تَذَكَّرَ هَذا القَلبُ هِندَ بَني سَعدِ

سَفاهاً وَجَهلاً ما تَذَكَّرَ مِن هِندِ

This heart remembered the tribe of Bani Sa'd

With foolishness and ignorance, not remembering any from India

أَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ أَنتَ موفٍ فَناظِرٌ

إِلى آلِ هِندٍ نَظرَةً قَلَّما تُجدي

Do you every day turn aside, looking

At the family of India with a glance that seldom avails?

تَذَكَّرتُ عَهداً كانَ بَيني وَبَينَها

قَديماً وَهَل أَبقَت لَنا الحَربُ مِن عَهدِ

I remembered a pact that was between me and her

Long ago - did the war leave any pact between us?

فَما مُغزِلٌ أَدماءُ ريعَت فَأَقبَلَت

بِسالِفَةٍ كَالسَيفِ سُلَّ مِنَ الغِمدِ

So neither spindle bloodied the meadow and approached

With a naked sword, drawn from the scabbard

بِأَحسَنَ مِن هِندٍ وَلا ضَوءُ مُزنَةٍ

جَلا البَرقُ عَنها في مُكَلَّلَةٍ فَردِ

With better than India and no radiance of adornment

Did lightning flash over her, wreathed in abandonment and rejection

تَضُمُّ عَلى مَضنونَةٍ فارِسِيَّةٍ

ضَفائِرَ لا ضاحي القُرونَ وَلا جَعدِ

She clasps an embroidered Persian gown

With braids - no flowing hair or curled locks

وَتُضحي وَما ضَمَّت فُضولَ ثِيابِها

إِلى كَتِفَيها بِاِئتِزارٍ وَلا عَقدِ

And she prays but has not folded the edges of her garment

To her shoulders with a belt or clasp

كَأَنَّ الخُزامى خالَطَت في ثِيابِها

جَنِيّاً مِنَ الرَيحانِ أَو قُضُبِ الرَندِ

As though aromatic plants were mixed in her clothes

With a jinni from basil plants or stalks of nadd

وَساقَ النِعاجَ الخُنسَ بَيني وَبَينَها

بِرَعنِ إِشاءٍ كُلُّ ذي جُدَدٍ قَهدِ

And the docile sheep led between me and her

With the calling of a shepherd, all those with new offspring awake

غَدَت بِرِعالٍ في قَطاً في حُلوقِهِ

أَداوى لِطافُ الطَيِّ موثَقَةُ العَقدِ

She appeared in the evening wearing a coat with slits in it

Through which peeped the delicacy of her wrists clasped with bracelets

فَلَمّا عَلا وَجهُ النَهارِ وَرَفَّعَت

بِهِ الطَيرُ أَصواتاً كَواعِيَةِ الجُندِ

So when the face of day arose and the birds

Raised voices like the wailing of soldiers over it