ناحَت مُطَوَّفَةٌ فَحُنَّ حَزينُ

وَشَجاهُ تَرجيعٌ لَها وَحَنينُ

The she-camel moaned sadly,

And her longing cry echoed mournfully,

جَرَتِ الدُموعُ مِنَ العُيونِ تَفَجُّعاً

لِحَنينِها فَكَأَنَّهُنَّ عُيونُ

Tears flowed copiously from her eyes,

Like fountains, out of yearning,

طارَحتُها ثُكلاً بِفَقدِ وَحيدِها

وَالثُكلُ مِن فَقدِ الوَحيدِ يَكونُ

Grieving over the loss of her only child,

For a mother's grief at losing her only child is bitter,

طارَحتُها وَالشَجوُ يَمشي بَينَنا

ما إِن تَبينُ وَإِنَّني لَأَبينُ

She collapsed in sorrow as I walked among us,

Made evident by my own profound grief,

بي لاعِجٌ مِن حُبِّ رَملَةِ عالِجٍ

حَيثُ الخِيامُ بِها وَحَيثُ العينُ

I'm sick with love for the sands of Alaj,

Where the tents and the spring are found,

مِن كُلِّ فاتِكَةِ الأَلحاظِ مَريضَةٍ

أَجفانُها لِظُبى اللَحاظِ جُفونُ

Lovesick from every flirtatious glance,

Her eyelids closed from bashfulness,

ما زِلتُ أَجرَعُ دَمعَتي مِن غُلَّتي

أُخفي الهَوى عَن عاذِلي وَأَصونُ

I've kept drinking my tears bitterly,

Hiding my love from the one who criticizes me, yet protecting it,

حَتّى إِذا صاحَ الغُرابُ بِبَينِهِم

فَضَحَ الفِراقُ صَبابَةَ المَحزونِ

Until the raven crowed mournfully between them,

Exposing the sorrowful pain of our separation,

وَصَلوا السَرى قَطَعوا البُرى فَلِعيسِهِم

تَحتَ المَحامِلِ رَنَّةٌ وَأَنينُ

They journeyed by night and cut across the land, so their camel driver

Cried out and moaned under the howdah,

عايَنتُ أَسبابَ المَنِيَّةِ عِندَما

أَرخوا أَزِمَّتَها وَشُدَّ وَضينُ

I witnessed the causes of death when

They loosened its ties and urged the camel on,

إِنَّ الفِراقَ مَعَ الغَرامِ لَقاتِلي

صَعبُ الغَرامِ مَعَ اللِقاءِ يَهونُ

Surely parting along with love is what kills me,

While love without meeting is easier to bear,

ما لي عَذولٌ في هَواها إِنَّها

مَعشوقَةٌ حَسناءُ حَيثُ تَكونُ

I'll show no remorse in my love for her, for

Wherever she may be, she's a beautiful beloved,