1. أَرَسمُ سَودَةَ مَحل دارِسُ الطَلَلِ

    مُعَطَّلٌ رَدّهُ الأَحوالُ كالحَلَلِ

    Is Sawda's campsite barren, its ruins effaced,

    Abandoned, the years having made it like robes?

  2. لَمّا رأى أَهلَها سَدّوا مَطالِعَها

    رامَ الصُدودَ وَعادَ الوَدُّ كالمَهَلِ

    When he saw that her people had blocked the approaches to her,

    He sought to turn away, and affection became like molten metal.

  3. وَعادَ ودُّكَ داءً لا دَواءَ لَهُ

    وَلَو دَعاكَ طوالَ الدَهرِ للرحَلِ

    And your love became a malady with no remedy,

    And even if it summoned you to the saddle throughout all time.

  4. ما وَصلُ سَودَةَ إِلّا وَصلُ صارِمَةٍ

    أَحَلَّها الدَهرُ داراً مأكلَ الوَعَلِ

    Union with Sawda is only union with a woman who severs ties;

    Time lodged her in a dwelling where the ibex feeds.

  5. وَعادَ أَمواهُها سَدماً وَطارَ لَها

    سَهمٌ دَعا أَهلَها للصّرمِ وَالعِلَلِ

    And her waters fell into neglect, and toward her flew

    An arrow that summoned her people to severance and excuses.

  6. صَدّوا وَصَدَّ وَساءَ المَرءَ صَدُّهُمُ

    وَحامَ لِلوِردِ رَدهاً حَومَةَ العَلَلِ

    They turned away, and he turned away; their rejection distressed the man.

    And he circled a rocky pool to drink, circling for a second draught.

  7. وَحَلّؤُهُ رِداهاً ماؤُها عَسَلٌ

    ما ماءُ رَدهٍ لَعَمرُ اللَهِ كالعَسَلِ

    And they drove him from pools whose water was honey;

    No rocky pool's water, by God's life, is like honey.

  8. دَعا الحَمامُ حَماماً سَدَّ مَسمَعَهُ

    لَمّا دَعاهُ رآهُ طامِحَ الأَمَلِ

    The doves called to doves that had shut their ears;

    When they called to them, they saw them reaching high in hope,

  9. طُموحَ سارِحَةٍ حَوم مُلَمَّعَةٍ

    وَمُمرعُ السِرِّ سَهلٌ ماكِدُ السَهَلِ

    With the yearning of a grazing, circling, dappled beast,

    And the valley's heart is lush and level, its plain unfailingly fertile.

  10. وَحاوَلوا رَدَّ أَمرٍ لا مَرَدَّ لَهُ

    وَالصُرمُ داءٌ لأهلِ اللَوعَةِ الوُصُلِ

    And they tried to reverse a matter that admits no reversal.

    And severance is a malady for devoted lovers tormented by longing.

  11. أَحَلَّكَ اللَهُ أَعلى كُلِّ مَكرُمَةٍ

    وَاللَهُ أَعطاكَ أَعلى صالحِ العَمَلِ

    God has placed you at the summit of every honor,

    And God has granted you the loftiest of righteous deeds.

  12. سَهلٌ مَوارِدُهُ سَمحٌ مَواعِدُهُ

    مُسَوَّدٌ لِكِرامِ سادَةٍ حُمُلِ

    His watering places are easy to reach, his promises generous;

    Made chief over noble, forbearing lords.