جُفونُ العَذارى مِن خِلالِ البَراقِعِ
أَحَدُّ مِنَ البيضِ الرِقاقِ القَواطِعِ
The eyelids of virgins through veils
Are sharper than thin, white, cutting blades
إِذا جُرِّدَت ذَلَّ الشُجاعُ وَأَصبَحَت
مَحاجِرُهُ قَرحى بِفَيضِ المَدامِعِ
When that brave one was stripped bare and his
Cheeks became wounds overflowing with tears
سَقى اللَهُ عَمّي مِن يَدِ المَوتِ جَرعَةً
وَشُلَّت يَداهُ بَعدَ قَطعِ الأَصابِعِ
God let my uncle drink from death’s hand a draught
And his hands were paralyzed after fingers cut off
كَما قادَ مِثلي بِالمُحالِ إِلى الرَدى
وَعَلَّقَ آمالي بِذَيلِ المَطامِعِ
Just as one like me was led by the impossible to ruin
And my hopes were hung on the tail of ambitions
لَقَد وَدَّعَتني عَبلَةٌ يَومَ بَينِها
وَداعَ يَقينٍ أَنَّني غَيرُ راجِعِ
Ablah bid me farewell one day between us
A farewell of certainty that I am not returning
وَناحَت وَقالَت كَيفَ تُصبِحُ بَعدَنا
إِذا غِبتَ عَنّا في القِفارِ الشَواسِعِ
And she cried and said how after us will you become
When you are absent from us in the bare wildernesses
وَحَقِّكَ لا حاوَلتُ في الدَهرِ سَلوَةً
وَلا غَيَّرَتني عَن هَواكَ مَطامِعي
By your right I have not in this life sought comfort
Nor have my ambitions changed me from loving you
فَكُن واثِقاً مِنّي بِحُسنِ مَوَدَّةٍ
وَعِش ناعِماً في غِبطَةٍ غَيرِ جازِعِ
So be assured of me with kindness of affection
And live blissful in joy without distress
فَقُلتُ لَها يا عَبلَ إِنّي مُسافِرٌ
وَلَو عَرَضَت دوني حُدودُ القَواطِعِ
I said Ablah I am a traveller
Even if before me are the limits of cutting blades
خُلِقنا لِهَذا الحُبَّ مِن قَبلِ يَومِنا
فَما يَدخُلُ التَفنيدُ فيهِ مَسامِعي
We were created for this love before our days
So refusal cannot enter my hearing
أَيا عَلَمَ السَعدِيِّ هَل أَنا راجِعٌ
وَأَنظُرُ في قُطرَيكَ زَهرَ الأَراجِعِ
O red flag of good tidings will I return
And see in your valleys the flowers of those returning
وَتُبصِرُ عَيني الرَبوَتَينِ وَحاجِراً
وَسُكّانَ ذاكَ الجِزعِ بَينَ المَراتِعِ
And my eyes see the hillocks and a cheek
And dwellers of that grief between the meadows
وَتَجمَعُنا أَرضُ الشَرَبَّةِ وَاللِوى
وَنَرتَعُ في أَكنافِ تِلكَ المَرابِعِ
And the land of Al-Sharbbah and Al-Liwa brings us together
And we graze in the bosoms of those encampments
فَيا نَسَماتِ البانِ بِاللَهِ خَبِّري
عُبَيلَةَ عَن رَحلي بِأَيِّ المَواضِعِ
So O breezes of ebony with God tell
Ubaylah about my journey in which places
وَيا بَرقُ بَلِّغها الغَداةَ تَحِيَّتي
وَحَيِّ دِياري في الحِمى وَمَضاجِعي
And O lightning convey to her my greetings in the morning
And the living of my dwellings in sanctuary and resting places
أَيا صادِحاتِ الأَيكِ إِن مُتُّ فَاِندُبي
عَلى تُربَتي بَينَ الطُيورِ السَواجِعِ
O you who loudly weep, weep for me
Over my soil among the saddened birds
وَنوحي عَلى مَن ماتَ ظُلماً وَلَم يَنَل
سِوى البُعدِ عَن أَحبابِهِ وَالفَجائِعِ
And mourn for one who died unjustly and attained
Nothing but distance from his loved ones and catastrophes
وَيا خَيلُ فَاِبكي فارِساً كانَ يَلتَقي
صُدورَ المَنايا في غُبارِ المَعامِعِ
And O horses cry for a knight who used to meet
The chests of death blows in the dust of ambitions
فَأَمسى بَعيداً في غَرامٍ وَذِلَّةٍ
وَقَيدٍ ثَقيلٍ مِن قُيودِ التَوابِعِ
And he ended up far in love and humiliation
And heavy chains of shackles and consequences
وَلَستُ بِباكٍ إِن أَتَتني مَنِيَّتي
وَلَكِنَّني أَهفو فَتَجري مَدامِعي
I do not weep if my death comes upon me
But my tears flow and I ardently yearn
وَلَيسَ بِفَخرٍ وَصفُ بَأسي وَشِدَّتي
وَقَد شاعَ ذِكري في جَميعِ المَجامِعِ
It is no boast to describe my might and firmness
When my reputation has spread through all gatherings
بِحَقِّ الهَوى لا تَعذِلوني وَأَقصِروا
عَنِ اللَومِ إِنَّ اللَومَ لَيسَ بِنافِعِ
By the right of passion, do not blame me and refrain
From fault, for blame brings no benefit
وَكَيفَ أُطيقُ الصَبرَ عَمَّن أُحِبُّهُ
وَقَد أُضرِمَت نارُ الهَوى في أَضالِعي
And how can I endure patience from one I love
When the fire of passion has been lit inside me
