باللهِ يا أيُّها السَّاري العَشِيَّةِ لمْ

يبرَحْ مُجِدًّا تَكيلُ القَفْرَ أَذرُعُهُ

By God, O night traveler who did not stop glorifying,

As the wilderness stretched its yards.

طارَتْ جنائبُهُ والعَجُّ منعَقِدٌ

عليه واللَّيلُ مَقْفولٌ مدرَّعُهُ

His sides have flown and he is knotted with old age,

With night locked in its decorated dress.

يَمَّمْتَ طيبَةَ مُشتاقاً أخا وَلَهٍ

وإنَّما الصَّبُّ صوبُ الحِبِّ يولِعُهُ

You yearned for Tayba, my brother, overwhelmed with longing,

For passion is the direction of love that ignites it.

رِفقاً بشأنِ رفيقٍ كلُّهُ لهَفٌ

والعزمُ يوصِلُهُ والحظُّ يقْطَعُهُ

Be gentle with a dear friend who is all yearning,

Resolve takes him there, but fortune cuts him off.

تكادُ تحرِقُهُ الأَشواقُ ما ذُكِرَتْ

أَرجاءُ طيبَةَ إِلاَّ انْهَلَّ مدْمَعُهُ

Yearning almost burns him when the environs

Of Tayba are mentioned unless his tears gush forth.

يَئِنُّ أنَّةَ ملْسوعٍ ولا عَجَبٌ

أَراقِمُ الهجْرِ والَهْفاهُ تلْسَعُهُ

He moans with the sorrow of separation. No wonder

At the adversities of estrangement when they wound him.

يَحُطُّهُ الآهُ مبهوتاً ويرفَعُهُ

والصِدقُ والعَجزُ يُعطيهِ ويمنَعُهُ

Sighs humble him, lost in thought, and hopes raise him up,

Truth and weakness give and forbid him.

ناشَدْتُكَ اللهَ إِلاَّ ما رَفَقْتَ به

وسِرتَ مهلاً عَسى يَهْدا تَفَجُّعُهُ

I implore you by God, be gentle with him,

Go slowly perhaps his overflowing passion may be guided.

وعلَّ دهراً بسهْمِ الهجرِ فرَّقَهُ

بنفْحَةِ اللُّطْفِ والتَّقريبِ يجمعُهُ

Time has separated him with the arrows of estrangement,

So bring him together with the breath of kindness and nearness.

وخذْ حَنينَ مُحِبٍّ هزَّ رَكْبَكَ من

أَطرافِهِ الحَنُّ والأَطرافُ تسمَعُهُ

Take the longing of a lover who urged your riding beasts from its edges,

Grief and the edges call to you.

ورُحْ أَميناً بعينِ اللهِ فوقَكَ من

مُرَفْرَفِ العَوْنِ أَسْناهُ وأَنفَعُهُ

Travel safely by the eye of God above you

With the fluttering help whose least and best support you.