تَأَوَّبَني ذِكرٌ لِزَولَةَ كَالخَبلِ

تَأَوَّبَني ذِكرٌ لِزَولَةَ كَالخَبلِ

وَما حَيثُ تُلقى بِالكَثيبِ وَلا السَهلِ

وَما حَيثُ تُلقى بِالكَثيبِ وَلا السَهلِ

A memory of Zawla returned to me by night like madness.

The memory of her departure distresses me, like one deranged,

And she is found neither at the sand dune nor on the plain.

Neither where sand dunes meet, nor on the flat land is she found.

تَحُلُّ وَرُكنٌ مِن ظَميَّةَ دونَها

تَحُلُّ وَرُكنٌ مِن ظَميَّةَ دونَها

وَجَوُّ قَسى مِمّا يَحُلُّ بِهِ أَهلي

وَجَوُّ قَسى مِمّا يَحُلُّ بِهِ أَهلي

She dwells beyond a spur of Ẓamiyya,

An abode from her old encampment remains, but she's not there,

and the valley of Qasā is among the places where my people dwell.

And the air is cruel, because of whom it substituted my people.

تُريدينَ أَن أَرضى وَأَنتِ بَخيلَةٌ

تُريدينَ أَن أَرضى وَأَنتِ بَخيلَةٌ

وَمَن ذا الَّذي يُرضي الأَخلاءَ بِالبُخلِ

وَمَن ذا الَّذي يُرضي الأَخلاءَ بِالبُخلِ

You want me to be content, though you are stingy;

You want me to be satisfied, yet you are stingy,

and who can please close friends with stinginess?

And who can satisfy friends with stinginess?