وَلَمّا لَحِقنا بِالحُمولِ وَدونَهَا
خَميصُ الحَشا تُوهِى القَميصَ عواتِقُه
When we reached the sand dunes below them
The gown of beauty concealed her shoulders' grace
قَليلُ قَذَى العَينَينِ نَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ
هُوَ المَوتُ غِن لم تُصرَعَنّا بَوَائِقُه
A little dust in the eyes reveals to us
That it is death if its straps did not make us collapse
وَقَفنا فَسَلَّمنا فَسلَّمَ كارهاً
علينا وتَبريحٌ مِنَ الغَيظِ خانِقُه
We stopped and greeted, so she reluctantly
Greeted us back with suffocating anger
فَسَاءلتُهُ تّى اطمَأنَّ وَقد بَدَا
لنا بَرَدٌ مِنهُ تَطيرُ صَواعِقُه
I asked her again and again until she calmed down
And a coldness from her flew towards us like lightning bolts
فَسايَرتُهُ مِيلَينِ يا لَيتَ أَنَّنى
عَلَى سُخطِهِ حتّى المَماتِ أُرافِقُه
I walked with her gently, oh I wish
I could endure her anger until death accompanies me
فَلمّا رَأت أن لا جَوابَ وَأنّما
مَدَى الصَّرمِ مَضروبٌ علينا سُرادِقُه
When she saw no answer, but rather
The drawn sword hanging over us like a canopy
رَمَتنِى بِطَرفٍ كَمِيَّا رَمَت بِهِ
لَبُلَّ نَجِيعاً نَحرُهُ وَبَنائِقُه
She glanced at me with eyes that glanced
To melt my throat and jugular altogether
بِنُورٍ بَدَا من حاجِبَيهَا كأنَّهُ
بُروقُ الحَيا تُهدَى لِنَجدٍ شَقائِقُه
With a light that shone from her eyebrows as if
It was the lightning of life sent down to Najd's meadows
وَرُحنا وكلٌّ نَفسُهُ قَد تَصَعَّدَت
إِلى النَّحرِ حتَّى ضَمَّها مُتَضَايِقُه
We left and each one’s soul had flared up
To the throat until congested by distress
مِنَ الوَجدِ إِلاّ أَنَّ مَن فَاضَ دَمعُهُ
أراحَ وَظِلُّ المَوتِ تَغشَى بَوارِقُه
Except those whose tears had overflowed
Were relieved while the shadow of death covered the innocent
مَنَحتُ صَرِيحَ الوُدِّ لَيلى كَرامةً
لِلَيلى ولكنّى لِغَيرِك ماذِقُه
I gave honesty to Layla as a gift
Out of respect for Layla but I do not taste it for another
فَلَم تَجزِني بالوُدِّ لَيلى وَلَم تَخَف
مَلاَمَكَ فى عَهدٍ علينا وَثائِقُه
Layla did not reward me with love, and did not fear
Blaming me despite our binding covenant
