تَشُطُّ غَداً دارُ جيرانِنا

وَلَلَدّارُ بَعدَ غَدٍ أَبعَدُ

Our neighbors will move out tomorrow

And the house will be even more desolate the day after

إِذا سَلَكَت غَمرَ ذي كِندَةِ

مَعَ الرَكبِ قَصدٌ لَها الفَرقَدُ

When she took the road of parting

With the caravan, their destination was far off

وَحَثَّ الحُداةُ بِها عَيرَها

سِراعاً إِذا ما وَنَت تُطرَدُ

The cameleers hurried their camels

When she resisted being driven away

هُنالِكَ إِمّا تُعَزّي الفُؤادَ

وَإِمّا عَلى إِثرِهِم يَكمَدُ

There my heart was consoled

Or else it perished in their tracks

فَلَستُ بِبِدعٍ لَئِن دارُها

نَأَت فَالعَزاءُ إِذاً أَجلَدُ

So I'm not the first whose house

Departed, and so solace comes later

صَرَمتُ وَواصَلتُ حَتّى عَلِم

تُ أَينَ المَصادِرُ وَالمَورِدُ

I persevered and kept going until I knew

Where the springs and meadows were

وَجَرَّبتُ مِن ذاكَ حَتّى عَرَف

تُ ما أَتَوَقّى وَما أَحمَدُ

And I tried it out until I understood

What I long for and what makes me happy

دَعانِيَ مِن بَعدِ شَيبِ القَذا

لِ رِئمٌ لَهُ عُنُقٌ أَغيَدُ

After my hair turned white with sorrow

A lover called me, his neck bent

وَعَينٌ تُصابي وَتَدعو الفَتى

لِما تَركُهُ لِلفَتى أَرشَدُ

And an eye that entices and calls a young man

To what it leaves for the young man, a guide

فَتِلكَ الَّتي شَيَّعَتها الفَتاةُ

إِلى الخِدرِ قَلبي بِها مُقصَدُ

That one the girl escorted

To the wall, my heart was intent on her

تَقولُ وَقَد جَدَّ مِن بَينِها

غَداةَ غَدٍ عاجِلٌ موفَدُ

She says, and a messenger from among them

Insisted at dawn the next day on leaving

أَلَستَ مُشَيِّعَنا لَيلَةً

تُقَضّي اللُبانَةَ أَو تَعهَدُ

"Won't you escort us tonight

To fulfill a wish or promise?"

فَقُلتُ بَلى قَلَّ عِندي لَكُم

كَلالُ المَطِيِّ إِذا تُجهَدُ

So I said, "Yes, for you I have little

Energy left in my mount when it is exhausted."

فَعودي إِلَيها فَقولي لَها

مَساءُ غَدٍ لَكُمُ مَوعِدُ

So go back to her and say:

"Tomorrow evening is your appointed time"

وَآيَةُ ذَلِكَ أَن تَسمَعي

إِذا جِئتُكُم ناشِداً يَنشُدُ

And the sign of that is you'll hear

When I come reciting poetry

فَرُحنا سِراعاً وَراحَ الهَوى

إِلَيها دَليلاً بِنا يَقصِدُ

So we quickly departed, and passion

Led us to her as a guide

فَلَمّا دَنونا لِجَرسِ النِباحِ

إِذا الضَوءُ وَالحَيُّ لَم يَرقُدوا

But when we approached the barking of the dogs

There was no light or living being not asleep

نَأَينا عَنِ الحَيِّ حَتّى إِذا

تَوَدَّعَ مِن نارِها المَوقِدُ

We avoided the settlement until

The fire in it had its last glow

وَناموا بَعَثنا لَنا ناشِداً

وَفي الحَيِّ بِغيَةُ مَن يَنشُدُ

And they slept, so we sent a reciter

Into the camp, hoping he would recite

فَقامَت فَقُلتُ بَدَت صورَةٌ

مِنَ الشَمسِ شَيَّعَها الأَسعَدُ

So she stood up and I said, “The image

Of a sun has appeared, escorted by good fortune,”

فَجاءَت تَهادى عَلى رِقبَةٍ

مِنَ الخَوفِ أَحشاؤُها تُرعَدُ

And she came gently with a neck

Trembling from fear, its insides shuddering

وَكَفَّت سَوابِقَ مِن عَبرَةٍ

عَلى الخَدِّ جالَ بِها الإِثمِدُ

And she wiped tears of sorrow

On her cheek, made wet by flowing tears

تَقولُ وَتُظهِرُ وَجداً بِنا

وَوَجدي وَإِن أَظهَرَت أَوجَدُ

Saying, showing grief for us

Grief I showed, though showing it made it worse

لَمِمّا شَقائي تَعَلَّقتُكُم

وَقَد كانَ لي عِندَكُم مَقعَدُ

“Because of my misery I clung to you

And I had a place with you”

عِراقِيَّةٌ وَتَهامى الهَوى

يَغورُ بِمَكَّةَ أَو يُنجِدُ

An Iraqi woman, and passion makes me forget

Whether it takes me to Mecca or rescues me