1. ما بَرَّحَ الرَسمُ الَّذي بَينَ حَنجَرٍ

    وَذَلفَةٍ حَتّى قيلَ هَل هُوَ نازِحُ

    The campsite trace between Hanjar did not vanish,

    and Dhalfa, until it was asked, “Has it gone far away?”

  2. وَمازِلتَ تَرجو نَفعَ سُعدى وَوُدَّها

    وَتُبعِدُ حَتّى اِبيَضَّ مِنكَ المَسائِحُ

    And you kept hoping for Su'da's favor and affection,

    and going far afield until your temple locks turned white.

  3. وَحَتّى رَأَيتَ الشَخصَ يَزدادُ مِثلُهُ

    إِلَيهِ وَحَتّى نِصفُ رَأسِيَ واضِحُ

    And until you saw a figure gain its double

    beside it, and until half my head gleamed white.

  4. عَلا حاجِبَيَّ الشَيبُ حَتّى كَأَنَّهُ

    ظِباءٌ جَرَت مِنها سَنيحٌ وَبارِحُ

    Gray hair rose over my eyebrows until it seemed

    like running gazelles, some passing rightward, others leftward.

  5. فَأَصبَحتُ لا أَبتاعُ إِلا مُؤامِراً

    وَما بَيعُ مَن يَبتاعُ مِثلِيَ رابِحُ

    So I came to buy nothing without consulting others,

    and the bargain of one who buys as I do is not profitable.

  6. أَلا لَيتَ سَلمى كُلَّما حانَ ذِكرُها

    تُبَلِّغُها عَنّي الرِياحُ النَوافِحُ

    Ah, would that Salma, whenever her name came to mind,

    were brought word from me by the wafting winds.

  7. وَقالَت تَعلَّم أَنَّ ما كانَ بَينَنا

    إِلَيكَ أَداءٌ إِنَّ عَهدَكَ صالِحُ

    And she said, “Know that what passed between us

    shall be returned to you; your covenant is sound.

  8. جَميعاً تُؤَدّيهِ إِلَيكَ أَمانَتي

    كَما أُدِّيَت بَعدَ الغِرازِ المَنائِحُ

    My faithfulness returns it all to you,

    as animals lent for milking are returned once their milk dries up.”

  9. وَقالَت تَعلَّم أَنَّ بَعضَ حُمُوَّتي

    وَبَعلي غِضابٌ كُلُّهُم لَكَ كاشِحُ

    And she said, “Know that some of my in-laws

    and my husband are angry; each harbors hatred for you.

  10. يَحِدّونَ بِالأَيدي الشَفارَ وَكُلُّهُم

    لِحَلقِكَ لَو يَستَطيعُ حَلقَكَ ذابِحُ

    They sharpen blades with their hands, and every one of them

    would slit your throat, if he could reach your throat.”

  11. وَهَزَّةِ أَظعانٍ عَلَيهِنَّ بَهجَةٌ

    طَلَبتُ وَرَيعانُ الصِبا بِيَ جامِحُ

    And many a swaying train of women in litters, radiant with beauty,

    I pursued while youthful vigor ran unbridled within me.

  12. فَلَمّا قَضَينا مِن مِنىً كُلَّ حاجَةٍ

    وَمَسَّحَ رُكنَ البَيتِ مَن هُوَ ماسِحُ

    So when we had fulfilled every need at Mina,

    and those who would touch the House's corner had touched it,

  13. وَشُدَّت عَلى حُدبِ المَهارى رِحالُها

    وَلا يَنظُرُ الغادي الَّذي هُوَ رائِحُ

    and their saddles were fastened over the Mahri camels' humps,

    and the morning traveler did not wait for the evening traveler,

  14. فَقُلنا عَلى الهوجِ المَراسيلِ وَاِرتَمَت

    بِهِنَّ الصَحارى وَالصِمادُ الصَحاصِحُ

    we spoke atop the headstrong, swift-going camels, and onward surged

    with them the deserts and the hard, bare uplands.

  15. نَزَعنا بِأَطرافِ الأَحاديثِ بَينَنا

    وَمالَت بِأَعناقِ المَطِيِّ الأَباطِحُ

    We drew out fragments of talk among ourselves,

    and the broad streambeds tilted with the riding camels' necks.

  16. وَطِرتُ إِلى قَوداءَ قادَ تَليلُها

    مَناكِبَها وَإِشتَدَّ مِنها الجَوانِحُ

    And I flew to a long-necked she-camel whose neck led

    her shoulders, and whose ribs were firm.

  17. كَأَنّي كَسَوتُ الرَحلَ جَوناً رَباعِياً

    تَضَمَّنهُ وادي الرَجا فَالأَفايِحُ

    As though I had clothed a dark, four-year-old wild ass with the saddle,

    sheltered by Wadi al-Raja, then al-Afayih.

  18. مُمَرّاً كَعَقدِ الأَندَرِيِّ مُدَمَّجاً

    بَدا قارِحٌ مِنهُ وَلَم يَبدُ قارِحُ

    Tightly knit like the Andari's knot, compactly built,

    a mature incisor had shown in him, yet had not fully shown.

  19. كَأَنَّ عَلَيهِ مِن قَباءٍ بِطانَةً

    تَفَرَّجَ عَنها جَيبُها وَالمَناصِحُ

    As though he wore the lining of a coat,

    its neckline and needlework opened to expose it.

  20. أَخو الأَرضِ يَستَخفي بِها غَيرَ أَنَّهُ

    إِذا اِستافَ مِنها قارِحاً فَهُوَ صائِحُ

    A brother of the earth, he hides in it, except that

    when he scents a newly pregnant female there, he cries out.

  21. دَعاها مِنَ الأَمهادِ أَمهادِ عامِرٍ

    وَهاجَت مِن الشِّعرى عَلَيهِ البَوارِحُ

    He called her from the plains—the plains of Amir,

    and from Sirius the scorching winds raged against him.