أَلا مَن لِمُعتادٍ مِنَ الحُزنِ عائِدي

وَهَمٍّ أَتى دونَ الشَراسيفِ عامِدي

Alas! Is there anyone accustomed to sadness returning to me,

And worries coming below the tents aiming at me,

وَكَم مِن أَخٍ لي ساهِرِ اللَيلِ لَم يَنَم

وَمَستَثقِلٍ عَنّي مِنَ النَومِ راقِدِ

How many brothers of mine are awake at night not sleeping,

And too burdened by sleep to rest beside me,

وَما الشَمسُ ضَوءَ المُشرِقينِ إِذا بَدَت

وَلَكِنَّ ضَوءُ المُشرِقينِ بِخالِدِ

The sun's not the light of the two horizons when it rises,

Rather the light of the two horizons is with Khalid,

سَتَسمَعُ ما تُثني عَلَيكَ إِذا اِلتَقَت

عَلى حَضرَمَوتٍ جامِحاتُ القَصائِدِ

You will hear the praises sung of you when

The passionate poems meet at Hadramout,

أَلَم تَرَ كَفَّي خالِدٍ قَد أَدَرَّتا

عَلى الناسِ رِزقاً مِن كَثيرِ الرَوافِدِ

Have you not seen the hands of Khalid

Distributing rizq to the people from plentiful springs,

وَكانَ لَهُ النَهرُ المُبارَكُ فَاِرتَمى

بِمِثلِ الزَوابي مُزبِداتٍ حَواشِدِ

The blessed river rushed to him

With foam like the meadows' edges,

فَما مِثلُ كَفَّي خالِدٍ حينَ يَشتَري

بِكُلِّ طَريفٍ كُلَّ حَمدٍ وَتالِدِ

None can compare to Khalid’s hands when he buys

With every subtlety, all praise and lineage,

فَزِد خالِداً مِثلَ الَّذي في يَمينِهِ

تَجِدهُ عَنِ الإِسلامِ مِن خَيرِ ذائِدِ

So add to Khalid the like of what is in his right hand

You’ll find him driving goodness for Islam with great zeal,

كَأَنّي وَلا ظُلماً أَخافُ لِخالِدٍ

مِنَ الشامِ داراً أَو سِمامَ الأَساوِدِ

It's as if - and not unjustly - I fear no harm for Khalid

From Damascus, or the fangs of the lions,

وَإِنّي لَأَرجو خالِداً أَن يَفُكَّني

وَيُطلِقَ عَنّي مُثقِلاتِ الحَدائِدِ

And I hope that Khalid will release me

And free me from the burdens of fetters,

هُوَ القائِدُ المَيمونُ وَالكاهِلُ الَّذي

يَثوبُ إِلَيهِ الناسُ مِن كُلِّ وافِدِ

He is the auspicious leader, the shoulder

To whom people return from every arrival,

بِهِ تُكشَفُ الظَلماءُ مِن نورِ وَجهِهِ

بِضَوءِ شِهابٍ ضَوؤُهُ غَيرُ خامِدِ

Through him, the darknesses are unveiled by the light of his face,

With the glow of a meteor whose illumination is endless,

أَلا تَذكِرونَ الرِحمَ أَو تُقرِضونَني

لَكُم خُلُقاً مِن واسِعِ الحِلمِ ماجِدِ

Alas! Do you not remember kinship or lend me a hand?

You have a nature of vast forbearance and glory,

فَإِن يَكُ قَيدي رَدَّ هَمّي فَرُبَّما

تَرامى بِهِ رامي الهُمومِ الأَباعِدِ

If my shackle is removed, my worries dispersed,

Then perhaps it will be cast by one who casts burdens far,