بِتُّ أُرائي صاحِبَيَّ تَجَلُّداً

وَقَد عَلِقَني مِن هَواكِ عَلوقُ

I give my friend advice though he is stubborn,

And your love has captivated me entirely.

فَكَيفَ بِها لا الدارُ جامِعَةُ الهَوى

وَلا أَنتَ عَصراً عَن صِباكِ مُفيقُ

So how can it gather a heart torn between

Iraq and the Sudan, though you are ever awake?

أَتَجمَعُ قَلباً بِالعِراقِ فَريقُهُ

وَمِنهُ بِأَظلالِ الأَراكِ فَريقُ

It was as though the zephyrs had not perfumed me one evening,

Nor touched anyone in Iraq or awakened desire.

كَأَن لَم تَرُقني الرائِحاتُ عَشِيَّةً

وَلَم تُمسِ في أَهلِ العِراقِ وَميقُ

I control my passion for you, yet my heart throbs

Whenever you are recalled. I shun whoever wishes me ill,

أُعالِجُ بَرحاً مِن هَواكِ وَشَفَّني

فُؤادٌ إِذا ما تُذكَرينَ خَفوقُ

And leave free whoever releases me.

They summoned up love, then shot our hearts

أَوانِسُ أَمّا مَن أَرَدنَ عَناءَهُ

فَعانٍ وَمَن أَطلَقنَ فَهوَ طَليقُ

With the arrows of foe, though they are friend.

I am amazed by the two visitants when

دَعَونَ الهَوى ثُمَّ اِرتَمَينَ قُلوبَنا

بِأَسهُمِ أَعداءَ وَهُنَّ صَديقُ

A beauty provokes wonder in the holy and profane.

Who feels safe from al-Hajjaj? His punishment is bitter,

عَجِبتُ مِنَ الغَيرانِ لَمّا تَدارَكَت

جِمالٌ يُخالِجنَ البُرينَ وَنوقُ

His bond secure.

I have tasted sleep only as a provocation,

وَمَن يَأمَنُ الحَجّاجُ أَمّا عِقابُهُ

فَمُرٌّ وَأَمّا عَقدُهُ فَوَثيقُ

And nothing has agreed with me among quick-witted companions.

I shouldered my burdens as means to escape, which,

وَما ذُقتُ طَعمَ النَومِ إِلّا مُفَزَّعاً

وَما ساغَ لي بَينَ الحَيازِمِ ريقُ

When weary after exhaustion, are a relief.

You see the milch she-camels' streaming train,

وَحَمَّلتُ أَثقالي نَجاةً كَأَنَّها

إِذا ضَمَرَت بَعدَ الكَلالِ فَنيقُ

As though they were bracelets on the wrist, hastening down canyons,

Hastening down the roads to the hillsides, their routes

مِنَ الهوجِ مِصلاتاً كَأَنَّ جِرانَها

يَمانٍ نَضا جَفنَينِ فَهوَ دَلوقُ

Visible to the two thirsty herds over their ridges

And above the camel drivers. You can see

يُبَيِّنُ لِلنِسعَينِ فَوقَ دُفوفِها

وَفَوقَ مُتونِ الحالِبَينِ طَريقُ

The train of the two thirsty herds with their females

Going down the holy hillsides. Their roads

تَرى لِمَجَرِّ النِسعَتَينِ بِجَوزِها

مَوارِدَ حِرمِيٍّ لَهُنَّ طَريقُ

Are folded like Indian wickerwork; they are plunder.

When the tribe says that the next morning they will arrive at the watering place,

طَوى أُمَّهاتِ الدَرِّ حَتّى كَأَنَّها

فَلافِلُ هِندِيٍّ فَهُنَّ لَصوقُ

They press on until at nightfall they reach the watering place.

I feared you until my fear brought me down,

إِذا القَومُ قالوا وِردُهُنَّ ضُحى غَدٍ

يُغالَينَ حَتّى وِردُهُنَّ طُروقُ

While blindness stood between me and piercing sight.

Every hypocrite is happy to see you hated,

وَخِفتُكَ حَتّى اِستَنزَلَتني مَخافَتي

وَقَد حالَ دوني مِن عَمايَةَ نيقُ

While everyone with religion loves you loyally.

You have extinguished the fires of Iraq, though still for them

يُسِرُّ لَكَ البَغضاءَ كُلُّ مُنافِقٍ

كَما كُلُّ ذي دينٍ عَلَيكَ شَفيقُ

There is smoke rising high, and burning embers.

A man seeking booty who has seen

وَأَطفَأتَ نيرانَ العِراقِ وَقَد عَلا

لَهُنَّ دُخانٌ ساطِعٌ وَحَريقُ

Your punishment of past deeds will refrain from stealing.

For us you are light, rain, and protection.

وَإِنَّ اِمرَأً يَرجو الغُلولَ وَقَد رَأى

نِكالَكَ فيما قَد مَضى لَسَروقُ

You are hope's harvest for whoever hopes in you and is pious.

How many wrongdoing oppressors have you left

وَأَنتَ لَنا نورٌ وَغَيثٌ وَعِصمَةٌ

وَنَبتٌ لِمَن يَرجو نَداكَ وَريقُ

To their heaving chests that pant and sigh!

أَلا رُبَّ عاصٍ ظالِمٍ قَد تَرَكتَهُ

لِأَوداجِهِ المُستَنزِفاتِ شَهيقُ