طَرَقَت نَوارُ وَدونَ مَطرَقِها

جَذبُ البُرى لِنَواحِلٍ صُعرِ

The lamps of Nawar cast their glow

And pull the nomads to assembly

وَرَواحُ مُعصِفَةٍ وَغَدوَتُها

شَهراً تُواصِلُهُ إِلى شَهرِ

Their morning departures continue

From month to month journeying on

أَدنى مَنازِلِها لِطالِبِها

خِمسُ المُؤَوِّبِ لِلقَطا الكُدرِ

The least of her camps for those who seek them

Is for the guide, five nights on rugged ground

وَإِذا أَنامُ أَلَمَّ طائِفُها

حَتّى يُنَبِّهَ أَعيُنَ السَفرِ

And if I sleep, the memory of her roams

Till it wakes the eyes for travel again

إِنّي يُهَيِّجُني إِذا ذُكِرَت

ريحُ الجَنوبِ لَها عَلى الذِكرِ

The thought of her stirs me when recalled—

The south wind, bearing that sweet pain

وَكَأَنَّما اِلتَبَسَت بِأَرحُلِنا

بَعدَ المَنامِ ذَكِيَّةُ التَجرِ

As though her saddlebags mingled with mine

By dawn endowed with knowing and joy

وَكَأَنَّ ذُرَّعَها بِأَرحُلِنا

يُرقِلنَ مِثلَ نَعائِمٍ زُعرِ

As though her mounts were hobbled with mine,

Swaying us like bliss or foreboding dread

أَو عانَةٍ يَبِسَت مَراتِعُها

خَبَطَت سَفا القُريانِ وَالظَهرِ

Or a she-camel whose pasture was withered,

Striding over stony ground and reddish sand

وَكَأَنَّ حَيّاتٍ مُعَلَّقَةً

تَثني أَزِمَّتَها إِلى الصُفرِ

As though curved snakes suspended

Bent back their slenderness into amber air

لِلعَوهَجِيَّةِ مِن نَجائِبِها

وَالداعِرِيِّ لِأَفحُلٍ صُحرِ

For the lopsided one from her saddlebags

And for the roamer, a tawny viper of waste

وَإِلى سُلَيمانَ الَّذي سَكَنَت

أَروى الهِضابِ بِهِ مِنَ الذُعرِ

And for Suleiman whose abode she made

The meadows, from all alarm made free

وَتَراجَعَ الطُرَداءُ إِذ وَثِقوا

بِالأَمنِ مِن رَتبيلَ وَالشَحرِ

The exiles found refuge when assured

Of safety from Rattabel and Sheher

أَو كُلِّ دايِرَةٍ كَأَنَّ بِها

قاراً وَلَيسَ سَفينُها يَجري

Or every camp as though in it

Were stillness, though its ships sailed on

أَو كُلِّ صادِقَةٍ إِذا طُلِبَت

مِن دونِها الريحُ الَّتي تُذري

Or every true comrade, when wanted,

Whose wind winnowed me from afar