لِخَولَةَ بِالأَجزاعِ مِن إِضَمٍ طَلَل

وَبِالسَفحِ مِن قَوٍّ مُقامٌ وَمُحتَمَل

To Khawla in ruined abodes from gathered hills

And in the foothills an established and endurable abode

تَرَبُّعُهُ مِرباعُها وَمَصيفُها

مِياهٌ مِنَ الأَشرافِ يُرمى بِها الحَجَل

Its squares her squares and its summer home

Waters from honored springs which pebbles are cast into

فَلا زالَ غَيثٌ مِن رَبيعٍ وَصَيِّفٍ

عَلى دارِها حَيثُ اِستَقَرَّت لَهُ زَجَل

So rain did not cease from a spring or summer

Upon her abode where she settled, with permanent residence

مَرَتهُ الجَنوبُ ثُمَّ هَبَّت لَهُ الصَبا

إِذا مَسَّ مِنها مَسكَناً عُدمُلٌ نَزَل

The south wind passed by her, then the northern wind blew

Whenever a wayfarer touched down, an unsettled one halted

كَأَنَّ الخَلايا فيهِ ضَلَّت رِباعُها

وَعوذاً إِذا ما هَدَّهُ رَعدُهُ اِحتَفَل

As if the rooms in it lost their squares

And a refuge when its thunder shakes them, they huddle

لَها كَبِدٌ مَلساءُ ذاتُ أَسِرَّةٍ

وَكَشحانِ لَم يَنقُض طِوائُهُما الحَبَل

It has a smooth liver of climbing plants

That their intertwining ropes have not come undone

إِذا قُلتُ هَل يَسلو اللُبانَةَ عاشِقٌ

تَمُرُّ شُؤونُ الحُبِّ مِن خَولَةَ الأَوَل

If I say, does a lover attain rest in Lubana?

Then the affairs of love pass from the first Khawla

وَما زادَكَ الشَكوى إِلى مُتَنَكِّرٍ

تَظَلُّ بِهِ تَبكي وَلَيسَ بِهِ مَظَل

And complaining has not increased you except to one who denies

You remain weeping by him, but he has no shelter

مَتى تَرَ يَوماً عَرصَةً مِن دِيارِها

وَلَو فَرطَ حَولٍ تَسجُمُ العَينُ أَو تُهَل

When will you see a day of her abode

Even if a year passes, the eye becomes bleary or confused

فَقُل لِخَيالِ الحَنظَليَّةِ يَنقَلِب

إِلَيها فَإِنّي واصِلٌ حَبلَ مَن وَصَل

So say to the specter of Hanchaliya, return

To her, for I am a continuous rope of one who is united

أَلا إِنَّما أَبكي لِيَومٍ لَقيتُهُ

بِجُرثُمَ قاسٍ كُلُّ ما بَعدَهُ جَلَل

Verily, I only weep for a day I faced

With intense cold, all that came after was decline

إِذا جاءَ ما لا بُدَّ مِنهُ فَمَرحَباً

بِهِ حينَ يَأتي لا كِذابٌ وَلا عِلَل

When what is inevitable comes, then welcome

To it when it comes, no lies and no excuses

أَلا إِنَّني شَرِبتُ أَسوَدَ حالِكاً

أَلا بَجَلي مِنَ الشَرابِ أَلا بَجَل

Verily, I drank the blackness of your condition

How abundant my tears from the drink! How abundant!

فَلا أَعرِفَنّي إِن نَشَدتُكَ ذِمَّتي

كَداعي هَديلٍ لا يُجابُ وَلا يَمَل

So do not recognize me if I called upon you

Like one calling to heedlessness, unanswered and unceasing