عُقَيِليَّةٌ أَمّا مَلاثُ إِزارِها

عُقَيِليَّةٌ أَمّا مَلاثُ إِزارِها

فَدِعصٌ وَأَمّا خَصرُها فَبَتِيلُ

فَدِعصٌ وَأَمّا خَصرُها فَبَتِيلُ

A woman of ʿUqayl—as for the place her waist-wrap encircles,

A slender beauty, her robe in tatters bundled,

it is a rounded sandhill; and as for her waist, it is slender.

Her waist so fine, a wisp that can be held!

تَرَبَّعُ أَكنَافَ الحِمَى وَمَقِيلُها

تَرَبَّعُ أَكنَافَ الحِمَى وَمَقِيلُها

بتَثلِيثَ مِن ظِلِّ الأَرَاكِ ظَليلُ

بتَثلِيثَ مِن ظِلِّ الأَرَاكِ ظَليلُ

She spends spring along the edges of the protected pasture, and her noonday resting place

She sits composed within the fire's embers

at Tathlīth lies in the deep shade of the arāk trees.

Cooled in the shade of branches triple-layered.

أَيَا زَينَةَ الدُّنيا وما مُنتَهَى المُنَى

أَيَا زَينَةَ الدُّنيا وما مُنتَهَى المُنَى

وَيا أَمَلِى هَل لِى إِلَيكِ سَبِيلُ

وَيا أَمَلِى هَل لِى إِلَيكِ سَبِيلُ

O adornment of the world—and what is the utmost of wishes?

O loveliness of life, and yet life’s limits!—

And O my hope, is there a way for me to reach you?

My hope, is there a path that leads to you?

فَدَيتُكِ أَعدائِى كَثِيرٌ وَشُقَّتِى

فَدَيتُكِ أَعدائِى كَثِيرٌ وَشُقَّتِى

بَعِيدٌ وَأَنصَارِى لَدَيكِ قَليلُ

بَعِيدٌ وَأَنصَارِى لَدَيكِ قَليلُ

May I be your ransom! My enemies are many, and my journey

For you, my enemies I’d ransom utterly,

is long, and my supporters with you are few.

Though few stand by me, and my woes accrue.

وَكُنتُ إِذا ما جِئتُ جِئتُ بِعِلَّةٍ

وَكُنتُ إِذا ما جِئتُ جِئتُ بِعِلَّةٍ

فَأَفنَيتُ عِلاّتِى فَكَيفَ أَقُولُ

فَأَفنَيتُ عِلاّتِى فَكَيفَ أَقُولُ

And whenever I came, I would come with an excuse;

When I would come, excuses I would tender,

so I have exhausted my excuses—how, then, am I to speak?

Yet I’ve no plea left now—what can I do?