عَقائلُ الحيِّ أم سربُ المَها سَنَحَا

أفْسَدْنَ ما كانَ بالسّلوان قد صَلَحَا

The noble ladies of the tribe—or was it a herd of oryx that appeared?

They ruined what consolation had already set right.

برَزْن كالبان في الكُثبان حَاملةً

شَمساً أضاءتْ وليلاً راكِداً جَنَحَا

They emerged like bān trees among the dunes, bearing

a sun that shone and a motionless night that fell.

فاقتَدْن بالحبِّ مَن أعطى مقادَتَه

طوعاً ورُضْنَ بحسنِ الدّلِّ من جَمَحَا

Through love they led whoever willingly gave them his reins,

and with graceful coquetry tamed whoever ran wild.

من كلِّ غيدَاءَ مِكسالٍ إذا انتبهَت

تنَفَّستْ عن نسيم الرَّوضِ إذْ نَفَحَا

Each one a languid, graceful beauty who, upon waking,

breathed forth the garden’s breeze as it wafted.

كانت مُنَى النّفسِ لولا واعظٌ لَسِنٌ

للشّيب أسمعَني ناهيهِ إذ نَصَحَا

She would have been the soul’s desire, but for an eloquent admonisher

speaking for gray hair; when it counseled, I heard its warning.