وإِنّي لَتَعْروني لِذِكْراكِ رِعْدَةٌ

لها بين جسمي والعِظامِ دَبيبُ

Whenever I remember you a shiver runs through me,

Making my body and bones quiver.

وما هُوَ إِلاّ أَنْ أَراها فُجاءَةً

فَأُبْهَتُ حتى ما أَكادُ أُجِيبُ

It's just that when I see you suddenly,

I'm stunned and can barely respond.

وَأُصْرَفُ عن رَأْيي الّذي كُنْتُ أَرْتَئي

وأَنسى الّذي حُدِّثْتُ ثُمَّ تَغيبُ

I dismiss my own opinion that I intended,

And forget what I was saying, as you disappear.

وَيُظْهِرُ قَلْبي عُذْرَها ويُعينها

عَلَيَّ فما لي في الفؤادِ نصيبُ

My heart reveals your excuses and assists you

Against me, so I have no share in my own heart.

وقد عَلِمَتْ نفسي مكانَ شِفائِها

قَريباً وهل ما لا يُنالُ قريبُ

Yet my soul knows where it can find its cure—

Nearby. And what is near is soon obtained.

حَلَفْتُ بِرَكْبِ الرّاكعينَ لِرَبِّهِمْ

خشوعاً وفوقَ الرّاكعينَ رقيبُ

I swore by the congregation bowing to their Lord,

Humbly, with the Overseer above the bowing crowd,

لَئِنْ كانَ بَرْدُ الماءِ عطشانَ صادِياً

إِليَّ حبيباً إِنَّها لَحَبيبُ

That if the coolness of water slakes my thirst

As a lover, she is indeed my darling.

وَقُلْتُ لِعَرِّافِ اليَمامَةِ دَاوِنِي

فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ أَبْرَأْتَني لَطبيبُ

I said to the augur of doves in Dawnan, "Cure me,

For if you heal me, you are a skilled physician."

فما بِيَ من سُقْمٍ ولا طَيْفِ جِنَّةٍ

ولكنَّ عَمِّي الحِمْيَريِّ كَذوبُ

But I have no illness or jinn-borne affliction;

Rather, my uncle Humayri is a liar.

عَشِيَّةَ لا عفراءُ دانٍ ضرارُها

فَتُرجى ولا عفراءُ مِنْكَ قريبُ

On an evening with no unforeseen disaster

To be hoped for, nor any from you that is near,

فَلَسْتُ بِرائي الشمسَ إِلاّ ذَكَرْتُها

وآل إليَّ من هواكِ نصيبُ

Since I do not see the sun but I remember her,

And I get from your love my allotted share,

ولا تُذْكَرُ الأَهْواءُ إلاّ ذكرتُها

ولا البُخْلُ إلاّ قلتُ سوف تُثيبُ

Passions are not mentioned but I mention hers,

Nor stinginess, unless I say you will reward.

وآخِرُ عَهْدي من عُفَيْراءَ أَنَّها

تُديرُ بَناناً كُلَّهُنَّ خضيبُ

My last news of Oufayra is that she

Turns about, her eyebrow wholly arched.

عَشيَّةَ لا أَقْضي لِنَفْسي حاجةً

ولم أَدْرِ إِنْ نُوديتُ كيف أُجيبُ

On an evening I cannot satisfy my own needs

And know not how I shall respond if called.