1. مَرَى الدَّمعَ مِن عَينَيكَ دارٌ مُحِيلَةٌ

    بِفَيضِ الحَشا تَسفِى عَلَيها دَبُورُها

    A desolate dwelling drew tears from your eyes,

    At Fayḍ al-Ḥashā, where its west wind scatters dust over it.

  2. عَهِدتُ بِها سِرباً أُمَيمَةُ فِيهِمُ

    وَلَم يَدعُ بِالبَينِ المُشِتِّ أَمِيرُهَا

    I once knew a company there, Umaymah among them,

    And her chief had not yet called for the parting that scatters.

  3. وَقَفتُ فَأَقرَأتُ السَّلامَ فَلَم تُبنِ

    جَواباً وَلَم تُعرِب لِمَن يَستَحِيرُهَا

    I stood and offered my greeting, but it did not give

    An answer, nor speak plainly to the one who sought its reply.

  4. فَحَمِّل نَوَاها عَنسَلاً شَمَّرِيَّةً

    يُشَدُّ عَلَى مِثلِ السَّفِينَةِ كُورُها

    So lay the journey to her upon a swift, nimble she-camel,

    Whose saddle is fastened upon a ship-like frame.

  5. شَدَدتُ عَلَيها الرَّحلَ لَمَّا تَكَبَّرَت

    عَلَى الفَحلِ أَو أَبدَى اللِّقاحَ خُطُورُها

    I strapped the riding saddle on her when she scorned

    The breeding male, or her tail-swishing revealed her pregnancy.

  6. إذَا هِىَ خَافَت خَفقَةَ السَّوطِ لَم تَزَل

    كَأَنَّ بِها لَمّاتِ جِنٍّ تُطِيرُهَا

    Whenever she feared the swish of the whip, she kept on

    As though visitations of jinn possessed her and sent her flying.

  7. أُمَيمُ احفِظى نَقضَ القُوَى إِن تَذَمَّرَت

    كٍلابُ العِدَى دُونِى وَهرَّ عَقُورُهَا

    Umaym, guard against unravelling the strands, if they rage—

    The enemies' dogs in my way—and their vicious hound snarls.

  8. وَلَن يَنقُضَ الهِجرَانُ عَقداً عَقَدتُهُ

    إِذا مَلَّ مِن نَقضِ القُوَى مَن يُغِيرُهَا

    And separation will not undo a knot I tied,

    When the one who twists the strands tires of unravelling them.

  9. أُمَيمُ أَما الدُّنيا بِعائِدةٍ لَنا

    كَما قَد مَضَى أَم كَيفَ يُرجَى كرُورُهَا

    Umaym, will life not return to us

    As it once was—or how can its return be hoped for?