أَهاجَ الشَوقَ مَعرِفَةُ الدِيارِ
بِرَهبى الصَلبِ أَو بِلِوى مَطارِ
Longing stirred by knowing the abodes
Whether by rugged ascent or soft descent of valley
وَقَد كانَ المَنازِلُ مُؤنِساتٍ
فَهُنَّ اليَومَ كَالبَلَدِ القِفارِ
The halting-places were once delightful
Now like a barren desert they be
وَقَد لامَ العَواذِلُ في سُلَيمى
وَقَلَّ إِلى عَواذِلي اِعتِذاري
The fair upbraided me in Sulayma
And few were my excuses to the fair
وَقَد حاذَرتُ أَهلَكِ أَن يَبينوا
فَما بالَيتِ بِالأُدَمى حِذاري
I feared for your kin to stay over long
Yet I had no fear for myself therewith
قَسيمٌ مِن فُؤادِكِ حَيثُ حَلَّت
بِيَبرينَ الأَحِبَّةُ أَو وَبارِ
In your heart's apportioning, wherever it settled
The tender loved-ones drove me out or lack of wealth
وَما زالَ الفُؤادُ إِلَيكِ صَبّاً
عَلى ضِغنٍ لِقَومِكِ وَاِزوِرارِ
Still my heart sloped towards you pouring
Despite your kinsmen's calumny and plots
بَعيداً ما نَظَرتَ بِذي طُلوحٍ
لِتُبصِرَ بِالجُنَينَةِ ضَوءَ نارِ
Far were you from seeing the torch lit
That you might glimpse by al-Junaynah a fire's glow
وَما عابَ الجِلاءَ ظُهورُ عِرقٍ
إِذا اِجتُلِيَت وَلا قَلَقُ السِوارِ
Blameless seemed the backs' sheen when pearls slipped
Nor wrist's trinket suffer annoy
وَما شَرِبَت بِذي سَبَخٍ أُجاجاً
وَلا وَطِأَت عَلى رَمَضِ الجِفارِ
You sipped not at foul staling pools
Nor treaded scorched bed of waist-high thorns
وَتَعجَبُ مِن شُحوبي أُمُّ نوحٍ
وَما قاسَت رَواحي وَاِبتِكاري
And mother of Noah wonders at my pallor
Not sensing my spirit's course and stratagems
وَشَبَّهتُ القِلاصَ وَحادِيَيها
قِداحاً صَكَّها يَسَرا قِمارِ
I likened her leather bucket and guide-ropes
To cups some gambler's lucky throw obtains
وَكَم كُلِّفنَ دونَكَ مِن سُهوبٍ
وَمِن لَيلٍ يُواصَلُ بِالنَهارِ
And how many barrens were crossed, seeking you
How many a night pursued by day
وَمَجهولٍ عَسَفنَ بِنا إِلَيكُم
قَصيرِ الظِلِّ مُشتَبِهِ الصَحاري
And strange lands whose suns oppressively hastened us
Their air tremulous, their flat lands confused
يَخُبُّ الآلُ إِذ نَشَرَت صُواهُ
عَلى حِزّانِهِ خَبَبَ المَهاري
Warriors were shamed when their horseman gave rein
To his steed on raid, and the raider thrives
إِذا خَلَجوا الأَزِمَّةَ في بُراها
وَأَلصَقنَ المَوارِكَ بِالذَفاري
When they spurred crisis, arousing war
Strapping the hundred-weight spears to the pack-saddles
وَلِلعَبّاسِ مَكرُمَةٌ وَبَيتٌ
عَلى العَلياءِ مُرتَفِعُ السَواري
And the Abbas hath privilege and estate
Raised high, sublime, its battlements
وَإِنَّ العيسَ قَد رَفَعَت إِلَيكُم
بَعيدَ الأَهلِ مُعتَمِدَ المَزارِ
And now to you hath the caravan inclined
Far from kith yet still cleaving to wonted shrine
وَإِنَّكَ خَيرُ مَوضِعِ رَحلِ ضَيفٍ
وَأَوفى العَلَمينَ بِعَقدِ جارِ
The best refuge you for guest way-worn;
Truest in honouring bond and pact
فَيا اِبنَ المُطعِمينَ إِذا شَتَونا
وَيا اِبنَ الذائِدينَ عَنِ الذِمارِ
O son of feasters, shield us if we wander!
O foe of gamesters, guard us from vice!
وَتُمطِرُ مِن نَداكَ يَداكَ فَضلاً
إِلى كَرَمِ الشَمائِلِ وَالنِجارِ
And from your bounty copiously pour
The palm-trees' fruit, and cut of choicest vine
تُفاخِرُ غَيرَكُم بِكُمُ قُرَيشٌ
إِذا ما عَدَّ مَكرُمَةُ الفَخارِ
Quraysh vaunts itself, except for you
When bounty's measure lists the nobly-born
وَتوقِدُ نارَ مَكرُمَةٍ وَأُخرى
إِذا ما المَحلُ أَخمَدَ كُلَّ نارِ
Kindling fire on fire of generosity
If the abode let every hearth burn low
وَيَومَ العَقرِ أَلحَمتَ السَرايا
لِمَيمونِ النَقيبَةِ وَهوَ شاري
On Day of Plunder, you held ranks together—
To aid Maimuna and the Vanguard's need—
ثَأَرتَ المِسمَعَينِ وَقُلتَ بوؤوا
بِقَتلِ أَخي فَزارَةَ وَالخِيارِ
Avenging those who flouted truce, you cried:
“Die for killing my brother, Fazarah's finest!”
كَأَنَّ الخَيلَ بَعدَ قِيادِ حَولٍ
قِياسُ النَبعِ شَحَّجَهُنَّ باري
As though steeds curbed by Hal's masterly hand
Drew the spring-water that erst slaked their thirst
إِذا اِزدادَ العَمونَ عَمىً عَرَفتُم
هُدى الإِسلامِ واضِحَةَ المَنارِ
If the Path's blindness blinds, ye will know
Islam's guidance, luminous beacon undefiled!
