نامَ صَحبي وَباتَ نَومي عَسيراً

أَرقُبُ النَجمَ مَوهِناً أَن يَغورا

My companion's sleep and my sleep became difficult

I stay up watching the waning star about to set

إِذ تَذَكَّرتُ قَولَ هِندٍ لِتِربَي

ها وَرُحنا نِيَمِّمُ التَجميرا

When I remembered what a lover said to her beloved

Let's go, we will spend the night traveling

قُلنَ بِاللَهِ لِلفَتى عُج قَليلاً

لَيسَ أَن عُجتَ لِلعِتابِ كَثيرا

Say, by God, be patient my lad for a little while

It's not that you were patient for much blame

فَاِلتَقَينا فَرَحَّبَت ثُمَّ قالَت

حُلتَ عَن عَهدِنا وَكُنتَ جَديرا

So we met and she welcomed me then said

You were absent from our promise and you were worthy

أَن تَرُدَّ الواشينَ عَنّي كَما أَع

صي إِذا ما ذُكِرتَ عِندي أَميرا

To ward off those who slander me just as I

Defend you when you are mentioned in my presence as a prince

قُلتُ أَنتِ المُنى وَكِبرُ هَوانا

فَاِعذِري يا خَليلَتي مَعذورا

I said, you are the wish and refusing is baseness

So forgive me my sweetheart, pardoned

وَتَذَكَّرتُ قَولَها لي لَدى المَي

لِ وَكَفَّت دُموعَها أَن تَمورا

And I remembered her words to me at the parting

She held back her tears lest they flow

أَسأَلُ اللَهَ عالِمَ الغَيبِ أَن تَر

جِعَ يا حُبِّ سالِماً مَأجورا

I ask Allah, knower of the unseen, that you

Return safely my love, rewarded

إِن تَكُن لَيلَتي بِنَعمانَ طالَت

فَبِما قَد يَكونُ لَيلي قَصيرا

If my night in Nu'man was long

Considering what my night could be, short

يا خَليلَيَّ لا تُقيما بِبُصرى

وَحَفيرٍ فَما أُحِبُّ حَفيرا

My friend, do not stay in Busra

Or Hafir, I do not like Hafir

فَإِذا ما مَرَرتُما بِعُمانٍ

فَأَقِلّا بِها الثَواءَ وَسيرا

So when you both pass by Oman

Stop there a little while and move on

يا خَليلَيَّ هَجِّرا تَهجيراً

ثُمَّ روحا وَأَحكِما لي المَسيرا

My friend, shun completely

Then go and make my travel resolute

يا خَليلَيَّ ما تُشيرانِ إِنّي

فاعِلٌ ما أَمَرتُما فَأَشيرا

My friend, do not suggest, I

Will do what you ordered, so suggest

ضَرَبا الأَمرُ ساعَةً ثُمَّ قالا

قَد رَضَيناكَ ما اِصطَحَبنا أَميرا

The matter grew serious for a moment, then they said

We are pleased with you, we have not accompanied a prince

إِنَّ خَطباً عَلَيَّ حَقّاً يَسيراً

أَن أَرى مِنكُما بَعيراً حَسيرا

It is only a small rightful grievance

That I see a slow camel from you

إِنَّما قَصرُنا وَإِن حَسَّرَ السَي

رُ بَعيراً أَن نَستَفيدَ بَعيرا

We were remiss and though the journey

Demanded a camel, to get a camel