أَلا يا غَزالَ الرَملِ مِن بَطنِ وَجرَةٍ

إِلِلواجِدِ الظَمآنِ مِنكِ شُروعُ

O gazelle of the sandy expanse from the belly of a valley

For the thirsty, you are a welcome drink

خَلا لَكَ في الأَحشاءِ مَرعىً تَرودُهُ

وَصابَكَ مِن ماءِ الدُموعِ رَبيعُ

Grass grows for you in the dunes to graze

And the tears' spring rains down upon you

أَلا هَل إِلى ظِلِّ الأَثيلِ تَخَلُّصٌ

وَهَل لِثَنَيّاتِ الغُوَيرِ طُلوعُ

Will you escape to the acacia tree's shade?

Will the folds of the dunes reveal themselves?

وَهَل بَلِيَت خَيمٌ عَلى أَيمَنِ الحِمى

وَزالَت لَنا بِالأَبرَقَينِ رُبوعُ

Were tents pitched at the sanctuary's right side?

Did the lightnings make the meadows disappear?

وَهَل لِلَيالينا الطِوالِ تَصَرُّمٌ

وَهَل لِلَيالينا القِصارِ رُجوعُ

Can our long nights suffer more?

Can our short nights return?

وَلَم أَنسَ يَومَ الجِزعِ حُسناً خَلَستُهُ

بِعَيني عَلى أَنَّ الزِيالَ سَريعُ

I did not forget the beauty I secretly saw

On the day of sorrow - with my eye that the departure was quick

وَلَمّا تَواقَفنا ذَهَلتُ وَلَم يَحِن

لِطَيرِ قُلوبِ العاشِقينَ وُقوعُ

And when we stopped, I swooned and the heart

Of lovers did not have a chance to alight

عَلى حينَ أَعدَتُّ حَيرَتي قَلبَ صاحِبي

فَرُحنا وَسَوطَ العامِرِيِّ مُضيعُ

Just when I readied my confusion, my friend’s heart

We were happy and the fertile land was gone

حَديثٌ يَضَلُّ القَلبُ عِندَ اِستِماعِهِ

فَليسَ عَجيباً أَن يَضَلَّ قَطيعُ

A talk that makes the heart stray when hearing it

So it's no wonder that a flock gets lost

عَشيَّةَ لي مِن رُقبَةِ الحَيِّ زاجِزٌ

عَنِ الدَمعِ إِلّا أَن تَشُذَّ دُموعُ

An evening for me with the living's neck preventing

The tears, unless they profusely pour

وَقَد أَمَرَت عَيناكَ عَينَيَّ بِالبُكا

فَقُل لِيَ أَيَّ الآمرَينِ أُطيعُ

And your eyes ordered mine to weep

So tell me which of the two commanders I should obey