1. لِموذيةٍ لدى منَحٍ رسُومُ

    تلوحُ وعهدُها بالٍ قديمُ

    Mudhiyah has traces of dwellings near Manah.

    They gleam, though their memory is faded and ancient.

  2. معاهدُها وإذا هيَ ذاتُ دَلّ

    تُسرْهدُها اللذاذةُ والنعيمُ

    Her familiar haunts, when she was full of coquettish charm,

    Made plump by pleasure and luxury.

  3. عَروبٌ رخصةُ الأطرافِ خَوْدٌ

    بَرهرهةٌ لها لفظٌ رخيمُ

    Amorous, soft-limbed, a young beauty,

    Tender-skinned and full-fleshed, with mellow speech.

  4. إذا خطَرت ومرَّ بها نسيمٌ

    أمادَ قَوامَها ذاك النسيمُ

    When she sways along and a breeze passes by her,

    That breeze sets her figure swaying.

  5. مَيودٌ إن أتتك وإن تولَّت

    تَلاطم خلفها كفلٌ فعيمُ

    She sways when she comes to you; when she turns away,

    Her ample rump surges behind her.

  6. تقومُ فتُمسك الخَصرَ اضطراراً

    فتقعدُها العجيزةُ إذ تقومُ

    She rises, compelled to hold her waist,

    Then her rump seats her again as she rises.

  7. وتَبسمُ عنْ ثنايا واضحاتٍ

    تلوحُ كأنَّها درٌّ نظيمُ

    And she smiles, revealing bright front teeth,

    That gleam like pearls strung in order.

  8. كأنَّ سُلافةً صَهباءَ صرْفاً

    معتَّقةً يَطوفُ بها النديمُ

    As though pure, tawny wine of the first pressing,

    Well aged and passed around by a drinking companion,

  9. على فيها إذا ما اللَّيلُ ناءَتْ

    كلا كله وغوَّرَتِ النجومُ

    Lay on her lips, when night heaves up

    Its heavy breasts, and the stars sink from sight.

  10. نَأتْ عنَّا بموذيةِ المهَاري

    فضَلَّ لها بها عنَّا رسَيمُ

    The Mahri camels bore Mudhiyah away from us,

    So her swift trot upon them strayed away from us.

  11. وها أنا بعدَ موذيةٍ مَشوقٌ

    كثيرُ الهمَّ مكتئبٌ هَيومُ

    And here I am, since Mudhiyah left, yearning,

    Full of care, dejected, distraught with love.

  12. أبيتُ مسهَّداً قلقاً حزيناً

    أئنُّ أسىً كما أنَّ السليمُ

    I spend the night sleepless, anxious and sorrowful,

    Moaning in grief as one snakebitten moans.

  13. أشيم البارقَ المنَحِيَّ وهنْا

    ومن أهواه عن سهري نؤومُ

    I watch the lightning over Manah late at night,

    While the one I love sleeps soundly, heedless of my vigil.

  14. أكادُ أطيرُ حينَ يمرُّ شوْقاً

    وعندي مُقِعدُ الوجدِ المقيمُ

    I almost fly with longing when it passes,

    Yet ever-present passion holds me down.

  15. وإنْ خَفَق النسيمُ أطارَ قلبي

    وهيَّجَ لوعتي ذاكَ النسيمُ

    And if the breeze stirs, it sends my heart flying,

    And that breeze inflames my anguish.

  16. تقولُ ألا رثيْت لطولِ ليلي

    وهلْ يرثي لضائمِه مَضيمُ

    She says, 'Will you not pity my long night?'

    And does one wronged pity the one who wrongs him?

  17. خلوْتَ حشبىً وجئتَ بغير قصدٍ

    وذلك ليس يفعله الكريمُ

    You were alone [unclear word], and came without purpose,

    And that is not what a noble man does.

  18. ألا من حسُنِ وجِهكِ زودينا

    فإنَّ الحسنَ شيءٌ ما يدومُ

    Ah, give us some of your face's beauty as provision,

    For beauty is a thing that does not last.

  19. ولا تبغي عليَّ بغيرِ ذنبٍ

    فإنَّ البغيَ مرتعُهُ وخيمُ

    And do not wrong me when I have done no wrong,

    For injustice's pasture is unwholesome.

  20. فقالت وهيَ باسمَةٌ دَلالاً

    تصدَّى مثلَ ما يعتَنّ ريمُ

    Then she said, smiling coquettishly,

    Coming forward as a white gazelle appears:

  21. ألا يصحو فؤادُكَ من غرامٍ

    وهل يصحو وأنتَ له غريمُ

    'Will your heart not sober up from passion?'

    And can it sober up, when you are its creditor?

  22. وأمُّ الشوقِ منتاجٌ ولودٌ

    وأمُّ الصَّبرِ مِنزارٌ عقيمُ

    And longing's mother is prolific, ever-bearing,

    While patience's mother is scant-bearing and barren.

  23. أموذيَ ما وحسنِك راق طرفي

    سواك وإنه قسَمٌ عظيمُ

    O Mudhiyah, by your beauty, none has pleased my gaze

    But you—and this is a mighty oath.

  24. يريمُ الروحُ عن جسمي مماتاً

    وحبكِ في فؤادي ما يريمُ

    The soul leaves my body at death,

    But love for you never leaves my heart.

  25. يصيحُ الصبر بي فأروغُ عنهُ

    ويدعوني هواك فأستقيمُ

    Patience calls to me, but I slip away from it,

    And love for you calls me, so I go straight to it.

  26. أطعتِ اللأئميكِ فخُنتِ عهدي

    ولمَّا أصغِ فيكِ لمن يلومُ

    You obeyed your reproachers and betrayed my pledge,

    While I have not yet heeded anyone who blames me over you.

  27. بكيتُ صبابةً فاستجهلوني

    وقد يُستجهلُ الرجل الحليمُ

    I wept with longing, so they deemed me foolish,

    Yet even a forbearing man may be deemed a fool.

  28. أحِنُّ إليكِ من ولَهٍ وشوقٍ

    كما قد حنَّ للثَّديِ الفطيمُ

    I yearn for you with love's bewilderment and longing,

    As a weaned child yearns for the breast.

  29. فوصلكِ دونهُ الفردَوسُ طيباً

    وصدُّكِ دون أبرده الجحيمُ

    For Paradise is less sweet than union with you,

    And Hell is cooler than your rejection at its coolest.

  30. وهل ينساكِ مهيومٌ إذا ما

    تذكر وصلك الماضي يهيمُ

    And can one mad with love forget you, when

    He recalls past union with you and is lost in passion?

  31. ويطربهُ التغزُّل بالبوادي

    وتشجيه المعالمُ والرُّسومُ

    And love verse about desert women delights him,

    While the landmarks and dwelling traces grieve him.

  32. إذا أنا لم ألمْكِ وأنت حِّبي

    على هذا الصدودِ فمن ألومُ

    If I do not blame you—you who are my love—

    For this rejection, then whom shall I blame?