أَحِنُّ إِلى نَجدٍِ وَإِن هَبَّتِ الصِبا

وَأَصبَحوا إِلى شَرخِ الشَبيبَةِ وَالصِبا

I yearn for Najd though the north winds blow,

And they have reached the prime of youth.

وَقَلبي إِلى الحَيِّ الجُلاحِيِّ لَم يَزَل

مَشوقاً عَلى ماءِ العُذيبُ مُعَذَّبا

My heart is ever drawn towards the tribe of Julah,

Thirsting for the water of Udhaib, suffering agony.

وَأَغيدُ بَرّاقُ الثَنِياتِ واضِحٌ

أَبى القَلبُ عَن حُبِّيهِ أَن يَتَقَلَّبا

Dazzling are the slopes of Thanayyat, bright,

But my heart refused to change its love.

لَهُ شَعَرٌ ما اِهتَزَّ إِلّا تَثَعبَنَت

ذَوائِبُهُ وَالصُدغُ إِلّا تَعَقرَبا

He has hair that stirs not unless his tresses flutter,

And a cheek that reddens not save when it glows.

وَكَم لَيلَةٍ قَد بِتُّ أُسقى بِكَفِّهِ

عَلى وَجهِهِ نادَمتُ بَدراً وَكَوكَبا

Many a night have I spent, my hand his pillow,

Gazing at his face and the moon and stars.

حَكَت فَمَهُ طَعماً وَريحاً وَخَدَّهُ

إِذا مَزَجوها رِقَّةً وَتلَهُّبا

His mouth tasted sweetness and fragrance and his cheek,

When they merged, tenderness and ardour.

وَكُلُ لَيلَةٍ أَمسى لِميعادِ وَصلِهِ

مُسَيلَمَةً إِلّا وَأَصبَحَت أَشعَبا

And every night I bid farewell for our tryst,

Only to spend it sleepless, till dawn breaks.

وَقائِلَةٍ لي حينَ أَصبَحتُ لاهِياً

بِزُخرُفِ دُنيا كُلَّما رُمتُهُ أَبى

And a voice says when I play at dawn, neglectful

Of the world’s ornaments, spurning all I'm offered:

لَعَمرُكَ ما شَرَخَ الشَبيبَةِ راجِعٌ

إِذا ما تَوَلّى العُمرُ عَنكَ وَجَنَّبا

By your life! The spring of youth comes not back

If time turns from you, heedless, aloof.

وَلِلشَيبِ شَعَراتٌ تَدُلُّ عَلى الفَنا

إِذا اِبتَسَمت في عارِضِ المَرءِ قَطَّبا

And age has hairs to show that death is near

When they curl, mocking, on a person's temple.