أُقيم طَليقاً بِالحِمى وَأَسيرُ

أُقيم طَليقاً بِالحِمى وَأَسيرُ

وَقَلبِيَ بِالخَدِّ الأَثيلِ أَسيرُ

وَقَلبِيَ بِالخَدِّ الأَثيلِ أَسيرُ

I dwell free in the protected grounds and travel,

I stand free in the sanctuary, yet I'm a captive

While my heart is captive to the noble cheek.

My heart is a captive of the smooth cheek

وَأَبكي وَلي صَبرٌ بَكيءٌ قليبُهُ

وَأَبكي وَلي صَبرٌ بَكيءٌ قليبُهُ

وَدَمعٌ عَلى الظبى الغَرير غَزيرُ

وَدَمعٌ عَلى الظبى الغَرير غَزيرُ

And I weep, though I have patience whose well yields little,

I weep, and my weeping heart is very patient

And copious tears for the guileless gazelle.

Tears pouring on the gazelle's back are plenty

برامَةَ آرام وَأُسدٌ خَوادِرٌ

برامَةَ آرام وَأُسدٌ خَوادِرٌ

فَثَمَّ بُغامٌ يَلتَقي وَزَئيرُ

فَثَمَّ بُغامٌ يَلتَقي وَزَئيرُ

At Rama are white gazelles and lions hidden in their lairs;

Brama's relaxation, and roaring lions

So there a gazelle's call meets a lion's roar.

So there are young camels meeting and neighing

أَوانِسُ نورٍ باسِمات ثُغورُها

أَوانِسُ نورٍ باسِمات ثُغورُها

بِنَورِ أَقاحٍ مِنهُ أَشرَقَ نورُ

بِنَورِ أَقاحٍ مِنهُ أَشرَقَ نورُ

Maidens of light, their mouths smiling

Lamps of light with bright cheeks their strongholds

With daisy blossoms from which light shone.

With bright stars' light that emitted light from it

وَبيضٌ وَسُمرٌ دونَهُنَّ سُرادقٌ

وَبيضٌ وَسُمرٌ دونَهُنَّ سُرادقٌ

مِنَ البيضِ وَالسُمرِ اللِدانِ وَسورُ

مِنَ البيضِ وَالسُمرِ اللِدانِ وَسورُ

And fair and dusky maidens, with an enclosure before them,

And white and brown, below them are litters

Of gleaming swords and supple brown spears, and a rampart.

Made of white and brown leather and fences

ثُغورُ ظِباءٍ حُصِّنَت بِشَبا الظبى ال

ثُغورُ ظِباءٍ حُصِّنَت بِشَبا الظبى ال

مَواضي فَهَل تِلكَ الثُغورُ ثُغورُ

مَواضي فَهَل تِلكَ الثُغورُ ثُغورُ

Gazelles' mouths, fortified with the points of the sword-blades—

Strongholds of gazelles fortified with gazelle shrubs not plains so are those really strongholds

Keen-cutting—are those mouths, then, frontier strongholds?

And I have images in a turbulent sea its domes

وَبي صوَرٌ في بَحرِ زَغفٍ قِبابها

وَبي صوَرٌ في بَحرِ زَغفٍ قِبابها

مُحيطٌ بِها بَحرٌ كَذَلِكَ صورُ

مُحيطٌ بِها بَحرٌ كَذَلِكَ صورُ

And I yearn; their domed tents lie in a sea of fine chain mail.

Surrounded by a sea that’s how the images are

A sea surrounds them, as it does Tyre.

They shook supple well-fed as if they are

هَزَزنَ قَدوداً مائِساتٍ كَأَنَّها

هَزَزنَ قَدوداً مائِساتٍ كَأَنَّها

غُصونٌ عَلى الكُثبِ الدِهاسِ تَمورُ

غُصونٌ عَلى الكُثبِ الدِهاسِ تَمورُ

They swayed their graceful figures, as though they were

Branches on the fertile body that bears fruit

Branches swaying on dunes of soft sand.

Braids of pretty one who plaited with chaste young men

عَقائِلُ صينَت مِن عُقَيلٍ بِفِتيةٍ

عَقائِلُ صينَت مِن عُقَيلٍ بِفِتيةٍ

كَأَنَّهُمُ فَوقَ الجِيادِ صُقورُ

كَأَنَّهُمُ فَوقَ الجِيادِ صُقورُ

Noblewomen of Uqayl, guarded by young men,

As if they are eagles above the steeds

As though they were falcons atop their steeds.