وَرَكبٍ يَزجُرونَ عَلى وَجاها

بِقارِعَةِ النَّقا قُلُصاً عِجالا

With riders urging their horses on,

Racing with the striking of spears impatiently,

فَحالَتْ دونَهُم تَلَعاتُ نَجدٍ

كَما وارَيتَ بِالقُرُبِ النِّصالا

The undulating sands of Najd blocked their way,

As though it showered them with arrows nearby.

حَمَلنَ مِنَ الظِّباءِ العِينِ سِرباً

وَقَد عُوِّضنَ عَن كُنُسٍ رِحالا

They carried a flock of gazelles in their eyes,

And forgot about their traveling bags.

وَفي الأَحداجِ بَدرٌ مِن هِلالٍ

ضَمَمنَ إِلَيهِ مِن بَدرٍ هِلالا

In the crescents is a full moon gathering

Crescent moons into its fullness.

وَغانيَةٍ لَه سِرٌّ مَصونٌ

أُكَفكِفُ عَنهُ لي دَمعاً مُذالا

She has a secret he guards,

I avert my tears submissively.

تُواصِلُني وَما بالنَّجمِ مَيلٌ

وَتَهجُرُني إِذا ما النَّجمُ مالا

She keeps me company when the star inclines toward me,

And abandons me when the star turns away.

فَلَيتَ الدَّهرَ لَيلٌ أَرتَديهِ

فَتَطْرُقَ مَضجَعي أَبَداً خَيالا

If only time were a night I donned

So that sleep would forever visit my bed.

فَأَلقاها عَلى قُربٍ وَبُعدٍ

فَلا هَجراً تُجِدُّ وَلا وِصالا

I have cast it onto nearness and distance,

Neither separation nor union I find.

تَوَقَّرَ أُزْرُها شِبَعاً فَقَرَّتْ

وَطاشَ وِشاحُها غَرَثاً فَجالا

Her family honor has grown while she waned,

Her veil has unraveled into disgrace.

إِذا نَظَرَت إِليَّ حَكَت مَهاةً

أَوِ التَفَتَت لَمَحتُ بِها غَزالا

When she looks upon me, she narrates confusion,

Or turns – and I glimpse a gazelle in her.

وَمِمّا شاقَني بِالرَّملِ بَرقٌ

قَصيرٌ خَطوُهُ وَاللَيلُ طالا

Of what has burdened me in the sands is a lightning bolt

- Brief in step, while the night is long.

وَذَكَّرَني اِبتِسامَةَ أُمِّ عَمروٍ

فأَبكاني وَصَحبي وَالجِمالا

It reminded me of the smile of Umm ‘Amr,

Making me and my companions weep.

سَرى وَهْناً وَطَرْفي يَقتَفيهِ

فَلَم يَلحَقهُ واِقتَسَما الكَلالا

Delicately it crept, and my eyes chased it,

But could not catch it, so they shared the kohl.