يَقولُ خَليلي إِذ أَجازَت حُمولُها

خَوارِجَ مِن شَوطانَ بِالصَبرِ فَاِظفَرِ

My beloved said as their caravan passed

Emerging from Shautan with patience, so triumph!

فَقُلتُ لَهُ ما مِن عَزاءٍ وَلا أَسىً

بِمُسلٍ فُؤادي عَن هَواها فَأَقصِرِ

So I said to him, there is no consolation or grief

With a heart appeased from its passion, so stop!

وَما مِن لِقاءٍ يُرتَجى بَعدَ هَذِهِ

لَنا وَلَهُم دونَ اِلتِفافِ المُجَمَّرِ

And no meeting can be hoped for after this

For us and them, without the gathering of ashes

فَهاتِ دَواءً لِلَّذي بي مِنَ الجَوى

وَإِلّا فَدَعني مِن مَلامِكَ وَاِعذِرِ

So give me a cure for my burning passion

Or else leave me be from blame, and excuse me

تَباريحَ لا يَشفي الطَبيبُ الَّذي بِهِ

وَلَيسَ يُؤاتيهِ دَواءُ المُبَشِّرِ

Medicines that do not heal the one who has it

And the consoler’s remedies do not provide relief

وَطَورَينِ طَوراً يائِسٌ مَن يَعودُهُ

وَطَوراً يُرى في العَينِ كَالمُتَحَيِّرِ

While at times in despair of one returning to health

And at times seen in the eye like one perplexed

صَريعُ هَوىً ناءَت بِهِ شاهِقِيَّةٌ

هَضيمُ الحَشى حُسّانَةُ المُتَحَسَّرِ

Stricken with passion, brought down by a tall one

Brokenhearted, beautiful, grieving

قَطوفٌ أَلوفٌ لِلحِجالِ غَريرَةٌ

وَثيرَةُ ما تَحتَ اِعتِقادِ المُؤَزَّرِ

Bunches picked for the bracelets, a coquette

And plenty beneath the belief of the devout

سَبَتهُ بِوَحفٍ في العِقاصِ مُرَجَّلٍ

أَثيثٍ كَقِنوِ النَخلَةِ المُتَكَوِّرِ

Her charm in elegance in plaited tresses

Furnished like the bent palm trunk

وَخَدٍّ أَسيلٍ كَالوَذِيلَةِ ناعِمٍ

مَتى يَرَهُ راءٍ يُهِلُّ وَيُسحِرُ

And a soft cheek like the pliant tress

When seen by an onlooker it swoons and enchants

وَعَينَي مَهاةٍ في الخَميلَةِ مُطفِلٍ

مُكَحَّلَةٍ تَبغي مَراداً لِجُؤذَرِ

And doe eyes in alluring kohl

Lined to achieve the purpose of an enchanter

وَتَبسِمُ عَن غَرٍّ شَتيتٍ نَباتُهُ

لَهُ أُشُرٌ كَالأُقحُوانِ المُنَوِّرِ

And a smile from scattered dimples, its growth

Having buds like glimmering pearls

وَتَخطو عَلى بَردِيَّتَينِ غَذاهُما

سَوائِلُ مِن ذي جَمَّةٍ مُتَحَيِّرِ

And steps upon two cool feet their nourishment

Streams from a gathered, bewildered cloud

مِنَ البيضِ مِكسالُ الضُحى بَختَرِيَّةٌ

ثَقالٌ مَتى تَنهَض إِلى الشَيءِ تَفتِرُ

Of white soft with the languor of morning, a hoopoe

Heavy, when it rises to something it weakens

فَلَمّا عَرَفتُ البَينَ مِنها وَقَبلَهُ

جَرى سانِحٌ لِلعائِفِ المُتَطَيِّرِ

So when I recognized the separation from her and met it

A fleeing gazelle sped to the startled bird

شَكَوتُ إِلى بَكرٍ وَقَد حالَ دونَها

مُنيفٌ مَتى يُنصَب لَهُ الطَرفُ يَحسِرِ

I complained to Bakr while between us

An obstacle, when the glance turns to it, it saddens

فَقُلتُ أَشِر قالَ اِئتَمِر أَنتَ مُؤيَسٌ

وَلَم يَكبُروا فَوتاً فَما شِئتِ فَأمُرِ

So I said, give your opinion, he said, decide yourself

You are hopeless, and they have not outgrown, so do as you wish

فَقُلتُ اِنطَلِق نَتبَعهُمُ إِنَّ نَظرَةً

إِلَيهِم شِفاءٌ لِلفُؤادِ المُضَمَّرِ

So I said, let's go after them, truly a glance

At them is healing for an aching heart

فَرُحنا وَقُلنا لِلغُلامِ اِقضِ حاجَةً

لَنا ثُمَّ أَدرِكنا وَلا تَتَغَبَّرِ

So we went and told the boy fulfill

A need for us, then catch up and don't delay

سِراعاً نَغُمُّ الطَيرَ إِن سَنَحَت لَنا

وَإِن يَلقَنا الرُكبانُ لا تَتَحَيَّرِ

Hasten, we heed the birds should we have the chance

And if we meet the riders do not wander

فَلَمّا أَضاءَ الفَجرُ عَنّا بَدا لَنا

ذُرى النَخلِ وَالقَصرُ الَّذي دونَ عَزوَرِ

So when dawn lit, the palm groves appeared to us

And the palace beneath Azwor

فَقُلتُ اِعتَزِل ذِلَّ الطَريقِ فَإِنَّنا

مَتى نُرَ تَعرِفنا العُيونُ فَنُشهَرِ

I said, avoid that road, for if

We are seen, eyes will recognize us, so we'll be infamous

فِظِلنا لَدى العَصلاءِ تَلفَحُنا الصَبا

وَظَلَّت مَطايانا بِغَيرِ مُعَصَّرِ

We stayed near the tamarisks, the morning breeze stroked us

And our mounts remained without being saddled

لَدُن غُدوَةٌ حَتّى تَحَيَّنتُ مِنهُمُ

رَواحاً وَلانَ اليَومُ لِلمُتَهَجِّرِ

A morning visit until I spied them from afar

Departing, as today belonged to the outcast

فَلَمّا أَجَزنا الميلَ مِن بَطنِ رابِغٍ

بَدَت نارُها قَمَراً لِلمُتَنَوِّرِ

When we finished the journey from Rabigh valley

Their fire appeared to the enlightened like the moon

فَقُلتُ اِقتَرِب مِن سِربِهِم تَلقَ غَفلَةً

مِنَ الرَكبِ وَاِلبِس لِبسَةَ المُتَنَكِّرِ

I said, draw near their caravan, you'll meet heedlessness

From the riders, and wear the garb of the disguised

فَإِنَّكَ لا تَعبى إِلَيها مُبَلِّغاً

وَإِن تَلقَها دونَ الرِفاقِ فَأَجدِرِ

For you will not be tasked with conveyance to her

And if you meet her apart from friends, that is best

فَقالَت لِأَترابٍ لَها اِبرَزنَ إِنَّني

أَظُنُّ أَبا الخَطّابِ مِنّا بِمَحضَرِ

She said to her companions, go out, I think

Abu Khattab is among us in our presence

قَريباً عَلى سَمتٍ مِنَ القَومِ تُتَّقى

عُيونُهُمُ مِن طائِفينَ وَسُمَّرِ

Nearby to a group of people, eyes are avoided

From both sides and poisoned arrows

لَهُ اِختَلَجَت عَيني أَظُنُّ عَشِيَّةً

وَأَقبَلَ ظَبيٌ سانِحٌ كَالمُبَشِّرِ

My eye twitched for him I think one evening

And a fleeing gazelle approached like a bearer of good news

فَقُلنَ لَها لا بَل تَمَنَّيتِ مُنيَةً

خَلَوتِ بِها عِندَ الهَوى وَالتَذَكُّرِ

So they said to her, no but you wished for

Privacy with him in passion and remembrance

فَقالَت لَهُنَّ اِمشينَ إِمّا نُلاقِهِ

كَما قُلتُ أَو نَشفِ النُفوسَ فَنُعذِرُ

She said to them, walk either we will meet him

As I said, or we comfort ourselves and excuse

وَجِئتُ اِنسِيابَ الأَيمِ في الغيلِ أَتَّقى ال

عُيونَ وَأُخفي الوَطءَ لِلمُتَقَفِّرِ

And I came gliding in the valleys at night, avoiding

Eyes and hiding my steps from the tracker

فَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا رَحَّبَت وَتَبَسَّمَت

تَبَسُّمَ مَسرورٍ وَمَن يَرضَ يُسرَرِ

So when we met she welcomed and smiled

The smile of a pleased one, and whoever consents is gladdened

فَيا طيبَ لَهوٍ ما هُناكَ لَهَوتُهُ

بِمُستَمَعٍ مِنها وَيا حُسنَ مَنظَرِ

What a fine distraction, nothing of its distraction there

With a listener from her, and what a beautiful sight!