أَقولُ وَقَد جاوَزنَ مِن صَدرِ رابِغٍ

مَهامِه غُبراً يَرفَعُ الأُكمَ آلُها

I say, and the glories of Rabigh have passed,

Their grandeur raising the dunes' tips.

أَأَلحَيُّ أَم صِيرانُ دَومٍ تَناوَحَت

بِتَريَمَ قَصراً وَاِستَحَثَّت شِمالُها

Is it Al-Hayy or Seyran's abode which vied

In building a palace and settling its north side?

أَرى حينَ زالَت عيرُ سَلمى بِرابِغٍ

وَهاجَ القُلوبَ الساكِناتِ زَوالَها

When Salma's caravan passed by Rabigh,

And stirred up dormant hearts by its leaving,

كَأَنَّ دُموعَ العَينِ لَمّا تَخَلَّلَت

مَخارِمَ بيضاً مِن تَمَنّي جِمالُها

It seemed teardrops had infiltrated

Pure white shells, yearning for its beauty.

قَبِلنَ غُروباً مِن سُمَيحَةَ أَنزَعَت

بِهِنَّ السَواني وَاِستَدارَ مَحالُها

They bid farewell at sunset, when it removed

The tents, and folded its abode.

لَعَمرُكَ إِنَّ العَينَ عَن غَيرِ نِعمَةٍ

كَذاكَ إِلى سَلمى لَمُهدىً سِجالُها

By your life! The eye turns not from grace

To Salma, well-guided are its gazes to her.

عَذَرتُكَ في سَلمى بِآنِفَةِ الصِبا

وَمَيعَتِهِ إِذ تَزدَهيكَ ظِلالُها

I excuse you for Salma, because of the folly of youth,

And its infatuation when her shadows grow on you.

وَمُلتَمِسٍ مِنّي الشَكِيَّةَ غَرَّهُ

لِيانُ حَواشي شيمَتي وَجَمالُها

One who claims I doubt, though desire deceived him,

The edges of my reputation and beauty blunt his blades.

رَمَيتُ بِأَطرافِ الزجاجِ فَلَم يُفِق

عَن الجَهلِ حَتّى حَكَّمتهُ نِصالُها

I cast with the tips of glass but he did not awaken

From ignorance until her swords judged him.

وَذي كَرَمٍ يَوماً أَرادَ كَرامَتي

وَعَربَةَ وُدّي رَغبَةً هَل يَنالُها

A generous man one day wanted my generosity

And the lesson of my love – can he attain it?

بَذَلتُ لَهُ مِثلاً وَكُلَّ تَحِيَّةٍ

مِنَ المَرءِ مَردودٌ عَلَيهِ مِثالُها

I gave him an example, and every greeting

From a person is reciprocated with its like.