1. كَم قَد أَفَضنا مِن دُموعٍ وَدَماً

    عَلى رُسومِ لِلدِيارِ وَدِمَن

    How many tears, and how much blood, we have poured out

    Upon the traces of dwellings and deserted campsites!

  2. وَكَم قَضَينا لِلبُكاءِ مَنسِكاً

    لَمّا تَذَكَّرنا بِهِنَّ مَن سَكَن

    And how many rites of weeping we performed

    When there we remembered those who had dwelt!

  3. مَعاهِداً تُحدِثُ لِلصَبرِ فَناً

    إِن ناحَتِ الوُرقُ بِها عَلى فَنَن

    Haunts that bring patience to its end,

    If the gray doves lament there upon a bough.

  4. تَذكارُها أَحدَثَ في الحَلقِ شَجاً

    وَفي الحَشا قَرحاً وَفي القَلبِ شَجَن

    Their remembrance set a choking lump in the throat,

    And a wound in the breast, and grief in the heart.

  5. لِلَّهِ أَيّامٌ لَنا عَلى مِنىً

    فَكَم لَها عِندي أَيادٍ وَمِنَن

    God bless the days we had at Mina!

    For how many favors and blessings they bestowed on me!

  6. كَم كانَ فيها مِن فَتاةٍ وَفَتىً

    كُلُّ لِقَلبِ المُستَهامِ قَد فَتَن

    How many a maiden and youth were there,

    Each having bewitched the lovesick heart!

  7. شَرِبتُ فيها لَذَّةَ العَيشِ حَساً

    وَما رَأَيتُ بَعدَها مَرأً حَسَن

    There I drank life's sweetness, sip by sip,

    And since those days I have seen no pleasing sight.

  8. فَما اِرتَكَبنا بِالوِصالِ مَأثِماً

    بَل بِعتُهُم رَوحي بِغَيرِ ما ثَمَن

    So we committed no sin in our union;

    Rather, I sold them my soul for no price.

  9. وَعاذِلٍ أَضمَرَ مَكراً وَدَهاً

    فَنَمَّقَ الغِشَّ بِنُصحٍ وَدَهَن

    And a reproacher harbored deceit and cunning,

    Then dressed his fraud in counsel and flattery.

  10. لاحٍ غَدا يَعرِفُ لِلقَلبِ لَحاً

    إِن أَعرَبَ القَولَ بِعَذلي أَو لَحَن

    A scolder who learned how to rebuke the heart,

    Whether he spoke correctly in blaming me or mangled his words.

  11. يَزيدُني بِالزَجرِ وَجداً وَأَسىً

    إِن كانَ ماءُ الوُدِّ مِنهُ قَد أَسَن

    His scolding increases my passion and sorrow,

    If the water of his affection has grown stale.

  12. سَئِمتُ مِنهُ اللَومَ إِذ طالَ مَدىً

    فَلَم أُجِبهُ بَل بَدَوتُ إِذ مَدَن

    I tired of his reproach, since it had gone on so long;

    So I gave him no answer, but took to the desert as he settled in town,

  13. بِحَسرَةٍ تَشتَدُّ في السِرِّ قِراً

    إِذ لَم تُذَلَّل بِزِمامٍ وَقَرَن

    On a weary she-camel, growing strong-backed in secret (wording unclear),

    Since she had not been tamed with a rein or coupling-rope.

  14. لا تَتَشَكّى نَصَباً وَلا وَجىً

    إِذا دَجا اللَيلُ عَلى الرَكبِ وَجَن

    She complains of neither fatigue nor sore feet,

    When night darkens over the caravan and shrouds it.

  15. كَم سَبَقَت إِلى المِياهِ مِن قَطاً

    فَأَورَدَت بِاللَيلِ وَهوَ في قَطَن

    How many sandgrouse she outstripped on the way to water!

    So she brought me to water by night, while the sandgrouse were in Qatan.

  16. حَثَّت فَأَعطَت في السَرى خَيرَ عَطاً

    إِن حَنَّ يَوماً غَيرُها إِلى عَطَن

    She sped on, giving her best on the night journey,

    If ever another mount yearned for its resting-place by water.

  17. وَأَصبَحَت مِن بَعدِ أَينٍ وَعَياً

    لِلمَلكِ الناصِرِ ضَيفاً وَعَيَن

    And after fatigue and exhaustion I became

    A guest and a man of standing with King al-Nasir.

  18. مَلكٌ غَدا لِسائِرِ الناسِ أَباً

    إِن سارَ في كَسبِ الثَناءِ أَو أَبَن

    A king who became a father to all people,

    Whether he went forth to earn praise or remained.

  19. الناصِرُ المَلكُ الَّذي فاضَ جَداً

    فَخِلتُهُ ذا يَزَنٍ أَو ذا جَدَن

    Al-Nasir, the king whose bounty overflowed,

    So I thought him Dhu Yazan or Dhu Jadan.

  20. مَلكٌ عَلا جَدّاً وَقَدراً وَسَناً

    فَجاءَ في طُرقِ العُلى عَلى سَنَن

    A king exalted in fortune, rank, and radiance,

    Who took a straight course along the paths of glory.

  21. لا جورَ في بِلادِهِ وَلا عِداً

    إِن عُدَّ في العَدلِ زَبيدٌ وَعَدَن

    There is no injustice in his lands, nor hostility,

    When Zabid and Aden are reckoned in matters of justice.

  22. كَم بِدَرٍ أَعطى الوُفودَ وَلُهىً

    وَكانَ يُرضيهِم كَفافاً وَلُهَن

    How many purses of money and gifts he gave the delegations!

    Though mere subsistence and morsels would have satisfied them.

  23. جَنَيتُ مِن إِنعامِهِ خَيرَ جَنىً

    وَكُنتُ مِن قَبلُ كَمَيتٍ في جَنَن

    I harvested the finest fruit from his bounty,

    Having been before like a dead man in a grave.

  24. فَما شَكَيتُ في حِماهُ لَغباً

    وَلَو أَطاقَ الدَهرُ غَبني لَغَبَن

    So in his protection I never complained of weariness;

    And had Time been able to cheat me, it surely would have.

  25. دَعَوتُهُ بِالمَدحِ عَن صِدقٍ وَلاً

    فَلَم يُجِب يَوماً بِلَم وَلا وَلَن

    I addressed him with praise, out of sincere loyalty,

    And never did he answer 'did not,' 'no,' or 'will not.'

  26. أَنظِمُ في كُلِّ صَباحٍ وَمَساً

    كَأَنَّهُ لِصارِمِ الدَهرِ مِسَن

    I compose verses every morning and evening,

    As though he were a whetstone for Time's sword.

  27. يامَلِكاً فاقَ المُلوكَ وَرَعاً

    إِن شانَ أَهلَ المُلكِ طَيشٌ وَرَعَن

    O king who surpassed kings in piety,

    When rashness and folly mar those who rule,

  28. أَكسَبتَني بِالقُربِ مَجداً وَعُلاً

    فَصُغتُ فيكَ المَدحَ سِرّاً وَعَلَن

    You gave me glory and eminence through nearness to you,

    So I fashioned praise of you, in secret and in public.

  29. إِن أولِكَ المَدحَ الجَميلَ فَحَراً

    وَإِن كَبا فِكرُ سِوايَ أَو حَرَن

    If I offer you fair praise, it is fitting,

    Even if another's thought stumbles or balks.

  30. لا زِلتَ في مُلكِكَ خِلواً مِن عَناً

    وَليسَ لِلهَمَّ لَدَيكَ مِن عَنَن

    May you remain free of hardship in your kingdom,

    And may worry find no way to intrude upon you.

  31. وَنِلتَ فيهِ ما تَرومُ مِن مِنىً

    وَعِشتَ في عِزٍّ وَبَأسٍ وَمِنَن

    And may you gain in it whatever wishes you seek,

    And live in honor, might, and bounty.