نُفارِقُكُم وَنَضرِبُ في البِلادِ

وَلا تَتَرحَّلونَ عَنِ الفُؤادِ

We bid you farewell, and journey through the lands,

While you do not stray from the heart's domain.

نَغيبُ وَلا تَغيبُ الدَّارُ عَنَّا

فَتُوهِمُنا التَقَرُّبَ في البِعادِ

We disappear, but the abode does not disappear from us,

Giving us the illusion of nearness in distance.

رَحَلنا بِالغَداةِ عَلى وَداعٍ

فَمَن هَذا المُسلِّمُ في الهَوادي

We departed at dawn saying goodbye,

So who is that surrendering figure in the valleys?

وَفارَقنا الدِّيارَ وَما يَليها

فَما هَذا المشخَّصُ في السَوادِ

We left the home and what surrounds it,

So who is that fading figure in the darkness?

خُذُوا عَنّا الَّذي حَمَّلتُمونا

مِنَ الأَشواقِ فَهوَ أَمَرُّ زادِ

Take from us what burdens you gave us,

Of passions, for that is the most bitter provision.

وَكُفُّوا عَنْ خَواطِرنا وَعَنَّا

فَقَد حُلتُم بِها دُونَ الرُّقادِ

Stop worrying about our thoughts and us,

For you have kept us from restful sleep.

تَكلَّفْنا الرَّحيلَ فَما أَقَمنا

مَخافَةَ أَن نَذُوبَ عَلى الوِسادِ

We forced ourselves to depart, fearing

We would melt away on pillows.

وَكان نَصيبُنا مِنكُم كَلاماً

قَطَعناهُ لِتشتَفِيَ الأَعادي

Our share of you was words,

We ended so enemies may rejoice.

تَرَحَّلنا الجِيادَ وَكُلُّ صَدرٍ

كَأَنَّ فُؤادَهُ تَحتَ الجِيادِ

We rode off on steeds, every chest

As if its heart were under the hooves.

وَلَو كُنّا نُملَّكُ كُلَّ أَرضٍ

نَطاها ما مَشينا عَن مُرادِ

Had we owned every land the sun touches,

We would not have left our wish.

أَجارَتَنا الَّتي كُنّا نَراها

وَما بَرِحَت وَلَو طالَ التَمادي

The phantom we saw remains with us,

Though ages pass and do not cease.

أراكِ صَحبِتنا وَظلِلتِ مَعْنا

وظَلَّتْ وحْشةٌ لكِ في ازديادِ

I see you were our companion and shadow,

Yet loneliness for you grows worse.

كوجهِ أميرِ قيسٍ حين يبدو

نراهُ وكلُّنا رَيَّانُ صادِ

Like Prince Qays's face when it appears,

We see it and are all teary-eyed.

نراهُ كما نراهُ ولا جديدٌ

بهِ ونَظَلُّ في مُلَحٍ جِدادِ

We see it as we see it, nothing changes,

And we remain in intense ardour.

سَلِ الهَيجاءَ عنهُ وسَلْهُ عنها

إذا انقطعَ الكلامُ لدَى الطِرادِ

Ask the sleepless one about him, and ask him about her,

When words cease at the parting.

وسَلْ عنهُ الخزائِنَ لا تَسَلْها

عنِ المالِ الطريفِ ولا التِلاد

Ask the treasures about him, do not ask them

About fine wealth or children.

وسلْ عنهُ اليَراعَ وما لدَيهِ

من البيضِ الصحائفِ والمِدادِ

Ask about him the parchments and what they contain

Of white pages and ink.

وسلْ عنهُ القريضَ وما يليهِ

وسل كُتُبَ الحواضِرِ والبوادِي

Ask about him the poems and what follows them,

And ask about city and nomad books.

وسلْ ما شئتَ عما شئتَ حتى

ترى ما شئتَ من غُرَرٍ جيادِ

Ask what you wish about what you wish until

You see what you wish of steeds and generosity.

ترى بَرّاً فسيحاً تحتَ ثوبٍ

وبحراً يستقلُّ على جَوادِ

You will see ample honesty under a garment,

And a sea rising with pride on a steed.

وبدراً لا يُلِمُّ بهِ سِرارٌ

وغيثاً ظلَّ يُفْعِمُ كلَّ وادِ

And a full moon with no secrets,

And rain whose shadow enlivens every valley.

رُويدكَ أَيُّها المولى المُفدَّى

فأنتَ على ذُرَى السّبعِ الشِدَادِ

Slow down, O exonerated master,

For you are of the lineage of fierce lions.

إذا فَدَتِ النفوسُ كرامَ قومٍ

فُديتَ بِكُلِ مَفدِيٍّ وفادِ

When souls ransom the honour of people,

You were ransomed by every ransomer and blood-price.

متى وَثِقَتْ بِعهدٍ منكَ نفسٌ

كفاها العهدُ عن صَوبِ العِهادِ

When a soul trusted your pledge,

The pledge sufficed it from the toil of worship.

ومثلُكَ لا يضيعُ فتىً لديهِ

وها أنتَ الأَمينُ على العبادِ

And the like of you does not lose a young man in his care,

For you are the Trustworthy over mankind.

شرِيكُ الناسِ في خَلقٍ جميلٍ

وفي الخُلُقِ الجليلِ على انفِرادِ

The people's partner in a beautiful creation,

And in noble conduct, uniquely.

لئِن تكُ صُورةٌ جَمَعَتْ فأوعَت

فإنَّ التِبرَ أشبَهُ بالرَّمادِ

If you are an image that gathered and contained,

Then kindness is most like ashes.