1. أَتاني طَيفُ عَبلَةَ في المَنامِ

    فَقَبَّلَني ثَلاثاً في اللَثامِ

    Abla's apparition came to me in a dream,

    then kissed me three times through the veil,

  2. وَوَدَّعَني فَأَودَعَني لَهيباً

    أُسَتِّرُهُ وَيَشعُلُ في عِظامي

    and bade me farewell, then left a blaze within me.

    I conceal it, yet it burns within my bones.

  3. وَلَولا أَنَّني أَخلو بِنَفسي

    وَأُطفِئُ بِالدُموعِ جَوى غَرامي

    And were it not that I withdraw into solitude

    and quench with tears the burning anguish of my passion,

  4. لَمُتُ أَسىً وَكَم أَشكو لِأَنّي

    أَغارُ عَلَيكِ يا بَدرَ التَمامِ

    I would have died of grief; how much I lament, for I

    am jealous over you, O moon in all its fullness.

  5. أَيا اِبنَةَ مالِكٍ كَيفَ التَسَلّي

    وَعَهدُ هَواكِ مِن عَهدِ الفِطامِ

    O daughter of Malik, how can I find solace,

    when my love for you dates from the time of weaning?

  6. وَكَيفَ أَرومُ مِنكِ القُربَ يَوماً

    وَحَولَ خِباكِ آسادُ الأَجامِ

    And how can I seek closeness to you one day,

    when lions of the thickets surround your tent?

  7. وَحَقِّ هَواكِ لا داوَيتُ قَلبي

    بِغَيرِ الصَبرِ يا بِنتَ الكِرامِ

    By the sanctity of my love for you, I shall not heal my heart

    with anything but patience, O daughter of the noble,

  8. إِلى أَن أَرتَقي دَرَجَ المَعالي

    بِطَعنِ الرُمحِ أَو ضَربِ الحُسامِ

    until I ascend the steps to glory,

    by the spear's thrust or the keen sword's stroke.

  9. أَنا العَبدُ الَّذي خُبِّرتِ عَنهُ

    رَعَيتُ جِمالَ قَومي مِن فِطامي

    I am the slave of whom you have been told;

    I tended my people's camels from the time I was weaned.

  10. أَروحُ مِنَ الصَباحِ إِلى مَغيبٍ

    وَأَرقُدُ بَينَ أَطنابِ الخِيامِ

    I go about from morning until sunset,

    and sleep among the tents' guy ropes.

  11. أَذِلُّ لِعَبلَةٍ مِن فَرطِ وَجدي

    وَأَجعَلُها مِنَ الدُنيا اِهتِمامي

    I humble myself before Abla from the intensity of my longing,

    and make her, of all the world, my concern.

  12. وَأَمتَثِلُ الأَوامِرَ مِن أَبيها

    وَقَد مَلَكَ الهَوى مِنّي زِمامي

    And I obey the commands of her father,

    and love has indeed taken my reins from me.

  13. رَضيتُ بِحُبِّها طَوعاً وَكَرهاً

    فَهَل أَحظى بِها قَبلَ الحِمامِ

    I have consented to loving her, willingly and unwillingly;

    so shall I be blessed with her before death?

  14. وَإِن عابَت سَوادي فَهوَ فَخري

    لِأَنّي فارِسٌ مِن نَسلِ حامِ

    And if she faults my blackness, it is my pride,

    for I am a horseman descended from Ham.

  15. وَلي قَلبٌ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الرَواسي

    وَذِكري مِثلُ عَرفِ المِسكِ نامي

    And I have a heart stronger than the immovable mountains,

    and my renown spreads like the fragrance of musk.

  16. وَمِن عَجَبي أَصيدُ الأُسدَ قَهراً

    وَأَفتَرِسُ الضَواري كَالهَوامِ

    And it amazes me that I capture lions by force,

    and prey upon fierce beasts as upon vermin,

  17. وَتَقنُصُني ظِبا السَعدِي وَتَسطو

    عَلَيَّ مَها الشَرَبَّةِ وَالخُزامِ

    yet the gazelles of al-Sa'di capture me, and there charge

    upon me the oryxes of al-Sharabba and al-Khuzam.

  18. لَعَمرُ أَبيكَ لا أَسلو هَواها

    وَلَو طَحَنَت مَحَبَّتُها عِظامي

    By your father's life, I shall never forget my love for her,

    even if loving her should grind my bones.

  19. عَلَيكِ أَيا عُبَيلَةُ كُلَّ يَومٍ

    سَلامٌ في سَلامٍ في سَلامِ

    Upon you, O Ubayla, every day,

    be peace within peace within peace.