أَلَم تَسأَلِ الرَبعَ الخَلاءَ فَيَنطِقُ

وَهَل تُخبِرَنكِ اليَومَ بَيداءَ سَملَقُ

Did you not ask the empty quarter that it might speak

And would the barren plain today tell you

وَقَفتُ بِها حَتّى تَجَلَّت عَمايَتي

وَمَلَّ الوُقوفَ الأَرحَبِيُّ المُنَوَّقُ

I stood there until my blindness lifted

And the spacious yard was filled by the restive, the snorting

بِمُختَلَفِ الأَرواحِ بَينَ سُوَيقَةٍ

وَأَحدَبَ كادَت بَعدَ عَهدِكِ تَخلُقُ

With mingled spirits between Suiqa and Ahda

He frowned, after your absence it seemed to create

أَضَرَّت بِها النَكباءُ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ

وَنَفخُ الصَبا وَالوابِلُ المُتَبَعِّقُ

It was harmed by misfortune every evening

By the blowing wind and dripping rain

وَقالَ خَليلي إِنَّ ذا لَصَبابَةٌ

أَلا تَزجُرُ القَلبَ اللَجوجَ فَيُلحَقُ

And my friend said this is but madness

Does it not restrain the stubborn heart that it may follow

تَعَزَّ وَإِن كانَت عَلَيكَ كَريمَةً

لَعَلَّكَ مِن رِقّ لبَثنَةَ تَعتِقُ

Be firm though she was generous to you

Perhaps you may free yourself from the fetters of yearning

فَقُلتُ لَهُ إِنَّ البعادَ لَشائِقي

وَبَعضُ بِعادِ البَينِ وَالنَأي أَشوَقُ

So I said to him that separation makes me yearn

And some of the distance and remoteness is more ardent

لَعَلَّكَ مَحزونٌ وَمُبدٍ صَبابَةً

وَمُظهِرُ شَكوى مِن أُناسٍ تَفَرَّقوا

Perhaps you are sad and extending madness

And showing complaint against people who scattered

وَما يَبتَغي مِنّي عُداةٌ تَعاقَدوا

وَمِن جِلدِ جاموسٍ سَمينٍ مُطَرَّقُ

And what my enemies conspired against me desire

And from the skin of a sleek buffalo stripped

وَأَبيَضَ مِن ماءِ الحَديدِ مُهَنَّد

لَهُ بَعدَ إِخلاصِ الضَريبَةِ رَونَقُ

And whiter than the water of polished iron

It has elegance after paying the due tax

إِذا ما عَلَت نَشزاً تَمُدُّ زِمامَها

كَما اِمتَدَّ جِلدُ الأَصلَفِ المُتَرَقرِقُ

When it rises high extending its bridle

As the hide of the dappled extended and ripped

وَبيضٍ غَريراتٍ تُثَنّي خُصورَها

إِذا قُمنَ أَعجازٌ ثِقالٌ وَأَسوُقُ

And white heifers bending their backs

When sturdy rumps and cruppers stood up

غَرائِرَ لَم يَعرِفنَ بُؤسَ مَعيشَةٍ

يُجَنَّ بِهِنَّ الناظِرُ المُتَنَوِّقُ

Heifers who knew no misery of life

By them the onlooker becomes distracted

وَغَلغَلتُ مِن وَجدٍ إِلَيهِنَّ بَعدَما

سَرَيتُ وَأَحشائي مِنَ الخَوفِ تَخفِقُ

And I rushed from passion to them after

I walked while my insides trembled with fear

مَعي صارِمٌ قَد أَخلَصَ القَينُ صَقلَهُ

لَهُ حينَ أَغشيهِ الضَريبَةَ رَونَقُ

With me a sword whose blade the whetstone made smooth

It had elegance when raiding the tax

فَلَولا اِحتِيالي ضِقنَ ذَرعاً بِزائِرٍ

بِهِ مِن صَباباتٍ إِلَيهنَّ أَولَقُ

Had I not cunningly contrived with a visitor

By it to loose some heifers towards them

تَسوكُ بِقُضبانِ الأَراكِ مُفَلَّجاً

يُشَعشِعُ فيهِ الفارِسِيُّ المُرَوَّقُ

It drags by the poles of the litter, paralyzed

In it the adorned Persian ripped

أَبَثنَةُ لَلوَصلُ الَّذي كانَ بَينَنا

نَضا مِثلَما يَنضو الخِضابُ فَيَخلُقُ

The yearning that was between us, Abathnah

Is as smooth as henna when it peels and forms

أَبثنَةُ ما تَنأَينَ إِلّا كَأَنَّني

بِنَجمِ الثُرَيّا ما نَأَيتِ مُعَلَّقُ

Abathnah, you did not distance yourself except as though

I by the star Al-Thurayya did not distance