وَلَقَد أَقولُ لِصاحِبٍ نَبَّهتُهُ

فَوقَ الرَحالَةِ وَالمَطيُّ رَواقي

Indeed I say to a companion I have admonished

Above the saddlebags, with the mounts as a shelter,

أَو ما شَمَمتَ بِذي الأَبارِقِ نَفحَةً

خَلَصَت إِلى كَبِدِ الفَتى المُشتاقِ

Or have you not sensed from one with standards a scent

That reached the core of the yearning youth

فَجَنى نَسيمَ الشيحِ مِن نَجدٍ لَهُ

حُرَقُ الحَشى وَتَحَلُّبُ الآماقِ

So he attained the breeze of Sheeh from Najd

Burning his innards and melting his bones

آهاً عَلى نَفَحاتِ نَجدٍ إِنَّها

رُسلُ الهَوى وَأَدِلَّةُ الأَشواقِ

Alas! For the breezes of Najd, they

Are messengers of love and signs of yearnings

أَسُقيتَ بِالكَأسِ الَّتي سُقّيتُها

أَم هَل خَطَتكَ إِلَيَّ كَفُّ الساقي

Did you quench your thirst from the cup I was given to drink

Or did the hand of the cupbearer gesture to me?

فَأَوى وَقالَ أَرى بِقَلبِكَ لَسعَةً

لِلحُبِّ لَيسَ لِدائِها مِن راقِ

So he came to me and said, I see in your heart an affliction

For love that has no remedy

فَصِفِ الغَرامَ لِمُفرِقٍ مِن دائِهِ

إِنّي لَأَقدَمُ مِنكَ في العُشّاقِ

Describe then the passion to one suffering from its pain

I have more experience than you when it comes to lovers

أَبَثَثتُهُ كَمَدي وَطولَ تَجَلُّدي

وَأَليمَ ما بي مِن نَوىً وَفِراقِ

I unburdened to him my long endurance

And the sorrow deep within me of separation

أَشكو إِلَيهِ بَياضَ سودِ مَفارِقي

وَيَظَلُّ يَعجَبُ مِن سَوادِ الباقي

I complain to him of my farewell's pallor

Yet he remains astonished at the blackness of what remains