متى تكشفا عنّي القميصَ تَبَيَّنا

بِيَ الضُّرَّ من عَفْراء يا فَتَيانِ

When will you two undress me and see

That I suffer love-sickness, O youths!

وَتَعْتَرِفا لَحْماً قليلاً وأَعْظُماً

دِقاقاً وَقَلْباً دائمَ الخَفَقانِ

And find little flesh with prominent ribs,

And a heart ever fluttering.

على كَبدي من حُبِّ عفراءَ قَرْحةٌ

وعينايَ من وَجْدٍ بها تَكِفانِ

On my liver is a wound of love for 'Ufraya,

And my eyes from passion for her are sleepless.

فَعَفْراءُ أَرْجي النّاسِ عندي مَوَدَّةً

وعفراءُ عَنّي المُعْرِضُ المُتَوَاني

'Ufraya is the most beloved of people to me,

While 'Ufraya turns away from me, slowly.

أُحِبُّ ابْنَةَ العُذْرِيِّ حُبّاً وإِنْ نَأَتْ

ودانَيْتُ فيها غيرَ ما مُتَدانِ

I love the daughter of Udhra, though she acts

Wrongly, and I am blamed for loving her.

إِذا رامَ قلبي هَجْرَها حالَ دونَهُ

شَفيعانِ من قَلْبي لها جَدِلانِ

When my heart wanted to shun her, two

Pleading intercessors in my heart disputed him.

إِذا قلتُ لا قالا بلى ثمّ أَصْبَحا

جميعاً على الرَّأْيِ الذي يَرَيانِ

When I said "No," they said "Yes," and when morning came,

They both agreed on the view they espied.

فيا رَبِّ أنتَ المُسْتَعانُ على الذي

تَحَمَّلْتُ من عفراءَ منذ زَمانِ

So, O Lord, You are the one I ask for aid

Against what I have borne from 'Ufraya for so long.

فيا لَيْتَ كلَّ اثنينِ بينهما هوى

مِنَ النّاس والأَنْعامِ يَلْتَقِيانِ

Would that every two souls among mankind

And beasts who share a passion meet!

فَيَقْضي مُحِبٌّ من حبيبٍ لُبانةً

ويَرْعاهما رَبّي فلا يُرَيانِ

So a lover attains union with the beloved

And my Lord shepherd them so they see no wrong.

أَمامي هوىً لا نومَ دونَ لِقائِهِ

وخَلْفي هوىً قد شفّني وبرَاني

Before me is a passion whose meeting grants no sleep,

And behind me a passion that has consoled and delighted me.

فَمَنْ يَكُ لم يغرضْ فإِنّي وناقتي

بِحَجْرٍ إلى أهلِ الحِمى غَرَضانِ

Who will be for one who has not turned away? For I and my she-camel

Are heading to the tribe of Banu Himyar.

تَحِنُّ فتُبْدي ما بها مِنْ صَبابَةٍ

وأُخْفي الذي لولا الأَسى لَقَضاني

She yearns and shows her youthful vigour

While I conceal what, were it not for sadness, would finish me.

هوى ناقتي خَلْفي وقُدّامي الهوى

وإِنِّي وإِيّاها لَمُخْتَلِفانِ

My she-camel's passion is behind me, and my passion before me,

And she and I are going in different directions.

هوايَ عراقيٌّ وتَثْني زِمامَها

لِبَرْقٍ إذا لاحَ النجومُ يَمانِ

My passion is Iraqi, while if she inclines

Her bridle it is towards lightning flashing from Yemen.

هوايَ أمامي ليس خلفي مُعَرِّجٌ

وشَوْقُ قَلوصي في الغُدُوِّ يَمانِ

My passion is ahead of me, not veering behind,

While my heart's desire at dawn is towards Yemen.