لَأَدنُوَ مِن أَرضٍ لِأَرضِكِ إِن دَنَت
بِها بيدُها مُوصولَةٌ وَإِكامُها
I'll approach a land for your land, if hers
Comes near with her palms joined and coverings complete
أَفاطِمَ ما مِن عاشِقٍ هُوَ مَيِّتٌ
مِنَ الناسِ إِن لَم يُردِ نَفسي حُسامُها
O Fatima, no lover who's alive
Among people, if my soul its swords don't defeat
وَلَجتِ بِعَينَيكِ الصَيودَينِ مَولِجاً
مِنَ النَفسِ إِن لَم يوقِ نَفسي حِمامُها
And it settled, with your two flowing eyes
In a soul-unsettling way, if my soul its doves don't deplete
لَقَد دَلَّهَتني عَن صَلاتي وَإِنَّهُ
لَيَدعو إِلى الخَيرِ الكَثيرِ إِمامُها
You've led me astray from my prayers, though he
Calls to much good - its leader, so discreet
أَيَحيا مَريضٌ بَعدَما مُيِّتَت لَهُ
سَوادُ الَّتي تَحتَ الفُؤادِ قِيامُها
Can one who's sick live, after she who's beneath
The heart has been killed by her - her standing's concrete?
أَيُقتَلُ مَخضوبُ البَنانِ مُبَرقَعٌ
بِمَيتٍ خُفاتاً لَم تُصِبهُ كِلامُها
Can one slain by an unbloodied mute
Whose cheeks are still rosy, by her words, complete?
فَهَل أَنتِ إِلّا نَخلَةٌ غَيرَ أَنَّني
أَراها لِغَيري ظِلُّها وَصِرامُها
You're but a date palm - though I see
For others its shade and fruits replete
وَما زادَني نَأيٌ سُلُوّاً وَلا قِرىً
مِنَ الشامِ قَد كادَت يَبورُ أَنامُها
No distance made me, or lands, more calm
From Syria - its people almost gone, complete
إِذا حُرِّقَت مِنهُم قُلوبٌ وَنُفِّذَت
مِنَ القَومِ أَكبادٌ أُصيبَ اِنتِظامُها
When from them hearts are burnt, livers done
Of the tribe - their order is then effete
كَما نُحِرَت يَومُ الأَضاحي بِبَلدَةٍ
مِنَ الهَديِ خَرَّت لِلجَنوبِ قِيامُها
As sacrifices were slaughtered in town
Fell south their standings - their place concrete
أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل تَغَيَّرَ بَعدَنا
أُدَيعاصُ أَنقاءِ الحِمى وَسَنامُها
I wonder, has Audayeas now changed
Of heated sands - their peaks and cairns effete?
كَأَن لَم تُرَفِّع بِالأُكَيمَةِ خَيمَةً
عَلَيها نَهاراً بِالقُنِيِّ ثُمامُها
As if no tent with pegs was raised
Over it by day with poles complete
أَقامَت بِها شَهرَينِ حَتّى إِذا جَرى
عَلَيهِنَّ مِن سافي الرِياحِ هَيامُها
Two months it stayed, till when the winds
Of saviors blew over it - their gusts replete
أَتاهُنَّ طَرّادونَ كُلَّ طُوالَةٍ
عَلَيها مِنَ النَيِّ المُذابُ لِحامُها
Hunters came, over it fully
Melted butter dripped - its flames concrete
عَلَيهِنَّ راحولاتُ كُلِّ قَطيفَةٍ
مِنَ الخَزِّ أَو مِن قَيصَرانِ عِلامُها
Over it litters of every striped cloak
Whose badges were Caesar's - effete
إِلَيكَ أَقَمنا الحامِلاتِ رِحالَنا
وَمُضمَرَ حاجاتٍ إِلَيكَ اِنصِرامُها
To you we've moved our she-camels' supplies
And needs concealed, to you - their course concrete
