لَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ بِالدَهناءِ مَلقىً
لِأَيدي العيسِ واضِعَةَ الرِحالِ
In the valley of Dahna, a home greeted me
Where pilgrims’ hands had laid down their burdens
مُناخُ مُطَلَّحينَ تَقاذَفَتهُم
غَريبُ الحاجِ وَالهِمَمِ العَوالي
A stopping place for the bedraggled, tossed about
The stranger, the high-minded with lofty goals
أَراحوا فَوقَ أَعضادِ المَطايا
قَدِ اِفتَرَشوا زَرابِيَّ الرِمالِ
They rested atop the humps of their camels
Having spread out on the dunes’ carpets
فَبَينَ مُمَضمَصٍ بِالنَومِ ذَوقاً
وَبَينَ مُقَيَّدٍ بِعُرى الكَلالِ
Some sunk in slumber, relishing its taste
Others bound by the fetters of drowsiness
إِلى أَن رَوَّعَ الظَلماءَ فَتقٌ
أَغَرُّ كَجَلحَةِ الرَجُلِ البَجالِ
Until the darkness was ripped by a shriek
Shrill as a courageous man’s battle cry
فَقاموا يَرتَقونَ عَلى ذُراها
سَلاليمَ المَعالِقِ وَالجِبالِ
Then they climbed, scaling the precipices
On the rungs of the cliffs and mountains
وَأَرَّقَني دُعاءُ الوُرقِ فيها
عَلى جُرحٍ قَريبِ الاِندِمالِ
And the leaves’ prayer stirred me
Reopening a wound not yet healed
تُذَكِّرُني بِسالِفَةِ اللَيالي
وَسالِفَةِ الغَزالَةِ وَالغَزالِ
Reminding me of bygone nights
Of the gazelle and her fawn
وَأَيّامُ الشَبابِ مُساعِفاتٌ
جُمِعنَ لَنا وَأَيّامَ الوِصالِ
Days of youth are accumulated
Gathered for us like days of union
كَأَنفاسِ الشَمولِ كَرَعتُ فيها
عَلى ظَمَإٍ وَأَنفاسِ الشَمالِ
I drank them in like breaths of air
Thirstily, inhaling the north wind
أَقولُ لَها وَقَد رَنَّت مِراحاً
لَبالُكَ يا حَمامَةُ غَيرُ بالي
I say to her, as she rings plaintively
Your mind is not on me, dove
تَباعَدَ بَينَنا مَن قيلَ شاكٍ
تَعَلَّقَ بِالغَرامِ وَقيلَ سالي
He who was deemed fickle came between us
Said to be enamored, said to have strayed
تَريعُ إِلى دَرادِقَ عاطِلاتٍ
وَهُنَّ بُعَيدَ آوِنَةٍ حَوالي
You wander to deserted encampments
Far in the distance all around
لَها صِنعٌ يَطولُ عَلى طُلاها
قَلائِدُ لا تُفَصَّلُ بِاللَآلي
Adorning you, their handsiwork lasts long
Necklaces never to be unstrung
عَوارٍ لا تَزالُ الدَهرَ حَتّى
تُجَلِّلَها بِرَيطٍ غَيرِ بالي
Blind, never changing, until the end of time
When death crowns you differently
وَكُلِّ أُزَيرَقٍ قَصُرَت خُطاهُ
كَشَيخِ الحَيِّ طَأطَأَ لِلعَوالي
And the plumage of every Uzayrq has shortened his stride
Like an elder of the tribe bowing to fate
مِراحُكَ قَبلَ طارِقَةِ المَنايا
وَقَبلَ مَرَدِّ عادِيَةِ اللَيالي
Your ringing comes before the advent of death
And before the procession of passing nights
