1. اللَيلُ يَنصُلُ بَينَ الحَوضِ وَالعَطَنِ

    وَالبَرقُ يُسدي بُرودَ العارِضِ الهَتِنِ

    Night fades between the water trough and the camels' resting-place.

    And lightning weaves the striped cloaks of the rain-pouring cloud.

  2. وَالجَفنُ يَفتُرُ عَن طَرفٍ صَحِبتُ بِهِ

    إِنسانُهُ مُثقَلُ العِطفَينِ بِالوَسَنِ

    And the eyelid slackens, revealing an eye I kept company with,

    Its pupil, both flanks weighed down by drowsiness,

  3. في لَيلَةٍ أَوعَدَت بِالبَينِ فَاِختَلَسَت

    مِنَ العُيونِ بَقايا غُبَّرِ الوَسَنِ

    On a night that threatened parting, then snatched away

    From the eyes the last lingering traces of drowsiness.

  4. حَتّى نَظَرتُ وَلَي عَينٌ مُؤَرَّقَةٌ

    تُقَسَّمُ الدَمعَ بَينَ الرَبعِ وَالظُعُنِ

    Until I looked with a sleepless eye,

    Apportioning tears between the encampment and the camel-litters.