1. أثَارَ غَريّمى وشَجَا عُقَيلِى

    طُلَيلٌ لِلحُبَيِّبِ بالتُّلَيلِ

    It stirred my little longing and grieved my little mind—

    a little ruin of my darling on the little hill.

  2. نَظرتُ رُسَيمَه فجرى دُمَعِيى

    وسَالَ على نُحَيرِى كَالسُّيَيلِ

    I gazed at its little traces, and my little tears flowed,

    streaming over my little chest like a little torrent.

  3. فَظَلَّ صُوَيحبي حَيرَانَ يَجرِى

    عُبَيرَتَه بِذَيَّاكَ الطُّلَيلِ

    My little companion remained bewildered, shedding

    his little tear beside that little ruin.

  4. فَطَالَ نُهَيرِى وغَلى نُفَيسِى

    وطَارَ سُهَيدِى وَدَجَا لُييبلِى

    My little day grew long, and my little soul seethed;

    my little sleeplessness soared, and my little night darkened.

  5. وَقَفتُ بِه فَلاَمَ عُوَيذِلى في

    وُقُوفي في عُرَيصَتِهِ جُمَيلِى

    I stopped there; my little reprover rebuked me for

    standing in its little courtyard—my little camel.

  6. ومِمَّا قَد شَجَاني فِيهِ أني

    ذَكَرتُ دُهَيرَه زَمَنَ الوُصَيلِ

    Among the things that saddened me there was that I

    recalled its little bygone days, the time of little union:

  7. زُمَيناً شَدَّ حَادِثُهُ عُضَيدِى

    وجَمَّعَ مِن فُرَيقَتِهِ شُمَيلِى

    a little time whose unfolding strengthened my little arm

    and reunited my little company after its little separation.

  8. عَشِقتُ غُزَّيلاً أحوَى أُلَيمَى

    مُحَيحِيلُ الجُفَينِ بِلاَ كُحَيلِ

    I loved a little dusky, dark-lipped gazelle,

    his little eyelid kohl-dark without any kohl,

  9. مُخَيطِيطِ المُتَيينِ إرتِوَاءً

    مُسَيدِيلُ الفُرَيعِ على الكُفَيلِ

    his full little back finely outlined,

    his little locks let down over his little rump,

  10. مُعَيشِيقَ النُّعَيمَةِ والمُحَيَّا

    مُوَيمِيقَ الوُصَيلَةِ والدُّلَيلِ

    dearly loved for his little softness and little face,

    cherished for his little intimacy and little coyness.

  11. طُعَيمُ رُوَيقِهِ كَطُعَيمٍ أشهَى

    دُنَينٍ مِن خُمَيرٍ أو عُسَيلِ

    The little taste of his saliva resembles the taste of the choicest

    little jar of wine, or of little honey.

  12. تُبَيلُ لُحَيظِهِ أدهَآ وَقَيعاً

    بِأحشَاءِ النَّبِيلِ مِن نُبَيلِ

    The little torment of his glance strikes more grievously

    in a nobleman's vitals than little arrows.

  13. بُوَيني المُيَيسةِ إِن تَثني

    مُمَيلَىءُ السُّوَيِّر والحُجَيلِ

    A little bān-tree in his sway, when he bends,

    filling out the little bracelet and little anklet.

  14. مُحَيبِيباً سُويقَتِهِ الرُّوَيَّا

    اُنَيبِيبٌ مُسَيقِىُّ الغُيَيلِ

    His plump little shank, dearly loved,

    is a little reed watered by a little stream.

  15. مُصَيرِيمَ الحُبَيلِ مَن ابتَغَاهُ

    وإِن أمسَى مُوَيصِيلَ الحُبَيلِ

    Whoever seeks him has his little bond severed,

    even if he has come to have that little bond joined.

  16. عُرَيفُ تُغَيرِهِ يَحكِى شُمَيماً

    عُرَيفَ رُوَيضَةٍ أثَرَ الوُبِيلِ

    The little fragrance of his mouth recalls, in scent,

    a little garden's fragrance after a little downpour.

  17. قُمَيرٌ في لُيُيلٍ في رُمَيحٍ

    حَوَالَيه حُقَيفٌ مِن رُمَيلِ

    A little moon amid a little night, on a little spear,

    with a little curving sand dune around him.

  18. عَدَاني عن زُوَيرَتِهِ شًُخَيصٌ

    مُذيمَيمُ الفُرَيعِ مَعَ الأُصَيلِ

    A little fellow kept me from paying him a little visit,

    his little branch and little root both blameworthy,

  19. مُحَيذِيفُ الرُّتَيبَةِ في النُّوَيدِى

    مُحَيمِيلُ النُّفيقَةِ كالطَُّفَيلِ

    his little rank disregarded in the little assembly,

    his little upkeep borne by others, like a little child's,

  20. مُشَيهِيرُ الُّذلَيلَةِ والمَسَاوي

    مُنَيقِيصُ الفُكَيرَةِ والعُقَيلِ

    notorious for little baseness and vices,

    deficient in little thought and little reason,

  21. مُنَيشِيرُ السُّرَيقةِ كُلَّ آنٍ

    مُبَيتِيرُ الخُصَيلَةِ والفُضَيلِ

    his petty theft publicized at every moment,

    cut off from little virtue and little merit,

  22. مُثَيلِيمُ الرُّجَيلَةِ كالرُّويعِى

    مُخَيدِيشُ الجُبَيهَةِ كالكُهَيلِ

    his little manliness impaired like a little shepherd's,

    his little forehead scratched like a little middle-aged man's,

  23. مُسَيئِيمُ الخُلَيِّقَةِ إبتَدَاءً

    مُنَيكِيرُ القُوَيلَةِ في الحُويلِ

    loathsome in his little nature from the outset,

    his little speech objectionable throughout the little year,

  24. مُقَيلِيلُ الحُدَيدِ خُويرِجِىٌّ

    مُصَيرِيفُ الجُعَيرَةِ كالجُعَيلِ

    scant in little iron, a petty Kharijite,

    his little rump turned aside like a little dung beetle's,

  25. أُبَيطَا عَن حُويمَاتِ العُلَيَّا

    أٌسَيرِعُ لِلخُنَىِّ ولِلجُهيلِ

    hanging back from the little arenas of eminence,

    quick toward petty obscenity and petty ignorance,

  26. مُجَيذِيبُ القُلَيبِ إلَى السُّويئَا

    مُبَادَرَةَ الُُطَيِّةِ لِلوُشَيل

    his little heart drawn toward petty evil

    with a little sandgrouse's haste toward a little trickle.

  27. مُويجِيدٌ مُعَيدِيمٌ حُوَىٌّ

    مُمَيتٌ مِن وَغَيدٍ مِن نُذَيلِ

    A little existent, a little nonentity, a little living one,

    a little dead one, of a little wretch, of a little scoundrel,

  28. مُوَيصِيفٌ بِكُلِّ وُصَيفٍ سُوءٍ

    مُعيرِيفُ السُّؤَيلِ والبُخَيلِ

    described by every little evil epithet,

    known for petty begging and little stinginess,

  29. سُوَيهٍ عن سُدَيِّدِهِ لُوَيهٍ

    دُوَيماً في الشُّرَيبِ والأُكَيلِ

    heedless of his little right course, distracted,

    always occupied with petty drinking and eating.

  30. مُتَيبِيعُ الهُوىِّ لَهُ فُوَيهٍ

    نُتَينٌ كالجُييفَةِ مِن فُيَيلِ

    His little whims are obeyed; he has a little mouth,

    foul as a little elephant's little carcass.

  31. قُويفٍ لِلمُرِّيِّدِ ذُو شَيَيخٍ

    دُوَىٍّ في قُبَييِّلِه عُلَيلِ

    A little follower of the little disciple, with a little shaykh,

    ailing and sick among his little tribe.

  32. مُعَيدِىِّ النُّظَير لُه وُرَيدٌ

    قُوَيفٌ لِلفُسَيِّقِ والزُّلَيلِ

    Muʿaydi-like in his little appearance, he has a little routine:

    following petty vice and petty error.

  33. رُؤَيسٍ في الضُّلِّيلِ في جُيَيلٍ

    غُنىٍّ بالحُرَيمِ عن الحُلَيلِ

    A little chief in little misguidance among a little generation,

    content with little forbidden things rather than little lawful things.

  34. أتَى بِأهَيلِهِ زَمناً تَوَلَّى

    وهُم شَرُّ العُشَيرَةِ والأُهَيلِ

    He came with his little family in a time now past,

    and they are the worst of the little clan and little family,

  35. مُقَيطيعِ القُرَيبِ فلَيس فِيهم

    بِمُعتَبَرِ العُميمِ ولاَ الخُيَيلِ

    severing little kinship; among them

    neither little paternal nor maternal uncle is esteemed.

  36. نُوَيسٌ في خُلَيقتِهم أَذِلاَّ

    تَواصَوا بالغُدَيرَةِ والمُطَيلِ

    Little people, abject in their little nature,

    enjoining one another to petty treachery and little procrastination,

  37. وإحيَاءِ البُديعَة والهوُوينَا

    وإظهارِ العُوَيرَة بالجُهَيلِ

    and to reviving little innovation and little laxity,

    and to exposing little nakedness through little ignorance.

  38. فَكُلُّ في خُييمِتِه كُلَيبٌ

    وعند فِنَا جُويرِتِهِ طُفًيلِى

    Each, inside his little tent, is a little dog,

    and at his little female neighbor's forecourt, a little sponger.

  39. أتَاني مِن جَوِّينِبِهِ شُعَيرٌ

    مُلَيحِينُ النُّسَيِّبِ والغُزَيلِ

    A little poem came to me from his little side,

    faulty in its little love-prelude and little love-verse.

  40. لِفَرطِ جُهَيلِهِ لَم يَدرِ مِمَّا

    يَفُوهُ بِهِ بَعيداً مِن قُبَيلِ

    Through excessive little ignorance, he could not tell, in what

    he uttered, the far from the near.

  41. جُدَيدُ قُويلَتَيهِ وإِن تَخَطَّى

    طُوَيقَتَه يُقَصِّرُ عَن هُزَيلِى

    The little seriousness of his two little utterances, even if it exceeds

    his little capacity, falls short of my little jest.

  42. فَصَارَ مُثَيلَةً ورَمَى نُظَيماً

    يُحَاوِلُ أن يَكُونَ بِهِ مُثَيلِى

    He became a little laughingstock and flung out a little verse,

    trying through it to be my little equal.

  43. وهَدَّدَ في كُلَيِّمِه وأنَّى

    يَخَافُ سَنَا الشُّمَيسِ سَنَا سُهَيلِ

    He threatened in his little speech; but how

    could the little sun's radiance fear Suhayl's radiance?

  44. فَلَيسَ وإِن تُخولِفَ في حُقيقٍ

    وميلَ إلى الجُوَيرِ مِن العُدَيلِ

    For it is not true—even if little truth is disputed

    and one turns from little justice toward little injustice—

  45. أُسَيدُ غُيَيضَةٍ كَسُوَيدٍ قَفرٍ

    ولم تَكُن الصَّويَّةُ كَالجُبُيلِ

    that a little thicket's lion is like a little desert wolf;

    nor is a little cairn like a little mountain.

  46. ولم يَكُن الفُصَيِّل في شُوَيلٍ

    هَدِيراً كالبويزِلِ في شُويلِ

    Nor is a little weanling among a little herd of dry she-camels

    in bellowing like a little mature camel among such a herd.

  47. أجِبني في رُوَىِّ قُوَيلَتِى تِى

    ولاَ يَضعُف قُوَيلُكُ عَن قُوَيلِى

    Answer me using the rhyme-letter of this little poem of mine,

    and let your little verse be no weaker than my little verse.

  48. ودَع لِي مَا أتَيتُ بِه ودَع لِي

    مُعَيني قَد جَرَرتُ بِه ذُييلي

    Leave to me what I have brought, and leave to me

    my little meaning, with which I have trailed my little hem.

  49. وَإِياكَ اللُّحَينَ فَإنَّ فِيهِ

    عُوَيراً في الجُبَيل وفي السُّهَيلِ

    Beware of little grammatical error, for in it lies

    a little blemish in the little mountain and in the little plain.