1. يَقولُ خَليلي إِذ أَجازَت حُمولُها

    خَوارِجَ مِن شَوطانَ بِالصَبرِ فَاِظفَرِ

    My friend said, as her laden camels passed,

    departing from Shawtan, 'Prevail through patience.'

  2. فَقُلتُ لَهُ ما مِن عَزاءٍ وَلا أَسىً

    بِمُسلٍ فُؤادي عَن هَواها فَأَقصِرِ

    I said to him, 'Neither consolation nor sorrow

    can turn my heart from loving her, so desist.

  3. وَما مِن لِقاءٍ يُرتَجى بَعدَ هَذِهِ

    لَنا وَلَهُم دونَ اِلتِفافِ المُجَمَّرِ

    Nor can any meeting after this be hoped for

    between us and them before the gathering at al-Mujammar.

  4. فَهاتِ دَواءً لِلَّذي بي مِنَ الجَوى

    وَإِلّا فَدَعني مِن مَلامِكَ وَاِعذِرِ

    Bring a remedy for the burning heartache within me,

    or else spare me your reproach and excuse me.'

  5. تَباريحَ لا يَشفي الطَبيبُ الَّذي بِهِ

    وَلَيسَ يُؤاتيهِ دَواءُ المُبَشِّرِ

    Torments: no physician can heal what ails him,

    nor does the glad-tidings bearer's remedy help him.

  6. وَطَورَينِ طَوراً يائِسٌ مَن يَعودُهُ

    وَطَوراً يُرى في العَينِ كَالمُتَحَيِّرِ

    Two states: at one time his visitor despairs,

    at another he seems to the eye like one bewildered.

  7. صَريعُ هَوىً ناءَت بِهِ شاهِقِيَّةٌ

    هَضيمُ الحَشى حُسّانَةُ المُتَحَسَّرِ

    Felled by passion, weighed down by a Shahiqiyya woman,

    slender-waisted, beautiful where her body is bared,

  8. قَطوفٌ أَلوفٌ لِلحِجالِ غَريرَةٌ

    وَثيرَةُ ما تَحتَ اِعتِقادِ المُؤَزَّرِ

    slow-stepping, fond of curtained chambers, innocent,

    soft-fleshed beneath the knot of her waist-wrap.

  9. سَبَتهُ بِوَحفٍ في العِقاصِ مُرَجَّلٍ

    أَثيثٍ كَقِنوِ النَخلَةِ المُتَكَوِّرِ

    She bewitched him with thick hair, combed into braids,

    luxuriant as a palm's rounded fruit-cluster,

  10. وَخَدٍّ أَسيلٍ كَالوَذِيلَةِ ناعِمٍ

    مَتى يَرَهُ راءٍ يُهِلُّ وَيُسحِرُ

    and a smooth, soft cheek like a silver ingot;

    whoever sees it exclaims in delight and is enchanted.

  11. وَعَينَي مَهاةٍ في الخَميلَةِ مُطفِلٍ

    مُكَحَّلَةٍ تَبغي مَراداً لِجُؤذَرِ

    And the eyes of a mother oryx amid a thicket,

    kohl-rimmed, seeking pasture for her calf.

  12. وَتَبسِمُ عَن غَرٍّ شَتيتٍ نَباتُهُ

    لَهُ أُشُرٌ كَالأُقحُوانِ المُنَوِّرِ

    She smiles, revealing white teeth, growing spaced apart,

    with fine serrations, like daisies in bloom.

  13. وَتَخطو عَلى بَردِيَّتَينِ غَذاهُما

    سَوائِلُ مِن ذي جَمَّةٍ مُتَحَيِّرِ

    She steps on two papyrus stalks, nourished

    by flowing waters from a brimming, still pool.

  14. مِنَ البيضِ مِكسالُ الضُحى بَختَرِيَّةٌ

    ثَقالٌ مَتى تَنهَض إِلى الشَيءِ تَفتِرُ

    One of the fair women, languid at midmorning, stately in her gait,

    heavy in movement; whenever she rises for anything, she flags.

  15. فَلَمّا عَرَفتُ البَينَ مِنها وَقَبلَهُ

    جَرى سانِحٌ لِلعائِفِ المُتَطَيِّرِ

    When I knew she was leaving—and before that

    a creature had crossed rightward for the omen-reading augur—

  16. شَكَوتُ إِلى بَكرٍ وَقَد حالَ دونَها

    مُنيفٌ مَتى يُنصَب لَهُ الطَرفُ يَحسِرِ

    I complained to Bakr, while between us and her stood

    a towering mountain that wearies any gaze fixed upon it.

  17. فَقُلتُ أَشِر قالَ اِئتَمِر أَنتَ مُؤيَسٌ

    وَلَم يَكبُروا فَوتاً فَما شِئتِ فَأمُرِ

    I said, 'Advise me.' He said, 'Think it over; you have lost hope,

    yet they are not too far ahead: command whatever you wish.'

  18. فَقُلتُ اِنطَلِق نَتبَعهُمُ إِنَّ نَظرَةً

    إِلَيهِم شِفاءٌ لِلفُؤادِ المُضَمَّرِ

    I said, 'Come, let us follow them; a glance

    at them is a cure for the wasted heart.'

  19. فَرُحنا وَقُلنا لِلغُلامِ اِقضِ حاجَةً

    لَنا ثُمَّ أَدرِكنا وَلا تَتَغَبَّرِ

    We set out and told the servant, 'Do an errand

    for us, then catch us up, and do not lag behind.'

  20. سِراعاً نَغُمُّ الطَيرَ إِن سَنَحَت لَنا

    وَإِن يَلقَنا الرُكبانُ لا تَتَحَيَّرِ

    Hurrying, we confound the birds if they cross our path;

    and if riders meet us, do not be bewildered.

  21. فَلَمّا أَضاءَ الفَجرُ عَنّا بَدا لَنا

    ذُرى النَخلِ وَالقَصرُ الَّذي دونَ عَزوَرِ

    When dawn shed light about us, there came into view

    the palm-tops and the palace on this side of Azwar.

  22. فَقُلتُ اِعتَزِل ذِلَّ الطَريقِ فَإِنَّنا

    مَتى نُرَ تَعرِفنا العُيونُ فَنُشهَرِ

    I said, 'Leave the beaten road, for

    if we are seen, eyes will recognize us and we will be exposed.'

  23. فِظِلنا لَدى العَصلاءِ تَلفَحُنا الصَبا

    وَظَلَّت مَطايانا بِغَيرِ مُعَصَّرِ

    We spent the day by al-Asla, the east wind buffeting us,

    and our mounts remained without shelter.

  24. لَدُن غُدوَةٌ حَتّى تَحَيَّنتُ مِنهُمُ

    رَواحاً وَلانَ اليَومُ لِلمُتَهَجِّرِ

    From early morning, until I watched for their

    afternoon departure, and the day grew mild for the midday traveler.

  25. فَلَمّا أَجَزنا الميلَ مِن بَطنِ رابِغٍ

    بَدَت نارُها قَمَراً لِلمُتَنَوِّرِ

    When we passed the milestone in the valley-bed of Rabigh,

    her fire appeared a moon to one seeking firelight.

  26. فَقُلتُ اِقتَرِب مِن سِربِهِم تَلقَ غَفلَةً

    مِنَ الرَكبِ وَاِلبِس لِبسَةَ المُتَنَكِّرِ

    I said, 'Draw near their company; you will find an unguarded moment

    among the riders, and dress as one in disguise.

  27. فَإِنَّكَ لا تَعبى إِلَيها مُبَلِّغاً

    وَإِن تَلقَها دونَ الرِفاقِ فَأَجدِرِ

    For you need not worry about taking a message to her;

    and if you meet her apart from her companions, better still.'

  28. فَقالَت لِأَترابٍ لَها اِبرَزنَ إِنَّني

    أَظُنُّ أَبا الخَطّابِ مِنّا بِمَحضَرِ

    She said to companions her own age, 'Come outside, for I

    think Abu al-Khattab is close by us,

  29. قَريباً عَلى سَمتٍ مِنَ القَومِ تُتَّقى

    عُيونُهُمُ مِن طائِفينَ وَسُمَّرِ

    nearby, off to one side of the people, avoiding

    their eyes—those strolling about and conversing by night.

  30. لَهُ اِختَلَجَت عَيني أَظُنُّ عَشِيَّةً

    وَأَقبَلَ ظَبيٌ سانِحٌ كَالمُبَشِّرِ

    My eye twitched for him, I think, at evening,

    and a gazelle approached, crossing rightward like a bearer of glad tidings.'

  31. فَقُلنَ لَها لا بَل تَمَنَّيتِ مُنيَةً

    خَلَوتِ بِها عِندَ الهَوى وَالتَذَكُّرِ

    They said to her, 'No; you merely indulged a wish,

    dwelling on it alone in longing and remembrance.'

  32. فَقالَت لَهُنَّ اِمشينَ إِمّا نُلاقِهِ

    كَما قُلتُ أَو نَشفِ النُفوسَ فَنُعذِرُ

    She said to them, 'Come along: either we shall meet him

    as I said, or ease our minds and do all we can.'

  33. وَجِئتُ اِنسِيابَ الأَيمِ في الغيلِ أَتَّقى ال

    عُيونَ وَأُخفي الوَطءَ لِلمُتَقَفِّرِ

    I came, gliding like a snake through the thicket, avoiding the

    eyes and concealing my footsteps from the tracker.

  34. فَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا رَحَّبَت وَتَبَسَّمَت

    تَبَسُّمَ مَسرورٍ وَمَن يَرضَ يُسرَرِ

    When we met, she welcomed me and smiled

    the smile of one delighted; whoever is content is gladdened.

  35. فَيا طيبَ لَهوٍ ما هُناكَ لَهَوتُهُ

    بِمُستَمَعٍ مِنها وَيا حُسنَ مَنظَرِ

    Ah, how sweet the pleasure I enjoyed there,

    listening to her—and how lovely the sight!