تَذَكَّرتُ لَيلى أَن تَغَنَّت حَمامَةٌ

وَأَنّى بِلَيلى وَالفُؤادُ قَريحُ

I recalled Layla when a dove sang,

But how can I attain Layla when my heart is sick?

يَمانِيَّةٌ أَمسَت بِنَجرانَ دارُها

وَأَنتَ عِراقِيٌّ هَواكَ نَزوحُ

She who dwells in Najran is of Yemen,

While you are an Iraqi far away.

وَمِن دونِ لَيلى سَبسَبٌ مُتَماحِلٌ

يُجيبُ صَداهُ اليَومَ حينَ يَصيحُ

Beyond Layla is an abandoned camp,

Whose echo answers when it calls out.

يَظَلُّ بِها سِربُ القَطا مُتَحَيِّراً

إِذا ماجَ بَحرُ الآلِ وَهُوَ يَلوحُ

The flock of wild doves wanders about confused,

When the sea of kin stirs and beckons.

تَجوبُ مِنَ البَيداءِ كَدراءَ جَونَةً

سَماوِيَّةٌ عُجلي النَجاءِ طَموحُ

She roams the desert vigorously,

A heavenly one eager for success.

تَبادَرَ جَوناً تَنسُجُ الريحُ مَتنُهُ

لَهُ حَبَبٌ في جانِبَيهِ يَسيحُ

She races the wind as it weaves her sail,

With loved ones on either side waving.

عَلَيهِ دِفاقٌ في الغُدَيّاتِ وارِدٌ

وَآخَرُ في بُردِ العَشيِّ يَروحُ

With visitors in the mornings and others

Leaving in the cool of night.

فَعَبَّت وَعَبَّ السِربُ حَتّى إِذا اِرتَوَت

ذَكَرنَ فِراخاً دونَهُنَّ طُروحُ

She raced and so did the flock until sated,

Remembering chicks left behind.

مَلَأنَ أَداوي لَم يَشِنهُنَّ خارِزٌ

بِسَيرٍ وَلا يُلغي بِهِنَّ جُروحُ

They filled their craws fearing no harm

From traveling or incurable wounds.

فَطِرنَ يُبادِرُ الضِياءَ تَقَدَّمَت

عَلَيهُنَّ مِغلاةُ النَجاءِ طَموحُ

They set out to meet the light lead

By the eager and towering group.

إِلى اِبنِ ثَلاثٍ بِالفَلاةِ كَأَنَّما

بِجَنبيهِ مِن لَفحِ السُمومِ جُروحُ

To a three month old chick in the waste, as though

His sides were wounded by the poison's blaze.

فَظَلَّت تُسَقّيهِ نِطافَ إِداوَةٍ

لَهُ غَبقَةٌ مِن فَضلِها وَصَبوحُ

She kept feeding him sips of medicine,

As dawn's first glow and left overs sustain him.