أَمِن دِمنَةٍ قَفرٍ تَعاوَرَها البِلى

لِعَينَيكَ أَسرابٌ تَفيضُ غُروبُها

From the ruins of a remote wilderness worn by time

For your eyes, flocks overflowing with their sunset

تَعاوَرَها طولُ البِلى بَعدَ جِدَّةٍ

وَجَرَّت بِأَذيالٍ عَلَيها جَنوبُها

Worn by the length of time after renewal

And pulled by southern winds on it their trains

فَلَم يَبقَ فيها غَيرُ أُسٍّ مُذَعذَعٍ

وَلا مِن أَثافي الدارِ إلّا صَليبُها

Nothing left in it but a tottering threshold

And of the house’s corners none but its cross

تَحَمَّلَ مِنها أَهلُها فَنَأَت بِهِم

لِطِيَّتِهِم مَرُّ النَوى وَشُعوبُها

Its people bore from it and the bitterness of exile took them

To their endurance the myrrh of sorrow and its wadis

وَإِذ هِيَ كَغُصنِ البانِ خَفَّاقَةَ الحَشى

يَروعُكَ مِنها حُسنُ دَلٍّ وَطيبُها

When it is like the fluttering ban branch

Its beautiful vine and fragrance startle you

فَأَصبَحَ باقي الوُدِّ بَيني وَبَينَها

أَمانِيَّ يُزجيها إِلَيَّ كَذوبُها

What remains of love between me and it

Are wishes it sends to me, their falsehood

فَدَعهَا وَعَدِّ الهَمَّ عَنكَ وَلَو دَعا

إِلى ذِكرِ سَلمى كُلَّ يَومٍ طَروبُها

Leave it and rid your worries, even if called

To the memory of Salma each blessed day her serenity

أَتَصبو إِلى سَلمى وَمِن دونِ أَهلِها

مَهامِهُ يَغتالُ المَطِيَّ سُهوبُها

You yearn for Salma, and without her people

Ambushes take the rider, their precipices

وَبِالعَفوِ وَصّاني أَبي وَعَشيرَتي

وَبِالدَفعِ عَنها في أُمورٍ تُريبُها

My father and clan instructed me with pardon

And to defend her in matters that vilify her

وَقَومَكَ فَاِستَبِقِ المَوَدَّةَ فيهِمُ

وَنَفسَكَ جَنِّبها الَّذي قَد يَعيبُها

As for your people, excel in affection among them

And spare your soul what flaws it