عَلاقَةٌ بِفؤادي أَعقَبَت كَمَدا

لِنَظرَةٍ بمِنىً أَرسَلتُها عَرَضا

A relationship with my heart ensued, after

A glance I sent her way casually,

وَللحَجيجِ ضَجيجٌ في جوانِبِهِ

يَقضونَ ما أَوجَبَ الرَّحمَنُ واِفتَرَضا

And the pilgrims make clamor around it

Fulfilling what the Merciful ordained obligatory,

فاِستَنفَضَ القَلبَ رُعباً ما جَنى نَظَري

كالصَّقرِ نَدَّاهُ طَلُّ اللَيلِ فاِنتَفَضا

So my heart shuddered with fright at what my sight attained

Like an eagle stirred by the night falling suddenly,

وَقَد رَمَتني غَداةَ الخَيفِ غانيَةٌ

بِناظِرٍ إِن رَمى لَم تُخطىءِ الغَرَضا

And in the morn of fright, a singing girl assailed me

With a gaze, that if cast, does not miss its mark, surely,

لَمّا رأى صاحبي ما بي بَكى جَزعاً

وَلَم يَجِد بِمنىً عَن خُلَّتي عِوَضا

When my friend saw my state, he wept profusely,

Finding no substitute for my seclusion, verily,

وَقالَ رُحْ يا أَخا فِهْرٍ فَقُلتُ لَهُ

يا سَعدُ أَودَعَ جِسمي طَرفُها مَرَضا

And said: “Go, O brother full of passion,” so I said:

“Her glance made my body sick, O Saad,” assuredly,

فَبِتُّ أَشكو هَواها وَهوَ مرتَفِقٌ

يَشوقُهُ البَرقُ نَجديّاً إِذا وَمَضا

I spend the night complaining of her love, and he listening

Longingly to the Najdi lightning when it flashes speedily,

تَبدو لَوامِعُهُ كالسَّيفِ مُختَضِباً

شَباهُ بالدَمِّ أَو كالعِرقِ إِذ نَبَضا

Its lights appear like a blood-stained sword,

Resembling blood, or sweat when pulsing rapidly,

وَيَمتَري دَمعَهُ ذِكرى أُصَيْبِيَةٍ

إِذا اِستَمَرَّت بِهِ ذِكراهُمُ نَهَضا

And he sheds tears remembering the calamity,

When the memories persist, rising up angrily,

وَلَم يُطِقْ ما يُعانيهِ فَغادَرَني

بَينَ النَّقا وَالمُصَلَّى عِندَها وَمَضى

Unable to bear the suffering, he left me

Between the grove and the mosque, and went forth promptly.