1. زُوروا بِنَا اليَوم سَلمى أَيُّها النَّفَرُ

    وَنَحنُ لمَّا يُفَرِّق بينَنا القَدَرُ

    Visit Salma with us today, O comrades,

    while fate has not yet parted us.

  2. نَنظُر سُلَيمَى فإِن ضَنَّت بنائِلِها

    عَنَّا انصَرَفنا وماذا يَنفَعُ النَّظَرُ

    Let us look upon Sulayma; if she withholds her bounty

    from us, we shall turn away—what good is gazing?

  3. مِن حُبِّ سَلمَى الّتى لَو طُولِعَت كَبِدِى

    بَينَ الضُّلوعِ بَدَا مِنها بها أَثَرُ

    For love of Salma—were my liver examined

    between the ribs, a trace of her would appear upon it.

  4. لقد حَذِرتُ غَدَاةَ البَينِ من نملى

    والمبتنى مِن وَرَالَو يَنفَعُ الحَذَرُ

    I was wary on the morning of departure from Namla,

    and al-Mubtana beyond—if caution could avail.

  5. بينَ الخَليطُ فَمِنهُم سالكٌ يَمناً

    مُصَعِّدِينَ وبَعضُ القَومِ مُنحَدِرُ

    The company parted: some took the road toward Yemen,

    traveling uphill, while some of the company went down.

  6. رَدُّوا الجَمائِلَ أَو باتَت مُعَلِّقةً

    حتَى استَقلّوا معَ الإصباحِ فابتَكروا

    They brought the camel-herds back, or the herds stood tethered overnight,

    until they set off at daybreak and made an early start.

  7. فأَقبلُوها بَياضَ المَتنِ قَد جَعَلُوا

    مِنًى شِمالاً وفيها عَنهُمُ زَورُ

    Then they steered them toward the pale upland, having placed

    Mina on their left, slanting away from their course.

  8. واستَقبَلَتهُم فِجَاجُ الهَضبِ فاتِحَةً

    أَفوَاهَها كلُّهَا نَهجٌ لَهُم دَرَرُ

    The ravines of the rocky hills received them, opening

    their mouths, all clear, straight paths for them.

  9. كأَنَّهُم دُلُحٌ يَسقِي جَدَاوِلَها

    مُحَلِّمٌ حَيثُ أَدَّت خَرجَها هجَرُ

    They seemed like laden palms, whose channels were watered by

    Muhallim, where Hajar yielded its produce.

  10. فِيحُ العَرَاجينِ غَضُّ البُسرِزَيّنَهُ

    فَوقَ الحُدوجِ عُذُوقٌ زَانَها الثَّمَرُ

    With spreading fruit-stalks and tender unripe dates, it was adorned

    above the camel-litters by clusters adorned with fruit.

  11. تلوِى بِأمطائِهَا الأَروَاحُ فاختَلَفَت

    أَمطاؤها فَجُذوعُ النَّخلِ تَنهَصِرُ

    The winds twist their backs, so this way and that sway

    their backs, and the palm-trunks bend.

  12. حُمراً وَخُضراً كساها اللهُ زُخرُفَهُ

    كَما اكتَسَى بالنَّباتِ العَازِبِ الزَّهَرُ

    Red and green, God clothed them in His adornment,

    as blossoms are clothed in greenery growing far afield.

  13. وَفِى الظَّعَائنِ سَلمَى وَهيَ وادِعَةٌ

    مثلُ الغَمامةِ يَعشَى دُونَهَا البَصَرُ

    And among the women in litters is Salma, resting at ease,

    like a cloud, before which sight grows dim.

  14. عارَضتهُم بِكَنازِ اللّحمِ ناجيةٍ

    اَعرَت دَسائعَها الحاجاتُ وَالنَّفَرُ

    I drew alongside them on a swift, firm-fleshed she-camel,

    whose neck had been laid bare by errands and the company.

  15. كأنَّ مِن زَبَدٍ جَعدٍ جَماجَمها

    بِالسّابِرِىِّ وبالكَتّانِ تَختَمِرُ

    As though their heads were made of crinkled foam,

    veiled in Sabiri cloth and linen.

  16. حَتّى لَحِقنا وَدُونَ الحىِّ مُنصلتاً

    شاكى السِّلاَحِ بَعِيدُ السَّأوِ مُنشَمِرُ

    Until we caught up; before the tribe stood a man poised for action,

    fully armed, far-reaching in aim, girded for action.

  17. قٌلنا السَّلامُ عليكُم وَهوَ يَزبُرُنا

    وَرحمةُ الله أَمّا بَعدُ ما الخبرُ

    We said, “Peace be upon you,” while he rebuked us,

    “and God's mercy. Now then, what is the news?”

  18. يَرمِى لِنَفرَقَ منه أو يخوِّفَنا

    بذَاتِ لوثاء يرمى فيهما الوترُ

    He shoots to make us fear him, or to frighten us,

    with a stout bow; the bowstring shoots between the two [referents unclear].

  19. منكم قريبا فَهل مِن وَاردٍ لكُم

    قد ضَمَّهُنَّ إِلى وَهدَاهُما العكرُ

    Near you—so is there anyone coming to water for you?

    The camel-herd has gathered them into their two hollows [text unclear].