أَرَسمَ دِيارٍ مِن حُنَيدَةَ تَعرِفُ

بِأَسقُفَ مِن عِرفانِها العينُ تَذرِفُ

A home of yearning I drew, its roof

Recognized by eyes raining with knowledge,

سَقى دارَ حِندٍ مُسبِلُ الوَدقِ مَرُّهُ

رُكامٌ سَرى مِن آخِرِ اللَيلِ مُردِفُ

Watered a tender home, bitter his drink,

A trail flowed from the dark of night, following.

كَأَنَّ دُموعي سَحُّ واهِيَةِ الكُلى

سَقاها فَرَوّاها مِنَ العَينِ مُخلِفُ

As if my tears the pouring of withered kidneys,

Watered by the eye, leaving it overflowing.

يَشُدُّ العُرى مِنها عَلى ظَهرِ جَونَةٍ

عَسيرِ القِيادِ ما تَكادُ تَصَرَّفُ

Tying its reins to the back of a restless she-camel,

Difficult to lead, barely able to turn.

فَلا هِندَ إِلّا أَن تَذَكَّرَ ما خَلا

تَقادُمَ عَهدٍ وَالتَذَكُّرُ يَشعَفُ

Naught but to remember what is past

As time goes by and remembrance wounds.

تَذَكَّرتُ هِنداً مِن وَراءِ تِهامَةٍ

وَوادي القُرى بَيني وَبَينَكَ مُنصِفُ

I recalled India beyond Tihama,

While valley of villages lies between us, impartial.

وَقَد عَلِمَت هِندٌ عَلى النَأيِ أَنَّني

إِذا عَدِموا يُسراً لِنِعمَ المُكَلَّفُ

And India knew from afar that when

Comforts lack, I obligingly endure.

أَرُدُّ المَخاضَ البُزلَ وَالشَمسُ حَيَّةٌ

إِلى الحَيِّ حَتّى يوسَعَ المُتَضَيِّفُ

I return the difficult birth while the sun still lives

To the living, until the host makes room.

وَكُنتُ إِذا دارَت رَحى الأَمرِ رُعتُهُ

بِمَخلوجَةٍ فيها عَنِ العَجزِ مَصرِفُ

When affairs spun, I managed them

With a ladle, keeping inability away.