ألا طرقَتْنا والثُّريّا كقُرْطِها

وقد بَرَدَتْ في نَحْرِها دُرُّ سِمْطِها

Oh how she knocked on our door, like the tinkling of her anklet,

Her pearls had cooled in her throat from the necklace she wore,

فهاجَتْ على القَلْبِ المَشوقِ صَبابةً

نفَيْتُ الكَرى عن مُقلَتَيَّ لفَرْطها

She stirred desire in my longing heart,

I removed sadness from my eyelids overwhelmed by her,

وما بَرِحَتْ حتّى تَهاوَتْ منَ الدُّجَى

فَرائدُ أَعياها تَعجُّلُ لَقْطها

She did not stop until the darkness dissipated,

The watchmen hastened the dawn to catch sight of her,

وبَثَّ مَشيبُ الصُّبْحِ أَوضاحَ فَرعِه

فغَضّتْ جُفونُ اللّيلِ عن لَمْع وَخْطها

The grayness of dawn spread its branches,

The eyelids of night lowered from its shining radiance,

سَرتْ وصَبا نَجْدٍ معاً من عِراصِها

فما عَبِقَتْ إلاّ بأَعطافِ مِرْطها

She traveled the plateau of Najd together on her camel litter,

Her scent was only perceived from the hem of her cloak,

فَزِعْتُ إلى دَمْعي على جَرَيانِه

فلم يُغْنِ عن إنهالِ خَدٍّ لِخَطّها

I resorted to my tears as they flowed,

But they did not avail the descent of my cheek from her line,

بَلَلْتُ به خَدّي وفي القلبِ غُلّتي

وكم غَيْثُ أَرْضٍ جازَ مَوضِعَ قَحْطها

I wet my cheek while anguish boiled in my heart,

And how much rain has fallen short of a thirsty land?

وإنّ للَيْلَى في فُؤادي مَحلّةً

متى يَرْمِها الواشي بسَهْمٍيُخَطِّها

For Layla has an abode in my heart,

Where I fear the watcher will strike her with his arrow,

على أنّ لَيلَى إن أَصابَتْ وَقلّما

شَكَرْنا لها أَو أَخطأَتْ لم نُخَطِّها

Though if Layla hits or misses rarely

Have we thanked her or blamed her if she misses,

كأنّ وِسادي بعدَ توديعِ طَيْفِها

قَتادٌ وقد كَفّلتِ جَفْني بخَرْطها

It was as if after her phantom departed,

My pillow turned into a funeral dress she clothed me in.

فهل زَورةٌ أُخرَى اللّيالي مُعادَةٌ

علىَّ حَرِيّاً مَن نَوى ماء شَطّها

So shall I have another nighttime visitation,

Woe to me, whoever intends the water of her riverbank!

ولو شَرَطَتْ روحي ثَوابَ مَسيرِها

فما قَدْرُ روحي في الوفاءِ بشَرْطها

If she had made my soul the reward for her journey

What value has my soul in fulfilling her condition?

لَعلَّ زماناً أنْ يَعودَ كعَهْدِه

فتَرضَى قُلوبٌ جَمّةٌ بَعدَ سُخْطها

Perhaps a time will come when her affection returns

And hardened hearts become content after her discontent

وقد يُعقبُ المّيلُ الطّويلُ صَبيحةً

وتَقرُبُ دارُ الحَيَّ من بَعْدِ شَحْطها

Perhaps after the long night, morning will follow

And the house of the beloved will draw near after its remoteness

وللهِ ما تَخْدِي بنا كُلُّ رَسْلةٍ

يَعُطُّ رداءَ البِيدِ أَيسَرُ عَطّها

By God, no messenger can bring us together,

The Lord of might gives the garb of distance its easiest folding,

وقد قُلتُ لمّا عارضَتْ عُقَدَ الِلّوَى

وهَبّتْ معَ الحادي بغَوْريِّ سِقْطها

And I said when the caravan of yearning opposed me

And it sped with the guide into my rugged terrain:

كأنّ مَصوغاتٍ بأيدي عِجالِها

إذا ذَعرتْ ليلُ الكئيبِ بخَبْطها

It was as if molded bracelets in their hands

If the gloom of night startles with its clamor,

إلى أينَ مَسرَى العِيسِ تحت رِحالِها

وبابُ أَمينِ المُلْكِ خَيرُ مَحَطِّها

To where is the journey of the doe under the feet of her camel?

The door of the trusted Prince is the best of her halting places!

فَسِيروا إلى أفناء أبيضَ ماجدٍ

له من بُيوتِ المجدِ غُرّةُ وَسْطها

So go into the courtyard of the white shining Majid

Whose houses of glory have its prime and heart,

كريمٌ إذا مَرَّ العذولُ بسَمْعِه

يُراجِعُ عن سَمْحِ الأنامِلِ سَبْطها

Who is generous, if the rich pass by his hearing,

He turns from the smoothness of fingers grasping it,

حَميدٌ على سَهْلِ الزّمانِ وَوَعْرِه

وثَبْتٌ على جَوْرِ اللّيالي وقِسْطها

Praiseworthy in the plain and ruggedness of time,

And steadfast against the injustice of nights and their justice.

فكم غايةٍ يا ابْنَ الكرامِ بلَغْتَها

على صَهوةٍ من صَعبةٍ لم تُوَطّها

So how many goals, O son of noblemen, have you attained

Atop a difficult ledge none have marked before you?

وكم نعمةٍ أعطَيْتَها وهْي جَزْلَةٌ

ولكنّني نَشّرتُها لم أغَطَها

And how many gifts have you given, substantial,

But I have spread them, not concealing any!

شكَرتُ فزِدْنا زادَك الله نعمةً

تَدومُ على شِيبِ اللّيالي وشُمْطها

I thanked - so increase for us your provision,

Lasting through the graying of nights and their youth!

وجُدْ لي بحالٍ بعدَ مالٍ وهَبْتَه

فما عُقْدَةٌ إلا وأنتَ لِنَسْطها

And grant me through some circumstance after wealth you gave me,

For no knot except you can untie it!

فإنّيَ مَنْسوبٌ إليكَ مَودّةً

وفَخْرُ سَراةِ النّاسِ في عِزِّ رَهطها

For I am attributed in affection to you

And pride of all mankind in the glory of its people!

فإنّ القوافي الغُرَّ ما لم تَسِرْ بِها

لكالشّمسِ ما دامَتْ تُقيمُ بخَطّها

For indeed marvelous verse flows not but through it

As the sun endures pouring down its threads

فحرِّرْ لآدابي سُطورَ عنايةٍ

هيَ الوَسْمُ في ضاحي سَوالفِ عُلْطها

So bestow upon my arts lines of care

Which are a mark on the cheek of its looping tresses,

واتْعَبْ بها كفَّ الكريمة شأنُها

متَى تُسألِ الجَدْوى العظيمةَ تُعْطِها

And weary with it the palm of your generous hand

When asked to bring wondrous great benefits!

وإنّ يَميناً لا تَضُنُّ بمالِها

لَمَرجُوَّةٌ ألاّ تَضُنَّ بخَطّها

For your right hand does not withhold what it possesses

Hoped for - do not stint in drawing its line!

فلا زال تَصريفُ العِنانِ لقَبْضها

ولا زال تَخْليدُ الثَناءِ لبَسطها

So the pulling of reins does not cease in its clenching

Nor the immortalizing of praise in its extension

ولا زال إسخاطُ العَذولِ ببَذْلِها

ولا زال إرضاءُ الملوكِ بضَبطها

Nor the frustration of the arrogant through its expenditure

Nor the satisfying of Kings through its discipline

ولا زالتِ الأقلامُ حين تُديرُها

وقد أخذَتْ من كُلِّ حُسنٍ بقِسْطها

Nor when you turn the pens, have they ceased

Taking from every beauty in proper share,

تَشُقُّ قلوبَ الحاسدِينَ كشَقِّها

وتُلْقي رُؤوسَ المارقينَ كقَطّها

Splitting the hearts of enviers as their rending,

And dropping the heads of deviants without care!

ولا عجَبٌ أن تَملِكَ العَينَ إن جرَتْ

وماسَتْ على القرطاسِ أعطافُ رُقْطها

No wonder it rules the eye if it flows

And cleaves to parchment corners of its pages!

فما اللّحْظُ من عَينِ الفتاة كجَرْيها

وما الخالُ في خَدِّ المَليحِ كنَقطها

For the glances of a girl are not like its motion

Nor the moles on a cheek like its dots!

فما زال يَعلو نَجْمُ جَدِّك صاعداً

إذا ما جُدودُ القومِ أهوتْ لهَبْطها

So the star of your grandfather does not cease rising

When the horses of the people have plunged down steep

وإنّي لأَرجو أن تُرى لك دَولةٌ

تُطيلُ شفاهُ النّاسِ خِدمةَ بُسْطها

And I hope to see ascend for you a state

Prolonging the lips of people serving its extension!