وَآخِرُ عَهدي بِالرَبابِ مَقالُها

لَنا لَيلَةَ البَطحاءِ وَالدَمعُ يَسجُمُ

My last testament to Rabab as she spoke

Of our night in Bat'ha while tears flowed

طَرِبتَ وَطاوَعتَ الوُشاةَ وَبَيَّنَت

شَمائِلُ مِن وَجدٍ فَفيمَ التَجَرُّمُ

You were perturbed and obeyed the slanderers and clarified

The attributes of a passionate love so why the crime?

هَلُمَّ فَأَخبِرني بِذَنبِيَ أَعتَرِف

بِعُتباكَ أَو أَعرِف إِذاً كَيفَ أُصرَمُ

Come tell me of my sin that I may confess

Of your grievance that I may know how to relent

فَإِن كانَ في ذَنبٍ إِلَيكَ اِجتَرَمتُهُ

تَعَمَّدتُهُ عَمداً فَنَفسِيَ أَلوَمُ

If it was a sin against you I committed

I did so intentionally and blame myself

وَإِن كانَ شَيئاً قالَهُ لَكَ كاشِحٌ

كَما شاءَ يُسديهِ عَلَيَّ وَيُلحِمُ

And if it was something a defamer told you

However he wished to present it against me and piece together

فَصَدَّقتَهُ لَم أَستَطِع أَن أَوَدَّهُ

وَلَم أَملِكِ الأَعداءَ أَن يَتَكَلَّموا

So you believed him - I could not stop him

Nor control enemies speaking as they please

فَقُلتُ وَكانَت حُجَّةً وافَقَت بِها

مِنَ الحَقِّ عِندي بَعضَ ما كُنتُ أَعلَمُ

I spoke and it was an argument agreeing with

Some truth I knew from me

صَدَقتِ وَمَن يَعلَم فَيَكتُم شَهادَةً

عَلى نَفسِهِ أَو غَيرِهِ فَهوَ أَظلَمُ

You spoke truthfully and whoever knows but hides a testimony

Against himself or another is most unjust

فَأَمّا الَّذي فيهِ عَتِبتِ فَأَنفُهُ

لِأَنفِكِ في صَرمِ الخَلائِقِ أَرغَمُ

As for that which you reproached me for, I submit

To your reproach, for in the defiance of creation, I succumb

فَعُتباكَ مِنّي أَنَّني غَيرُ عائِدٍ

وَأُقسِمُ بِالرَحمَنِ لا نَتَكَلَّمُ

Your grievance with me is that I do not return

And I swear by the Merciful, we shall not speak

وَقُلتُ لَها لَو يَسلُكُ الناسُ وادِياً

وَتَنحينَ نَحوَ الشَرقِ عَمّا تَيَمَّموا

And I said to her, if people would take a path

And you turn East from their direction

لَكَلَّفَني قَلبي أُتابِعكِ إِنَّني

بِذِكراكِ أُخرى الدَهرِ صَبٌّ مُتَيَّمُ

My heart would compel me to follow you, for I

Will be forever afflicted, lovesick with your memory

أَرى ما يَلي نَجداً إِذا ما حَلَلتِهِ

جَميلاً وَأَهوى الغَورُ إِن تَتَتَهَّموا

I see what is beyond Najd, when you reside in it

As beautiful, and I adore the valley if you wander there