وَمَوشِيَّةٍ بِالبيضِ وَالزُغفِ وَالقَنا

مُحَبِّرَةِ الأَعطافِ بِالضُمَّرِ القُبِّ

With speckled hide of white and black and furrowed flank,

Her shoulders clad in a coat of mail ringed close between,

بَعيدَةِ ما بَينَ الجَناحَينِ في السُرى

قَريبَةِ ما بَينَ الكَميينِ بِالضَربِ

Long striding with the daylight when the morn is bright,

And short her steps when darkness rules the starry night,

مِنَ السالِباتِ الشَمسَ ثَوبَ ضِيائِها

بِثوبٍ تَوَلّى نَسجَهُ عِثيَرُ التُربِ

The sun unrobes her glory and her shine lays bare,

As clouds spread out across the radiant morn's repair,

يُعاتِبُ نَشوان القَنا صادِح الظُبا

إِذا التَقَيا فيها عَلى قلَّةَ الشُربِ

Rebuking her, loud-voiced, the pool of Nu'uman plain

When the two meet, for water scarce midst grass and cane,

أَعادَت عَلَينا اللَيلَ بِالنَقعِ في الضُحى

وَرَدَّت إِلَينا الصُبحَ في اللَيلِ بِالشُهُبِ

The night drove on and hid the day and cheerful light;

The morn returned and drove the murky dark of night.

تَبَلَّجُ عَن شَمسَي نِزارٍ وَيَعرُب

وَتَفتَرُّ عَن طَودَي عُلا تَغلِبُ الغُلبِ

She lightens from the shining pair of Nizār then,

And from two lofty mounts that o’er all heights are ken.

مُوَقَّرَةٌ يَقتادُ ثِني زِمامِها

بَصيرٌ بِأَدواءِ الكَريهَةِ وَالحَربِ

Majestic is she, leading well the halter's rein,

Discerning what afflicts, the soreness and the pain,

أَصَحَّ اِعتِزاماً مِن خَؤونٍ عَلى قِلىً

وَأَنفذ حُكماً مِن غَرامٍ عَلى صَبِّ

More firmly purposed than Khaula's troth to friends,

More binding than all bonds desire for pleasure rends.