ما لم تزوروا فالمامُ الكرى زورُ

أنَّى وقد صاحَ حادي عيسكمْ سيروا

If you haven't visited, the greatest of afflictions is visiting.

Why have you set out when your guide has called you to ride?

سرتمْ فكم حنَّ مشغوفٌ بكم دَنِفٌ

في الربعِ حُزناً وكم قد أن مهجورُ

You left, yet how many are passionately yearning for you in the highlands,

Grieving in the desert, and how many are now abandoned!

طوى على لهبِ الأشواقِ أضلعَه

وحشوُها منه تأجيجٌ وتسعيرُ

He has folded his ribs over the flames of longing,

And its fuel is his kindling and igniting.

تُذكي الغرامَ وفي وجدي وزفرتِه

لو لامسَ الصخرَاِضرامٌ وتأثيرُ

It would ignite passion, and in my anguish and his sighing,

Were a boulder to be touched by the blazing fire.

جمعتمُ بين اشجاني وبينكمُ

وكلُّ ذنبٍ سوى التفريقِ مغفورُ

You have combined my torment with yourselves,

And any sin other than parting is forgivable.

حسبي من الوجدِ أجفانٌ مباعَدَةٌ

ما تلتقي وحشاً بالشوقِ مسجورُ

It suffices me from passion that my eyelids are distanced,

Never meeting, while my fervent longing remains preserved.

وادمعٌ كلما أنشْدتُ مِن طربي

شِعرى فضدّانِمنظومٌ ومنشورُ

And a tear flows whenever I recite from my joy

My poetry, so they are two opposites, rhythmic and scattered.

تنهلُّ في أربعُ الأحبابِ نائبةً

عنِ الغمامِ وجيبُ الليلِ مزرورُ

It flows in place of the clouds over the meadows of loved ones,

And the night’s darkness is embroidered.

مرابعٌ عَفَّتِ النّكباءُ ما ثلَها

مِن بعدِ ما مرَّ دهرٌ وهو معمورُ

Pure-hearted girls the like of whom haven't existed

Since the days of past prosperous times.

وللزمانِ بأهليهِ

ولو كَرِهوا

And time has its people,

Even if they dislike it, and the lands have changes and alterations.

وبالدَّيارِ تصاريفٌ وتغييرُ

يا مُنحَني الجِزْعِ لا زالَ السحابُ له

O you who bend in sadness, the clouds still have for him

Comfort and exaltation in the rain pouring down.

عليكَ بالغيثِ ترويحٌ وتكبيرُ

يروي ثراكَ فيبدو في رياضِكَ مِن

It waters your land, so there appear in your meadows

Wondrous beauties for the onlooker – flowers.

بدائعِ النَّورِ للرائي أزاهيرُ

وينثني البانُ ريانَ الغصونِ اِذا

And the slender boughs bend when the ostriches sway them while laden,

While the foliage laments dolefully above them at dawn, disclosing signs.

ما ميّلَتهُ النُّعامى وهو مَمْطُورُ

تنوحُ مِن فوقهِ الورقاءُ ساجعةً

Lamenting over the treetops while the murmurs of longing have vanished,

Repeatedly grieving.

والصبحُ لائحةٌ منه التباشيرُ

لنوحها فوقَ أفنانِ الأراكِ وقد

So if the pact of love yearns with the weeping of leaves,

Then the ally of yearning is forgivable.

غابَ الهديلُ مِن الأشواقِ تكريرُ

فاِنْ يَهِمْ بحنينِ الوُرقِ حِلْفُ هوًى

Since his loved ones left him and so did his neighbor,

The greatest affliction has befallen him and he is terrified.

شوقاً فاِنَّ حليفَ الشوقِ معذورُ

مذ بانَ أحبابهُ عنهُ وجيرتُهُ

And the groves have compensated him after them with sorrow

While he was once happy and close to them.

أمسى الكرى وهو عن عينيهِ مذعورُ

وعوَّضتْه النوى مِن بعدِهم حُزناً

So time became blameworthy. If only they would

Return to me while it is appreciated.

وكانَ بالقربِ منهمْ وَهْوَ مسرورُ

فأصبحَ الدهرُ مذموماً فليتهمُ

There is no shame to my skin now they have departed,

When passion overcomes me and I am defeated and coerced.

عادوا ليرجِعُ عندي وهو مشكورُ

وما على جَلَدي عارٌ وقد نَزَحُوا

I tasked it with love – meaning its heaviness I tolerated –

So exhaustion from it was revealed.

اِذا اغتدى وَهْوَ مغلوبٌ ومقهورُ

حَمَّلْتُهُ الحبَّ يعني ثِقلُه اِضَماً

Our loved ones – my secret was with you before

The outpouring of my tears while it was concealed.

فبانَ فيه مِنَ الاعياءِ تقصيرُ

أحبابَنا كانَ سرّي قبلَ بينكمُ

Days when I was brave to people due to my closeness to you,

Smiles would shine from my face.

وقبلَ فيضِ دموعي وهو مستورُ

أيام كنتُ بقربي منكمُ جَذِلاً

And today my share of your nearness

Has become slight, while it was abundant and plentiful.

للبِشْرِ تُبْرِقُ مِنْ وجهي اساريرُ

واليومَ قد صارَ حظَّي مِن دنوكُّمُ

My heart is sickened that it has now come to demand

Union with you, then is deluded.

نَزْراً وقد كانَ منه وهو موفورُ

أُعلَّلُ القلبُ أن أضحى يُطالِبُني

As if the reunion of kindred after the days of

My familiarity with loving friends is forbidden.

بالوصلِ منكمْ فيُمسي وهو مغرورُ

حتى كأنَّ التئامَ الشملِ لا بَعُدَتْ

Will a journey ever bring them close,

Caravans or swift riding camels?

أيامُ أُنسي بأهلِ الودَّ محظورُ

هل تُدِنينَّهمُ عيسٌ مزمَمةٌ

After barriers of military camps, banners and drums

Have come between me and them.

بُدْنٌ مراسيلُ أو وجناءُ عَيْسُورُ

مِنْ بعدِ ما حجزتْ بيني وبينهمُ ال

I reckon the ally of the war-drums has taken his stance,

There resounding and provoking separation.

بيدُ البلاقعُ والأعلامُ والقُورُ

أظَنُّ فيها حليفُ الكُورِ مُنْتَصِباً

Until nights of reunion return radiant with them

And the train of my joy while it is dragged along.

فيه اليفايَتخويدٌ وتهجيرُ

حتى تعودَ ليالي الوصلِ مشرقةً

بهم وذيلُ سروري وهو مَجْرُورُ