بانَ الخَليطُ بمَن عُلِّقتَ فَانصَدَعُوا

فَدَمعُ عَينِكَ وَاهٍ واكِفٌ هَمِعُ

The tribe has split over whom you were attached to, so they scattered

The tears of your eyes flow copiously, grief-stricken

كَيفَ اللِّقَاءُ وَقَد أَضحَت وَمَسكَنُها

بَطنُ المَحِلَّةَ مِن صَنعَاءَ أَو ضَلَعُ

How can there be a meeting when she has become

A resident of the center of Sanaa or its outskirts

كَم دُونَها مِن فَيافٍ لا أنيسَ بها

إلاّ الظَلِيمُ وإِلاَّ الظِبيُ والسَّبعُ

How many wastelands below it, with no companion in them

Except the darkness, the hyena, and the predator

وَمَنهَلٍ صَخِبِ الأَصدَاءِ وَارِدُه

طَيرُ السَّمَاءِ تَحومُ الحَينُ أَو تَقَعُ

And a watering place of loud echoes, where the birds

Of the sky hover at times or alight

لاَ مَاؤُهُ مَاءُ أَحسَاءٍ تُقَرِّظُهُ

أَيدي السُقَاةِ وَلا صَادٍ ولا كَرِعُ

Its water not the water of Ahsaa, ladled

By the hands of drawers, nor a bucket or waterskin

إِلاَّ تَرَسُّخُ عِلبا دُونَهُ رَهَبٌ

مِن عِرمِضٍ فَأَبَاءٍ فَهيَ مُنتَقَعُ

Only mud accumulates below it, and a terror

Of death, stubbornness, so it is stagnant

تَقُولُ عَاذِلَتي مَهلاً فَقُلتُ لَها

عَنِّي إِلَيكِ فَهَل تدرِينَ مَن أَدَعُ

My blamer said to me, wait! And I said to her

Leave me be to whom I call - do you know whom I call upon?

وكَيفَ أَترُكُ شَخصاً في رَوَاجِبِهِ

وَفي الأَنَامِلِ مِن حَنَّائِهِ لَمَعُ

How can I leave a person in her abode

With henna on her fingers glittering

وَأَنتِ لَو كُنتِ بي جُدُّ الخَبيرَةِ لَم

يُطمِعكِ في طَمَعٍ مِن شِيَمتي طَمَعُ

If you were truly wise towards me, no

Hope of my nature would make you hopeful

إِنِّي لَيُعوزُني جَدِّي فَأَترُكُهُ

عَمدَاً وَأَخدَعُ أَحيَاناً فَأَنخَدِعُ

I do lack wisdom and leave it

Intentionally, and sometimes I am deceived and duped

وَأَكتُمُ السِرَّ في صَدرِي وَأَخزِنُهُ

حَتّى يكون لذاك القول مُطَّلَعُ

I conceal the secret in my chest and store it

Until the right time comes for that saying to emerge

وَأَترُكُ القَولَ إِلاَّ في مُرَاجَعَةٍ

حَتَّى يَكُونَ لَهُ مُلحُ وَمُستَمِعُ

And I hold back speech unless it is in a consultation

So it may have salt and a listener

لاَ قُوَّتِي قُوَّةُ الرَّاعِي رَكَائِبَهُ

يَأوِي فَيَأوِي إِلَيهِ الكَلبُ وَالرَّبَعُ

My strength not the strength of a shepherd guarding his ewes

Who returns and returns while the dog and lamb return to him

وَلاَ العَسِيفِ الَّذِي يَشتَدُّ عُقبتَهُ

حَتَّى يَبِيتَ وَبَاقِي نَعلِهِ قِطَعُ

Nor of the horseman whose hobble grows strong

Until he spends the night and what remains of his shoe is cut off

لاَ يَحمِلُ العَبدُ مِنَّا فَوقَ طَاقَتِهِ

وَنَحنُ نَحمِلُ ما لا تحمل القَلَعُ

A servant does not carry more than his capacity from us

While we carry what citadels cannot carry

مِنَّا الأَنَاةُ وَبَعضُ القَومِ يَحسَبُنَا

إِنَّا بِطَاءٌ وفي إِبطَائِنَا سَرَعُ

From us is deliberation, and some people reckon us

Slow, but in our slowness is haste