زارَ وَالرَكبُ حَرامُ

أَوَداعٌ أَم سَلامُ

The caravan visited while farewells or peace prevailed,

As the full moon rose and darkness could not deter its light,

طارِقاً وَالبَدرُ لا يَح

فِزُهُ إِلّا الظَلامُ

Between a group praying and others led astray,

Like a flock of ostriches not to be reined,

بَينَ جَمعٍ وَالمُصَلّى

ريمُ سِربٍ لا يُرامُ

Their encampments were visited only by passion,

They changed abodes so when they descended into the heart they settled,

وَحُلولٍ ما قَرى نا

زِلَهُم إِلّا الغَرامُ

O my friend serve me the era of fervor has fallen ill,

Describe for me the caravan’s castle and assign the night its dwelling,

بَدَّلوا الدورَ فَلَمّا

نَزَلوا القَلبَ أَقاموا

With ruins they spurred on the army like the running of ostriches,

So there was a roar, a lament, clamor, and distress,

يا خَليلَيَّ اِسقِياني

زَمَنُ الوَجدِ سَقامُ

And longing - where is longing? It has truly transgressed,

Will there be descent upon a group and tents upon the hillside?

وَصِفا لي قُلعَةَ الرَك

بِ وَلِلَّيلِ مُقامُ

O gazelle of sadness - if only upon sadness there was a turban,

I envy the necklace around your neck though it is binding,

مِن أَلالٍ حَفَزوا العي

سَ كَما ريعَ النَعامُ

I bite my palm if your soft forearms bedecked,

I am jealous if the day passes over your veil,

فَزَفيرٌ وَنَشيجٌ

وَعَجيجٌ وَبُغامُ

I exposed my heart the first of war is talk,

I made the heart a target so arrows in it became plentiful,

وَمِنىً أَينَ مِنىً مِن

ني لَقَد شَطَّ المَرامُ

Who can cure the illness of your suspicions while the illness is incurable?

O savior of creation, your days are nightfall,

هَل عَلى جَمعٍ نُزولٌ

وَعَلى الخَيفِ خِيامُ

Clear deceptions and time is darkness,

You are to the world and religion a holder and system,

يا غَزالَ الجِزعِ لَو كا

نَ عَلى الجِزعِ لُمامُ

Splendor, illumination, relief, and pillar,

Your enemies when the bridle led them,

أَحسُدُ الطَوقَ عَلى جي

دِكَ وَالطَوقُ لِزامُ

And they saw the path of glory is difficult and trying,

They overburdened themselves with the goal until,

وَأَعَضُّ الكَفَّ إِن نا

لَ ثَناياكَ البَشامُ

The camel litter dragged in the sand,

They handed over the burden to return so neither attained rest nor stood,

وَأَغارُ اليَومَ إِن مَر

رَ عَلى فيكَ اللِثامُ

Suppressed - if the rope is binding to the blossoms and the living stand,

Imprisoning the pilgrims with fetters and the free stand,

أَنا عَرَّضتُ فُؤادي

أَوَّلُ الحَربِ كَلامُ

It is no full moon if it wanes or the one most proud of his turban,

A challenger whom the standing trial made toothless,

أَن جَعَلتُ القَلبَ مَرمىً

كَثُرَت فيهِ السِهامُ

He was of those whom last night’s wine intoxicated,

And he survived the crush of death though death is crushing,

مَن يُداوي داءَ أَحشا

ئِكَ وَالداءُ عُقامُ

Wandering while the bitterness threw him and the water engulfed,

The arrow puller - the feathers had flown from it,

يا غِياثَ الخَلقِ أَيّا

مُكَ في الأَيّامِ شامُ

Gibberish - the illness made it wander and gibberish is foul,

And to this day its beholder is that darkness,

غُرَرٌ واضِحَةُ الأَع

لامِ وَالدَهرُ ظَلامُ

The incapable assumed that cowardice would empty him of worries,

There was filth in his sneeze and dirt in his snot,

أَنتَ لِلدُنيا وَلِلدي

نِ مِساكٌ وَنِظامُ

Do you suppose the horses’ encounter with the tyrants did not suffice him?

The people's talk is forgetful and the old pact before,

وَبَهاءٌ وَضِياءٌ

وَغِياثٌ وَقِوامُ

Your valley flooded so the torrents flowed and the people slept,

Riding the back of absence, frail and thin,

إِنَّ أَعداءَكَ لَمّا

قادَهُم ذاكَ الزِمامُ

The first and the last are subjects of blame, blame desires them,

The smell of an absent forest reached him, the first of the horse’s scent,

وَرَأَوا أَنَّ طَريقَ ال

مَجدِ وَعرٌ وَإِكامُ

O guide of glory, if the generous strayed from glory,

And He who herds at the abode of might while the people wander confused,

وَاِستَطالوا الغايَ حَتّى

جَرجَرَ الثِلبُ العَبامُ

I have promises and the promise of the unseen is a pact and bridle,

It turned away from me so oh people, has the cloud hoarded?

سَلَّموا الثِقلَ إِلى العو

دِ فَما ناءَ وَقاموا

The rain was held back from my land though I see the sky clouding,

Blame rightly lies with my forefathers not with the rain,

مُقرَمٌ إِن قيدَ لِلوِر

دِ وَقَد حَرَّ اللِطامُ

You roused for my matter but seriousness sleeps,

The people’s reproach is only with wrangles, quarreling,

حَبَسَ الأَورادَ بِالغُل

لَةِ وَالحَيُّ قِيامُ

How wondrous, today notified me the swords of my two hands,

Neither are my arms the weakness of senility nor is the sword blunt,

لَيسَ بَدرٌ إِن بَغى أَو

وَلَ مَن عَزَّ الحِمامُ

The object of blame is my time and your absence today is blameworthy,

O planter, watering - so for this crop are expectations,

جامِحٌ أَقصَعَهُ مِن

قائِمِ العَضبِ لِجامُ

Your planting is a spring and from the planting are fruits,

Return with what your hands have accustomed me,

كانَ مِمَّن أَسكَرَتهُ

أَمسِ هاتيكَ المُدامُ

Then the life of what is beautiful, lasting abode,

Commanding the days willingly serve you, and the people,

وَنَجا مِن زَحمَةِ المَو

تِ وَلِلمَوتِ زِحامُ

The destinies are merely your soldiers, and time is your lad.

طافِياً تَقذِفُهُ الغَم

رَةُ وَالماءُ جُمامُ

مُنزِعُ النَبلَةِ قَد طا

رَ بِها الريشُ اللُؤامُ

عَجمَةً طَوَّحَها المِر

ضاخُ وَالعَجمُ رِمامُ

وَإِلى اليَومِ قَذى نا

ظِرُهُ ذاكَ القَتامُ

قَدَّرَ العاجِزُ أَنَّ ال

غيلَ يُخليهِ الهُمامُ

كانَ في مَعطِسِهِ الرَغ

مُ وَفي فيهِ الرَغامُ

أَتُرى لَم يَكفِهِ ما

لَقِيَ الخَيلُ الطَغامُ

لا حَديثُ القَومِ مَنسِي

يٌ وَلا العَهدُ قُدامُ

جاشَ واديكَ فَسالَ ال

سَيلُ وَالقَومُ نِيامُ

راكِباً ظَهراً مِنَ الغِي

يِ مُسيمٌ وَمُسامُ

خُطِمَ الأَوَّلُ وَالآ

خِرُ يَبغيهِ الخِطامُ

شَمَّهُ رِئبالُ غابٍ

أَوَّلُ الفَرسِ شِمامُ

يا دَليلَ المَجدِ إِن ضَل

لَ عَنِ المَجدِ الكِرامُ

وَالَّذي يُرعي بِدارِ ال

عِزِّ وَالناسُ بِهامُ

لي مَواعيدُ وَوَعدُ ال

غَيبِ عَقدٌ وَزِمامُ

لَوِيَت عَنّي فَيا لِل

ناسِ هَل ضَنَّ الغَمامُ

حُبِسَ القَطرُ بِأَرضي

وَأَرى الجَوَّ يُغامُ

إِنَّما اللَومُ لِجَدّي

ما عَلى الغَيثِ مَلامُ

قَد تَيَقَّظتُم لِأَمري

لَكِنِ الجَدُّ يَنامُ

وَعِتابُ القَومِ إِلّا

بِالمَعاريضِ خِصامُ

عَجَباً كَيفَ نَبا اليَو

مَ بِكَفَّيَّ الحُسامُ

لا ذِراعي رِخوَةُ الحَب

لِ وَلا السيفُ كَهامُ

مَوضِعُ الذَمِّ زَماني

وَخَلاكَ اليَومَ ذامُ

أَيُّها الزارِعُ سَقياً

فَبِذا الزَرعِ أُوامُ

إِنَّما غَرسُكَ نَبعٌ

وَمِنَ الغَرسِ ثُمامُ

عُد بِما عَوَّدتَني مِن

كَ أَياديكَ الجِسامُ

ثُمَّ دُم ما حَسُنَ العَي

شُ وَما طابَ الدَوامُ

آمِراً تَخدُمُكَ الأَي

يامُ طَوعاً وَالأَنامُ

إِنَّما الأَقدارُ جُندٌ

لَكَ وَالدَهرُ غُلامُ