لَها نَسَقاتٌ كَالقَطا نَشَطَت بِهِ

لَها نَسَقاتٌ كَالقَطا نَشَطَت بِهِ

مِنَ الدوِّ صَفراءُ اللَّبانِ طمومُ

مِنَ الدوِّ صَفراءُ اللَّبانِ طمومُ

Her strides come in ordered runs, like sandgrouse; she sets out with him

Hers are rhythmic strides, like a sandgrouse drawn briskly away

from the open waste—yellow-breasted and fleet.

from the open desert by a yellow-breasted, swift-moving female.

تقلبه عَن وَكرِهِ عُلَوِيَّةٌ

تقلبه عَن وَكرِهِ عُلَوِيَّةٌ

كَما جُرَّ عَن أَصلِ الحماطِ هَشيمُ

كَما جُرَّ عَن أَصلِ الحماطِ هَشيمُ

An upland-bred she-camel tosses him far from his nest,

An upland female turns him away from his nest,

as dry brush is dragged from the wild fig’s root.

as dry brushwood is dragged from the base of wild fig trees.

بِضَمرٍ كَجَروِ الشَّري لَم تَطوِ غَيرَهُ

بِضَمرٍ كَجَروِ الشَّري لَم تَطوِ غَيرَهُ

فِراغاً وَلَم يُكتَب هُناكَ أَديمُ

فِراغاً وَلَم يُكتَب هُناكَ أَديمُ

With a belly lean as the sharī’s whelp, she enfolds nothing but

With a slender crop like a young colocynth fruit, she has folded no other

emptiness; no leather hide was ever stitched there.

roomy waterskin, nor has any hide been stitched there.

إِذا خَفَّ ماءُ المُزنِ فيهِ تَيَمَّمت

إِذا خَفَّ ماءُ المُزنِ فيهِ تَيَمَّمت

يَمامَتها أَيّ العِدادِ تَرومُ

يَمامَتها أَيّ العِدادِ تَرومُ

When the rainwater there dwindles, its doves set their course

When the rainclouds’ water in it runs low, she turns

for whichever perennial watering place they seek.

toward her goal—whichever perennial springs she seeks.