1. أَلَم يَحزُنكَ يومَ غَدَت حُدوجُ

    لِعَزَّةَ إِذ أَجَدَّ بِها الخُروجُ

    Did it not grieve you the day the traveling litters departed

    for Azza, when the journey was set in motion?

  2. بِضاحي النَقبِ حينَ خَرَجنَ مِنهُ

    وَخَلفَ مُتونِ ساقَتِها الخَليجُ

    At the open pass, as they emerged from it,

    with the watercourse behind the backs of their mounts?

  3. رَأَيتُ جِمالَها تَعلو الثَنايا

    كَأَنَّ ذُرى هَوادِجِها البُروجُ

    I saw her camels climb the mountain passes,

    the crests of their litters like towers.

  4. وَقَد مَرَّت عَلى تُرَبانَ تُحدى

    لها بالنَعفِ مِن مَللٍ وَسيجُ

    They passed through Turban, urged onward;

    on the slope near Malal, their pace was swift.

  5. رَأَيتُ حُدوجَها فَظَلَلتُ صَبّا

    تُهَيِّجُني مَعَ الحَزَنِ الحُدوجُ

    I saw her litters and remained lovesick;

    the litters stirred my sorrow anew.

  6. إِذا بَصُرَت بِها العَينانِ لَجَّت

    بِدَمعِهِما مَعَ النَظَرِ اللَجوجُ

    Whenever my eyes caught sight of them, they persisted

    in shedding tears as my gaze persisted.

  7. وَبالسَرحاتِ مِن وَدّانَ راحَت

    عَليها الرَقمُ كالبَلَقِ البَهيجُ

    By the acacias of Waddan they traveled,

    their markings bright as patches on a piebald coat.

  8. وَهاجَتني بَحَزمِ عُفارِيياتٍ

    وَقَد يَهتاجُ ذو الطَرَبِ المُهيجُ

    They stirred my longing at the ridge of Ufariyyat;

    one already moved by passion is easily stirred.

  9. عَلى فُضُلِ الرَواعِ تَضَمَّنَتها

    خَصِيباتُ المَعالِفِ وَالمُروجُ

    They rode on choice mounts, nurtured

    by fertile feeding grounds and meadows.

  10. يَشُجُّ بِها ذُؤابَةَ كُلِّ حَزنٍ

    سَبوتٌ أَو مواكِبَةٌ دَروجُ

    A long-striding mount cuts through the crest of every rise with them,

    or one that keeps pace and presses steadily on.

  11. وَفي الأَحداجِ حينَ دَنونَ قَصراً

    بِحزنِ سُوَيقَةٍ بَقَرٌ دُموجُ

    And in the litters, when they drew near Qasr

    at the ridge of Suwayqa, were graceful gazelles.

  12. حِسانُ السَيرِ لا مَتَوَاتِراتٌ

    وَلا ميلٌ هَوادِجُها تَموجُ

    They traveled beautifully, neither strung far apart

    nor swaying, with their litters rocking.

  13. فَكِدتُ وَقَد تَغَيَبَتِ التوالي

    وَهُنَّ خواضِعُ الحَكَماتِ عوجُ

    I nearly—when the last of them disappeared,

    their heads lowered under the bridles, their necks bent—

  14. بِذي جَدَدٍ مِنَ الجَوزاء موفٍ

    كَأَنَّ ضَبابَهُ القُطُنُ النَسيجُ

    at Dhu Jadad, beneath the high-rising Jawza,

    whose mist seemed woven cotton,

  15. وَقَد جَاوَزنَ هَضبَ قُتائداتٍ

    وَعَنَّ لَهُنَّ مِن رَكَكٍ شُروجُ

    after they had passed the hills of Qutaydat

    and ravines from Rakak appeared before them—

  16. أَموتُ ضَمانَةً وَتَجَلَّلَتني

    وَقَد أتهَمن مُردِمَةً ثَلوجُ

    died of longing, while I was overwhelmed

    as they headed toward Tihama, heavy and slow.

  17. كَأَنَّ دُموعَ عَيني يَومَ بانَت

    دَلاةٌ بَلَّها فَرَطٌ مَهيجُ

    The tears in my eyes on the day they parted

    were like a bucket soaked by an eager water drawer.

  18. يُريعُ بِها غَداةَ الوِردِ ساقٍ

    سَريحُ المَتحِ بكرَتُهُ مَريجُ

    At the morning watering, a drawer jerks it up;

    he pulls swiftly, and its pulley rattles.

  19. فَلَو أَبديتِ وُدَّكِ أُمَّ عَمروٍ

    لَدى الإِخوانِ ساءَهُمُ الوَليجُ

    If you revealed your affection, Umm Amr,

    among your companions, the intruder would trouble them.

  20. لَكانَ لِحُبِّكِ المَكتومِ شَأنٌ

    عَلى زَمَنٍ وَنَحنُ بِهِ نَعيجُ

    Your hidden love would have its due regard

    for a time, while we still spoke of it.

  21. تُؤَمّلُ أَن تُلاقيَ أُمَ عَمروٍ

    بِمَكَّةَ حَيثُ يَجتَمِعُ الحَجيجُ

    You hope to meet Umm Amr

    in Mecca, where the pilgrims gather.