1. جَزَعتُ وَلَم أَجزَع مِنَ البَينِ مَجزَعا

    وَعَزَّيتُ قَلباً بِالكَواعِبِ مولَعا

    I grieved, yet did not give way to grief over parting,

    and consoled a heart enamored of full-breasted maidens.

  2. وَأَصبَحتُ وَدَّعتُ الصِبا غَيرَ أَنَّني

    أُراقِبُ خُلّاتٍ مِنَ العَيشِ أَربَعا

    And now I have bidden youth farewell, except that I

    still watch for four pleasures in life.

  3. فَمِنهُنَّ قَولي لِلنَدامى تَرَفَّقوا

    يُداجونَ نَشّاجاً مِنَ الخَمرِ مُترَعا

    One is telling my drinking companions, 'Gently now!'

    as they coax a gurgling wineskin, brimful of wine.

  4. وَمِنهُنَّ رَكضُ الخَيلِ تَرجُمُ بِالقَنا

    يُبادِرنَ سِرباً آمِناً أَن يُفَزَّعا

    Another is galloping horses, pelting with lances,

    racing upon an unsuspecting herd before it takes fright.

  5. وَمِنهُنَّ نَصُّ العيسِ وَاللَيلُ شامِلٌ

    تَيَمَّمُ مَجهولاً مِنَ الأَرضِ بَلقَعا

    Another is driving pale camels hard while night enfolds all,

    heading for an unknown, barren stretch of land,

  6. خَوارِجَ مِن بَرِّيَّةٍ نَحوَ قَريَةٍ

    يُجَدِّدنَ وَصلاً أَو يُقَرِّبنَ مَطمَعا

    emerging from wilderness toward a village,

    renewing a bond or bringing a hoped-for gain nearer.

  7. وَمِنهُنَّ سَوْقي الخودِ قَد بَلَّها النَّدى

    تُراقِبُ مَنظومَ التَمائِمِ مُرضَعا

    Another is my urging on the lovely young woman, damp with dew,

    watching over a suckling infant hung with amulets.

  8. تَعِزُّ عَلَيها رَيبَتي وَيَسوؤُها

    بُكاهُ فَتَثني الجيدَ أَن يَتَضَرَّعا

    My misgivings are hard for her to bear, and she is distressed

    by his crying; so she bends her neck, lest he cry out.

  9. بَعَثتُ إِلَيها وَالنُجومُ طَوالِعٌ

    حِذاراً عَلَيها أَن تَقومَ فَتُسمَعا

    I sent her word while the stars were rising,

    fearful for her, lest she rise and be heard.

  10. فَجاءَت قُطوفَ المَشيِ هَيّابَةَ السُرى

    يُدافِعُ رُكناها كَواعِبَ أَربَعا

    So she came, slow of step, fearful of traveling by night,

    her two flanks jostling four full-breasted maidens.

  11. يُزَجِّينَها مَشيَ النَزيفِ وَقَد جَرى

    صُبابُ الكَرى في مُخِّها فَتَقَطَّعا

    They urge her along at a drunkard's pace; already

    the dregs of slumber had flowed through her brain, then ebbed away.

  12. تَقولُ وَقَد جَرَّدتُها مِن ثِيابِها

    كَما رُعتَ مَكحولَ المَدامِعِ أَتلَعا

    She speaks, after I have stripped her of her clothes,

    as though you had startled a long-necked gazelle with kohl-lined eyes:

  13. وَجَدِّكَ لَو شَيءٌ أَتانا رَسولُهُ

    سِواكَ وَلَكِن لَم نَجِد لَكَ مَدفَعا

    'By your good fortune! Had anyone sent his messenger to us

    other than you... But we found no way to resist you.'

  14. فَبِتنا تَصُدُّ الوَحشُ عَنّا كَأَنَّنا

    قَتيلانِ لَم يَعلَم لَنا الناسُ مَصرَعا

    So we spent the night, wild beasts shunning us, as though we were

    two slain whose place of death no one knew.

  15. تُجافي عَنِ المَأثورِ بَيني وَبَينَها

    وَتُدني عَلَيَّ السابِرِيَّ المُضَلَّعا

    She draws away from the patterned sword between us,

    and draws the striped Sabiri cloth over me.

  16. إِذا أَخَذَتها هِزَّةُ الرَوعِ أَمسَكَت

    بِمَنكِبِ مِقدامٍ عَلى الهَولِ أَروَعا

    When a tremor of terror seizes her, she grasps

    the shoulder of a splendid man, bold in the face of terror.