رَعى اللَهُ طَيراً عَلى بانَةٍ

قَد اِفصَحَ لي عَن صَحيحِ الخَبَر

God tended a bird on a lofty branch

Who told me true news plainly;

بِأَنَّ الأَحِبَّةَ شَدّوا عَلى

رَواحِلِهِم ثُمَّ راحوا سَحَر

That the loved ones had mounted their she-camels at dawn, then departed.

So I set forth, while in my heart for their sake

فَسِرتُ وَفي القَلبِ مِن أَجلِهِم

جَحيمٌ لِبَينِهِمُ تَستَعِر

Raged a blazing fire.

I race them through the dark night,

أُسابِقُهُم في ظَلامِ الدُجى

أُنادي بِهِم ثُمَّ أَقفو الأَثَر

Calling to them, then following their tracks.

I have no guide to their traces

وَما لي دَليلٌ عَلى إِثرِهِم

سِوى نَفَسٍ مِن هَواهُم عَطِر

Save a sweet breeze of their love.

He lifted aside the tent-flap and lit up the dark,

رَفَعنَ السَجافَ أَضاءَ الدُجى

فَسارَ الرِكابُ لِضَوءِ القَمَر

So the riders set forth in the moonlight.

I sent my tears ahead of the riders,

فَأَرسَلتُ دَمعي أَمامَ الرِكابِ

فَقالوا مَتى سالَ هذا النَهَر

And they asked, “When did this river flow?”

And they were unable to cross it.

وَلَم يَستَطيعو عُبوراً لَهُ

فَقُلتُ دُموعي جَرَينَ دُرَر

So I said, “My tears flowed as pearls.”

As if the lightning flashes for the thunder’s roar,

كَأَنَّ الرُعودَ لِلَمعِ البُروقِ

وَسَيرِ الغَمامِ لِصَوبِ المَطَر

And the clouds travel toward the rain,

And the hearts quiver for the lightning flashes of the campsites,

وَجيبُ القُلوبِ لِبَرقِ الثُغورِ

وَسَكبُ الدُموعِ لِرَكبٍ نَفَر

And tears pour for the caravan that departed.

O you who liken the bending branches

فَيا مَن يُشَبِّهُ لينَ القُدودِ

بِلينِ القَضيبِ الرَطيبِ النَضِر

To the soft, moist, tender twigs!

If the matter were reversed, as you have done,

فَلَو عُكِسَ الأَمرُ مِثلَ الَّذي

فَعَلتَ لَكانَ سَليمَ النَظَر

Your view would be sound.

For the bending of boughs is like the bending of twigs,

فَلينُ الغُصونِ كَلينِ القُدودِ

وَوَردُ الرِياضَ كَوَردِ الحَفَر

And the roses of gardens like the roses of lowlands.