شجاكَ الحيُّ إذ بانوا

شجاكَ الحيُّ إذ بانوا

فدمعُ العينِ تهتانُ

فدمعُ العينِ تهتانُ

The tribe filled you with sorrow when they departed,

The tribe grieved you when they departed,

so the tears of your eyes poured without cease.

so the eye’s tears pour down.

كأنّي يومَ رَدّوا العي

كأنّي يومَ رَدّوا العي

سَ للرحلةِ نَشوانُ

سَ للرحلةِ نَشوانُ

As though I, on the day they drove the pale cam—

It was as though, the day they brought back the pale camels

—els onward for the journey, were drunk.

for departure, I were drunk.

وفوقَ العيس إذ ولُّوْا

وفوقَ العيس إذ ولُّوْا

مَهىً حُورٌ وغَزلانُ

مَهىً حُورٌ وغَزلانُ

And atop the pale camels, as they turned away,

And atop the pale camels, as they turned away,

were oryx, dark-eyed beauties, and gazelles.

were dark-eyed oryx and gazelles.

إذا ما قمنَ فالأعجا

إذا ما قمنَ فالأعجا

زُ في التشبيهِ كُثْبانُ

زُ في التشبيهِ كُثْبانُ

Whenever they stood, their haunch—

Whenever they stood, their hindquarters

—es among the dunes were dunes;

were, in likeness, sand dunes;

وما جاوزَ للأعلى

وما جاوزَ للأعلى

فأقمارٌ وأغْصانُ

فأقمارٌ وأغْصانُ

and what extended higher still

and what rose above them

was moons and branches.

was moons and branches.