وَلَمّا دَنا رَأسُ الَّتي كُنتُ خائِفاً

وَكُنتُ أَرى فيها لِقاءَ لِزامِ

When the head of she whom I feared drew near,

And I saw in it obligatory meeting,

حَلَفتُ عَلى نَفسي لِأَجتَهِدَنَّها

عَلى حالِها مِن صِحَّةٍ وَسَقامِ

I swore to myself that I would strive with it,

In its state of health and illness.

أَلا طالَ ما قَد بِتُّ يوضِعُ ناقَتي

أَبو الجِنِّ إِبليسٌ بِغَيرِ خِطامِ

Alas! How long has my camel knelt down unrestrained,

With Satan its master without bit or bridle,

يَظَلُّ يُمَنّيني عَلى الرَحلِ وارِكاً

يَكونُ وَرائي مَرَّةً وَأَمامي

Shading me as I mount the litter,

Sometimes behind and sometimes before me,

يُبَشِّرُني أَن لَن أَموتَ وَأَنَّهُ

سَيُخلِدُني في جَنَّةٍ وَسَلامِ

Giving me good news that I shall not die

And that he will make me live forever in paradise and peace!

فَقُلتُ لَهُ هَلّا أُخَيَّكَ أَخرَجَت

يَمينُكَ مِن خُضرِ البُحورِ طَوامِ

So I said to him, “Why did you not bring out

Your brother with your right hand from the green sea,

رَمَيتَ بِهِ في اليَمِّ لَمّا رَأَيتَهُ

كَفِرقَةِ طَودَي يَذبُلٍ وَشَمامِ

When you saw him, and hurl him into the sea

Like a withered branch of chamomile and wild oregano?

فَلَمّا تَلاقى فَوقَهُ المَوجَ طامِياً

نَكَصتَ وَلَم تَحتَل لَهُ بِمَرامِ

When the waves towered over him,

You turned back and did not remain with him steadfastly.

أَلَم تَأتِ أَهلَ الحِجرِ وَالحِجرُ أَهلُهُ

بِأَنعَمِ عَيشٍ في بُيوتِ رُخامِ

Did you not come to the people of the cave while the cave was their home,

With the finest life in mansions of marble,

فَقُلتَ اِعقِروا هَذي اللَقوحَ فَإِنَّها

لَكُم أَو تُنيخوها لَقوحُ غَرامِ

And say, ‘Lame this she-camel, for it

Either will be yours, or you will have a lovesick she-camel.’

فَلَمّا أَناخوها تَبَرَّأتَ مِنهُمُ

وَكُنتَ نَكوصاً عِندَ كُلِّ ذِمامِ

When they lamed her you denied them

And you were a deserter at every blame.”

وَآدَمَ قَد أَخرَجتَهُ وَهوَ ساكِنٌ

وَزَوجَتَهُ مِن خَيرِ دارِ مُقامِ

And Adam, whom you brought out while he was dwelling

And paired with his wife from the best abode,

وَأَقسَمتَ يا إِبليسُ أَنَّكَ ناصِحٌ

لَهُ وَلَها إِقسامَ غَيرِ إِثامِ

You swore, O Satan, that you were a sincere adviser

To both him and her with oaths without sin.

فَظَلّا يَخيطانِ الوِراقَ عَلَيهِما

بَأَيديهِما مِن أَكلِ شَرِّ طَعامِ

So they both continued stitching leaves over themselves

With their hands, from eating evil food.

فَكَم مِن قُرونٍ قَد أَطاعوكَ أَصبَحوا

أَحاديثَ كانوا في ظِلالِ غَمامِ

How many generations obeyed you and in the morning

Became tales? They were in the shadows of clouds.

وَما أَنتَ يا إِبليسُ بِالمَرءِ أَبتَغي

رِضاهُ وَلا يَقتادُني بِزِمامِ

You, O Satan, are not one I seek to please,

Nor will you lead me with a halter.