فَيا لَيتَ أَنا قَد تَعَشَّقت المَلا
بِنا قلص يَلحينَ وَالفَجرُ ساطِعُ
Oh, if only I had fallen in love with the night
When dawn was shining and the stars were still twinkling
موارِقُ مِن أَعناقِ لَيلٍ كَأَنَّها
قَطاً قَاربٌ ماءَ النميرَةِ ساطِعُ
Beams from the necks of a night as if they were
Cats lapping water from a bright pond
طَوَينَ أداوِي أَحكَم اللَه صُنعَها
إِذا لَم تُعالج خَرزَهُنَّ الصَّوانِعُ
I take medicine to heal what God has perfectly crafted
When not treating the beads their makers have strung
بفَتوِي نُحورٍ مَا يُكَلِّفن مُمسكاً
حناجِرها لَما استَقَينَ المَقامِعُ
With the throats of slender waists that do not burden a lover
When their collarbones have donned necklaces
يُغِثنَ بِها زُغباً بِرَأسِ مَفازَةٍ
تَضَمنها مِنها رُبىً وَأَجارِعُ
They help a lost one at the edge of the desert
Sheltering them, giving them family and homes
مُلَبدَةً غُبراً جُثوماً كَأَنَّها
أَفانِئُ لَولا رُوسُها وَالأَكارِعُ
Cloaked in dust, squat, as if they were
Tent pegs without their ropes and poles
تَبَوَّأنَ بيضاً فِي أَفاحِيص قَفرةٍ
فَهُنَّ بِفَيفاءِ الفلاةِ وَدائِعُ
They took up residence in the empty quarters of barren lands
Thus they are protected by the expanse of the wilderness
وَإِنّا عَدانا عَن بِلادٍ نُحِبُّها
إِمامٌ دَعانا نَفعُهُ المُتَتابِعُ
Yet we were led away from a land we love
By an imam whose legacy continues
أَغَرُّ لِمَروانٍ وَلَيلى كَأَنَّهُ
حُسَامٌ جَلَت عَنهُ الصَياقِلُ قاطِعُ
More treacherous than Marwan and Layla, as if he were
A sharpened sword with polished edges cutting
هُوَ الفَرعُ مِن عَبدَي مَنافٍ كِلَيهِما
إِلَيهِ انتَهَت أَحسابُها وَالدَسائِعُ
He is the branch from Abd Manaf, both of them
Ending with him, their glory and friendship
إِذا مَا بَدا لِلنَّاظِرينَ كَأَنَّهُ
هِلالٌ بَدا فِي ظُلمَةِ الليلِ طَالِعُ
When he appears to onlookers it is as if
A crescent has risen in the darkness of night
وَكُلُّ غَنيٍّ قانِعٌ بِفَعالِهِ
وَكُلُّ عَزيزٍ عِندَهُ مُتواضِعُ
Every wealthy man is content with his actions
And every noble man is humble before him
هوَ المَوتُ أَحياناً يَكونُ وَإِنَّهُ
لَغَيثُ حَياً يَحيى بِهِ الناسُ واسِعُ
He is death at times, and yet he
Is a life-giving rain that gives life to people far and wide
فَما أَحَدٌ يَبدُو لَه مِن حجابِهِ
فَينظرُ إِلا وَهوَ بِالذُّلِّ خاشِعُ
No one appears before him from behind his veil
Except bowed in humility, in awe
فَنَحنُ نرجِّي نَفعَه وَنَخافَهُ
وَكِلتَاهُما مِنهُ بِرفقٍ نُصانِعُ
We hope for his grace and fear him
And treat both cautiously
لَهُ دِسَعٌ فِيها حَياة وَسورَة
تُميتُ وَحلم يَفضلُ الحُلوَ بارِعُ
He has a pouch containing both life and surahs
That can kill, and a forbearance sweeter than honey
