يا حادي العيسَ بِسَلعٍ عَرَّجِ
وَقِف عَلى البانَةِ بِالمُدَرَّجِ
O guide of the caravan passing through Salu,
Stop at the high grounds near the winding path,
وَنادِهِم مُستَعطِفاً مُستَلطِفاً
يا سادَتي هَل عِندَكُم مِن فَرَجِ
Call out to them gently, politely,
My masters, is there any relief for me?
بِرامَةٍ بَينَ النَقا وَحاجِرٍ
جارِيَةٌ مَقصورَةٌ في هَودَجِ
In Rama, between al-Naqa and Hajir,
There is a girl secluded in her chamber,
يا حُسنَها مِن طَفلَةٍ غُرَّتُها
تُضيءُ لِلطارِقِ مِثلَ السُرُجِ
How beautiful is that young maiden,
Her radiance lights the night like a lamp,
لُؤلُؤَةٌ مَكنونَةٌ في صَدَفٍ
مِن شَعَرٍ مِثلِ سَوادِ السَبَجِ
A hidden pearl in a shell,
With hair black like the darkest night,
لُؤلُؤَةٌ غَوّاصُها الفِكرُ فَما
تَنفَكُّ في أَغوارِ تِلكَ اللُجَجِ
A pearl whose diver is thought, never ceasing
To plunge into the depths of those waves,
يَحسَبُها ناظِرُها ظَبيَ نَقاً
مِن جيدِها وَحُسنِ ذاكَ الغَنَجِ
Whoever sees her thinks her a gazelle of al-Naqa,
With her beautiful neck and charm,
كَأَنَّها شَمسُ ضُحىً في حَمَلٍ
قاطِعَةٌ أَقصى مَعالي الدَرَجِ
As if she were the dawn sun in its cradle,
Rising above the highest heavens,
إِن حَسَرَت بُرقُعَها أَو سَفَرَت
أَزرَت بِأَنوارِ الصَباحِ الأَبلَجِ
When she unveils or travels abroad,
She is adorned with the lights of the brilliant dawn,
نادَيتُها بَينَ الحِمى وَرامَةٍ
مَن لِفَتىً حَلَّ بِسَلعٍ يَرتَجي
I called to her between al-Hima and Rama,
“Who will help a lad who came to Salu in distress?
مَن لِفَتىً مُتَيَّهٍ في مَهمَهٍ
مُوَلَّهٍ مُدَلَّهِ العَقلِ شَجى
Who will help a confused, wandering lad,
Bewildered, broken in mind and heart?
مَن لِفَتىً دَمعَتُهُ مُغرِقَةٌ
أَسكَرَهُ خَمرٌ بِذاكَ الفَلَجِ
Who will help a lad whose tears are flooding,
Intoxicated by the wine of those meadows?
مَن لِفَتىً زَفرَتُهُ مُحرِقَةٌ
تَيَّمَهُ جَمالُ ذاكَ البَلَجِ
Who will help a lad whose sighs are scorching,
Infatuated by the beauty of those fields?”
قَد لَعِبَت أَيدي الهَوى بِقَلبِهِ
فَما عَلَيهِ في الَّذي مِن حَرَجِ
The hands of love have played with his heart,
He has no qualms in what happened to him.
