وما أُمُّ خِشْفٍ ظَلَّ يوماً وليلةً

ببَلْقَعةٍ بَيْداءَ ظَمْآنَ صادِيَا

No mother ostrich has wandered a day and night

In a waterless desert, thirsty and wandering,

تَهيمُ فلا تَدْري إلى أين تَنتهي

مولهَّةً حَيْرَى تَجُوبُ الفَيافِيا

Bewildered, not knowing where her path will end,

Confused, roaming the wide desert,

أَضَرَّ بها حَرُّ الهَجِير فلَمْ تَجِدْ

لِغُلتَّها مِنْ بارِدِ الماءِ شافِيا

Scorched by the heat of the hot wind, finding

No cold water to cure her burning thirst,

فلمّا دنتْ من خِشْفِها انعطفتْ له

فألفَتْه ملهوفَ الجَوانحِ طاوِيا

Than when she neared her nest and turned toward it

She found her chick there with crumpled wings,

بأَوْجَعَ مِنَّي يومَ شدُّوا رِحالَهمْ

ونادَى منادي الحيِّ أن لا تَلاقِيا

More agonized than I the day they pulled up stakes

And the caller called that we'd never meet again.