وَدِّع لُبابَةَ قَبلَ أَن تَتَرَحَّلا

وَاِسأَل فَإِنَّ قَليلَهُ أَن تَسأَلا

Bid farewell to Lubaba before you depart

And ask, for it is little to ask

أُمكُث بَعَمرِكَ لَيلَةً وَتَأَنَّها

فَلَعَلَّ ما بَخِلَت بِهِ أَن يُبذَلا

Stay a night in your life, linger over it

Perhaps what was held back may be given

قالَ اِئتَمِر ما شِئتَ غَيرَ مُنازَعٍ

فيما هَويتَ فَإِنَّنا لَن نَعجَلا

He said, “Command what you wish without contention

In what you desire, we shall not hasten”

لَسنا نُبالي حينَ تُدرِكَ حاجَةً

ما باتَ أَو ظَلَّ المَطِيُّ مُعَقَّلا

We do not care when you attain a need

Whether it passes the night or the riding beast remains saddled

نَجزي بِأَيدٍ كُنتَ تَبذُلُها لَنا

حَقٌّ عَلَينا واجِبٌ أَن نَفعَلا

We fulfill with hands you used to extend to us

It is a right upon us, a duty we must do

حَتّى إِذا ما اللَيلُ جَنَّ ظَلامُهُ

وَرَقَبتُ غَفلَةَ كاشِحٍ أَن يَمحُلا

Until when the night dons its darkness

And the neck of an unaware slumberer inclines to nod

وَاِستَنكَحَ النَومُ الَّذينَ نَخافُهُم

وَرَمى الكَرى بَوّابَهُم فَتَخَبَّلا

And sleep seduces those we fear

And throws their doorkeepers into confusion and turmoil

خَرَجَت تَأَطَّرُ في الثِيابِ كَأَنَّها

أَيمٌ يَسيبُ عَن كَثيبٍ أَهيَلا

She went out, cloaked in clothes as though she were

A sand grouse fleeing from a sand dune

فَجَلا القِناعُ سَحابَةً مَشهورَةً

غَرّاءَ تُعشى الطَرفِ أَن يَتَأَمَّلا

So her veil slipped, a famed cloud

Brownish, delighting the eyes that gaze

سَلَّمتُ حينَ لَقيتُها فَتَهَلَّلَت

لِتَحيَّتي لَمّا رَأَتني مُقبِلا

I greeted her when I met her, and she smiled

At my greeting when she saw me approaching

فَلَبِثتُ أَرقيها بِما لَو عاقِلٌ

يُرقى بِهِ ما اِسطاعَ أَلّا يَنزِلَ

So I remained enticing her with that which if she were rational

She would be enticed and not descend

تَدنو فَتُطمِعُ ثُمَّ تَمنَعُ بَذلَها

نَفسٌ أَبَت بِالجودِ أَن تَتَحَلَّلا

Drawing near then denying her gift

A soul who refused to be generous and melt