أَظُنُّ اللَيالي بَعدَكُم سَتَريعُ

فَمَن يُبقي لي مِن رائِعٍ فَتَروعُ

I think the nights after you will pass quickly

So who will keep me from what is exciting and frightening

خُذي عُدَّةَ الصَبرِ الجَميلِ فَإِنَّهُ

لِكُلِّ نِزاعٍ يا أُمَيمَ نُزوعُ

Take the equipment of beautiful patience, for it

O Umayma, is the solution to every dispute

وَقَد كُنتُ أَبكي لِلأَحِبَّةِ قَد أَنى

لِقَلبي سُلوٌّ وَاِطمَأَنَّ وَلُوعُ

And I used to cry for the loved ones, now I am done

My heart is tranquil and has calmed and softened

وَلَكِنَّما أَبكي المَكارِمَ أُخلِيَت

مَنازِلُ مِنها لِلنَدى وَرُبوعُ

But I cry for the generous acts that have been abandoned

The abodes of which are for the dew and meadows

وَهَل أَنا جازٍ ذَلِكَ العَهدَ بِالبُكا

وَلو أَنَّ كُحلَ الماقِيَينِ نَجيعُ

Could I fulfill that pact with crying

Even if the kohl of the farewell-givers is copious

أَبيتُ وَطُرّاقُ الهُمومِ كَأَنَّها

مَحافِلُ حَيٍّ تَنتَجي وَجُموعُ

I refused and the speculations of worries are as if

They are gatherings of a living tribe that meet and assemble

أُقارِعُ أُولى اللَيلِ عَن أُخرَياتِهِ

كَأَنّي أَقودُ النُجمَ وَهُوَ ظَليعُ

I fight against the early night over its latter parts

As if I drive the star and it wanders

وَعَيني لِرَقراقِ الدُموعِ وَقيعَةٌ

لَها اليَومَ مِن عاصي الشُؤونِ مُطيعُ

And my eyes are accustomed to the flowing tears

Obedient to it today instead of the rebel authorities

بِمَن تُدفَعُ الجُلّى بِمَن تُرفَعُ العُلى

بِمَن تُحفَظُ الآمالُ وَهيَ تَضيعُ

With whom will glory be repelled, with whom will loftiness be raised

With whom will hopes be kept while they are lost

بِمَن يُنقَعُ الظَمآنُ وَهُوَ مُحَلّأٌ

بِمَن يُؤمَنُ المَطرودُ وَهُا مَروعُ

With whom will the thirsty drink while he is suffering

With whom will the outcast feel safe while he is frightened

هُوَ الرُزءُ لا يَعدو المَكارِمَ وَالعُلى

صَلومٌ لِأَشرافِ العَلاءِ جَدوعُ

He is well-being, he does not transgress generosity and loftiness

Salama to the nobility of the eminent, bite-sized

فَأَينَ قِوامُ الدينِ لِلخَطبِ يَعتَري

وَلِلدَهرِ يَغدو بِالأَذى وَيَروعُ

So where are the pillars of religion for the calamities that afflict

And for time that harms in the morning and frightens in the evening

وَأَينَ قِوامُ الدينِ لِلبيضِ وَالقَنا

إِذا لَم يَكُن إِلّا اليَقينَ دُروعُ

And where are the pillars of religion for the innocent and the brave

If conviction were not their only armor

وَأَينَ قِوامُ الدينِ لِلنَيلِ وَالقِرى

إِذِ الجَدبُ مُعطٍ وَالسَحابُ مَنوعُ

And where are the pillars of religion for the Nile and the villages

While barrenness persists and rain is forbidden

أَلا مَن لِأَضيافِ الشَتاءِ يَلُفُّهُم

سَقيطُ ظَلامٍ قِطقِطٍ وَصَقيعُ

Is there anyone to warm the guests of winter

With a pouring gloomy cold and freezing weather

تَجاذَبُهُم أَيدي الشَمالِ رِياطَهُم

فَيَسقُطُ سِبٌّ أَو يَضَلَّ قَطيعُ

The north wind's hands pull their rides

So a loved one drops or a herd gets lost

إِذا كانَ بَينَ البَيتِ وَالزَفزَفِ الصَبا

أَحاديثُ تَخفى مَرَّةً وَتَذيعُ

When between the house and the gusts there were

Conversations that hide at times and spread at others

وَمَن لِلعُفاةِ المُرمِلينَ يَشُلَّهُم

مِنَ الدَهرِ قِرنٌ لا يُرامُ مَنيعُ

And who is there for the barefoot worn out ones to support them

From the days of life where its centuries cannot be prevented

فَيا راعي الذَودِ الظِماءَ تَرَكتَها

وَأَحفَظُ راعٍ مُذ نَأَيتَ مُضيعُ

So hello herder of thirsty sheep you have left

And you were the most protective shepherd since you were lost

وَلَيسَ لَها في الدارِ دينُ شَريعَةٍ

وَلا في ثَنايا الطالِعينَ طُلوعُ

And they have in the house no share of canonical law

Nor between the horizons is there any rising

وَلا لِلغَوادي مُذ فُقِدتَ مُزايدٌ

وَلا لِلمَعالي مُذ عُدِمتَ قَريعُ

And since you were missing there is for the valleys no rival

And for the glories no deterring opponent

أَقولُ لِناعيهِ عُقِرتَ وَجَرَّبتَ

بِشِلوِكَ فَدُعاءُ اليَدَينِ خَموعُ

I say to his grievers, you were mutilated and tried

With your prayers the hands are submissive

وَغَلغَلَ ما بَينَ الحِجابَينِ وَالحَشا

سِنانٌ كَمِصباحِ السَليطِ وَقيعُ

And struggles between the two veils and courtyard

Teeth like the flame of an ignited lamp

نَعَيتُ النَدى عَضّاً يَرِفُّ نَباتُهُ

وَشَملَ العُلى وَالمَجدَ وَهُوَ جَميعُ

I grieved growth that raises its plants

And it contained glory and splendor altogether

بِبَدرٍ مُعَمٍّ في الكَواكِبِ مُخوَلٍ

نَمَتهُ عُروقٌ لِلعُلى وَفُروعُ

With an auspicious full moon among the stars supported

The sprigs of its glory and branches grew from it

مِنَ القَومِ طالوا كُلَّ طَولٍ إِلى العُلى

إِذا أَذرُعٌ يَوماً قَصَرنَ وَبوعُ

Of the people, those who reached every honor and height

When the towering stumble one day and collapse

بَنوا في يَفاعِ المَجدِ وَهوَ مُمَنَّعٌ

بُنىً طَيرُها بَينَ النُجومِ وُقوعُ

They built in thickets of glory while it was forbidden

Structures whose birds fall between the stars

فَلا حَمَلَت أُمُّ المَكارِمِ بَعدَهُ

وَلا شَبَّ لِلمَجدِ التَليدِ رَضيعُ

So neither did the mother of generosity carry after him

Nor did a baby for inherited glory grow up

وَلا أَدَّتِ الرَكبَ الخِماصَ عَلى الوَجى

سَفائِنُ بَرٍّ وَالسِياطُ قُلوعُ

Nor did the brave ships in the battlefields

With the oars aimless and the whips blunt

إِلى أَن يُزادَ المُستَنيلينَ بَعدَهُ

مِنَ الحَيِّ قَرٌّ في الظَلامِ وَجوعُ

Until the ones who hope after him are increased

From life, few in the darkness and hungry

أَضُمُّ عَلَيهِ الرَاحَتَينِ تَعَلُّقاً

وَقَد نَزَعَتهُ مِشَنُ يَدَيَّ نَزوعُ

I hold upon it with two hands clinging

While a withdrawal pulled it from my hands

غُصِبتُكَ عِلقاً لَم أَبِعهُ وَلَم أَكُن

كَباغي رِباحٍ يَشتَري وَيَبيعُ

I was forcibly made to let you go and did not sell you

Like a peddler who buys and sells the winds

طَوَيتُكَ طَيَّ البُردِ لَم يُنضَ مِن بِلىً

وَقَد يُغمَدُ المَطرورُ وَهُوَ صَنيعُ

I wrapped you in the wrap of cold and no corruption touched you from decay

While sheathed blades remain unblemished

أُناديكَ مِن تَحتِ الخُطوبِ غَدا لَها

بِمَظهَريَ رَحلٌ ضاغِطٌ وَقُطوعُ

I call onto you from under calamities which tomorrow

A crushing and cutting ordeal will befall me

ما كانَتِ الأَيّامُ يَفرَعنَ هَضبَتي

لَوَ أَنَّكَ واعٍ لِلدُعاءِ سَميعُ

The days would not have narrowed my plateau

If you were responsive to the prayer and hearing

رَمَتني سِهامُ البَأسِ بَعدَكَ جَهرَةً

وَأَنبَضَ نَحوي عاجِزٌ وَجَزوعُ

The arrows of affliction struck me violently after you

And a weak and cut off one pounced at me

وَزالَ مِجَنٌّ ما نِعٌ كُنتُ أُتَّقي

بِهِ الخَطبَ وَالخَطبُ الجَليلُ قَطوعُ

And the shield I used to fear with it calamities

And serious calamities are destructive indeed

وَما كُنتُ أَدري أَنَّ فَوقَكَ آمِراً

مِنَ الدَهرِ يَدعو بَغتَةً فَتُطيعُ

And I did not know that above you is a commander

From fate who suddenly calls you to obey

فَغالَبَ أَطماعي عَليكَ مُّغالِبٌ

وَقارَعَ آمالي عَليكَ قَروعُ

So a usurper overpowered my greed over you

And resisting hopes clashed with me

عُصِبتُ فَلَم أَسمَح لِغَيرِ أَكُفِّكُم

بَدَرّي وَبَعضُ الحالِبَينَ طَموعُ

I was loyal so I did not allow anyone but your palms

To milk my udder while the ambitions of some are aspiring

إِباءً وَلَو طارَت بِكَفّي مُلَيحَةٌ

إِلى النيقِ رَبداءُ الجَناحِ لَموعُ

Refusing even if a fine one were to escape with my palm

To the exquisite the unsightly feathered wing flutters

لَقَد لَسَبَتني مِن عَقارِبِ كَيدِهِم

دُيوبٌ إِذا جَنَّ الظَلامُ لَسوعُ

They have certainly stung me with the scorpions of their deceit

When darkness falls, beasts that bite and brand

يُسَوِّمُني حُسنَ الثَناءِ وَضامِنٌ

لِسوءِ مَقالٍ أَن يَسوءَ صَنيعُ

He promises me handsome praise, and one who guarantees

Evil speech, that his behavior will be good

وَحَسبُكَ مِن ذَمِّ الفَتى تَركُ مَدحِهِ

لِأَمرٍ يَضيقُ القَولُ وَهُوَ وَسيعُ

And it suffices you the dispraise of a man to neglect his praise

For a matter that speech is too narrow while it is vast

سَقاكَ عَلى نَأيِ الدِيارِ وَشَحطِها

رَبيعٌ وَهَل يَسقي الرَبيعَ رَبيعُ

It quenched you in the remoteness of lands and its outskirts

A spring, and does a spring water a spring

وَحَيّاكَ عَنّا كُلُّ نَجمٍ وَشارِقٍ

إِذا جَنَّ لَيلٌ أَو أَضاءَ صَديعُ

And every star and horizon greeted you when

Darkness falls or the smooth earth glows

ذَكَرتُكَ ذِكرَ العاطِشاتِ وُرودَها

تُحَرَّقُ أَكبادٌ لَها وَضُلوعُ

I remembered you like the remembrance of meadows by the thirsty

Livers for them burn and they have ribs

تَقاذَفنَ يَطلُبنَ الرَواءَ عَشيَّةً

نَزائِعَ أَدنى وِردِهِنَّ نَزيعُ

They shared in seeking drink one evening

The most adjacent of their roses being demanded

ضَرَبنَ طَريقاً بِالمَناسِمِ أَربَعاً

إِلى الماءِ لا تُدنى إِلَيهِ شَروعُ

They took a path with landmarks in fours

To the inaccessible water, no wading reaches it

فَهَجراً لِدارِ الحَيِّ بَعدَ رَحيلِكُم

وَما كُلُّ أَظعانٍ لَهُنَّ رُجوعُ

So farewell to the house of life after your departure

And not all sobbings have a return

وَلا مَرحَباً بِالأَرضِ لَستُم حُلولَها

وَإِن كانَ مَرعىً لِلقَطينِ مَريعُ

And no welcome to the land for you are not its dwellers

Even if it were pasture for beasts to graze

لَقَد جَلَّ قَدرُ الرُزءِ أَن يَبلُغَ البُكا

مَداهُ وَلَو أَنَّ القُلوبَ دُموعُ

Indeed the destiny of misery rose to the extent of crying

Even if hearts were tears

وَلَو أَنَّ قَلبي بَعدَ يَومِكَ صَخرَةٌ

لَبانَ بِها وَجداً عَلَيكَ صُدوعُ

And even if after your day my heart becomes rock

With passion for you, cracks would flow from it