وَإِنِّي لأَهواها وَأَهوَى لِقاءَها

كَما يَشتَهي الصادِي الشَّرابَ المُبَرَّدا

Indeed I yearn for her and yearn to meet her

As the thirsty wanderer yearns for chilled water

فَقُلتُ أَلا يا لَيتَ أَسماءَ أصقَبَت

وَهَل قَولُ لَيت جامِعٌ مَا تَبَدَّدا

So I said, oh if only Asma were still young!

But does saying “if only” restore what is lost?

كَأَنَّ خَذولاً فِي الكناسِ أَعارَها

غَداة تَبَدَّت عُنقَها وَالمقلدا

It was as if she had lent it to one unworthy

The day her neck was unveiled and bejeweled

عَلاقَةُ حُبٍّ لَجَّ فِي زَمَنِ الصِّبا

فَأَبلَى وَما يَزدادُ إِلا تَجَدُّدا

A bond of love forged in the days of youth

Now worn, yet ever made new in renewal

سُهُوبٌ وَأَعلامٌ كَأَنَّ سَرابَها

إِذا استَنَّ فِي القَيظِ المُلاء المُعَضَّدا

Mirages and landmarks as if their images

When the heat haze danced on the sandy horizon

نَظَرتُ رَجاءً بِالمُوَقَّرِ أَن أرَى

أَكارِيسَ يَحتَلونَ خَاخاً فَمُنشِدا

I looked with hope to the esteemed one, to see

Envoys arriving, their leader one honored

فَأَوفَيتُ مِن نَشزٍ مِنَ الأَرضِ يافِعٍ

وَقَد تُسعِفُ الإيفاعُ مَن كانَ مُقصَدا

So I came, a young branch springing from the earth

When the rhythm aids one of purpose true

كَريمُ قُرَيش حين يُنسَبُ وَالَّذي

أقرَّت لَهُ بِالمُلكِ كَهلاً وَأَمرَدا

Noblest of Quraysh, when his lineage told

To whom kingship was granted, sage and gnarled

وَأَعطَيتَنِي يَومَ التَقَينا عطِيَّةً

مِنَ المالِ أَمست يَسَّرَت مَا تَشَدَّدا

The gift you gave me the day we met

Of wealth has eased whatever was difficult

وَلَيسَ عَطاءٌ كَانَ مِنهُ بِمَانِعٍ

وَإِن جَلَّ عَن أَضعافِ أَضعافِهِ غَدا

No gift of yours was hampered by thrift

Though it surpassed gifts of gifts manifold

وَأَصبَحَتِ النُّعمَى الَّتِي نلتَنِي بِها

وَقَد رَجَعَت أَهلَ الشَّماتِة حُسَّدا

And the blessings you granted me

As the envious were turned back thwarted

وَلَم أَكُ لِلإِحسانِ لما اصطَفَيتني

كَفوراً وَلا لاعاً مِن المصر معددا

Nor for your kindness, choosing me apart

Ungrateful was I, or shrinking from effort renewed

فَلَما فَرجتَ الهَمَّ عَنِّي وَكُربَتي

حَبَوتكَ مِنِّي طائِعاً مُتَعَمّدا

So when you relieved my grief and sorrow

With love I embraced you, deliberate, resolved

لَعَمرِي لَقَد لا قَيتُ يَومَ مُوَقَّرٍ

أَبَا خَالِدٍ فِي الحَيِّ يَحمِلُ أَسعدا

By my life, a day of great fortune it was

When Abu Khalid in the throng I saw leading the best

وَقَد قُلتُ لَما سِيلَ عَمَّا أَنَلتَنِي

لِيَزدادَ رغماً مَن يُحبُّ لِيَ الرَّدَى

And I said, when asked what you granted me

To redouble spite in those who wish me ill

عَطاءُ يَزيدٍ كُل شَيءٍ أَحوزه

من ابيضَ من مالٍ يُعدُّ واسوَدا

The gifts of Yazid, all I gained

Be they white wealth, counted and heaped