وَإِنّي لَسائِلُ أُمِّ الرَبيعِ

قَبلَ الوَداعِ مَتاعاً طَفيفا

I ask the mother of spring,

Before farewell, for a little provision

مَتاعاً أَقومُ بِهِ لِلوَدا

عِ إِنّي أَرى الدارَ مِنها قَذوفا

Provision with which I bid farewell,

For I see the abode thereof is desolate.

فَقالَت بِحاجَةِ كُلٍّ نَطَقتَ

فَأَقبِل وَأَرسِل رَسولاً لَطيفا

She said, with the need of each you have spoken,

So come and send a gentle messenger

إِلى مَوعِدٍ وَدَّ لَو أَنَّهُ

خَلا لا يُرَوِّعُ فيهِ الطُروفا

To a tryst, if only it were one

That when it ends would not perturb.

وَمِن عَجَبٍ ضَحِكَت إِذ رَأَت

قُرَيبَةُ بِالخَيفِ رَكباً وُقوفا

And she laughed in wonder when she saw

A rider halt his mount.

رَأَت رَجُلاً شاحِباً جِسمُهُ

مُسارِيَ أَرضٍ أَطالَ الوَجيفا

She saw a pallid man whose body

Was traversing a land that prolonged decay.

أَخا سَفَرٍ لا يُجِمُّ المَطيَّ

بَعدَ الكَلالَةِ إِلّا خُفوفا

A brother of travel that does not restrain the steed

After weariness, save gently,

فَإِمّا تَرَيني كَساني السِفا

رُ لَونَ السَوادِ وَجِسماً نَحيفا

Whether you see me as travel has changed my color

To black and made my body thin,

فَحوراً كَمِثلِ ظِباءِ الخَري

فِ أُخرِجنَ يَمشينَ مَشياً قَطوفا

Or, maidens like the wild cows

Brought forth walking gracefully,

تَضَوَّعَ أَردانُهُنَّ العَبي

رَ وَالرَندَ خالَطَ مِسكاً مَدوفا

Their forearms perfumed

And perfume mingled with aloeswood,

يُهَيِّجنَ مِن بَرَداتِ القُلو

بِ شَوقاً إِذا ما ضَرَبنَ الدُفوفا

They excite with their drums hearts

With yearning whene’er they beat their tambourines,

إِذا ما اِنقَضى عَجَبٌ لَم يَزَل

نَ يَدعونَ لِلَّهوِ قَلباً ظَريفا

When wonder has passed which did not cease

To invite a gentle heart to diversion,

بِأَبطَحِ سَهلٍ سَقاهُ السَحا

بُ إِمّا رَبيعاً وَإِمّا خَريفا

On a plain he watered, whether spring

Or autumn.