أَلَم تَسأَلِ الدارَ القَديمَةَ هَل لَها
بِأُمِّ حُسَينٍ بَعدَ عَهدِكَ مِن عَهدِ
Did you not ask the old house, after you left,
If it still belongs to Umm Hussein?
سَلي الركبَ هَل عُجنا لِمَغناكِ مَرَّةً
صُدورَ المَطايا وَهيَ موقَرَةٌ تَخدي
Ask the caravan if they have ever stopped
At your abode, where the camels kneel.
وَهَل فاضَتِ العَينُ الشَروقُ بِمائِها
مِن اجلِكِ حَتّى اِخضَلَّ مِن دَمعِها بَردي
Did the teary eyes overflow with their water
Until my cloak turned green from their tears?
وَإِنّي لَأَستَجري لَكِ الطَيرَ جاهِداً
لَتَجري بِيُمنٍ مِن لِقائِكِ أَو سَعدِ
I implore the birds to visit you in earnest,
That they may bring glad tidings of meeting you.
وَإِنّي لَأَستَبكي إِذا الركبُ غَرَّدوا
بِذِكراكِ أَن يَحيا بِكِ الركبُ إِذ يَحدي
I weep when the caravan sings your name,
Wishing that the caravan lives when it comes near.
فَهَل تَجزِيَنّي أُمُّ عَمروٍ بِودِّها
فَإِنَّ الَّذي أُخفي بِها فَوقَ ما أُبدي
Will Umm ‘Amr reward me for my affection?
For my love for her surpasses what is seen.
وَكُلُّ مُحِبٍّ لَم يَزِد فَوقَ جُهدِهِ
وَقَد زِدتُها في الحُبِّ مِنّي عَلى الجُهدِ
Every lover only does what he can,
Yet my love for her exceeds all effort.
إِذا ما دَنَت زِدتُ اِشتِياقاً وَإِن نَأَت
جَزِعتُ لِنَأيِ الدارِ مِنها وَلِلبُعدِ
When she draws near, my longing only grows,
When she is far, I despair for her distance.
أَبى القَلبُ إِلّا حُبَّ بَثنَةَ لَم يُرِد
سِواها وَحُبَّ القَلبِ بَثنَةَ لا يُجدي
My heart insisted on loving only Buthaina,
For the heart’s love of Buthaina does no good.
تَعَلَّقَ روحي روحَها قَبلَ خَلقِنا
وَمِن بَعدِ ما كُنّا نِطافاً وَفي المَهدِ
My soul clung to hers before we were created,
And after we were drops and then infants.
فَزادَ كَما زدنا فَأَصبَحَ نامِياً
وَلَيسَ إِذا متنا بِمُنتَقَضِ العَهدِ
It grew as we grew until it flourished,
Not ceasing when we die and turn to dust.
وَلَكِنَّهُ باقٍ عَلى كُلِّ حالَةٍ
وَزائِرُنا في ظُلمَةِ القَبرِ وَاللحدِ
Remaining through all states,
Visiting us in the darkness of our tombs.
وَما وَجَدَت وَجدي بِها أُمُّ واحِدٍ
وَلا وَجَدَ النَهدِيُّ وَجدي عَلى هِندِ
No one found my passion, not even Hind’s lover,
Nor Orwa when he was parted from his love.
وَلا وَجَدَ العُذرِيُّ عُروَةُ إِذ قَضى
كَوَجدي وَلا مَن كانَ قَبلي وَلا بَعدي
Those who have died have found peace,
While my heart finds no serenity or guidance.
عَلى أَنَّ مَن قَد ماتَ صادَفَ راحَةً
وَما لِفُؤادي مِن رَواحٍ وَلا رُشدِ
Her delicate skin is scratched by the ripples
When she bathes her smooth body in the water.
يَكادُ فَضيضُ الماءِ يَخدِشُ جلدها
إِذا اِغتَسَلَت بِالماءِ مِن رِقَّةِ الجِلدِ
I yearn for the breeze from her bosom,
As Idris yearned for the eternal Garden.
وَإِنّي لَمُشتاقٌ إِلى ريحِ جَيبِها
كَما اِشتاقَ إِدريسٌ إِلى جَنَّةِ الخُلدِ
A caring brother blamed me, though dear to me:
“Awaken from your infatuation with Buthaina!”
لَقَد لامَني فيها أَخٌ ذو قَرابَةٍ
حَبيبٌ إِلَيهِ في مَلامَتِهِ رُشدي
I said: “God has ordained what you see,
Can His decree be rejected?”
وَقالَ أَفِق حَتّى مَتى أَنتَ هائِمٌ
بِبَثنَةَ فيها قَد تُعيدُ وَقَد تُبدي
“Be it misguidance or wisdom to love her,
I have come to it beyond intention.”
فَقُلتُ لَهُ فيها قَضى اللَهُ ما تَرى
عَليَّ وَهَل فيما قَضى اللَهُ مِن رَدِّ
“A pact from God binds us,
There is no escape for one who breaks a vow to God.”
فَإِن كانَ رُشداً حُبُّها أَو غِوايَةً
فَقَد جِئتُهُ ما كانَ مِنّي عَلى عَمدِ
“By her goodness, I have not betrayed her,
Though I know not what she did after me.”
لَقَد لَجَّ ميثاقٌ مِنَ اللَهِ بَينَنا
وَلَيسَ لِمَن لَم يوفِ لِلَّهِ مِن عَهدِ
The slanderers only increased her glory to me,
Her affection remains with me still.
فَلا وَأَبيها الخَير ما خُنتُ عَهدَها
وَلا لِيَ عِلمٌ بِالَّذي فَعَلَت بَعدي
Are there others like me who suffer such love?
Or did I uniquely love among all people?
وَما زادَها الواشونَ إِلّا كَرامَةً
عَلَيَّ وَما زالَت مَوَدَّتُها عِندي
Have lovers all suffered as I have for her love?
Or has no one else felt the anguish I feel?
أَفي الناسِ أَمثالي أَحَبَّ فَحالُهُم
كَحالي أَم اَحبَبتُ مِن بَينِهِم وَحدي
When she is absent, my heart wanders to Najd,
When she is in Najd, my heart yearns for her.
وَهَل هَكَذا يَلقى المُحِبّونَ مِثلَ ما
لَقيتُ بِها أَم لَم يَجِد أَحَدٌ وَجدي
I came to Banu Sa’d in full health,
Yet my heart’s illness was love of Banu Sa’d.
يَغورُ إِذا غارَت فُؤادي وَإِن تَكُن
بِنَجدٍ يَهِم مِنّي الفُؤادُ إِلى نَجدِ
أَتَيتُ بَني سَعدٍ صَحيحاً مُسَلَّماً
وَكانَ سَقامَ القَلبِ حُبُّ بَني سَعدِ
