1. لِمَن طَلَلٌ عافٍ وَرَسمُ مَنازِلٍ

    عَفَت بَعدَ عَهدِ العاهِدينَ رِياضُها

    To whom belong this fading ruin and this trace of dwellings,

    whose meadows have faded since the last visit of those who knew them?

  2. عَفَت غَيرَ آثارِ الأَراجيلِ تَعتَري

    تَقَعقَعُ في الآباطِ مِنها وِفاضُها

    They have faded, save for tracks of men on foot who return,

    their quivers rattling beneath their arms.

  3. مَنازِلُ لِلمَيلاءِ أَقفَرَ بَعدَنا

    مَعالِمُها مِن راكِسٍ فَمِراضُها

    Al-Mayla's dwellings—deserted since we left stand

    their landmarks, from Rakis to Mirad.

  4. وَدَوِيَّةٍ تَيهاءَ قَفرٍ مَرادُها

    مَروتٍ يُكِلُّ العيسَ فيها اِرتِكاضُها

    And many a trackless desert, barren in its roaming grounds,

    a bare waste where running wearies the pale camels,

  5. إِذا ما حَرابِيُّ الظَهيرَةِ لَم تَقِل

    نَسَأتُ بِها صَعراءَ طالَ اِمتِعاظُها

    when the noontide chameleons take no midday rest,

    I drove through it a haughty she-camel whose anger endured,

  6. جُمالِيَّةٌ في مَشيِها عَجرَفِيَّةٌ

    إِذا العِرمِسُ الوَجناءُ طالَ اِختِفاضُها

    massive as a bull-camel, with headstrong force in her gait,

    when even the sturdy, broad-cheeked camel has long been plodding.

  7. ذُعِرتُ بِها سِربَ القَطا وَهوَ هاجِدٌ

    وَعَينُ الفَلاةِ لَم تُبَعِّث رِياضُها

    With her I startled a sleeping flock of sandgrouse,

    while the desert's wide-eyed wild cattle were not yet roused by its meadows.

  8. كَأَنَّ حَصى المَعزاءِ بَينَ فُروجِها

    نَوادي نَوىً رُضخٍ أُشِبَّ اِرفِضاضُها

    As though the pebbles of the stony ground between her legs

    were scattered, crushed date-stones, sent flying apart.

  9. مَتى ما تَرِد في لَيلَةِ الخِمسِ تَرتَوي

    رَجا مَنهَلٍ يَقلِل عَلَيهِ اِغتِماضُها

    Whenever she reaches water on the night of the fifth day, she drinks her fill

    at a watering-place's edge, where she scarcely shuts her eyes.

  10. إِذا غاطَتِ الأَنساعُ فيها تَزَغَّمَت

    عُذافِرَةً يوفي الجَديلَ اِنتِهاضُها

    When the girth-straps sink into her, she grumbles,

    a mighty camel whose rising lifts the plaited halter high.

  11. تَشَكّى كَسيرَ رِجلِهِ كُلَّما مَشى

    عَلَيها قَليلاً عادَ فيها اِنهِياضُها

    She moans like a man with a broken leg: whenever he walks

    on it a little, it breaks afresh.

  12. صَليتُ بِها في المُصطَلينَ بِحَرِّها

    فَطَلَّت وَقَد كانَت شَديداً عِضاضُها

    I bore its burning among those scorched by its heat;

    then it subsided, though its bite had been fierce.

  13. وَغَمرَةِ مَوتٍ خُضتُ حَتّى قَطَعتُها

    وَقَد أَفظَعَ الجِبسَ الهِدانَ خِياضُها

    And many a flood of death I waded through until I crossed it,

    though wading into it appalled the sluggish coward.

  14. وَكُنتُ إِذا ما شُعبَتا الأَمرِ شَكَّتا

    عَزَمتُ وَلَم يَحبِل هُمومي إِباضُها

    And whenever a matter's two paths seemed doubtful,

    I resolved, and their hobble did not ensnare my purposes.

  15. وَلَم يُسلِ أَمراً مِثلُ أَمرِ صَريمَةٍ

    إِذا حاجَةٌ في النَفسِ طالَ اِعتَراضُها

    And nothing dispels a care like firm resolve,

    when a desire has long beset the soul.

  16. أُجامِلُ أَقواماً حَياءً وَقَد أَرى

    صُدورَهُمُ تَغلي عَلَيَّ مِراضُها

    I am courteous to certain people out of modesty, though I see

    their diseased breasts seething against me.