ما قلتُ هَيَّجَ عيْنَهُ لِبُكائِها

مَحْسُورَةً باتَتْ عليَّ إِغْفائِها

What I said stirred her eyes to weep

She fell asleep on me, dazed.

فكأَنَّ حَبَّةَ فُلْفُلٍ في عينِهِ

ما بَيْنَ مُصْبَحِها إلى إِمْسائِها

So my words were like pepper in her eye

From dawn until evening.

سَفَهاً تَذَكُّرُهُ خُوَيلَةَ بَعْدَ مَا

حالَتْ قُرى نَجْرانَ دُونَ لِقائِها

Foolishly remembering her after Khuwailah

When the lands of Najran lie between us.

واحْتَلَّ أَهْلِي بالكَّثِيبِ وأَهْلُها

في دارِ كَلْبٍ أَرْضِها وسَمائِها

My family camped at al-Kathib and hers

In the house of a dog, its land and sky.

يا خَوْلَ ما يُدْرِيك رُبَّتَ حُرَّةٍ

خَوْدٍ كَرِيمَةٍ حَيِّها ونسائها

Oh Khuwailah, a free woman wouldn't know

The value of an honorable, lively woman,

قد بِتُّ مالِكَها وشارِبَ رَيَّةٍ

قبلَ الصَّباحِ كَرِيمةٍ بِسِبائِها

Her owner gets drunk before dawn

With a generous woman and her youth.

ومُغِيرَةٍ نَسْجَ الجَنُوبِ شَهِدْتُها

تَمْضِي سَوابِقُها عَلَي غُلَوائِها

I saw the south wind's weaving,

As its gusts raced ahead.

بمُحالةٍ تَقِصُ الذُّبابَ بِطَرْفِها

خُلِقَتْ مَعَاقِمُها عَلَى مُطوائِها

With impossible effort it chases flies

Created to soar in the sky.

كَسَبِيبَةِ السِّيَراءِ ذاتِ عُلالَةٍ

تَهْدِي الجِيادَ غَداةً غِبّ لِقائِها

Like the noble, tall-tailed mare

Who leads the steeds at dawn, eager to meet them.

هَلاَّ سأَلْتِ بِنا فَوارِسَ وائلٍ

فَلَنَحْنُ أَسْرَعُها إلى أَعْدائِها

Why not ask us, the horsemen of Wail,

For we are the swiftest in charging the foe,

ولنحْنُ أَكْثَرُها إذا عُدَّ الحَصَى

ولَنا فَواضِلها ومَجْدُ لِوائِها

And the most numerous when counting warriors.

To us belong its heroes and the glory of its banners.