1. أَترى يؤوب زمانُنا

    غضّاً بأودية الغَضْا

    Do you think our time will return,

    fresh in the valleys of ghaḍā trees,

  2. ويعود فينا مقبلاً

    مَنْ كان عنّا معرضا

    and he will return among us, drawing near—

    the one who used to turn away from us?

  3. قمرٌ بصفحة خدِّهِ

    عَضْبُ المَحاسنِ مُنتَضى

    A moon, upon the surface of whose cheek

    beauty's keen blade is unsheathed.

  4. مَلّكْتُهُ قلبي وكمْ

    رَجَعَ الّذي قد أقرضا

    I made him master of my heart—and how often

    has a lender reclaimed what he lent!

  5. وَلَقَد أَقول وَكم أرى

    عَجباً قضاهُ من قضى

    Indeed I say—and how often I see

    a wonder decreed by the One who decrees:

  6. أَنتَ الصّحيحُ فكمْ تكو

    ن لمن يحبّك مُمرضا

    You are healthy—how often you are

    a cause of sickness to whoever loves you!

  7. وإذا عُشِقتَ فلا تزا

    لُ لأهلِ عِشقِك مُبغضا

    And when you are loved, you never cease

    hating those who love you.

  8. بَدّلتَ رَأسي أسوداً

    لمّا هجرتَ بأبيضا

    You exchanged my head, once black,

    when you deserted me, for a white one.

  9. ما ضَرّ رامي مُهجتي

    لَو أنّه ليَ أنبضا

    What harm would it have done the archer at my heart

    had he twanged his bowstring for me?

  10. وَمجدّدَ الإعراضِ لو

    قبل التلاقي أعرضا

    And the renewer of disdain, had

    he turned away before we met?

  11. مَن مبلغٌ عنِّي الرئي

    سَ مُصرِّحاً ومُعرِّضا

    Who will convey my words to the chief,

    plainly and by allusion:

  12. أنتَ الّذي لمّا ظفر

    تُ بودِّه نِلتُ الرّضا

    You are the one—when I won

    your affection, I attained contentment.

  13. وغفرتُ من جُرمِ الزّما

    نِ لأجله ما قد مضى

    And I forgave the wrongs of Time—

    for his sake—whatever had passed.

  14. أَبناءُ ما سرجيسَ ما

    زالوا الكفاةَ النُّهَّضا

    The sons of Mā Sarjīs have never

    ceased to be capable, vigorous men,

  15. السابقين إلى الفضا

    ئلِ كلَّ سارٍ رُكَّضا

    racing toward the virtues ahead of

    every traveler, at a gallop;

  16. أُسْدٌ تراهمْ للفرا

    ئِسِ في الفضائل رُبّضا

    lions you see awaiting prey,

    crouched amid the virtues.

  17. وإذا رمى منهمْ فتىً

    يوماً أصاب فأغرضا

    And if a young man among them shoots,

    on any day, he strikes true and hits the mark.

  18. وَإِذا اِستَغاثَ بِهمْ جري

    حٌ في وغىً سدّوا الفضا

    And if a wounded man calls to them for help

    in battle, they fill the open expanse

  19. بصواهلٍ وذوابلٍ

    وصوارمٍ مثلِ الإضا

    with neighing steeds and slender spears,

    and keen swords like pools of water.

  20. حوشيتُ أنْ أسلاكمُ

    وأملّكُمْ أو أُعرِضا

    Far be it from me to forget you

    and grow weary of you, or turn away,

  21. أو أنْ أُرى بسواكُمُ

    متبدّلاً متعوّضا

    or be seen with anyone but you,

    taking a substitute, seeking a replacement.

  22. لا حال ودٌّ بيننا

    عُمْرَ الزّمان ولا اِنقضى

    May the affection between us never change

    throughout Time's life, nor come to an end.

  23. وخباءُ ما أضحى وأم

    سى بيننا ما قُوِّضا

    And the tent of what has been, morning

    and evening, between us—may it never be struck.

  24. وَإِذا أقمتُ فلا أبا

    لي مَن يرحّلُهُ القَضا

    And if I remain, I do not care

    whom Fate sends away.

  25. خُذْها يسوق بها الوِدا

    دُ إليك سوقاً مُجهِضا

    Take it: affection drives it

    toward you in a headlong rush.

  26. تَكسو الّذي لم يَعْرَ من

    ه ولا نضارة مَن نَضا

    It clothes one who has never been bare

    of it, nor stripped anyone of their radiance.

  27. لو رامها منِّي سوا

    كَ لبات منها مُنفِضا

    Had anyone but you sought it from me,

    he would have spent the night without it, empty-handed.