1. أَنّى سَرَبتِ وَكُنتِ غَيرَ سَروبِ

    وَتُقَرِّبُ الأَحلامُ غَيرَ قَريبِ

    How did you come here, when you were not one to roam?

    And dreams bring near what is far away.

  2. ما تَمنَعي يَقظى فَقَد تُؤتينَهُ

    في النَومِ غَيرَ مُصَرَّدٍ مَحسوبِ

    Whatever you withhold awake, you may yet grant

    In sleep, unstinted and unmeasured.

  3. كانَ المُنى بِلِقائِها فَلَقيتُها

    فَلَهَوتُ مِن لَهوِ اِمرِئٍ مَكذوبِ

    My wish was to meet her, and I met her;

    So I took my pleasure, like a man deceived.

  4. فَرَأَيتُ مِثلَ الشَمسِ عِندَ طُلوعِها

    في الحُسنِ أَو كَدُنُوِّها لِغُروبِ

    So I saw her, like the sun at its rising,

    In beauty, or as it draws near to setting.

  5. صَفراءُ أَعجَلَها الشَبابُ لِداتِها

    مَوسومَةٌ بِالحُسنِ غَيرُ قَطوبِ

    Golden-skinned, youth had ripened her before her peers,

    Marked with beauty, never scowling.

  6. تَخطو عَلى بَردِيَّتَينِ غَذاهُما

    غَدِقٌ بِساحَةِ حائِرٍ يَعبوبِ

    She walks on two papyrus reeds, nourished

    By abundant water in the expanse of a brimming pool.

  7. تَنكَلُّ عَن حَمشِ اللِثاتِ كَأَنَّهُ

    بَرَدٌ جَلَتهُ الشَمسُ في شُؤبوبِ

    She smiles, showing teeth in slender gums, as though they were

    Hailstones the sun has polished amid a downpour.

  8. كَشَقيقَةِ السَيراءِ أَو كَغَمامَةٍ

    بَحرِيَّةٍ في عارِضٍ مَجنوبِ

    Like a strip of striped silk, or a cloud

    From the sea, in a cloudbank driven by the south wind.

  9. أَبَني دُحَيٍّ وَالحَنا مِن شَأنِكُم

    أَنّى يَكونُ الفَخرُ لِلمَغلوبِ

    O sons of Duhayy—stooping is your way—

    How can the vanquished have cause to boast?

  10. وَكَأَنَّهُم في الحَربِ إِذ تَعلوهُمُ

    غَنَمٌ تُعَبِّطُها غُواةُ شُروبِ

    And in battle, when it overwhelms them, they are like

    Sheep that drunken wastrels slaughter wantonly.

  11. إِنَّ الفَضاءَ لَنا فَلا تَمشوا بِهِ

    أَبَداً بِعالِيَةٍ وَلا بِذَنوبِ

    Indeed, the open ground is ours; so do not walk upon it

    Ever, neither in its upper reaches nor in its lower.

  12. وَتَفَقَّدوا تِسعينَ مِن سَرَواتِكُم

    أَشباهَ نَخلٍ صُرِّعَت لِجُنوبِ

    And look for ninety of your chiefs,

    Like palm trees toppled onto their sides.

  13. وَسَلوا صَريحَ الكاهِنَينِ وَمالِكاً

    عَن مَن لَكُم مِن دارِعٍ وَنَجيبِ

    And ask the true-born scion of the two priests, and Malik,

    About your mail-clad warriors and noblemen.