1. إِنَّ اللتَين لَقيتَ يَومَ سُوَيقَةٍ

    لَو تَلمَعانِ بِعاقِلِ الأَوعالِ

    Indeed, the two women you met on the day of Suwayqah—

    were they to beckon to a crag-dwelling ibex,

  2. لاختارَ سَهلَ لحُزنِ مَكانِهِ

    وَلَظَلَ يَطمَعُ مِنهُما بِوصالِ

    he would choose level ground over his rugged haunt,

    and keep hoping for union with them,

  3. أَذَناً لِصَوتِهِما يُنازِعُ نَفسَهُ

    تَنأَى بِهِ وَيهُمُّ بالإِقبالِ

    all ears for their voices, wrestling with his soul,

    which draws him away, while he is minded to approach—

  4. سَيّارَتانِ إِذا البروقُ دَعَتهُما

    حَلالتان بِهَذهِ الأَميالِ

    are wanderers whenever the lightning summons them,

    often camping beside these waymarks.

  5. تعدانِ مَوعِدَةً وَفيما قالتا

    خُلفٌ وَتُمسِك مِنهُما بِحِبالِ

    They make a promise, yet in what they have said

    is broken faith, and you cling to their cords.

  6. وَالبُخلُ خَيرٌ مِن عَطاء رائِثٍ

    يأتيكَ بَعدَ تَبرّضٍ وَسؤالِ

    And stinginess is better than a long-delayed gift

    that comes to you after wheedling and begging.