هل بانَ نُعمانٍ وهذا الأَجرَعُ

وهل خَميرُ حاجِرٍ ولَعْلَعُ

Has Nu'man and this ugly man appeared,

And is the foam of Hajir's ferment?

تعرِفُ ما لي من بَلِيَّاتِ النَّوى

يومَ تَداعَتْ عيسُهُمْ ووَدَّعوا

Do you know what sorrows have befallen me

The day their caravan departed and bid farewell?

أَسْتودِعُ اللهَ فُؤادي عندَهُمْ

وهو الفُؤادُ الذَّائِبُ المُقَطَّعُ

I entrust my heart near them to God.

It is a melting, broken heart.

أحِبَّةً جَلَوْا بُدورَ أَوجهٍ

وبالشُّموسِ شَرَفاً تَقَنَّعوا

Beloved ones who have pitched tents

And were content with the sun's nobility.

بكلِّ يومٍ لي فُؤادٌ ذائِبٌ

ومُقلَةٌ بماءِ رُوحي تدمَعُ

Each day my melting heart,

And eyelashes shedding the water of my soul.

ولي على كلِّ محلٍّ خيَّموا

به مماتٌ مُقَلِقٌ ومصْرَعُ

And for me in every place they camped

Is disturbing death and fate.

أُسْلوبُ نَظمي بجَميلِ ذِكْرِهِمْ

يَبِزُّ منه دُرُّهُ المُرَصَّعُ

My style of poetry, with the beautiful mention of them,

Its strung pearls gleam from it.

يقنَعُ قومٌ بشُهودِ حُسنِهِمْ

وإنَّني بوصْلِهِمْ لا أَقنَعُ

Some people are content with their beautiful witnesses,

But I am not content with their company.

لهُمْ على كلِّ مقامٍ رَفْرَفٌ

يُجلى وفي كلِّ مَنارٍ مطْلَعُ

For them, at every halt there is a fluttering,

Clarifying, and in every minaret there is a rising.

كُلِّي لذِكْرِ أَرضِهِمْ مَسامِعٌ

ولِحِماهُمْ أَعيُنٌ تَطَلَّعُ

My hearing is all for the mention of their land,

And for their protection eyes that look out.

وكلَّما آوِنَةٌ مرَّتْ لَهُمْ

حِجابُ دَهْشٍ لعُيوني يُرْفَعُ

And whenever a moment passed for them,

A veil of awe is lifted from my eyes.

إنِّي قد اسْتَسْلَمْتُ للحُبِّ بِهِمْ

مهما أَرادوا سادَتي فلْيَصْنَعوا

I have surrendered to love for them,

However they wish, my masters can act.

وحُرمَةِ اللَّيْلِ الَّذي قطعْتُهُ

لهْفاً وأنِّي ضمنَهُ لا أهْجَعُ

And the sanctity of the night I crossed,

Yearning, while among it I do not rest.

قد صُمْتُ عن كلِّ الوُجودِ دونَهُمْ

ومن سِماطِ شوقِهِمْ لا أَشبَعُ

I have fasted from all existence besides them,

And from their passionate longing I am not sated.

لو صادَفَ الجِبالَ بعضُ زَفْرَتي

لانْفَلَقَتْ وأَصبَحَتْ تَصَدَّعُ

If some of my sighs met the mountains,

They would split and begin cracking.

قطعْتُ من بحرِ دُموعي لَهُمْ

خَليجَ دمعٍ ما لديهِ مشْرَعُ

I have cut from the sea of my tears for them

A gulf of tears that has no anchorage.

وأنَّتي ولهفَتي وحسرَتي

جميعُها واحَيْرَتي لا ينفَعُ

As for me and my burning and my sorrow,

All of it and my confusion are useless.

ياما أُحَيْلى يومَ جاءَ ركْبُهُمْ

كأنَّما كلُّ رَديفٍ يوشَعُ

How I twist and turn the day their caravan came!

It is as if every rider is resurrected.

فأصبَحَتْ وُجوهُهُمْ لامِعَةً

منها شُموسُهُمْ علينا تسطَعُ

So their faces became luminous,

From them their suns shine upon us.

وخَيْلُهُمْ قد حملَتْ سَنابِكاً

مرَّتْ وفي فَيْفاءِ قلبي تقرَعُ

And their horses carried howdahs,

Passing, and in my heart's battlefield clashing.

خضَعتُ ذُلاًّ وانْكِساراً لَهُمُ

يا عَجَباً لمن سِواهُمْ أَخْضَعُ

I have submitted lowly and broken to them;

Strange is he besides them I would submit to!

ورُحْتُ في طيِّ الغُبارِ ماحِقاً

كُلِّي ولكنِّي أَرى وأَسمَعُ

And I went, in their train of dust, obliterated,

Yet still I see and hear!

يا بارَكَ اللهُ بكم عَبيدُكُمْ

بِكُمْ إليكُمْ خاشِعاً يُشَفَّعُ

O Allah bless you, your servants

Through you, to you, humbly intercede.

فعامِلوهُ كَرَماً بشِيَمٍ

فنعمَ أهْلُها ونعمَ الموضِعُ

So treat him with bounty and fine character.

How excellent its people and dwelling!

فإنَّني بِكُمْ عَزيزُ رُتْبَةٍ

ضمَّ الثُّرَيَّا ثوْبِيَ المُرَقَّعُ

For through you I am of precious rank;

The folds have covered my patched robe.