لَوى اِبنُ أَبي الرَقراقِ عَينَيهِ بَعدَما

دَنا مِن أَعالي إيلِياءَ وَغَوَّرا

Ibn Abi al-Riqraq turned his eyes away after

He drew near the heights of Iliya and became downcast.

رَجا أَن يَرى ما أَهلُهُ يُبصِرونَهُ

سُهَيلاً فَقَد واراهُ أَجبالُ أَعفَرا

He hoped to see what his tribe could see—

Suhayl. But he found the hills of ‘Afar blocking the view.

فَكُنّا نَرى النَجمَ اليَمانِيَّ عِندَنا

سُهَيلاً فَحالَت دونَهُ أَرضُ حِميَرا

We used to see the star of the Yemen in our skies

As Suhayl, but now the land of Himyar concealed it.

وَكُنّا بِهِ مُستَأنِسينَ كَأَنَّهُ

أَخٌ أَو خَليطٌ عَن خَليطٍ تَغَيَّرا

We took comfort in it as though it were

A brother or a comrade changed from what he was before.

بَكى أَن تَغَنَّت فَوقَ ساقٍ حَمامَةٌ

شَآمِيَّةٌ هاجَت لَهُ فَتَذَكَّرا

He wept when above a column a dove sang—

A Syrian who stirred his memory.

وَأَضحى الغَواني لا يُرِدنَ وِصالَهُ

وَبَينا تَرى ظِلَّ الغِيايَةِ أَدبَرا

The songster does not wish her lovers' trysts now,

And while you can see the shadow of evening grow dim.

مَخابِئَ حُبٍّ مِن حُمَيدَةَ لَم يَزَل

بِهِ سَقَمٌ مِن حُبِّها إِذ تَأَزَّرا

In the dens of love in Humaydah he never ceased

To be ill from love of her when they moved camp.

فَلَو كانَ لي بِالشَأمِ مِثلُ الَّذي جَبَت

ثَقيفٌ بِأَمصارِ العِراقِ وَأَكثَرا

If I had in Syria what Thaqif won

In the towns of Iraq and still more,

فَقيلَ أَتِهِ لَم أَتِهِ الدَهرَ ما دَعا

حَمامٌ عَلى ساقٍ هَديلاً فَقَرقَرا

It would be said to me, “Why have I not visited them,

When a dove above a column sang out so plainly?”

تَرَكتُ بَني حَربٍ وَكانوا أئٍمَّةً

وَمَروانَ لا آتيهِ وَالمُتَخَيَّرا

I left Banu Harb though they were leaders

And Marwan—I will not visit him, though able.

أَباكَ وَقَد كانَ الوَليدُ أَرادَني

لِيَفعَلَ خَيراً أَو لِيُؤمِنَ أَوجَرا

I left your father when al-Walid would have me

Do good or grant safety or pay more money.

فَما كُنتُ عَن نَفسي لِأَرحَلَ طائِعاً

إِلى الشَأمِ حَتّى كُنتَ أَنتَ المُؤَمَّرا

I was not willing to travel voluntarily

To Syria until you were the one arranging it.

فَلَمّا أَتاني أَنَّها ثَبَتَت لَهُ

بِأَوتادِ قَرمٍ مِن أُمَيَّةَ أَزهَرا

When it came to me that it was firmly held

For him with tent pegs from Umayya,

نَهَضتُ بِأَكنافِ الجَناحَينِ نَهضَةً

إِلى خَيرِ أَهلِ الأَرضِ فِرعاً وَعُنصُرا

I set forth with my wings’ pinions, rising up

To the best of mankind, a branch and pillar.