1. هَل حَبلُ رَملَةَ قَبلَ البَينِ مَبتورُ

    أَم أَنَتَ بِالحِلمِ بَعدَ الجَهلَِ معذورُ

    Is Ramla's bond severed before the parting?

    Or are you excused through sound judgment after folly?

  2. ما يَجمَعُ الشَوقُ إِن دارٌ بِنا شَحَطَت

    وَمِثلُها في تَداني الدارِ مَهجورُ

    What can longing unite if a dwelling has grown far from us,

    while one like her is forsaken even when dwellings are near?

  3. نَشفى بِها وَهيَ داءٌ لَو تُصاقِبُنا

    كما اِشتَفى بِعِيادِ الخَمرِ مَخمورُ

    We would find healing in her, though she is a sickness, if she lived beside us,

    as a wine-sick man finds healing by returning to wine.

  4. ما رَوضَةٌ مِن رِياضِ الحَزنِ باكَرَها

    بِالنَبتِ مُختلِفِ الأَلوانِ مَمطورُ

    No meadow among the upland meadows, greeted early

    with rain-watered plants of many colors,

  5. يَوماً بِأَطيَبَ مِنها نَشرَ رائِحَةٍ

    بَعدَ المَنام إِذا حُبَّ المَعاطيرُ

    is ever sweeter than she in wafting fragrance,

    after sleep, when perfumed women are cherished.

  6. ما أَنسَ لا أَنسَها وَالدَمعُ مُنسَرِبٌ

    كَأَنَّهُ لُؤلُؤٌ في الخَدِّ مَحدورُ

    Whatever I forget, I shall not forget her, with tears streaming,

    as though they were pearls rolling down the cheek.

  7. لَمّا رَأَيتُهُم زُمَّت جِمالُهُمُ

    صَدَّقتُ ما زَعَموا وَالبَينُ مَحذورُ

    When I saw them, their camels already bridled,

    I believed what they had claimed, though parting was dreaded.

  8. يَحدو بِهِنَّ أَخو قاذورَةٍ حَذِرٌ

    كَأَنَّهُ بِجَميعِ الناسِ مَوتورُ

    Urging them on with song was a wary, ill-tempered man,

    as though all mankind owed him a blood-debt.

  9. كَأَنَّ أَظعانَهُم تُحدى مُقَفِّيَةً

    نَخلٌ بِعَينَينِ مُلتَفٌّ مَواقيرُ

    It was as though their camel litters, driven away by song,

    were clustered palms at Aynayn, heavy with fruit,

  10. غُلبُ الرِقابِ سَقاها جَدوَلٌ سَرِبٌ

    أَو مَشعَبٌ مِن أَتِيِّ البَحرِ مَفجورُ

    thick-necked, watered by a flowing stream,

    or by a branching channel opened from the sea's incoming flood.

  11. هَل تُبَلِغَنّي عَلَيَّ الخَيرَ ذِعلِبَةٌ

    حَرفٌ تَزَلَّلَ عَن أَصَلابِها الكورُ

    Will a swift she-camel carry me to Ali the Good,

    a lean, hardy mount whose saddle slips from her back?

  12. مِن خَلفِها قُلُصٌ تَجري أَزِمَّتُها

    قَد مَسَّهُنَّ مَعَ الإِدلاج تَهجيرُ

    Behind her are young she-camels, their reins streaming,

    already wearied by midday travel as well as journeys by night.

  13. يَخبِطنَ بِالقَومِ أَنضاءَ السَريحِ وَقَد

    لاذَت مِنَ الشَمسِ بِالظِلِّ اليَعافيرُ

    They plod on carrying the men, worn thin beneath their girths, while

    the gazelles have sought shade for refuge from the sun.

  14. حَتّى إِذا اِنتَصَبَ الحَرباءُ وَاِنتَقَلَت

    وَحانَ إذ هَجَّروا بِالدُوِ تَغويرُ

    Until, when the chameleon stood erect and shifted its place,

    and a midday rest was due as they crossed the desert at noon,

  15. قَالوا تَنَحَّوا فَمَسّوا الأَرضَ فَاِحتَوَلوا

    ظِلّاً بِمُنخَرِقٍ تَهفو بِهِ المَورُ

    they said, 'Turn aside!' They alighted and gathered around

    a patch of shade in an open place where dust drifted.

  16. ظَلّوا كَأَنَّ عَلَيهِم طائِراً عَلِقاً

    يَهفو إِذا إِنسَفَرَت عَنهُ الأَعاصيرُ

    They stayed as though a bird hung suspended above them,

    fluttering when the whirlwinds swept away from it.

  17. لِوِجهَةِ الريحِ مِنهُ جانِبٌ سَلِبٌ

    وَجانِبٌ بِأَكُفِّ القَومِ مَضبورُ

    One side of it, facing the wind, hung free,

    and another was gathered tight in the men's hands.

  18. حَتّى إِذا أَبَرَدوا قاموا إِلى قُلُصٍ

    كَأَنَّهُنَّ قِسِيُّ الشَوحَطِ الزورُ

    Until, when they reached the cooler hours, they rose to young she-camels,

    as though they were curved bows of shawhat wood,

  19. عَواسِلٌ كَرَعيلِ الرَبدِ أَفزَعَها

    بِالسَيِّ مِن قانِصٍ شَلٌّ وَتَنفيرُ

    loping like a flock of dusky ostriches startled

    at al-Siyy by a hunter's chasing and shooing.

  20. حَتّى سَقى اللَيلَ سَقيَ الجِنِّ فَاِنغَمَسَت

    في جَوزِهِ إِذ دَجا الآكامُ وَالقورُ

    Until night poured down like the jinn's pouring, and they plunged

    into its midst, as knolls and flat-topped hills grew dark.

  21. غَطّى النَشازَ مَعَ الآكامِ فَاِشتَبَها

    كِلاهُما في سَوادِ اللَيلِ مَغمورُ

    It covered the high ground along with the knolls, making them alike,

    both submerged in the blackness of night.

  22. إِنَّ عَلِيّاً لَمَيمونٌ نَقيبَتُهُ

    بِالصالِحاتِ مِنَ الأَفعالِ مَشهورُ

    Indeed, Ali is of blessed character,

    renowned for righteous deeds.

  23. صِهرُ النَبِيِّ وَخيرُ الناسِ مُفتَخَراً

    فَكُلُّ مَن رامَهُ بِالفَخرِ مَفخورُ

    The Prophet's son-in-law, foremost of men in glory;

    so whoever vies with him in glory is outdone.

  24. صَلّى الطَهورُ مَعَ الأُمِيِّ أَوَّلَهُم

    قَبلَ المَعادَ وَرَبُّ الناسِ مَكفورُ

    The pure one prayed with the Unlettered One, first among them,

    before the Return, while the Lord of mankind was denied.

  25. مُقاوِمٌ لِطُغاةِ الشِركِ يَضرِبُهُم

    حَتّى اِستَقاموا وَدينُ اللَهِ مَنصورُ

    He stands against the tyrants of idolatry, striking them

    until they came aright, with God's religion triumphant.

  26. بِالعَدلِ قُمتَ أَميناً حينَ خالَفَهُ

    أَهلُ الهوَى وَذَووُ الأهواءِ وَالزورِ

    You upheld justice as a trusted guardian when it was opposed

    by followers of caprice and men of passions and falsehood.

  27. يا خَيرَ مَن حَمَلت نَعلاً لَهُ قَدَمٌ

    بَعدَ النَبِيِّ لَديهِ البَغيُ مَهجورُ

    O best of those whose foot has borne a sandal,

    after the Prophet—one in whose presence oppression is shunned—

  28. أَعطاكَ رَبُّكَ فَضلاً لا زَوالَ لَهُ

    مِن أَينَ أَنّى لَهُ الأَيامَ تَغييرُ

    your Lord has granted you excellence that shall never fade:

    from where—how—could the days bring change to it?