تَذَكَّرَ هَذا القَلبُ مِن شَوقِهِ ذِكرا

تَذَكَّرَ شَوقاً لَيسَ ناسِيَهُ عَصرا

This heart recalled in longing a remembrance

It recalled a yearning it doesn't forget any time

تَذَكَّرَ ظَمياءَ الَّتي لَيسَ ناسِياً

وَإِن كانَ أَدنى عَهدِها حِجَجاً عَشرا

It recalled Zamiyya whom it doesn't forget

Even if the least of its association with her was ten years

وَما مُغزِلٌ بِالغَورِ غَورِ تِهامَةٍ

تَرَعّى أَراكاً مِن مَخارِمِها نَضرا

No spindle in the valley, the valley of Tihama

Grazes lambs from its precipices, fresh

مِنَ العوجِ حَوّاءَ المَدامِعِ تَرعَوي

إِلى رَشَإٍ طِفلٍ تَخالُ بِهِ فَترا

From twisted rain the tears graze

To the chin of a child it imagines idle

أَصابَت بِأَعلى الوَلوَلانِ حِبالَةً

فَما اِستَمسَكَت حَتّى حَسِبنَ بِها نَفرا

It attained at the top of passion, crazed

So it didn't hold back until they thought it mad

بِأَحسَنَ مِن ظَمياءَ يَومَ لَقيتُها

وَلا مُزنَةٌ راحَت غَمامَتَها قَصرا

Better than Zamiyya the day I met her

No cares went away, their clouds sparse

وَكَم دونَها مِن عَطِفٍ في صَريمَةٍ

وَأَعداءِ قَومٍ يَنذُرونَ دَمي نَذرا

And how many turns in Sraima are below her

And enemies of a people who vow my blood a vow

إِذا أَوعَدوني عِندَ ظَمياءَ ساءَها

وَعيدي وَقالَت لا تَقولوا لَهُ هُجرا

When they threaten me at Zamiyya it saddened her

And my threat, and she said don't say to him estrangement

دَعاني زِيادٌ لِلعَطاءِ وَلَم أَكُن

لِأَقرَبَهُ ما ساقَ ذو حَسَبٍ وَفرا

Ziyad called me for a gift but I wasn't

For his closest what a man of repute brought, and ample

وَعِندَ زِيادٍ لَو يُريدُ عَطاءَهُم

رِجالٌ كَثيرٌ قَد يَرى بِهِمُ فَقرا

And in Ziyad's presence if they want their gift

Many men who see in them poverty

قُعودٌ لَدى الأَبوابِ طُلّابُ حاجَةٍ

عَوانٍ مِنَ الحاجاتِ أَو حاجَةٍ بِكرا

Sitting at the doors seekers of need

Support from needs or an unspoiled need

فَلَمّا خَشيتُ أَن يَكونَ عَطاؤُهُ

أَداهِمَ سوداً أَو مُحَدرَجَةً سُمرا

So when I feared that his gift would be

Rushing darkness or a descending brown

فَزِعتَ إِلى حَرفٍ أَضَرَّ بَنِيَّها

سُرى اللَيلِ وَاِستِعراضُها البَلَدَ القَفرا

I fled to a craft that harmed its builder

The nights' wakefulness and its roaming the barren land

تَنَفَّسُ مِن بَهوٍ مِنَ الجَوفِ واسِعٍ

إِذا مَدَّ حَيزوماً شَراسيفَها الضَفرا

It breathes from an expansive cavity in the chest

When it extends its stubbled jaws