وَغادَةٍ تَشهَدُ الحِسانُ لَها
أَنَّ سَنا النَيِّرَينِ مَحتَدُها
Ghadah's beauty is witnessed by admirers
Her radiance outshines the full moons
آباؤُها الغُرُّ مِن ذُرا مُضَرٍ
في شَرَفٍ زانَهُ مُحمَّدُها
Her noble fathers are from Dhirar's progeny
Honored by the name of their Muhammad
وَالأُمُّ مِن وائِلٍ إِذا اتَّصَلَتْ
فالجَدُّ بسطامُها وَمَرثَدُها
And her mother is from Wail, so when joined
Her ancestry includes Bastaam and Marthad
تَفضُلُ في حُسنِها النِّساءَ كَما
يَفضُلُ في الخَيرِ يَومَها غَدُها
She surpasses women in her elegance
As tomorrow surpasses today in generosity
فَما اِصطَلَتْ غَيرَ مِجمَرٍ أَرِجٍ
وَلا اِمتَرَتْ ضَرعَ لِقحَةٍ يَدُها
She mounts none but high-bred, swift camels
Her hands milk only productive she-camels
إِن سَفَرَتْ فالعَذولُ يَعذُرُني
أَو نَظَرَتْ فالظِّباءُ تَحسُدُها
If she travels, shyness excuses me
If she gazes, the doe-eyed beauties envy her
أَحوَرَها لا يُفيقُ مِن خَجَلٍ
وَيَرتَدي بِالحَياءِ أَغيدُها
Her sight makes the bashful lose composure
And modesty clothes them in shyness
أَو طاشَتِ الغانياتُ مِن أَشَرٍ
يُقيمُها فالوقارُ يُقعِدُها
Or if the singers act indecently
Dignity makes her composed and seated
وَفي فؤادي تَبَوَّأتْ وَطناً
وَكان بالأَبرَقَينِ مَعهَدُها
In my heart she made her dwelling
Taking the lightning for her lamp
بِحَيثُ يَلقى السَّاري مُشَهَّرَةً
يُقضِمُها المَندَليَّ موقِدُها
Where the rising breeze finds her
Her brazier fanned by the cool morning breeze
يا نَجدُ لا أَخطأَتْكِ غاديَةٌ
أَغزَرُها لِلحمى وَأَجودُها
O Najd, no maiden traveled you
More generous, more hospitable than her
حَتىّ تُناصي أَراكَهُ إِبِلٌ
خَوامِسٌ لا يَنِشُّ مَورِدُها
Until your hill-tops are neighbored
By unstirred, late-coming camel herds
فالطَّرفُ مُذ غِبتُ عَنكَ يُسهِرُهُ
ذِكرى لَيالٍ قَد كانَ يَرقُدُها
Since I left you, sleeplessness keeps my eyes open
Remembering nights when she lay asleep
إِذا رَأَيتُ الرِّكابَ صادِرَةً
سارَ بِقَلبي إِلَيكَ مُنجِدُها
When I see the traveling caravans departing
My heart leaves with them to find her
وَأُمِّ خِشفٍ ضَلَّتْهُ فاِنطَلَقَتْ
تَنشُدُهُ والِهاً وَينشُدُها
Umm Khishf lost her son and set out
Seeking him desperately, and he seeks her
فَصادَفَتهُ لَقىً بِمَهلِكَةٍ
يَغَصُّ بِالضَّارياتِ فدفَدُها
She met him slain in Mahlikah
Among snakes writhing around his corpse
وَحاذَرَتْها فاِستَشعَرَتْ وَجَلاً
تَقرُبُ مِنهُ وَالرُّعبُ يُبعِدُها
She approached in awe and alarm
Fear keeping her from nearing him
وَتَنتَضي مِن ضُلوعِها نَفَساً
يَدمى وَيَشجى بِهِ مُقَلَّدُها
Gasping out of her ribs a breath
That bloodied and tore her collar
فَتِلكَ مِثلي إِذ زُرتُ مَنزِلَةً
أَرى مَهاها فأَينَ خُرَّدُها
That is like me, when I visited her abode
And found it desolate, where is its household?
وَبَينَ جَنَبيَّ لَوعَةٌ وَقَدَتْ
وَلَيسَ إِلّا ظَمياءُ تُخمِدُها
Between my ribs is an anguish that burns
With only tears to extinguish its embers
