وَما وَجدُ أَعرابِيّةٍ قَذَفَت بِها

صُرُوفُ النَّوى مِن حَيثُ لَم تَكُ ظَنَّت

No Bedouin woman thrown by the turns of fate

Far from the place she never thought she'd be

تَمَنّت أَحالِيبَ الرِّعاءِ وخَيمةً

بِنَجدٍ فَلَم يُقدَر لَها ما تَمَنَّتِ

Longed for the tents of her people, or a tent

In Nejd, but was denied what she longed for.

إِذا ذَكَرَت ماءَ العِضاهِ وطِيبَهُ

وَبَردَ الحَصَى مِن بَطنِ خَبتٍ أَرَنَّتِ

When she recalls pure water, its taste,

And the chilled pebbles from deep cisterns, she moans

بِأَعظَمَ منِّى لَوعَةً غَيرَ أَنَّنِى

أجَمجِمُ أَحشائِى على ما أَجّنَّتِ

With greater torment than mine, though my soul

Roasts within me for what it has moaned for.

وَكانَت رِياحٌ تَحملُ الحاجَ بَينَنَا

فَقَد بَخشلَت تِلكَ الرِّياحُ وَضَنَّتِ

The winds that once carried a traveler between us

Have slackened and slept.