1. ظَعَنَت لِتَحزُنَنا كَثيرَ

    وَلَقَد تَكونُ لَنا أَميرَه

    Kathira departed to grieve us;

    and indeed she used to be our princess.

  2. أَيّامَ تِلكَ كَأَنَّها

    حَوراءُ مِن بَقَرٍ غَريرَه

    In those days, she was like

    a dark-eyed, guileless wild cow.

  3. شَبَّت أَمامَ لِداتِها

    بَيضاءُ سابِغَةُ الغَديرَه

    She grew ahead of her age-mates,

    fair-skinned, with a long, flowing braid,

  4. رَيّا الرَوادِفِ غادَةٌ

    بَينَ الطَويلَةِ وَالقَصيرَه

    full in the hips, a supple young woman,

    between tall and short.

  5. حَلَّت فَلاليجَ السَوا

    دِ وَحَلَّ أَهلي بِالجَزيرَه

    She settled in the villages of al-Sawad,

    and my people settled in al-Jazira.

  6. قَذَفَت بِها غَربُ النَوى

    فَعَسى تَكونُ لَنا مَريرَه

    The far reach of separation hurled her away;

    perhaps, then, she will prove bitter to us.

  7. صَفراءُ كَالسِيَراءِ لَم

    تَشمِط عُذوبَتَها بُحورَه

    Golden as striped silk; no

    brininess has tainted her sweetness.

  8. مِن نِسوَةٍ كَالبَيضِ في ال

    أُدحِيِّ بِالدَمَثِ المَطيرَه

    Among women like eggs in the

    ostrich's nest on rain-soaked, soft ground.

  9. لَم يَصطَلينَ غَضاً وَلَم

    يَضرِبنَ لِلبَهمِ الحَظيرَه

    They have not warmed themselves at ghada fires, nor

    built a pen for lambs and kids.

  10. جُبنَ الفُروجَ مِنَ المَرا

    جِلِ وَالمُضَلَّعَةِ المَنيرَه

    They cut openings in figured marajil cloth

    and in striped cloth woven on two heddles.

  11. فَوقَ الجُلودِ يَفوحُ في

    أَردانِها عَبَقُ الذَريرَه

    Over the skin, there wafts within

    her sleeves the scent of aromatic powder.

  12. إِنّي اِمرُؤٌ لا يُزدَرى

    دَفعِيَ عَن أَعراضِ العَشيرَه

    I am a man; none belittles

    my defense of the clan's honor.

  13. في بَيتِها حَسَباً وَمِن

    أَخلاقِ صالِحِها سَريرَه

    By lineage I am of its house, and from

    its virtuous members' character comes my inward nature.

  14. أَنفي القَراقيرَ الصِغا

    رَ وَأَحطِمُ الفُلكَ الكَبيرَه

    I drive off the small ships

    and shatter the great vessels.

  15. أُمّي لِقَيسٍ في الذُرى

    وَأَبي لِعاتِكَةَ المَهيرَه

    My mother is of Qays, among the heights,

    and my father of Atika, the freeborn, dowered woman,

  16. بِنتِ العَواتِكِ مِن بَني

    ذَكوانَ لا عَدمى فَقيرَه

    daughter of the Awatik, of the sons of

    Dhakwan, neither destitute nor poor.

  17. في بَيتِها عَدَدُ الرِجا

    لِ وَحَولَها مُضَرُ الكَثيرَه

    In her house are hosts of men,

    and around her, Mudar in great numbers.

  18. بُنِيَت عَلَيها مِثلَما

    بُنِيَت عَلى البَيتِ الضَفيرَه

    It was built around her, just as

    an enclosing wall was built around a house.

  19. تَدعو فَتَأتيها بِها ال

    جُردُ البَهاليلُ الذُكورَه

    She calls, and with them come to her the

    sleek-coated, noble stallions,

  20. بِالمُردِ وَالشُمطِ المُجَر

    رَبَةِ الخَضارِمَةِ المُغيرَه

    with beardless youths and gray-haired, battle-

    tested, great-hearted raiders.

  21. يَخطَفنَ أَنفاساً كَما

    خَطِفَت أَرانِبَها الصُقورَه

    They snatch away breaths, just as

    falcons snatched up their hares.

  22. وَأَرومَةٌ عادِيَّةٌ

    فيها وَقِبصُ حَصىً كَثيرَه

    And an ancient ancestral stock

    is hers, and a great mass of pebbles.

  23. أَيُّ اِمرِئٍ حَقَرَ الرِجا

    لَ فَنَفسُهُ تِلكَ الحَقيرَه

    Any man who belittles men—

    his own self is the contemptible one.

  24. بَل رُبَّ دُنيا قَد رَأَي

    تُ كَبيرَةٍ حَقّاً مَزيرَه

    Rather, many a worldly fortune have I seen,

    great, yet truly paltry.

  25. فَإِخالُ ذالِكَ باطِلاً

    ما لَم يَكُن عَمَلاً ذَخيرَه

    So I deem that vain,

    unless it is a deed laid up as treasure.