أَضَاءَ لَهَا فجرُ النُّهى فَنَهاها

عن الدَّنِفِ المُضْنى بِحَرِّ هواها

The dawn of abstinence shone for her, so it deterred her

From the woeful intimacy in the heat of her passion

وضَلَّلها صبحٌ جلا ليلة الدُّجى

وَقَدْ كَانَ يَهدِيها إِليَّ دُجاها

And a brilliant morning misguided her from the night of gloom

While darkness used to guide her to me, cloaked

ويشفع لِي منها إِلَى الوصل مَفْرِقٌ

يُهِلُّ إِلَيْهِ حَلْيُهَا وحُلاها

And a separation interceded for me to her for union

Shedding its ornaments and finery to it

فيا للشبابِ الغَضِّ أَنْهَجَ بُرْدُهُ

ويا لرياضِ اللهو جَفَّ سَفَاها

So for the tender youth whose coolness has misled

And for the gardens of revelry which withered its wantonness

وما هِيَ إِلّا الشَّمْسُ حَلَّتْ بمفرقي

فأَعشى عيونَ الغانياتِ سَناها

It is but the sun which has set for our place of meeting

So it blinded the eyes of the singing girls in its absence

وعين الصِّبا عار المشيبُ سَوادَها

فَعَنْ أَيِّ عينٍ بعد تِلْكَ أراها

The eye of youth, the whiteness of old age has disgraced it

So after that eye, through what eye can I see her?

سلامٌ عَلَى شرخ الشباب مُرَدَّدٌ

وآهاً لوصل الغانيات وآها

Greetings upon the crack of youth are repeated

And alas for the union of the singing girls, alas

ويا لديار اللهو أَقوت رُسُومُهَا

وَمَحَّتْ مغانيها وَصَمَّ صَدَاها

And oh, for the abodes of revelry, its practices have weakened

Its songs forgot and their echo muted

وَخَبَّر عَنها سَحْقُ أَثْلَمَ خَاشِعٍ

كَهالةِ بدرٍ بَشَّرتْ بحياها

And the staring of a grim, sorrowful night informed me

Like the full moon when it leaves, its life was announced

فيا حبذا تِلْكَ الرسومُ وحبذا

نوافِحُ تُهْدِيها إِلَيَّ صَبَاهَا

So those practices were so good and the blowing

Of the morning breeze guiding it to me was so good

تهادي المها الوحشيِّ فِي عَرَصَاتِها

يذكِّرُنيه آنسات مهاها

The roaming of wild beasts in its yards

Remind me of its friendly gatherings

ومبتسم الأَحباب فِي جنباتها

أَقاحٍ كَساهُنَّ الربيع رُباها

And the smiling of loved ones in its sides

Like the blossoming of flowers which spring has clothed in its infancy

دعوتُ لَهَا سُقيَا الحيا ودعا الهوى

وَبَرْحُ الهوى دمعِي لَهَا فسقاها

I called upon the cupbearer of life for her and passion called

And a tear of passion for her poured to quench her

وقد أَستقيد الحُورَ فِيهَا بِلِمَّةٍ

تَبَارَى نفوسُ العِينِ نحو فِدَاهَا

I asked for the maidens there fervently

To the extent that the souls of the eyes raced towards their sacrifice

وأُصبِحُها الشَّرْبَ الكرامَ سُلافَةً

أَهانت لَهَا أَموالَها وَنُهَاها

And I bid the generous wine every morning to insult

Its wealth and prohibit it for her

كُمَيْتاً كَأَنَّ النجمَ حينَ تَشُجُّها

تقحَّمَ كَأْسٌ كَأْسَهَا فَعَلاهَا

Lifeless, as if when a star shines, a goblet

Has penetrated its goblet, so it exalted it

بأَيدي سُقَاةٍ مثل قُضبانِ فِضَّةٍ

جَلَت أحمر الياقوت فَهْوَ جَنَاهَا

In the hands of cupbearers like rods of silver

Which have polished the red of rubies, so it extracted its essence

وتُزْهى بِسحرٍ من أَحاديثَ بيننا

كَأَنَّ أَسيرَيْ بابلٍ نَفَثَاهَا

And adorned with a sorcery of conversations between us

As if the two captives of Babylon cast it

وقد عَجَمَتْ مني الخطوبُ ابنَ حُرَّةٍ

أَبِيّاً محزَّاتِي لِوَقعِ مُدَاها

Eloquent words have refrained me, like the son of Hurrah

Preventing my fervent words due to its impact

جديراً إِذَا أَكْدى الزمان برحلةٍ

يُحَقِّرُ بُعْدَ الأَرضِ عَرْضُ فلاها

Worthy, when fate insists on departure

To belittle the expanse of earth, its width disappointed

رَحلْتُ لَهَا أَدماءَ وَجَناءَ حُرَّةً

وشيكاً بأَوْبَاتِ السرور سُرَاها

I traveled its barren plains and rugged terrain for her

Soon in the wrappings of joy, exultant

أَقامت بمرعى خصبِ أَرضٍ مَرِيعَةٍ

أَطاع لَهَا تُنُّومُها وَأَلاها

She stayed at a fertile pasture, compliant land

Which obeyed her resting and submission

بما أَفرغ الفَرْغانِ ثُمَّتَ أَتبعت

بنوء الثريّا فالتقى ثَرَيَاها

After the Euphrates emptied, then the following

Of clouds with abundant rain, they collided

أَشُجُّ بِهَا والليلُ مُرْخٍ سُدُولَه

سَبَارِيتَ أَرضٍ لا يُرَاعُ قطاها

I inspire her while the night is serene, its veils

Lowered, the ground cannot contain its vastness

أُسَائِلُ عن مجهولِها أَنْجُمَ الهُدى

بِعَيْنٍ كَأَنَّ الفرقَدَيْنِ قذاها

I ask about its unknown with a guiding star

As if the two eyelids have determined its midst

وَأُحْيِي نُفُوسَ الرَّكْبِ من مِيتَةِ الكَرى

وَقَدْ عَطَفَ الليلُ التَّمامُ طُلاها

And I revive the souls of the caravan from the death of fatigue

As the night completes its shadowy darkness

بِذِكْرِ أَيادِي العامِرِيِّ الَّتِي طَمَتْ

عَلَى نَأْيِ آفاقِ البِلادِ مُنَاها

Mentioning the works of the constructor which have spanned

Over the horizons of the lands, extended its reach

وَمُوحشةِ الأقطارِ طامٍ جِمَامُهَا

مَرِيشٌ بأَسرابِ القَطا رَجَوَاهَا

And the desolate regions, its deposing tyrant

Like birds of prey roaming its expanse seeking refuge

أَهلَّ إليها بعد خَمسٍ دَلِيلُنَا

فعُجْنَا صدورَ العِيسِ نَحْوَ جَبَاها

Our guide guided us to it after five long nights

So we eagerly marched to its dunes

نُغِيثُ بقايا من نفوسٍ كَأَنَّهَا

بقايا نجوم القَذْفِ غارَ سَنَاها

To relieve remnants of souls as if they are

Remnants of shooting stars which have depleted their brilliance

وقمنا إِلَى أَنْقاضِ سَفْرٍ كَأَنَّهَا

وَقَدْ رحلت شطراً شطورُ بُرَاها

And we stood upon the rubble of a journey as if

It had already travelled halfway through its expanse

وقلتُ لنِضوٍ فِي الزِّمَام رَذِيَّةٍ

تَشكَّى إِلَى الأَرْضِ الفضاءِ وَجَاها

And I said to a pendant on the bridle, complaining

To the earth, extending its plateau disappointed

عسى راحةُ المَنْصُورِ تُعْقِبُ رَاحةً

وَحَتْمٌ لآمال العُفَاةِ عَساها

Maybe the relief of Mansour will bring relief

And fate necessarily fulfills the hopes of the destitute

فِللهِ منه قائدُ الحَمْدِ قادَهَا

وَمِنّيَ مَحدُوُّ الخطوبِ حَدَاها

So praise is due for the leader of praise who led it

And from me threatened by calamities, restrained it

ولله عزمي يوم وَدَّعْتُ نحوه

نُفُوساً شجاني بَيْنُهَا وَشَجاها

By God is my determination the day I bid farewell

To souls, their parting and separation devastated me

وَرَبَّةُ خدرٍ كَالجُمَان دُمُوعُها

عَزِيزٌ عَلَى قلبي شُطُوطُ نَوَاها

The lady of languor like a tender sprig, her tears

Dear to my heart, droplets of her lamentation

وَبِنْتُ ثمانٍ مَا يزال يَرُوعُنِي

عَلَى النّأْيِ تَذْكَارِي خُفُوقَ حَشَاها

And the daughter of eight, her memory still disquiets me

In separation, reminding me of her concealed love

وَمَوْقِفَها وَالبَيْنُ قَدْ جَدَّ جدُّهُ

مَنُوطاً بحبلَيْ عَاتِقَيَّ يَدَاها

And of her stance when separation intensely pulled

Its rope around both shoulders of my hands

تَشَكَّى جَفَاءَ الأَقْرَبِين إِذَا النَّوى

تَرَامَتْ برحلي فِي البلادِ فَتَاهَا

She complained of the callousness of relatives when

The furnishings of my departure scattered in the lands

وَأَقسم جُودُ العَامِرِيِّ لَيَرْجعَنْ

حَفِيّاً بِهَا مَنْ كَانَ قَبلُ جَفَاها

And I swear the generosity of Mansour will return

Sheltering her, who before was callous

وَرَامَتْ ثواءً من أَبٍ وَثواؤه

عَلَى الضَّيْمِ بَرْحٌ من شماتِ عِدَاها

And she sought refuge from the injustice of a father whose refuge

Over wrongdoing was a distance from the gloating of enemies

وَأَنّى لَهَا مَثْوَى أَبيها وَقَدْ دَعَتْ

بوارقُ كَفِّ العامِريِّ أَبَاها

Where can her father's abode be when she has appealed

To the palms of Mansour as her father

بُنَيَّ إليكِ اليوم عَنِي فإِنها

عزائمُ كَفُّ العامريّ مداها

My daughter, today I have built you a palace

With the resolves of Mansour’s palm as its columns

فَحَطَّتْ بمغنى الجودِ والمجدِ رَحْلَها

وَأَلقت بِرَبْعِ المَكرُمَاتِ عَصَاها

So it landed at the glory of generosity and glory

Casting the sticks of its honored courtyard

لدى مَلِكٍ إِحدى لواحِظِ طَرْفِهِ

بعين الرِّضَا حَسْبُ المُنى وَكَفَاها

Near a king whose gaze is the wish of the eyes

The fulfillment of desires and sufficient for her

هو الحاجِبُ المنصورُ والمَلِكُ الَّذِي

سَعى فتعالى جَدُّه فَتَناهى

He is Mansour the chamberlain and king who

Strove so his ancestry became sublime

سليلُ الملوكِ الصِّيدِ من سَرْوِ حِميَرٍ

توسَّط فِي الأَحساب سَمْك ذُرَاها

Descendant of the kingly line of Dhu Yazan

Intermediary in lineage, its star shining

لبابُ معاليها وإنسانُ عَيْنِها

وَبَدْرُ دَيَاجِيهَا وَشمسُ ضُحَاها

The gateway to its glories and humanity of its eyes

Full moon of its shining days and sun of its brilliance

مُعَظَّمُها مَنْصُورُها وَجَوادُها

وفارسُها يومَ الوغى وفتاها

Its revered, its victorious, its generous

And its knight in days of strife, its gallant

وَوَارِثُ مُلْكٍ أَثَّلَتْهُ مُلُوكُها

وَجَامِعُ شَمْلَيْ مَجْدِها وَعُلاها

Inheritor of a kingdom fortified by its kings

And uniter of the glories of its might and sublimity

نَمَاهُ لِقَوْدِ الخيل تُبَّعُ فخرِها

وأَوْرَثَهُ سَبْيَ المُلُوكِ سَبَاها

He nurtured it to lead horses, pride followed it

And bequeathed it the captives of kings, captured

ذَوُو المُلْكِ وَالتِّيجَانِ والغُرَرِ الَّتِي

جَدِيرٌ بِهَا التيجانُ أَن تَتَبَاهى

Possessors of kingship, crowns and treasures which

Crowns are worthy of, so they seek to boast

شُمُوسُ اعتلاءٍ تُوِّجَتْ بِأَهِلَّةٍ

وَسُرْبِلَتِ الآجالُ فَهْو كَسَاها

Suns of loftiness crowned with the new moon

And the horizons draped it, so it clothed them