عَشياتِ وادي الُمنَحَنَى علَّ عَودَةً

نُلاقي بِها فيكُنَّ أَهلَ الُمحَصَّبِ

The evenings of Wadi al-Munhanah, hoping for a return,

We meet them, so you are the people of al-Muhassab.

وَنَستَنشِقُ الأَرواحَ مِن رَملٍ دارةٍ

سُحَيراً فباناتٍ على عُربِ غُرَّبِ

And we breathe in spirits from the sands blown about,

Dizzying, so clear skies over nomads wandering.

وَنَرتَاحُ إِن هَبَّت صَبَاً حاجِرِيَّةٌ

بِها للِهوىَ أَثارُ سِرِّ مُطَيَّبِ

And we rest if the northerly wind blows strongly,

Bearing traces of passion’s secret scent.

وَتَحيا نُفوسٌ بَعدَكُنَّ أَماتَها

بِعَادُ زَمانِ بَعدَ ذَاكَ التَّغَرُّبِ

And souls come alive after you had killed them,

The times return after that estrangement.

فَكَم شَرقَت فِيكُنَّ شَمسٌ على الحِمَى

تَراها عِشاءً بَينَ سِربِ وَرَبربِ

So many suns have risen over the feverish sands,

You’d think it evening amidst the twittering flocks.

وَكَم مالَ غُصنٌ بالنَّسيمِ فَخلِتُهُ

مَعاطِفَ قَدٍّ بالشَّمائِلِ مُعجَبِ

And many a branch sways in the breeze, so I imagined it

Cloaks of leadership, fascinated by its charms.

وَرُحتُ كَأَنِّي قَد شَربِتُ مُدامَةً

تُرَنِّحُني سُكراً فَأَحمَدُ مَشرَبي

And I went as though I’d drunk wine,

That makes me tipsy with joy at my drink.