1. أبرقٌ بدا من جانِبِ الغَور لامعُ

    أمِ ارتفَعَتْ عن وجهِ ليلى البراقع

    Is it lightning that has appeared, flashing from the direction of al-Ghawr,

    or have the veils been lifted from Layla's face?

  2. أَنَارُ الغضا ضاءتْ وسلمى بذي الغضا

    أمِ ابتَسَمتْ عمّا حكتهُ المدامع

    Is it the ghada-wood fire that has shone, with Salma at Dhi al-Ghada,

    or has she smiled, revealing what the tears mirrored?

  3. أنْشرُ خُزامى فاح أم عَرْفُ حاجرٍ

    بأُمّ القُرَى أم عِطْرُ عَزَّةَ ضائع

    Is it lavender's scent that has wafted, or Hajir's fragrance

    at Umm al-Qura, or is Azza's perfume spreading?

  4. ألا ليتَ شِعري هل سُلَيْمَى مقيمة

    بِوادي الحِمى حيثُ المُتَيَّمُ والع

    Oh, would that I knew: is Sulayma dwelling

    in the valley of al-Hima, where the love-enslaved one burns with longing?

  5. وهل لَعلَعَ الرّعْدُ الهَتونُ بِلَعلَعٍ

    وهل جادَها صَوب من المُزنِ هامع

    And has rain-laden thunder resounded at La'la'?

    And has a streaming downpour from the rain clouds drenched it?

  6. وهل أَرِدَنْ ماء العُذَيْب وحاجِر

    جِهَاراً وسِرُّ الليلِ بالصّبح شائع

    And shall I reach the waters of al-Udhayb and Hajir

    openly, as the night's secret becomes known at dawn?

  7. وهل قاعةُ الوعساء مخْضَرّةُ الرُّبى

    وهل ما مضَى فيها من العيش راجع

    And are the hills of al-Wa'sa's plain green?

    And will the life once lived there return?

  8. وهل برُبَى نجْدٍ فتوضحَ مسنِدٌ

    أُهَيلَ النّقا عمّا حوَتْه الأضالع

    And on the hills of Najd, then Tudih, is there one to tell

    the dear folk of al-Naqa what my ribs have held?

  9. وهل بِلِوى سَلْعٍ يُسَلْ عن مُتَيَّمٍ

    بكاظِمَةٍ ماذا به الشّوقُ صانع

    And at the sand-bend of Sal', is inquiry made about a love-enslaved man

    in Kazima—what longing is doing to him?

  10. وهل عَذَبَاتُ الرّنِد يُقْطَفُ نورها

    وهل سَلَماتٌ بالحِجاز أيانع

    And are blossoms plucked from the tips of the laurel boughs?

    And are acacias in the Hijaz ripening?

  11. وهل أَثَلاتُ الجِزعِ مُثمِرةٌ وهَل

    عُيونُ عوادي الدّهرِ عنها هواجع

    And are the tamarisks of the valley bend bearing fruit, and are

    the eyes of time's calamities asleep, heedless of them?

  12. وهل قاصراتُ الطرف عِينٌ بعالجٍ

    على عهدِيَ المَعهودِ أمْ هوَ ضائع

    And are the wide-eyed maidens at Alij, their gaze restrained,

    true to my long-held covenant, or has it been lost?

  13. وهل ظَبَيَاتُ الرّقْمَتَيِن بُعَيْدَنَا

    أَقَمَنا بها أمْ دونَ ذلكَ مانع

    And did the gazelles of al-Raqmatayn, just after we left,

    remain there, or did something prevent that?

  14. وهل فَتياتٌ بالغُوَيْرِ يُرينَنَي

    مَرابعَ نُعْمٍ نِعْمَ تلكَ المَرابع

    And will the maidens at al-Ghuwayr show me

    Nu'm's spring encampments? How fine those encampments!

  15. وهل ظِلُّ ذاك الضّال شرقيّ ضارجٍ

    ظَلِيلٌ فقد روّتْهُ منّي المَدامع

    And is the shade of that wild lote tree east of Darij

    deep? For my tears have watered it.

  16. وهل عامرٌ من بَعْدِنا شِعبُ عامرٍ

    وهل هوَ يوماً للمُحبّينَ جامع

    And is Amir's ravine inhabited after our departure?

    And will it one day bring lovers together?

  17. وهل أَمَّ بيتَ اللِه يا أُمّ مالِكٍ

    عُرَيْبٌ لهُمْ عندي جميعاً صنائع

    And, O Umm Malik, has God's House been sought

    by dear Arab folk, all of whom have shown me kindness?

  18. وهل نَزَلَ الرّكبُ العِراقي مُعَرِّفاً

    وهل شُرِعَت نحو الخِيام شرائع

    And has the Iraqi caravan halted to stand at Arafat?

    And have paths been opened toward the tents?

  19. وهل رَقَصَت بالمأزِمَين قلائصٌ

    وهل للقِباب البيضِ فيها تَدَافُع

    And have young she-camels danced at al-Ma'zimayn?

    And do the white domed tents jostle there?

  20. وهل لي بجمع الشمل في جمع مُسعِدٌ

    وهل لليالي الخَيْف بالعُمْر بائع

    And is there anyone to aid my reunion at Jam'?

    And is there one who will sell al-Khayf's nights for my life?

  21. وهل سَلّمت سَلمَى على الحَجَرِ الذي

    بِه العهدُ والتفّت عليِه الأصابع

    And has Salma greeted the Stone that

    holds the covenant, and around which fingers have curled?

  22. وهل رَضَعَت من ثَدي زمزَم رَضْعَةً

    فلا حُرّمت يوماً عليها المراضع

    And has she suckled once at Zamzam's breast?

    So may wet nurses never be forbidden to her!

  23. لعلّ أُصَيْحَابي بمكّة يُبْرِدُوا

    بِذِكْرِ سُلَيْمَى ما تُجِنّ الأضالع

    Perhaps my dear companions in Mecca will cool

    with mention of Sulayma what my ribs conceal.

  24. وعلّ اللُّيَيْلاَتِ التي قد تصرّمت

    تعودُ لنا يوماً فيَظْفَرَ طامعُ

    And perhaps those few dear nights that have passed

    will return to us one day, so that a hopeful one may attain his wish,

  25. وَيفْرَحَ محزونٌ ويَحْيَا مُتَيَّمٌ

    ويأنَسَ مُشْتَاقٌ ويلتَذّ سامعُ

    and a grieving one rejoice, and a love-enslaved one live,

    and a yearning one find solace, and a listener take delight.