أَعَبدَةُ قَد غَلَبتِ عَلى فُؤادي

بِدَلِّكِ فَاِرجِعي بَعضَ الفُؤادِ

The worshippers have overcome my heart,

So return some of my heart with your replacement.

جَمَعتِ القَلبَ عِندَكِ أُمَّ عَمروٍ

وَكانَ مُطَرَّحاً في كُلِّ وادِ

You gathered the heart with you, mother of Amr,

While it was scattered in every valley.

إِذا نادى المُنادي بِاِسمِ أُخرى

عَلى اِسمِكِ راعَني ذاكَ المُنادي

When the caller calls out another name,

Your name startled me, that caller.

كَما أَفسَدتِني عَرَضاً فَهاتي

صَلاحي قَد قَدَرتِ عَلى فَسادي

Just as you corrupted me outwardly, give me

My rectitude, for you had power over my corruption.

مَلَكتِ فَأَحسِني وَتَخَلَّصيني

مِنَ البَلوى بِحُبِّكِ وَالبِعادِ

You possess me so treat me well, and deliver me

From afflictions with your love and distance.

فَإِنّي مِنكِ يا بَصَري وَسَمعي

وَمِن قَلبي حَمَيتُكِ في جِهادِ

For I am yours, my sight and hearing,

And I have protected you in my heart with struggle.

يَميلُ إِلَيكُمُ وَأَميلُ عَنكُم

فَآتي جُهدَهُ دونَ اِجتِهادي

I incline toward you and incline away from you

So I come short without my own striving.

وَلَو أَسطيعُ ما عَذَّبتُ نَفسي

بِذِكرِكِ غَيرَ مُنصَرِفٍ بِزادِ

If I could, I would not torture myself

With remembering you, not turning away with provision.

وَلَكِنَّ الأَماني قَرَّبَتني

فَدَلَّ بِها إِلى حَتفي قِيادي

But my wishes brought me close

So they led me to my demise with that guide.

أَلِفتُكِ يا عُبَيدَةُ إِنَّ شَوقاً

وَطَيفاً مِنكِ قَد أَلِفا وِسادي

I grew accustomed, O Ubeydah, to a longing

And an apparition of you that grew accustomed to my pillow.

أَلا تَجزينَني بِالشَوقِ شَوقاً

هَداكِ إِلى الجَزاءِ بِذاكَ هادِ

Will you not reward my longing with longing?

Your guidance led you to reward with that guide.

بَلَغتِ تَجَلُّدي بِصُدودِ يَومٍ

وَلَم تَغني بِذاكَ وَلَم تَكادي

You reached with endurance the adversity of a day

But that did not avail you and you did not build.

أَطَعتِ بِنا الوُشاةَ وَقَد عَصَينا

إِلَيكِ الناصِحينَ مَعَ الأَعادي

You obeyed the schemers against us and we disobeyed

The advisers along with the enemies.

كَأَنّي مِن تَذَكُّرِكُم سَليمٌ

أُضِلَّ دَواؤُهُ غَيرَ السُهادِ

It is as if I am cured by remembering you

While his medicine is misguided without drowsiness.

رَضينا مِن نَوالِكِ أَن تَرُدّي

عَلَيَّ وَلَم أَمُت غَمّاً رُقادي

We were content with your refusal to return

To me, and I did not die of sorrow in my slumber.

أَلا يا لَيتَ شِعري يَومَ تَبدو

بِها صَبرٌ وَصَبري غَيرُ بادِ

Oh, would that I knew the day you appear

With it, patience, though my patience is not lasting.

أَدَلَّت بِالصُدودِ أَمِ اِستَزادَت

فَتىً في الحُبِّ لَيسَ بِمُستَزادِ

Did it lead with refusal or did it ask

For more from a man in love who is not to be asked?

أَزائِرَ أَهلِ عَبدَةَ قُل لِشَخصٍ

عَدَتني عَن زِيارَتِها العَوادي

Say to the visitors of the people of Abdah

That it diverted me from visiting its plains.

أَحاوَلتِ الرَشادَ بِقَتلِ نَفسٍ

وَأَينَ القَتلُ مِن عَمَلِ الرَشادِ

You tried guidance by killing a soul

Yet where is killing from the work of guidance?

دَعي ما تَصنَعينَ فَدَتكِ نَفسي

عُبَيدَ وَطارِفي بَعدَ التِلادِ

Leave what you are doing, may my soul ransom you,

Ubaydah, and leave my remains after birth.

أَعيرينا وِدادَكُمُ فُواقاً

بِما نُلقي إِلَيكِ مِنَ الوِدادِ

Lend us your affection abundantly

With what we confer upon you of affection.

فَقَد أَفرَدتِني مِن كُلِّ أُنثى

تُؤَمِّلُني وَقَلَّ لَكِ اِنفِرادي

For you singled me out from every female

Who makes me hopeful, and your singling me out was little.

رَتَقتِ لَهُنَّ يا عَبّادَ عِندي

وَإِن كُنَّ المَلائِحَ بِالكَسادِ

You climbed over them, O Abbad, in my view,

Even if they are beautiful with thrift.

أَصُدُّ عَنِ النِساءِ وَهُنَّ صُورٌ

كَما صَدَّ الرَهيصُ عَنِ الضِمادِ

I refrain from women, though they are images,

As the fearful man refrained from the bandage.

كَأَنّي واطِئٌ بَيني وَبَينَ ال

غَواني غَيرَكُم شَوكَ القَتادِ

It is as if there is nothing between me and

The ravines, save you all, the thorns of the plateau.

عَفا مِن حُبِّهِنَّ سَوادُ قَلبي

وَحُبُّكِ يا عُبَيدَةُ في السَوادِ

My heart’s blackness is empty of love for them,

While love of you, O Ubeydah, is in the blackness.

بِلادي سَهلَةُ المَمشى إِلَيكُم

وَتَحزُنُ دونَ غَيرِكُمُ بِلادي

My country is easy to walk to you

And grieves for none but you, my country.