ألا ليت شعري هل أبيتن ليلةً

بسعدٍ ولما تخل من أهلها سعد

Alas! I wonder, did they spend a night in Sa'd

When its people departed, and Sa'd was devoid of joy?

وهل أقبلن النجد أعناق أينقٍ

وقد سار مسياً ثم صبّحها النجد

Did the mounts of Anaq turn their necks toward the valley,

As Musayya marched on, and at dawn the valley overflowed?

وهل أخبطن القوم والريح طلة

فروع ألاءٍ حفه عقدٌ جعدُ

Did the tribe beat the bushes for game

While branches of aloes were stirred by plaited braids?

وكنت أرى نجداً وريا من الهوى

فما من هوائي اليوم ريا ولا نجد

I used to see valley and meadow from passion,

But today I have neither passion nor valley nor meadow.

فدعني من ريا ونجدٍ كليهما

ولكنني غادٍ إذا ما غدا الجند

Leave me alone about meadow and valley alike,

But I will wander when the army wanders.

أقول لعياشٍ صحبنا وجابرٍ

وقد حال دوني هضب عارمة الفرد

I say to my companions 'Ayyash and Jabir,

As a towering obstacle parts me from them:

قفا فانظرا نحو الحمى اليوم نظرةً

فإن غداة اليوم من عهده العهد

"Look toward the preserve today with a glance,

For tomorrow's morning is the appointed time."

فلما رأينا قلة البشر أعرضت

لنا وجبال الحزن غيبها البعد

When we saw how few people there were,

The mountains of sorrow turned away from us and were hidden by distance.

وأعرض ركنٌ من سواجٍ كأنه

لعينيك في آل الضحى فرسٌ ورد

A reddish hill was like a mare of the tribe

To your eyes, among the kinfolk, when the morning appeared.

أصاب جهول القوم تتئيم مابه

فحن ولم يملكه ذو القوة الجلد

It reached the ignorant men, who were displeased with what had happened,

And he who was powerful could not restrain himself.