أَأَحمَدُ هَل لِأَعيُنِنا اِتِّصالٌ

بِوَجهٍ مِنكَ أَبيَضَ حارِثِيِّ

Ahmad, do our eyes have a connection

To a face of yours, fair Harithi,

غَداتُكَ لِلخُمارِ إِذا غَدَونا

وَلَم يُطلَق لَنا أُنسُ العَشِيِّ

You slip away at dawn when we try to visit,

And we are not granted the joy of evening,

فَأَحسِن يافَتى كَعبٍ فَإِنّي

رَأَيتُ البُعدَ مِن فِعلِ المُسِيِّ

So be good, O Kaba's youth, for I

Saw distance comes from a slacker's acts,

تَعَصَّب لِلقَريبِ أَبا وَوُدّاً

فَقَد يَجِبُ التَعَصُّبُ لِلكَنِيِّ

Loyal to a relative, father and friend,

For loyalty is owed to the bosom friend,

أَما وَالأَربَعينَ لَقَد أُريغَت

بِلا واني النُهوضِ وَلا وَطِيِّ

By the forty, she was led reluctantly

Without weakness or feebleness,

تَحَمَّل ثِقلَ مَطلَبِها كَريماً

عَنِ القَرمِ الكَريمِ أَبي عَلِيِّ

She nobly bore the burden of her quest

From the generous, noble father Ali,

فَإِنَّ العودَ رُبَّتَما أُحيلَت

عِلاوَتُهُ عَلى الجَذعِ الفَتِيِّ

For the branch gains prominence when grafted

Onto the slender, youthful trunk,

وَضَوءُ المُشتَري صِلَةٌ مُعانٌ

بِبَهجَتِها سَنا القَمَرِ المُضِيِّ

And the buyer's pleasure is a shining bond

With its radiance as bright as the full moon,

هُوَ الوَسمِيِّ جادَ فَكُن وَلِيّاً

فَما الوَسمِيُّ إِلّا بِالوَلِيِّ

He is the branded one, so be loyal

For the branded is only with the loyal.