ظَعَنَ الَّذينَ فَراقَهُم أَتَوَقَّعُ

وَجَرى بِبَينِهِمُ الغُرابُ الأَبقَعُ

I yearned for those who left me behind

And the spotted raven flew between us

حَرِقُ الجَناحِ كَأَنَّ لِحيَي رَأسِهِ

جَلَمانِ بِالأَخبارِ هَشَّ مولَعُ

Its wings scorched as if the cheeks of its head

Were live coals, burning with news

فَزَجَرتُهُ أَلّا يُفَرِّخَ عُشُّهُ

أَبَداً وَيُصبِحَ واحِداً يَتَفَجَّعُ

So I deterred it from nesting

Ever again, leaving it a lone mourner

إِنَّ الَّذينَ نَعَيتَ لي بِفِراقِهِم

هُم أَسهَروا لَيلي التَمامَ فَأَوجَعوا

Indeed, those whose loss you lamented to me

Kept me up all night, tormenting me

وَمُغيرَةٍ شَعواءَ ذاتِ أَشِلَّةٍ

فيها الفَوارِسُ حاسِرٌ وَمُقَنَّعُ

And a windswept she-camel, slackened,

On which bold riders mount covered up

فَزَجَرتُها عَن نِسوَةٍ مِن عامِرٍ

أَفخاذُهُنَّ كَأَنَّهُنَّ الخَروَعُ

So I deterred her from women of Aamir

Whose thighs seem like palm trunks

وَعَرَفتُ أَنَّ مَنِيَّتي إِن تَأتِني

لا يُنجِني مِنها الفِرارُ الأَسرَعُ

And I knew that if death comes for me

Fleeing faster won't save me from it

فَصَبَرتُ عارِفَةً لِذَلِكَ حُرَّةً

تَرسو إِذا نَفسُ الجَبانِ تَطَلَّعُ

So I waited patiently, knowing this, free

While the coward's soul peeks out furtively