أَقوَت رُواوَةُ مِن أَسماءَ فالسَنَدُ
فالسَهبُ فالقاعُ مِن عَيرَينِ فالجُمُدُ
The ruins of Rawwah among the sands
Then the open plain, then the hollow between two caravans, then the solid ground
فَعَرشُ خاخٍ قِفارٌ غَيرَ أَنَّ بِهِ
رَبعاً أَقامَ بِهِ نؤيٌ وَمُنتَضَدُ
Then the throne of a desolate place, though
A tribe camped there for a time with their beasts
وَسُجَّدٌ كالحَماماتِ الجُثومِ بِهِ
وَمُلبِدٌ مِن رَمادِ القِدرِ مُلتَبِدُ
And there were prostrations like nesting doves
And ashes from cooking pots piled high
وَقَد أَراها حَديثاً وَهيَ آهِلَةٌ
بِها تَواصَلَ ذاكَ الجِزعُ فالعَقَدُ
And I saw it recently inhabited
By which that sadness and those knots continued
إِذ الهَوى لَم يغَيِّر شَعبَ نِيَّتِهِ
شَكسُ الخَليقَةِ ذو قاذورَةٍ وَحَدُ
Since passion did not change the course of its intention
The defiant one with the ugly disposition and sharp tongue
يَظَلُّ وَجداً وَإِن لَم أَنوِ رؤيَتَها
كَأَنَّهُ إِذ يَراني زائِراً كَمِدُ
Stayed passionate even when I did not intend to see her
As if when she sees me visiting, I am avoiding her
فَيا لَها خُلَّةً لَو أَنَّها بِهوىً
مِنها تُثيبُكَ بالوَجدِ الَّذي تَجِدُ
If only she had the sense, if she would reward your passion
With the affection that you feel
قامَت تُريكَ شَتيتَ النَبتِ ذا أُشُرٍ
كَأَنَّهُ مِن سَواري صَيِّفٍ بَرَدُ
She stood, showing you the scattered vegetation with locusts
As if it were the coolness of a summer barn
أَهدى أَهِلَّتَهُ نَوءُ السِماكِ لَها
حَتّى تَناهَت بِهِ الكُثبانُ والجَرَدُ
The star Canopus brought its rain there for her
Until the sand dunes and mountains ended
وَمُقلَتَي مُطفِلٍ فَردٍ أَطاعَ لَها
بَقلٌ وَمَردٌ ضَفا مُكّاؤُهُ غَرِدُ
And the eyelids of the tall, solitary, obedient Mtiful
Where artemisia and myrrh, his resting place chirped
يَزينُ لَبَّتَها دُرٌّ تَكَنَّفَهُ
نُظّامُهُ فأَجادوا السَردَ إِذ سَرَدوا
Adorning her bosom a pearl enveloped
By a necklace, and they excelled at stringing
دُرٌّ وَشَذرٌ وَياقوتٌ يُفَضِّلُهُ
كأَنَّهُ إِذ بَدا جَمرُ الغَضا يَقِدُ
A pearl, and gems, and ruby which outshines
As if it were an ember of hell fire
وَقَد عَجِبتُ لِما قَالَت بِذي سَلَمٍ
وَدَمعُها بِسَحيقِ الكُحلِ يَطَّرِدُ
And I was amazed by what she said, with her Salam
And her tears flowed with kohl, steadily
قالَت أَقِم لا تَبِن مِنّا فَقُلتُ لَها
إِنّي وَإِن كُنتُ مَلعوجاً بيَ الكَمَدُ
She said, stay, do not distance yourself from us, so I said to her
Even if I was defective, the incomplete one stays
