جَرى ناصِحٌ بِالوُدِّ بَيني وَبَينَها

فَقَرَّبَني يَومَ الحِصابِ إِلى قَتلي

A well-wisher brought love between us

And drew me close on the day of parting to my death

فَطارَت بِحَدٍّ مِن فُؤادي وَقارَنَت

قَريبَتُها حَبلَ الصَفاءِ إِلى حَبلي

So part of my heart flew away with her

And her tent rope joined my rope

فَما أَنسَ مِلأَشياءِ لا أَنسَ مَوقِفي

وَمَوقِفَها وَهناً بِقارِعَةِ النَخلِ

So I cannot forget our stopping places

Hers and mine, by the palm trees

فَلَمّا تَواقَفنا عَرَفتُ الَّذي بِها

كَمِثلِ الَّذي بي حَذوَكَ النَعلَ بِالنَعلِ

When we stopped I knew her feeling

Was like mine, step matching step

فَعاجَت بِأَمثالِ الظِباءِ نَواعِمٍ

إِلى مَوقِفٍ بَينَ الحَجونِ إِلى النَخلِ

She hurried off like a wild deer

To a stopping place among the sand hills by the palms

فَقالَت لِأَترابٍ لَها شَبَهِ الدُمى

أَطَلنَ التَمَنّي وَالوُقوفَ عَلى شُغلي

And said to her girl friends with fawn-like eyes

"It's too long to yearn and stand waiting for him"

وَقالَت لَهُنَّ اِرجِعنَ شَيئاً لَعَلَّنا

نُعاتِبُ هَذا أَو يُراجِعُ في وَصلِ

And she said to them "Go back a little so we can

Reproach him or ask him to return to his friends"

فَقُلنَ لَها هَذا عِشاءٌ وَأَهلُنا

قَريبٌ أَلَمّا تَسأَمي مَركَبَ البَغلِ

They said "It's late and our people are near

Are you tired of riding your camel?"

فَقالَت فَما شِئتُنَّ قُلنَ لَهَ اِنزِلي

فَلَلأَرضُ خَيرٌ مِن وُقوفٍ عَلى رَحلِ

She said "Do as you wish" and they said "Get down

The ground is better than standing with burdens"

وَقُمنَ إِلَيها كَالدُمى فَاكتَنَفنَها

وَكُلٌّ يُفَدّى بِالمَوَدَّةِ وَالأَهلِ

And they gathered around her like fawns

Each ransomable by love and kinsmen

نُجومٌ دَرارِيٌ تَكَنَّفنَ صورَةً

مِنَ البَدرِ وافَت غَيرُ هَوجٍ وَلا نُكلِ

Starry-eyed gazelles clustered around

A full moon with no lack or decline

فَسَلَّمتُ وَاِستَأنَستُ خيفَةَ أَن يَرى

عَدوٌ مَكاني أَو يَرى كاشِحٌ فِعلي

I greeted her and drew confidence that no

Enemy would see me or spy witness against me

فَقالَت وَأَرخَت جانِبَ السِترِ إِنَّما

مَعي فَتَحَدَّث غَيرَ ذي رِقبَةٍ أَهلي

She unveiled her face saying "Here there is

None but an intimate without kinsmen"

فَقُلتُ لَها ما بي لَهُم مِن تَرَقُّبٍ

وَلَكِنَّ سِرّي لَيسَ يَحمِلُهُ مِثلي

I said "They have no claim over me

But my secret is too much for the likes of me"

فَلَمّا اِقتَصَرنا دونَهُنَّ حَديثَنا

وَهُنَّ طَبيباتٍ بِحاجَةِ ذي التَبلِ

When our talk fell short of them

And they were like doctors at the sick man's need

عَرَفنَ الَّذي تَهوى فَقُلنَ لَها اِئذَني

نَطُف ساعَةٌ في طيبِ لَيلٍ وَفي سَهلِ

They knew her love so said "Permit us

To enjoy for an hour the sweet night and plain"

فَقالَت فَلا تَلبَثنَ قُلنَ تَحَدَّثي

أَتَيناكِ وَاِنسَبنَ اِنسِيابَ مَها الرَملِ

She said "Do not be long" They said "Talk on

We came to you flowing like the sands"

فَقُمنَ وَقَد أَفهَمنَ ذا اللُبِّ أَنَّما

فَعَلنَ الَّذي يَفعَلنَ في ذاكَ مِن أَجلي

They left realizing that they had done

What they did for her sake and mine

وَباتَت تَمُجُّ المِسكَ في فِيَّ غادَةٌ

بَعيدَةُ مَهوى القُرطِ صامِتَةُ الحَجلِ

And she stayed perfuming me with musk in the gloom

A singing camel driver keeping silent

تُقَلِّبُ عَينَي ظَبيَةٍ تَرتَعي الخَلى

وَتَحنو عَلى رَخصِ الشَوى أَغيَدٍ طَفلِ

Turning the eyes of a gazelle browsing the pasture

Yearning for the freedom of an untamed foal

وَتَفتَرُّ عَن كَالأُقحُوانِ بِرَوضَةٍ

جَلَتهُ الصَبا وَالمُستَهِلُّ مِنَ الوَبلِ

Baring a meadow the youth and early rains

Had uncovered from high ground and obstruction

أَهيمُ بِها في كُلِّ مُمسىً وَمُصبَحٍ

وَأُكثِرُ دَعواها إِذا خَدِرَت رِجلي

I dream of her at every evening and dawn

And increase my prayers when my feet grow numb