يا خَليلاً نَبا بِنا في المَشيبِ

لَم يُعرِّج عَلى مَشارِ الطَبيبِ

O my friend, tell us in our old age,

Has he turned to the remedies of the physician?

لَيسَ مَن قابَلَ الأُمورَ وَحيداً

بِحَليمٍ فيها وَلا بِمُصيبِ

He who faced matters alone was neither wise nor struck,

Indeed we do not ask for the hated,

إِنَّ البَغيضَ إِلَينا لا نُطالِبُهُ

يَتَجَلّى عَن باطِلٍ مَكذوبِ

He turns away from falsehood and lies,

So consult an advisor, though crafty,

فَاِستَشِر ناصِحاً أَريباً فَإِنَّ ال

حَظَّ في طاعَةِ النَصيحِ الأَريَبِ

For there is fortune in obeying the crafty advisor,

Disaster may strike the lad who obeyed his brother,

قَد يُصيبُ الفَتى أَطاعَ أَخاهُ

وَمُطيعُ النِساءِ غَيرُ مُصيبِ

And compliance with women is no stroke of luck,

And Ka'ab of the family of Sa'd ibn Bakr,

وَكِعابٍ مِن آلِ سَعدِ بنِ بَكرٍ

رَعَمَتني جُفونُها في المَغيبِ

Whose eyelids captivated me at sunset,

She says, "You were wary of people about us

وَتَقولُ اِتَّقَيتَ فينا أُناساً

لَم أَكُن أَتَّقيهُمُ في العُروبِ

I never feared them in chastity."

No - and whoever praises the pilgrims, he has what

لا وَمَن سَبَّحَ الحَجيجُ لَهُ ما

كانَ ظَنّي اِتِّقاءَ عَينِ الرَقيبِ

Was not my thought, fearing the watchman's eye,

Except the Imam restrained me from

غَيرَ أَنَّ الإِمامَ أَمسَكَني عَن

كِ فَقولي في ذَنبِهِ لا ذُنوبي

You, so say about his sin, not my sins,

My heart is like a wing towards those

إِنَّ قَلبي مِثلُ الجَناحِ إِلى مَن

باتَ يَدعو وَأَنتَ غَيرُ مُجيبِ

Who stay up worshipping while you do not answer,

If the lad could fly, I would fly

لَو يَطيرُ الفَتى لَطِرتُ مِنَ الشَو

قِ مُنيباً إِلى الحَبيبِ المُنيبِ

From yearning, returning to the yearning beloved,

If I meet one who takes my longing from me

لَو أُلاقي مَن يَحمِلُ الشَوقَ عَنّي

رُحتُ بَينَ الصَبا وَبَينَ الجَنوبِ

I would travel between youth and the south wind,

So she wept the weeping of the grieved, and said,

فَبَكَت بِكيَةَ الحَزينِ وَقالَت

كُلُّ عَيشٍ مُوَدَّعٌ عَن قَريبِ

"Every life is farewell before long,"

You were my soul that I sacrificed, so show kindness,

كُنتَ نَفسي الفِدا فَبِنتَ فَقيداً

اِرعَ وُدّي نَعِمتَ غَيرَ مُريبِ

Enjoy your bounty without causing harm,

If you asked the scholars about me, they would say

لَو سَأَلتَ العُلّامَ عَنّي لَقالوا

تُب إِلى اللَهِ مِن جَفاءِ الحَبيبِ

"Repent to God from the harshness of the beloved,"

My soul overcame me against you, though you are

غَلَبَتني نَفسي عَلَيكَ وَإِن كُن

تَ مَساكاً في ظِلِّ مُلكٍ قَشيبِ

A refugee in the shade of a tottering kingdom,

How can I hope for a day like my day at the stony tracts

كَيفَ أَرجو يَوماً كَيَومي عَلى الرَس

وَأَيّامِنا بِحَقفِ الكَثيبِ

And our days at the ridge of Al-Kathib,

When we lead the cattle and compete in running,

إِذ نَسوقُ المُنى وَنَغتَبِقُ الرا

حَ وَيَأتي الهَوى عَلى تَغييبِ

And passion comes at sunset,

Our destinies are like two hands joined

قَدَرانا مِثلَ اليَدَينِ تَلَقّى

هَذِهِ هَذِهِ بِوُدٍّ وَطيبِ

This to this in affection and purity,

Handling properly and touching truth

تَتَعاطى جيداً وَتَلمِسُ حُقّاً

حينَ نَخلو نَراهُما غَيرَ حوبِ

When we are alone we see them inseparable,

So that time has passed and left

فَاِنقَضى ذَلِكَ الزَمانُ وَأَبقى

زَمَناً راعَنا بِأَمرٍ عَجيبِ

A time that amazed us with wonders,

Peace be upon you, you lodged in the kingdom while I wasted away

فَعَلَيكَ السَلامُ خَيَّمتَ في المُل

كِ وَغودِرتُ كَالمُصابِ الغَريبِ

Like a stranger struck with affliction,