أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل أَرى الدُّورَ بالحِمى
وَإِن عُطِّلَتْ بِالغانياتِ حَوَالِيا
Alas! Would that I knew, shall I see the abodes in El-Heema,
Though its environs are made desolate by absence?
أَمِ الوُدُّ بَعدَ النَّأيِ يُنسى فَيَنقَضي
وَهَل يُعقِبُ الهِجرانُ إِلّا التَناسِيا
Or is affection forgotten after separation, so it comes to naught?
And does estrangement only succeed in making forgetfulness?
أَلا لا أَرى عَهدي دَنا الدَّارُ أَو نأَتْ
بِعَلوَةَ ما كَرَّ الجَديدانِ بالِيا
Alas! I do not see my days renewing in the neighborhood of the house, or becoming
Like the fresh wounds inflicted by separation on the aged.
وَجَدتُ لَها وَالمُستَجِنِّ بِطَيْبَةٍ
رَقيبَينِ عِندي مُستَسِرّاً وَبادِيا
For it I found two watchers with me, one hidden, the other apparent,
As my constrained sigh of passion and my flowing tears.
فَأَمّا الَّذي يَخفَى فَشَوقٌ أُجِنُّهُ
وَأَمّا الَّذي يَبدو فَدَمعِيَ جارِيا
For it in my ribs is an affection
Which will remain for it as long as life remains.
لَها بَينَ أَحناءِ الضُّلوعِ مَوَدَّةٌ
سَتَبقى لَها ما أُلفيَ الدَّهرُ باقِيا
And for its sake I show humility and feign blindness,
Weeping copiously and spending the days of life weeping,
وَمِن أَجلِها أُبدي خُضوعاً وَأَمتَري
دُموعاً وَأَطوي رَيِّقَ العُمرِ باكِيا
And honoring those who refuse highness that I may exalt them,
And shunning those who shared with me familiar friendship.
وَأُكرِمُ مَن يأبى العُلا أَن أُجِلُّهُ
وَأَهجُرُ مَن كانَ الخَليلَ المُصافِيا
And I have a passion whose mention I fear
May show a manifest foe or a reproachful friend.
وَلي شَجَنٌ أَخشى إِذا ما ذَكَرتُهُ
عَدوّاً مُبيناً أَو صَديقاً مُداجِيا
And I while away the days regarding what harms me
On the ashes ablaze and enliven the dark nights.
وَأُفِني بِهِ الأَيَّامَ فيما يَسوءُنِي
عَلى كَمَدٍ بَرحٍ وَأَحيِي اللَّيالِيا
Therefore, do not accept, O gentle one, what
A slanderer may tell, nor give ear to a talebearer.
فَلا تَقبَلي يا عَذبَةَ الرِّيقِ ما حَكى
عَذولٌ وَلا تُرعي المَسامِعَ واشِيا
Nor incite my enemies against me, but ask
About me my son Nizar or my uncle or my maternal uncle.
وَلا تُطمِعِي فِيَّ الأَعاديَ واِسأَلي
بيَ ابنيَ نِزارٍ أَو بِعَمِّي وَخالِيا
For verily my spears ward off harm from me
And my tribe were never afraid of enemies.
فَإِنَّ قَناتي يَتَّقِي دَرْءَها العِدا
وَما كانَ قَومي يَتَّقونَ الأَعاديا
We are a people who assume mildness as a habit
And are angry at times, so we bend strong bows.
وَنَحنُ أُناسٌ نَرتَدي الحِلمَ شيمَةً
وَنَغضَبُ أَحياناً فَنُزوي العَوالِيا
Were it not for love, no eye would overlook a mote
In one whom he had wronged, and who had wronged him.
وَلَولا الهَوى لَم يُغضِ عَيناً عَلى قَذىً
فَتىً كانَ مَجنيّاً عَلَيهِ وَجانِيا
I see every love but yours ephemeral;
And every heart distracted, save mine, forgetful.
أَرى كُلَّ حُبٍّ غَيرَ حُبِّكِ زائِلاً
وَكُلَّ فؤادٍ غَيرَ قَلبيَ سالِيا
And he who has wronged you is wary of my wrath,
Though he is pleased by you, I become pleased.
وَيَحذَرُ سُخْطِي مَن أَرابَكِ فِعلُهُ
وَإِن نالَهُ مِنكِ الرِّضى صِرتُ راضِيا
When the backbiters inquire about my secret,
I praise Suluwwa or blame the nightly visitors.
إِذا اِستَخبَرَ الواشُونَ عَمّا أُسِرُّهُ
حَمَدتُ سُلوى أَو ذَمَمتُ التَّصابِيا
And your love does not grow old, but grows
More intense for me, and my longing for you remains.
وَحُبُّكِ لا يَبلى وَيَزدادُ جِدَّةً
لَديَّ وَأَشواقي إِليكِ كَما هِيَا
Does a heart in whose secret you are cease to be distracted by you?
It was never for a moment without remembering you, O best of maternal relatives!
أَيَذهَلُ قَلبٌ أَنتِ سِرُّ ضَميرِهِ
فَلا كانَ يَوماً مِنكِ يا عَلوَ خالِيا
