كَأَنَّ عُقولَ القَومِ وَاللَهُ شاهِدٌ

جُمِعنَ لَهُم مِن نافِراتٍ أَوارِكِ

It seemed the minds of the people - and Allah is witness -

Were gathered for them from fleeing camels.

يَميلونَ لِلدُنِّيا عَلى سَطواتِها

وَما نَشَرَت مِن شَرِّها المُتَدارِكِ

They incline towards the world with its authority,

And it has not spread any of its evil that is irredeemable.

وَما هِيَ إِلّا قِسمَةٌ بَينَ أَهلِها

لِكُلَّهُمُ فيها نَصيبُ مُشارِكِ

It is but a division among its people,

Each of them having in it a share of participation.

أَقامَت سُلَيمانَ الَّذي شاعَ مُلكُهُ

يُراقِبُ أَطهارَ النِساءِ العَوارِكِ

It established Solomon whose kingdom spread,

Observing the chastity of loose women.

إِذا بَعَثتَ مِنها إِلى الأَرضِ نائِلاً

وَإِن قَلَّ أَلفَتهُ لَهُ غَيرَ تارِكِ

Whenever you send forth from it to the ground happily,

And if it meets you little, it finds for you other than a leaver.

وَكَم أَرسَلت مِن طارِقٍ وَمُلِمَّةٍ

أَبانَت لَها الرِكبانَ فَوقَ المَوارِكِ

And how many dark nights and cloudy days

Have disclosed to it the caravans above the camels’ litters.

وَأَركُدَ فيها تَحتَ عِبءٍ لَو أَنَّهُ

عَلى العيسِ ما قَرَّت بِهِ في المَبارِكِ

And he knelt under a burden, if only it were

Upon a staff, it would not have settled with it upon the blessed.

تَبارَكتَ يا رَبَّ العُلا أَنتَ صُغتَها

فَلَيتَكَ في أَرزائِها لَم تُبارِكِ

Blessed are You, O Lord of Exaltation, You diminished it,

If only You did not bless its trees.

أُعانِقُها عِندَ الوَداعِ تَشَبُّثاً

وَأَيُّ وَداعٍ بَينَ قالٍ وَفارِكِ

I embrace it upon farewell clinging,

And what farewell is between a sayer and a separater.