وَشِعبٍ نَزَلناهُ وَفي العَيشِ غِرَّةٌ

بِمُرتَبَعٍ رَحبِ المَحَلِّ خَصيبِهِ

A clan we descended upon, with life still full of joy,

In a wide, fertile place of plenteous dwellings,

وَلَم يَكُ فينا ماجِدٌ أَغمَدَ النُّهَى

غرارَ الشَّبابِ المُنتَضَى في مَشيبِهِ

Yet no glorious man among us has sheathed his sword,

The exuberant folly of impetuous youth in his dotage.

وَنَحنُ بِوادٍ خَيَّمَتْ أُمُّ سالِمٍ

بِهِ ذي ثَرىً غَضِّ النَّباتِ رَطيبِهِ

We in a valley encamped, where Umm Salim pitched

A tent, on soft soil, of plants freshly green.

تَضَوَّعَ مِسكاً حينَ ناجاهُ ذَيلُها

كَأَنَّ مَحانيهِ مَذاكٍ لِطيبِهِ

She exuded musk when her train neared her,

As if her robes were steeped in its fragrance.

وَكَم مِن نَهارٍ ضَمَّ قُطرَيهِ سَيرُنا

يَذوبُ الحَصى مِن جَزعِهِ في لَهيبِهِ

How many days we journeyed, while the sun drew in

Its skirts, the pebbles melting from its heat?

وَلَيلٌ طَوَيناهُ وَللرَكبِ طَربَةٌ

إِذا عَبَّ نَجمٌ جانِحٌ في مَغيبِهِ

At night we folded the miles, the travelers cheered

When a shooting star streaked across the sky.

فَيا نازِلي رَملَ الحِمَى هَل لَدَيكُمُ

شِفاءٌ لِصَبٍّ داؤُهُ مِن طَبيبِهِ

You who camp on the dunes, can you provide

A cure for one whose illness comes from his healer?

وَفيكُم قِرىً لِلطارِقينَ فَزارَكُم

مُحِبٌّ لِيُقْرَى نَظرَةً مِن حَبيبِهِ

You have settlements for visitors; yours we visited,

A lover, to catch a glimpse of his beloved.