1. رُدُّوا لها أَيامَها الأَوائِلا

    وإِن تَقَضَّتْ بالحِمى قلائلا

    Restore to her her earliest days,

    though those spent in the protected pasture were few.

  2. وبَدِّلُوها من سُرَاهَا راحَةً

    ومن حَرُوْرِ وَهْجِها طَلاَئلا

    And give her rest in place of her night journeys,

    and dew for the searing heat of her blaze.

  3. وجنِّبُوها هَضَبَاتِ عالِجٍ

    واستقبِلوا سِقْطَ اللِّوَى قبائلا

    And keep her away from the hills of Alij,

    and head toward Siqt al-Liwa in groups.

  4. واستنشِقُوا الريحَ البليلَ عَلَّها

    تُخْمِدُ من نارِ الجَوَى بلابلا

    And breathe in the moist wind; perhaps it

    will quench the torments of longing's fire.

  5. فَفَوْقَهَا كُلُّ قتيلِ صَبْوَةٍ

    يَهْوِي وهَلْ يَهْوَى القتيلُ القاتلا

    For upon her, everyone slain by passion

    falls—yet does the slain man love his slayer?

  6. يَسْتَخْبِرُ الرِّيحَ رسولاً عنهُمُ

    ورُبَّما حَمَّلَها رسائلا

    He asks the wind, as a messenger, for news of them,

    and sometimes entrusts it with letters.

  7. وما الصَّبا رِيحىَ لَوْلاَ أَنَّها

    تَجُرُّ في رُبُوعِها الغائلا

    The east wind would not be my wind, were it not that it

    draws the destroyer through her dwelling places.

  8. هاتِ الشَّمولَ إِنني أَرى بها

    من ظَبَيَاتِ عاقِلٍ شَمَائِلا

    Bring the wine: indeed, I see in it

    the graces of the gazelles of Aqil.

  9. فَثَمَّ رِيمٌ كلما رِيمٌ أَبَى

    إِلا صُدودًا في الهوى مُواصِلا

    For there is a gazelle who, whenever sought, insists

    on nothing but continual rejection in love.

  10. تحسَبُهُ من مَعْطِفَيْهِ رامِحاً

    ومن فُتورِ مُقْلَتَيْهِ نابلا

    You would take him for a spearman from his two flanks,

    and an archer from the languor of his eyes.

  11. وطالما قبَّلْتُ منه قمرًا

    بدرًا وعانَقُتُ قضيبًا مائلا

    And often I kissed a moon in him,

    a full moon, and embraced a leaning bough.

  12. أَيامَ كانَتْ لِمَّتِي مُسْوَدَّةً

    أَنصِبُ للبيضِ بها حبائلا

    In the days when my locks were black,

    with them I set snares for fair beauties.

  13. لا أَخْتَشِي صَدَّ حبيبٍ واصِلٍ

    يومًا ولا أَبْكِي خليطاً راحلا

    I feared no rejection from a beloved who granted union,

    on any day, nor mourned a departing companion.

  14. أَقطِفُ أَثمارَ التَّصابِي غضَّةً

    وأَحْتَسِي ماءَ الهوى سلاسلا

    I plucked the fresh fruits of youthful dalliance,

    and sipped love's water, smooth and sweet.

  15. فاليومَ أَستَسْقِي غماماً مُقْلِعًا

    منهمْ وأَسْتَطْلِعُ بَدْرًا آفِلا

    But today I ask rain of a cloud that has ceased to rain,

    from them, and seek the rising of a setting full moon.

  16. كَأَنَّني ما سُمْتُ إِلا غائباً

    قَطُّ ولا استنصرتُ إِلا خاذلا

    As though I had never sought anyone but the absent,

    nor ever sought aid except from one who forsakes me.

  17. سقي الغمامُ طللاً بعاقلٍ

    راحَ لقلبي بعدَهُنَّ عاقلا

    May the clouds water a ruined campsite at Aqil,

    which became a fetter for my heart after they were gone.

  18. أَو راحَةُ الحافِظِ تَهْمِي إِنها

    عَلَّمَتِ الجُودَ الغمامَ الهاطلا

    Or may al-Hafiz's palm pour down, for it

    taught generosity to the rain-pouring clouds.

  19. جَلَّى به اللُّه الزمانَ فاغتدَى

    يُزْهَى بما نالَ وكان عاطِلا

    Through him God adorned Time, and it came

    to glory in what it gained, though once unadorned.

  20. لو صُوِّرَ الدَّهْرُ لأَضْحَى تاجَهُ

    وأَصبَحَتْ كِرامُهُ خلاخلا

    If Time were given form, he would become its crown,

    and its noble men would become anklets.

  21. يا طالِب العِلْمِ اغْتَرِفْ من زاخرٍ

    لا يُدْرِكُ الأَوهامُ منه ما حلا

    O seeker of knowledge, scoop from a surging sea

    whose sweetness no imagination can fathom.

  22. ويا أَسيرَ الفَقْرِ قِفْ ببابِه

    مستنصرًا راحَتَه أَو سائلا

    And O captive of poverty, stand at his door,

    seeking aid from his palm, or begging.

  23. قد أُنشِرَ الفضلُ وكانَ مَيِّتاً

    وأُظهرَ المَجْدُ وكانَ خاملا

    Virtue has been revived, though it was dead,

    and glory revealed, though it lay obscure.

  24. أَصبح بَيْتُ المال منه مُقْفِراً

    وظَلَّ بَيْتُ الشكرِ منه آهلا

    The treasury has become empty through him,

    while the house of gratitude remains full through him.

  25. فارسُ عِلْمٍ جَرَّدَتْ فِطْنَتُه

    على مُجَارِيهِ به مَنَاصِلا

    A knight of knowledge, whose discernment has unsheathed

    blades against those who rival him in it.

  26. أَلْوى طويلُ السّاعِدَيْن أَروَعٌ

    قامَ بأَعباءِ المعالي حاملا

    Unyielding, long-armed, awe-inspiring,

    he rose to bear the burdens of high attainment.

  27. انْظُرْ إِلى البدرِ تَجِدْ من حُسْنِهِ

    فيه إِذا أَبْصَرّتَهُ مَخَايِلا

    Look at the full moon: from his beauty you will find

    traces in it, when you behold it.

  28. واستَنْشِق الروض تجِدْ من نَشْرِهِ

    وبِشْرِهِ الممدوحِ مَعْنًى حاصِلا

    And breathe in the garden: you will find, from his fragrance

    and his much-praised cheer, a tangible likeness.

  29. فَرَتْ إِليه العِيسُ أَثواب الدُّجَى

    رافِلَةً بين الرُّبَى ورافِلا

    Toward him the pale camels tore the robes of darkness,

    trailing proudly among the hills, with darkness trailing too.

  30. لا تشتكِي السَّيْرَ على أَنَّ السُّرَى

    أَبادَ مَتْنَ ظهرِها والكاهِلا

    They do not complain of the journey, though night travel

    has ravaged their broad backs and their withers.

  31. يا حافِظًا للمستجيرِ حافِظاً

    وعالِماً بما لَدَيْهِ عاملا

    O Hafiz, guardian of whoever seeks refuge,

    and scholar who acts upon the knowledge he possesses,

  32. أَلبست عيدَ الفطرِ منك بهجةً

    بعها غدا عيداً لدينا كاملا

    you clothed Eid al-Fitr in splendor from yourself,

    through which it became for us a perfect feast.

  33. واسلَمْ متى غنَّى الحمامُ سَحَراً

    وهزَّتِ الرياحُ غُصْنًا ذابلا

    And may you fare well as long as doves sing before dawn,

    and the winds shake a withered branch.