أذلكَ أم كُدْرِيَّةٌ هاج وِرْدَها

من القيظ يومٌ واقِدٌ وسَمُومُ

Is it so, or is it a roiled rose whose bloom

Was scorched by a sweltering day and poisonous airs?

غدتْ كَنواة القَسْب لا مُضْمحِلَّةٌ

وناةٌ ولا عَجْلى الفُتور سؤومُ

It became like erect unwithering reedgrass

In bloom still, nor soon overtaken by languor.

تُواشِكُ رَجْعَ المَنْكبِين وترتمي

إلى كَلْكَل للهادياتِ قَدُومُ

It was about to incline its stem and tumble

Down to a basin for the maidens' advent.

فما انخفضتْ حتى رأتْ ما يسرُّها

وفَيْءُ الضُّحى قد مال فهو ذميمُ

But no sooner it inclined than it saw what delighted it,

And the noon shade had shifted, so it remained bleak.

أَباطِح وانتصَّتْ على حيث تستقى

بها شَرَكٌ للوارداتِ مُقِيمُ

It revived and coiled itself where it could drink

With a company of visitors lingering.

سقتْها سيولُ المُدْجِناتِ فأصبحتْ

عَلاجِيمَ تَجْري مرَّةً وتدومُ

Watered by overflow of watered, it became

In the morning fresh, flowing and lasting.

فلمّا استقتْ من بارد الماء وانجلى

عن النفس منها لَوْحةٌ وهمومُ

When it had its full draught of the cold water and shook off

From its breath something that burdened and troubled it,

دعَتْ باسمها حين استقتْ فاستقلَّها

قَوادِمُ حجنٌ رِيشُهنّ ملِيمُ

It called out its name when it drank its fill, so

Light troops of maidens came, their plumage defiled.

بجَوْزٍ كحُقِّ الهاجريّة زانَه

بأطراف عودِ الفارسيِّ وُشُومُ

With a walnut like the cheek of a village belle

Adorned at the ends with Indian aloes' spires.