أَلَهي الكَرَوَّسَ عَن إيرادِ حَدرَتِهِ

تَلَهُّسُ التَمرِ يَوماً وَهيَ ضُلّالُ

The riding camels are playing truant from gathering their bounty,

The dates have been distracted for a day while lost,

وَاللَهُ يَعلَمُ لَو كانَت مُصَرَّبَةً

ما غابَ عَنها قَوِيُّ الكَعبِ عَسّالُ

And Allah knows that had they ripened,

The strong-ankled would not have passed them by,

حَتّى يُصاوِلَ مِنها بازِلاً جَرَسَت

مِن لَيلِها كُلَّ راقي الساقِ طُوّالِ

Until one gathers a shred of them with halting ankles

-All night long- any tall-legged would have done.

لَم تَختَلِجهُ القِصارُ الدُنُّ في شَبَهٍ

وَلَم يُقَدنَ لِفَأسِ العاضِدِ الخالي

The inferior, base byways did not disturb him, frail as he was,

Nor was he led by the bare-armed smiting with axes.