1. She of the light, fluttering cloak says—

    she of the hips and delicate fingers—

  2. For one given to love, you are indeed aloof.

    You have taken to reciting rhymes,

  3. while at al-Ajwaf you bring none to water

    but eight emaciated she-camels,

  4. survivors of glandular disease and sand-laden winds,

    bow-legged and thirsty, gazing like one straining to see.

  5. So drink your fill of water, and do not disdain it.

    Perhaps, if I perish while seeking my livelihood,

  6. you will find, in your seeking and roaming,

    someone like Abu Hawdha or Attaf:

  7. pinched of face and narrow of shoulders.

    He draws near while you draw away, your heart unfeeling—

  8. like a milk-withholding she-camel sniffing a dummy calf’s hide.

Sol 6.1