were decreed by the deeds of Muhammad’s time
ثُمَّ اِجتَنَت شَلوي فَصِرتُ جَنينَها
مُتَمَكِّناً بِقَرارِ بَطنٍ مُسدِفِ
Then she separated from me and I became her unborn
Lodged securely in the womb’s enclosure
فَمَتى تَعَثَّرَ بِالرِفاقِ ذَكَرتَهُ
فَيَمُرُّ تَحتي قِطعَ لَيلٍ أَغضَفِ
If you trip over the company, remember Him
So the dark night passes beneath me
فَأَجاءَها بَعدَ المَخاضِ طُلوقُها
بِمُراهِقِ السِنَّينِ كَهلٍ أَهيَفِ
After her labor, her husband came to her
An old man with the stature of a young lad
عَوجاءُ تَستَلِفُ الزِمامَ وَتَحتَذي
عوجاً يُجِدنَ لَها اِستِلابَ النَفنَفِ
Crooked, yanking on the reins and shuffling
Crookedly, amusing even the fly whisk
أَشِرَت بِطَيِّ الحَيِّ في أَثباجِها
فَهَوَت كَثُعبانِ الصَفا المُتَخَوَّفِ
She frisked with the vigor of life in her udders
And fell like a snake on smooth stone
أَمَّتكَ وَالشَيطانُ يَرهَبُ ظِلَّها
فَأَتَتكَ وَهيَ تَفوقُ حِلمَ الأَحنَفِ
May God protect you while the devil terrifies her shadow
She came to you, exceeding the dream of the best women
مَن كانَ يَقصِدُ في نَصيحَتِهِ لَها
فَمُحَمَّدٌ في النُصحِ عَينُ المُسرِفِ
Whoever intends sincere advice for her
Muhammad is best in advice, without excess
أَورَيتَ زَندَي رَأفَةٍ وَتَأَلُّقٍ
فَتَقَصَّدا بِالنازِعِ المُتَعَسِّفِ
You have shown me mercy and splendor
So they blamed the tyrant, the transgressor
نالَ الرَدى وَحَوى الغِنى بِمُحَمَّدٍ
عِندَ الخَليفَةِ مُذنِبونَ وَمُعتَفِ
In God, He fulfils His promise and warning
To the blameworthy and the arrogant refractory one
في اللَهِ يُنجِزُ وَعدَهُ وَوَعيدَهُ
لِلمُعتَفينَ وَلِلعَنودِ المُترَفِ
You have comforted the hearts of the flock
An intelligent heart, beyond a sharp tongue
سَكَّنتَ أَحشاءَ الرَعِيَّةِ في حَشا
قَلبٍ ذَكِيٍّ عَن لِسانٍ مُرهَفِ
No pen can suffice to help him
A thousand polished and cultivated men
لَم يَبلُغِ القَلَمَ الَّذي يُجدي بِهِ
في اللَهِ أَلفا مُرهَفٍ وَمُثَقَّفِ
With the palms of substitutions, if they lead aright
Acting by what is in the Book
بِأَكُفِّ أَبدالٍ إِذا أَمّوا بِها
مَلمومَةً عَمِلوا بِما في المُصحَفِ
Alluring eyes tempt with amorous glances
Harboring treachery, without coquetry
تَستَلُّ خائِنَةَ العُيونِ بِمُقلَةٍ
تَحوي ضَمائِرَها وَلَمّا تَطرِفِ
