1. َدَتْ سافِراً وَالشَّمْسُ قَدْ ذَرَّ قَرْنُها

    فَأَغْشَى شُعاعَ الشَّمْسِ مِنْها سُفُورُها

    She appeared unveiled, while the sun’s rim had already begun to rise;

    and her unveiling veiled the sun’s rays.

  2. وَقَـدْ عَلِمَـتْ شـَمْسُ النَّهارِ بِأَنَّها

    إِذا مـا بَدَتْ يَوْماً سَيَذْهَبُ نُورُها

    The sun of daytime already knew that she—

    whenever she appeared one day—would make its light vanish.

  3. أَنا الْهالِكُ الْمَسْلُوبُ مُهْجَةَ نَفْسِهِ

    إِذا جـاوَزَتْ مَـرّاً وَعُسْفانَ عِيرُها

    I am the doomed one, robbed of his own soul’s lifeblood,

    when her caravan passes Marr and ʿUsfān.

  4. أَهاجَتْـكَ سـَلْمَى إِذْ أَجَـدَّ بُكورُها

    وَهَجَّــرَ يَوْمـاً لِلـرَّواحِ بَعِيرُهـا

    Did Salmā stir you when her early departure became earnest,

    and one day her camel set out at midday for the journey onward?