وَأَنّى أَتَتنا وَالرِكابُ مُناخَةٌ

وَأَنّى أَتَتنا وَالرِكابُ مُناخَةٌ

بِخَوعى وَأَمسى بِاللِياحِ اِختِلالُها

بِخَوعى وَأَمسى بِاللِياحِ اِختِلالُها

And how did she reach us, with the riding camels kneeling

How did she come to us when the mounts were tethered

at Khawʿā, while evening found her unsettled at al-Liyāḥ?

At dusk, made unsteady by the winds?

وَكَيفَ أَتَتنا وَهيَ عَهدي كَثيرَةٌ

وَكَيفَ أَتَتنا وَهيَ عَهدي كَثيرَةٌ

عَنِ البَيتِ بَيتِ الجارَتَينِ اِعتِلالُها

عَنِ البَيتِ بَيتِ الجارَتَينِ اِعتِلالُها

And how did she reach us when, as I knew her, she made many

How did she come to us when it had been so long

excuses to avoid the house—the house of the two neighbor women?

Since she left the house of the two neighbors?

وَما أَنصَفَتنا أَن يَكونَ نَوالُها

وَما أَنصَفَتنا أَن يَكونَ نَوالُها

لِغَيري وَأَن يَعتادَ جِسمي خَيالُها

لِغَيري وَأَن يَعتادَ جِسمي خَيالُها

And she has not been fair to us, letting her favors be

It was unfair that her affection would be

for someone other than me, while her phantom keeps visiting my body.

For another, and that my body would miss her shadow.

دَعي العَطفَ وَالشَكوى إِلَيَّ فَإِنَّها

دَعي العَطفَ وَالشَكوى إِلَيَّ فَإِنَّها

جُموعٌ مِنَ الحاجاتِ يُرجى نَوالُها

جُموعٌ مِنَ الحاجاتِ يُرجى نَوالُها

Leave off tenderness and complaints to me, for they are

Leave off longing and complaining to me, for they

a multitude of needs whose fulfillment is hoped for.

Are crowds of needs, hoping for her gift.