1. أَلِمّا عَلى رَبعٍ بِذاتِ المَزاهِرِ

    مُقيمٍ كَأَخلاقِ العَباءَةِ داثِرِ

    Stop, you two, at a dwelling-site in Dhāt al-Mazāhir,

    remaining there, effaced like the tattered remnants of a cloak.

  2. تُراوِحُهُ الأَرواحُ قَد سارَ أَهلُهُ

    وَما هُوَ عَن حَيِّ القَنانِ بِسائِرِ

    The winds pass over it in turn; its people have departed,

    yet it does not journey away from the clan of al-Qanān.

  3. وَنارٍ قُبَيلَ الصُبحِ بادَرتُ قَدحَها

    حَيا النارِ قَد أَوقَدتُها لِمُسافِرِ

    And a fire, just before dawn—I hastened to strike it alight,

    the fire's life—I had kindled it for a traveler.

  4. فَلَوَّحَ فيها زادَهُ وَرَبَأتُهُ

    عَلى مَرقَبٍ يَعلو الأَحِزَّةَ قاهِرِ

    He toasted his provisions in it, while I kept watch for him

    on a commanding lookout rising above the rugged ridges.

  5. وَلَمّا أَجَنَّ اللَيلُ نَقباً وَلَم أَخَف

    عَلى أَثَرٍ مِنّي وَلا عَينَ ناظِرِ

    And when night shrouded a mountain pass, and I feared neither

    a trace left by me nor the eye of a watcher,

  6. أَخَذتُ سِلاحي وَإِنحَدَرتُ إِلى اِمرِئٍ

    قَليلٍ أَذاهُ صَدرُهُ غَيرُ واغِرِ

    I took my weapons and descended to a man

    whose harm was slight, whose breast held no resentment.

  7. فَطِرتُ بِرَحلي وَاِستَبَدَّ بِمِثلِهِ

    عَلى ذاتِ لَوثٍ كَالبَلِيَّةِ ضامِرِ

    Then I sped away with my saddle, and he took a similar one for himself,

    on a strong, lean she-camel, like one left tethered to die at a grave.

  8. تُعادي مَشَكَّ الرَحلِ عَنها وَتَتَّقي

    بِمِثلِ صَفيحِ الجَدوَلِ المُتَظاهِرِ

    She keeps the saddle's pressure-point away from herself and shields herself

    with the like of a stream's overlapping stone slabs.

  9. فَأَصبَحُ مُمسانا كَأَنَّ جِبالَهُ

    مِنَ البُعدِ أَعناقُ النِساءِ الحَواسِرِ

    By morning, the mountains of our evening halt seemed

    from afar like the necks of bareheaded women.