وَقائِلَةٍ ما بالُ دَوسَرَ بَعدَنا

صَحا قَلبُهُ عَن آلِ لَيلى وَعَن هِندِ

And a questioner asked, "Why after us does Dowser pine

His heart cured of passion for Layla or Hind?"

فَإِن تَكُ أَثوابي تَمَزَّقنَ لِلَيلى

فَإِنّي كَنَصلِ السَيفِ في خَلَقِ الغِمدِ

"If my clothes are tattered for Layla's sake,

I'm as a swordblade resting snug in its sheath.

وَإِن يَكُ شَيبٌ قَد عَلاني فَرُبَّما

أَراني في ريعِ الشَبابِ مَعَ المُردِ

If grey hairs should come, then I will sometimes

Seem amid the fresh-faced youths a prodigy.

طَويلُ يَدِ السِربالِ أَغيَدُ لِلصِبا

أَكُفُّ عَلى ذِفرايَ ذا خُصَلٍ جَعدِ

With flowing robe and thick soft curls I charm

The maidens, my ringlets' gloss a dazzle.

وَحَنَّت قَلوصي مِن عَدانَ إِلى نَجدِ

وَلَم يُنسِها أَوطانَها قِدَمُ العَهدِ

My camel-litters bent from 'Adan to Nejd

Nor did the land forget its ancient ways.

وَإِنَّ الَّذي لاقَيتِ في القَلبِ مِثلُهُ

إِلى آلِ نَجدٍ مِن غَليلٍ وَمِن وَجدِ

That which my heart encountered is the like

Of ardour and passion known to Nejd's folk.

إِذا شِئتِ لا قَيتِ القِلاصَ وَلا أَرى

لِقَومِيَ أَبدالاً فَيَألَفَهُم وُدّي

When you wish you will not find the boon-friend; my love

For my tribe no substitute can replace.

وَأَرمي الَّذي يَرمونَ عَن قَوسِ بَغضَةٍ

وَلَيسَ عَلى مَولايَ حَدّي وَلا عَهدي

I shoot back the arrows shot from a bow of hate;

To my lord I owe no bound nor pact.

إِذا ما اِمرُؤٌ وَلّى عَلَيَّ بِوُدِّهِ

وَأَدبَرَ لَم يَصدُر بِإِدبارِهِ وُدّي

When a man turns his back though first his love he showed me,

His withdrawal cannot make my love recede.

وَلَم أَتَعَذَّر مِن خِلالٍ تَسوؤُهُ

لِما كانَ يَأتي مِثلَهُنَّ عَلى عَمدِ

No poor excuse have I sought for deeds

That often are done deliberately.

وَذي نَخَواتِ طامِحِ الرَأسِ جاذَبَت

حِبالي فَرَخّى مِن عَلابِيِّهِ مَدّي

She of lofty aspirations whose cords pulled taut

My peg-ropes, slackening my firm resolve."