تَظَلُّ اِبنَةُ الضَمري في ظِلِّ نِعمَة

إِذا ما مَشَت مِن فوقِ صَرحٍ مُمَرَّدِ

The daughter of conscience remains in the shadow of blessing

When she walked atop a lofty palace

يِجيءُ بِرَيّاها الصَبّا كُلَّ لَيلَةٍ

وَتَجمَعُنا الأَحلامُ في كَلِّ مَرقَدِ

The morning breeze brings her scent every night

And dreams gather us in every bed

ونُضحي وَأثباجُ المضيّ مَقِيلُنا

بِجَذبٍ بنا في الصَيهَدِ المُتَوَقِّدِ

We offer ourselves as sacrifices and the blazing hearth kindles us

With a pull towards the burning trap

أَقيدي دَمًا يا أُمَّ عمروٍ هرَقتِهِ

فَيَكفيك فِعلُ القاتِلِ المُتَعَمِّدِ

Take vengeance, O mother of Amr whose blood was shed

So the deed of the intentional killer will suffice you

وَلن يَتَعَدّى ما بَلَغتُم بِراكبٍ

زِوَرَّةَ أَسفارٍ تَروحُ وَتَغتَدي

And they will not exceed what they have reached with a rider

Of frequent journeys coming and going

فَظَلَّت بِأَكنافِ الغُراباتِ تَبتَغي

مِظَنَّتها وَاِستَمَرَأت كُلَّ مُرتَدِ

So she remained at the edges of the wastelands searching

For her rendezvous and got used to every fugitive

وَذا خُشُبٍ مِن آخِرِ الليلِ قَلَّبَت

وَتَبغي بِه لَيلاً عَلى غَيرِ مَوعِدِ

With pieces of wood from the end of night she turned

And sought by it a night without appointment

مُناقِلَةً عُرضَ الفَيافي شِمِلَّةً

مَطِيَّةَ قَذافٍ عَلى الهَولِ مَبعَدِ

Conveying the expanse of wilderness, covering herself

Riding a fast steed fleeing the horror

فَمَرَّت بِليلٍ وَهيَ شَدفاءُ عاصِف

بِمُنخَرَقِ الدَوداءِ مَرَّ الخَفَيدَدِ

So she passed a night as an angry gale

Piercing the darkness going to al-Khadid

وَقالَ خَليلَي قَد وَقعتَ بِما تَرى

وَأَبلَغتَ عُذرًا في البغايَةِ فَاِقصِدِ

And my friend said, "You have fallen into what you see

And have given an excuse in wrongdoing so head straight

فَحَتَّامَ جوبُ البيدِ بِالعيسِ تَرتَمي

تَنائِفَ ما بَينَ البُحَيرِ فَصَرخَدِ

So Hattem threw spears at the beasts flocking

Between al-Buhayr screaming aloud

فَقُلتُ لَهُ لَم تَقضِ ما عَمَدَت لَهُ

وَلَم تَأتِ أَصرامًا بِبُرقَةِ مُنشَدِ

So I said to him, "You have not fulfilled what you intended

And have not come with captives taken at spearpoint

فَأَصبَحَ يِرتَدُ الجَميمَ بِرابِغٍ

إلى بُرقَةِ الخَرجاءَ مِن ضَحوَةِ الغد

So he returned dragging his robe in the morning

To Burqah of al-Kharja from early next day

لَعَمري لَقد بانَت وَشَطَّ مَزارُها

عُزيزَةَ لا تَفقِد وَلا تَتَبَعَّدِ

By my life, her abode has become clear and her grave manifest

A dear woman who is neither lost nor distant

إِذا أَصبَحَت في الجِلسِ في أَهلِ قَريَةٍ

وَأَصبَحَ أَهلي بَينَ شَطبٍ فَبَدبَدِ

When she sits in a gathering among the people of a village

While my family is between exterior facades and ruins

وَإِنّي لآتيكُم وَإِنّي لَراجِعٌ

بِغَيرِ الجَوى مِن عِندِكُم لَم أُزَوَّدِ

And I come to you, and I will certainly return

Without satisfaction from you, I have not been provisioned

إِذا دَبَرانٌ مِنكِ يوماً لَقِتُهُ

أُؤَمِّلُ أَن أَلقاكِ بَعدُ بِأَسعُدِ

If one day we part from you, and I meet him

I hope to meet you again in greater bliss

فَإِن تَسلُ النَفسُ أَو تَدَعِ الهَوى

فَبِاليأسِ تَسلو عَنكِ لا بِالتَجَلُّدِ

But if the soul despairs or passion ceases

Despair of you, not with endurance

وَكُلُّ خَليلٍ راءَني فَهوَ قائِلٌ

مِن اجلِكِ هَذا هامَةُ اليومِ أَو غَدِ

And every friend who saw me says

"For your sake this lovesick one raves today or tomorrow"