تَحِنُّ حَنيناً إِلى مالِكٍ

فَحِنّي حَنينَكِ إِنّي مُعالي

Longing for a lover

So long for me as I long for you

إِلى دار قَومٍ حِسانِ الوُجوهِ

عِظامِ القِبابِ طِوالِ العَوال

To a land of fair faced people

With tall domed buildings and high status

فَوَجَّهتُهُنَّ عَلى مَهمَهٍ

قَليلِ الوَغى غَيرَ صَوتِ الرِئالِ

placed them on an important mission

سِراعاً دَوائِبَ ما يَنثَني

نَ حَتّى اِحتَلَلنَ بِحَيِّ حِلالِ

With little commotion other than ostriches' cries

Hastening the usual pace without pause

بِسَعدِ بنِ ثَعلَبَةَ الأَكرَمي

نَ أَهلِ الفِضالِ وَأَهلِ النَوالِ

Until they reached Saad bin Tha'labah's estate

The generous and noble one

لَيالِيَ يَحبونَني وُدَّهُم

وَيَحبونَ قِدرَكَ غُرَّ المَحالِ

Nights they love me for my affection

And love you more than worlds can contain

فَتُصبِحُ في المَحلِ مُحوَرَّةً

لِفَيءِ إِهالَتِها كَالظِلالِ

Thus in the abode centered

Like shadows in its protection

فَإِن كُنتِ ساقِيَةً مَعشَراً

كِرامَ الضَرائِبِ في كُلِّ حالِ

If you are serving this noble group

The finest men in any case

عَلى كَرَمٍ وَعَلى نَجَدَةٍ

رَحيقاً بِماءٍ نِطافٍ زُلالِ

With generosity and readiness

A drink of clear cool water

فَكوني أُولَئِكَ تَسقينَها

فِدىً لِأُولَئِكَ عَمي وَخالي

Then be to those, my life and kin I'd give

Were they not the horsemen at Euphrates

أَلَيسوا الفَوارِسَ يَومَ الفُراتِ

وَالخَيلُ بِالقَومِ مِثلُ السَعالي

With horses as plentiful as flint

They are who they are with those beauties

وَهُم مَا هُمُ عِندَ تِلكَ الهَناتِ

إِذا زَعزَعَ الطَلحَ ريحُ الشَمالِ

When the pendulous branches sway in the north wind

With a sheltering veil for the weak

بِدُهمٍ ضَوامِنَ لِلمُعتَفي

نَ أَن يَمنَحوهُنَّ قَبلَ العِيالِ

Lest they give them away before their own families