أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل تَخُبُّ مَطِيَّتي

بِحَيثُ الكَثيبُ الفَردُ وَالأَجرَعُ السَّهلُ

Alas, would that I knew if my she-camel might fail me

In a land of elevated sand-dunes and open plain;

أَلَذّ بِهِ مَسَّ الثَّرى وَيروقُني

حواشي رُباً يَغذو أَزاهيرَها الوَبلُ

More delicious to me her grazing the ground, and pleasing to me

Are the edges of a fertile meadow watered by the rain-pools.

وَلَولا دواعي حُبِّ رَملَةَ لَم أَقُلْ

إِذا زُرتُ مَغناها بِهِ سُقيَ الرَّملُ

But for yearnings of love for Ramla I'd not have said,

If I visited her pasture when it drank in the rain:

فَيا حَبَّذا أَثلُ العَقيقِ وَمَن بِهِ

وَإِن رَحَلَتْ عَنهُ فَلا حَبَّذا الأَثلُ

"Blessed the place of al-ʿUqayq, blessed who dwells there,

And though she departs may none bless al-ʾAthl!"

ضَعيفَةُ رَجعِ القَولِ مِن تَرَفِ الصِّبا

لَها نَظرَةٌ تُنسيكَ ما يَفعَلُ النَّصلُ

The weakness of the effect of her speech lies in the wantonness of youth.

She has a glance that makes you forget what the buds are doing.

وَقَد بَعَثَتْ سِرّاً إِليَّ رَسولَها

لِأَهجُرَها وَالهَجرُ شيمَةُ مَن يَسلو

And she has secretly sent me her messenger

That I may abandon her - but to abandon is the mark of him who is voided of good sense!

تَخافُ عَلَيَّ الحَيَّ إِذ نَذَروا دَمي

سَأُرخِصُهُ فيها عَلى أَنَّهُ يَغلو

They fear for me from her people now they have vowed my blood shed -

I shall ransom it amongst them though the ransom be exorbitant.

أَيَمنَعُني خَوفُ الرَّدى أَن أَزورَها

وَأَروَحُ مِن صَبري عَلى هَجرِها القَتلُ

Can fear of evil events keep me from paying her a visit

And solace myself for her estrangement, though death be the price!

إِذا رَضيتْ عَنّي فَلا باتَ لَيلَةً

عَلى غَضَبٍ إِلّا العَشيرَةُ وَالأَهلُ

When she is appeased with me, there is no night

I lie down in anger - save my household and my family!