أَأَطلالُ سَلمى بِاللَوى تَتَعَهَّدُ

Does the ruins of Salma revive with yearning?

When we stopped, hearts writhing,

وَلَمّا وَقَفنا والقُلوبُ عَلى الغَضا

وَلِلدَّمعِ سَحٌّ وَالفَرائِصُ تُرعَدُ

Tears pouring, ribs trembling,

Between sobbing and wailing, a burning sensation,

وَبَينَ التَراقي وَاللَهاةِ حَرارَةٌ

مَكانَ الشَجا ما إِن تَبوحُ فَتُبرَدُ

Where the wounds are, if they speak they cool down

I tell the tears, flow more, perhaps

أَقولُ لِماءِ العينِ أَمعِن لَعَلَّه

بِما لا يُرى مِن غائِبِ الوَجدِ يَشهَدُ

With the unseen of the absent love it will witness

I did not know the eye before parting

فَلَم أَدرِ أَنَّ العَين قَبلَ فِراقِها

غَداةَ الشَبا مِن لاعِجِ الوَجدِ تَجمدُ

The day after passion from the intensity of love freeze

I have not seen an eye more stingy with its tears about me

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَ العَينِ ضَنَّت بِمائِها

عَليَّ وَلا مِثلي عَلى الدَمعِ يَحسُدُ

Nor anyone envying me more about tears

Separation equalized on me, that it did not see me

وَساوى عَليَّ البَينُ أَن لَم يَرينَني

بَكيتُ وَلَم يُترَك لِذي الشَجوِ مَقعَدُ

I cried but no place was left for the woeful

When dawn approached they called to depart

وَلَمَا تَدانى الصُبحُ نادوا بِرحلَةٍ

فَقُمنَ كَسالى مَشيُهُنَّ تأَوُّدُ

So we got up miserable, their walking loving

To a group like the hump, no longer

إِلى جِلَّةٍ كَالهُضبِ لَم تَعدُ أَنَّها

بِوازِلُ عامٍ وَالسَديسُ المعبَّدُ

A dwelling from past years, and the paved courtyard

To every neighing of the winds as if

إلى كُلِّ هَجهاجِ الرَواحِ كَأَنَّهُ

شَكجٍ بِلَهاةِ الحَلقِ أَو مُتَكَيِّدُ

It is complaining of throat dryness or conspiring

Their snouts leak water as if it

تَمُجُّ ذَقاريهُنَّ ماءَ كَأَنَّهُ

عَصيمٌ عَلى جارِ السَوَالِفِ مُعقَدُ

Is knotted to the drinking bowl's rim

And they are saddled, adorned with finery

وَهُنَّ مُناخاتٌ يُجَلَّلنَ زينَةً

كَما اِقتانَ بِالنَّبتِ العَهادُ المُجَوَّدُ

As vegetation adorned with necklaces intertwined

They trotted until I said they are not organisms

تَأطّرنَ حَتّى قُلتُ لَسنَ بَوارِحًا

وَذُبنَ كَما ذابَ السَديفُ المَسَرهَدُ

And melted like heated copper

Scattering perfume and musk holding back

عَبيرًا وَمِسكًا مانَه الرَشحُ رادِعًا

بِهِ مِحجَرٌ أَو عارِضٌ يَتَفَصَّدُ

With it a menstruating woman or a pregnant one

And they gathered hastily and left me

وَأَجمَعنَ بَينًا عاجِلاً وَتَرَكنَني

بِفيفا خُرَيمٍ قائِمًا أَتَلَدَّدُ

With the uproar of ruination standing confused

As passion excited them in the evening

كَما هاجَ إِلفٌ صابِحاتٍ عَشيةً

لَهُ وَهوَ مَصفودُ اليَدَينِ مُقَيَّدُ

For it while it has shackled hands tied

So I was infatuated when they arrived at our ruin

فَقَد فُتنَني لَمّا وَرَدن خَفينَنا

وَهُنَّ عَلى ماءٍ حراضة أبعد

While they were at fervid water even farther

By Allah I do not know if it was muddy they agreed on

فو الله ما أَدري أَطيَخًا تَواعدوا

لِتِمِّ ظَمٍ أَم ماءَ حَدَةَ أَورَدوا

Or fresh sharp water they went down to

Just yesterday they did not return the like of their beauty to a dale

وَبِالأَمسِ ما رَدُّوا لِبينٍ جِمالَهُم

لَعَمري فَعيلَ الصَّبَ مَن يَتَجَلَّدُ

By my life, the morning is rough on the youth who endures

And that she-camel knew that you

وَقَد عَلِمَت تِلكَ المَطِيَّةُ أَنَّكُم

مَتى تَسلُكوا فَيفا رَشادٍ تَخوَّدوا

Whenever you tread the path of guidance become ardent