فُؤادٌ لا يُسَلّيهِ المُدامُ

وَجِسمٌ لا يُفارِقُهُ السَقامُ

A heart not consoled by wine

A body not parted from sickness

وَأَجفانٌ تَبيتُ مُقَرَّحاتِ

تَسيلُ دَماً إِذا جَنَّ الظَلامُ

Eyelids that sleep ulcerated

Dripping blood when night falls

وَهاتِفَةٌ شَجَت قَلبي بِصَوتٍ

يَلَذُّ بِهِ الفُؤادُ المُستَهامُ

A belle whose voice pierced my heart

With a sound that pleases the lovesick heart

شُغِلتُ بِذِكرِ عَبلَةَ عَن سِواها

وَقُلتُ لِصاحِبي هَذا المَرامُ

I was preoccupied with the memory of Ubla from others

And I said to my friend, this is the purpose

وَفي أَرضِ الحِجازِ خِيامُ قَومٍ

حَلالُ الوَصلِ عِندَهُمُ حَرامُ

And in the land of Hejaz are the tents of people

Where what is lawful to unite is unlawful

وَبَينَ قِبابِ ذاكَ الحَيِّ خَودٌ

رَداحٌ لا يُماطُ لَها لِثامُ

And between the domes of that neighborhood is a cheek

An unveiled one with no barriers

لَها مِن تَحتِ بُرقُعِها عُيونٌ

صِحاحٌ حَشوُ جَفنَيها سَقامُ

Under her scarf she has eyes

Sick, though their eyelids are filled with kohl

وَبَينَ شِفاهِها مِسكٌ عَبيرٌ

وَكافورٌ يُمازِجهُ مُدامُ

Between her lips is fragrant musk

And camphor mixed with wine

فَما لِلبَدرِ إِن سَفَرَت كَمالٌ

وَما لِلغُصنِ إِن خَطَرَت قَوامُ

Why should the full moon be perfect

And why should the branch have a tall stature

يَلُذُّ غَرامُها وَالوَجدُ عِندي

وَمَن يَعشَق يَلَذُّ لَهُ الغَرامُ

I delight in her love and ecstasy

And whoever falls in love, delights in passion

أَلا يا عَبلَ قَد شَمِتَ الأَعادي

بِإِبعادي وَقَد أَمِنوا وَناموا

O Ubla, the enemies have triumphed

With my estrangement, now relieved and asleep

وَقَد لاقَيتُ في سَفَري أُموراً

تُشَيِّبُ مَن لَهُ في المَهدِ عامُ

And I have faced in my journey such matters

That would turn white one who in the cradle is an infant

وَبَعدَ العُسرِ قَد لاقَيتُ يُسراً

وَمَلكاً لا يُحيطُ بِهِ الكَلامُ

And after hardship I have found ease

And a king that speech cannot encompass

وَسُلطاناً لَهُ كُلُّ البَرايا

جُنودٌ وَالزَمانُ لَهُ غُلامُ

And a sultan over all the lands

His soldiers and time are his servants

يَفيضُ عَطاؤُهُ مِن راحَتَيهِ

فَما نَدري أَبَحرٌ أَم غَمامُ

His generosity overflows from his palms

We know not, is it an ocean or a cloud?

وَقَد خَلَعَت عَلَيهِ الشَمسُ تاجاً

فَلا يَغشى مَعالِمَهُ ظَلامُ

Over him the sun has shed its crown

So no darkness covers his features

جَواهِرُهُ النُجومُ وَفيهِ بَدرٌ

أَقَلُّ صِفاتِ صورَتِهِ التَمامُ

His gems are the stars, and in him is a moon

The least of the attributes of his image is perfection

بَنو نَعشٍ لِمَجلِسِهِ سَريرٌ

عَلَيها وَالسَماواتُ الخِيامُ

The Neshe clan are his council seats

Above them and the heavens are his tents

وَلَولا خَوفُهُ في كُلِّ قُطرٍ

مِنَ الآفاقِ ما قَرَّ الحُسامُ

And were it not for his fear in every region

The swords would not be sheathed

جَميعُ الناسِ جِسمٌ وَهوَ روحٌ

بِهِ تَحيا المَفاصِلُ وَالعِظامُ

All people are one body and he is the soul

By him the joints and bones come alive

تُصَلّي نَحوَهُ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ

مُلوكُ الأَرضِ وَهوَ لَها إِمامُ

Toward him from every valley pray

The kings of earth and he is their imam

فَدُم يا سَيِّدَ الثَقَلَينِ وَاِبقى

مَدى الأَيّامِ ما ناحَ الحَمامُ

So stay, O Master of the two burdens, for the

Length of days as long as the pigeons moan