تَخَيَّرتُهُ مِن رَهطِ أَعوَجَ سابِحاً

أَغَرَّ كَريمَ الوالِدَينِ نَجيبا

I chose him from a crooked tribe swimming,

He deceived the generous parents, being of noble descent.

خَفيفاً وَلَم يَحلُم بِسَوطٍ كَأَنَّما

يَفوتُ عَدُوّاً أَو يَؤُمُّ حَبيبا

Lightweight, he never dreamed of a whip, as if

He would miss an enemy or be a lover's confidant.

سَرى وَاِنتَمى بَرقٌ بِذي الأَثلِ لَيلَةً

فَباتَ بِها هَذا لِذاكَ نَسيبا

He traveled at night when lightning struck Athl,

So he spent the night with her, one to the other a relative.

وَحَنَّ إِلى سَفَرٍ فَطارَ إِلى السُرى

يَخوضُ خَليجاً أَو يَجوبُ كَثيبا

And he longed for a journey, so he flew to travel,

To cross a gulf or traverse a dune.

يَؤُمُّ بِها أَرضاً عَلَيَّ كَريمَةً

وَمُرتَبَعاً فيها إِلَيَّ حَبيبا

He would visit her, to me a generous land,

And dwell in it, to me a beloved.

وَنَهراً كَما اِبيَضَّ المُقَبِّلُ سَلسَلاً

وَجِزعاً كَما اِخضَرَّ العِذارُ خَصيبا

And a river as the kissing whitened a chain,

And a trunk as the fresh became verdant and fruitful.

وَرُبَّ نَسيمٍ مَرَّ بي وَهوَ عاطِرٌ

رَقيقُ الحَواشي لايُحَسُّ دَبيبا

And many a gentle breeze passed me by, fragrant,

Delicate of edges, its creeping unfelt.

وَجَدتُ بِهِ مِن ذَلِكَ الماءِ بَلَّةً

وَمِن نورِ هاتيكَ الأَباطِحِ طيبا

I found in it from that water a trial,

And from the light of those plains, delight.

فَصافَحتُ رَيعانَ النَسيمِ تَشَوُّقاً

إِلَيها وَلازَمتُ القَضيبَ رَطيبا

So I shook the hands of the breeze's youths longing

For it and held fast to the delicate rod.

وَقَد قَلَّدَ النُوّارُ جيداً لِرَبوَةٍ

هُناكَ وَنحراً لِلفَضاءِ رَحيبا

And the wild beasts had necklaced a hillside for a paunch

There and a throat for the spacious plain.

وَأَفصَحَتِ الوَرقاءُ في كُلِّ تَلعَةٍ

نَشيداً وَقَد رَقَّ النَسيمُ نَسيبا

And the leaves were eloquent in every mound

A chant, as the breeze softened, gentle.

وَكانَ عَلى عَهدِ الشَبابِ تَغَنِّياً

يَشوقُ أَخا وَجدٍ فَعادَ نَحيبا

And in the days of youth it sang,

Yearning for a brother and friend returned, weeping.

دَعا لِغُروبِ الدَمعِ وَالدارُ غُربَةٌ

فَلَم أَرَ إِلّا داعِياً وَمُجيبا

It called for the sunset of tears, and the house was strange,

So I saw none but a caller and respondent.