حَيَّتكَ عَزَّةُ بَعدَ الهَجرِ وَاِنصَرَفَت

فَحَيِّ وَيَحَكَ مَن حَيّاكَ يا جَمَلُ

Your greeting was pride after estrangement and then withdrew,

So greet whoever greeted you, O camel.

لَو كُنتَ حَيَّيتَها ما زِلتَ ذا مِقَةٍ

عِندي وَلا مَسَّكَ الإِدلاجُ وَالعَمَلُ

If you had greeted her, you would still be honorable to me,

And neither darkness nor toil would have touched you.

فَحَنَّ مِن وَلَهٍ إِذ قُلتُ ذاكَ لَهُ

وَظَلَّ مُعتَذِراً قَد شَفَّهُ الخَجَلُ

He languished with yearning when I said that to him,

And remained apologizing, shamed by modesty.

وَرَدَّ مِن جَزَعٍ ما كُنتُ أَعرِفُها

وَرامَ تَكليمَها لَو تَنطِق الإِبِلُ

He refuted in distress what I did not know about her,

And tried to speak to her, if only camels could speak.

لَيتَ التَحِيَّةَ كانَت لي فَأَشكُرَها

مَكانَ يا جَمَلٌ حُيّيتَ يا رَجُلُ

If only the greeting had been meant for me, so I could thank her

Instead, O camel, you were greeted, O man.