1. كَم في بُيوتٍ بِسَفحِ الرَّملِ من قَمَر

    علَى قَوامِ كخُوطِ البانَةِ النَّضرِ

    How many a moon dwells in tents at the foot of the sands,

    Upon a figure like a fresh shoot of the bān tree!

  2. وَكَم هِلالٍ من الأطواقِ مَطلعُةُ

    ذوائِبُ الشَّعرِ في بَيتٍ من الشَّعرِ

    And how many a crescent among neck-rings, whose rising-place

    Is the tresses of hair, within a tent of hair.

  3. وكَم غُصونِ على الأحداقٍ قد بسقت

    تخَتالُ تحتَ نُهودِ الغيدِ في ثَمَر

    And how many branches have grown tall above the eyes,

    Swaying proudly beneath graceful maidens’ breasts, amid fruit.

  4. يا رَكبُ حَيُّوا على الجَرعاءِ دارَ هَوىً

    كَم نِلتُ فيها وَكم قضيَّتُ من وطَرِ

    O riders, greet love’s dwelling at al-Jarʿāʾ,

    How much I gained there, how many desires I fulfilled!

  5. أَيامَ لي من عُيونِ الغيدِ إن نَظرت

    سِهامُ لَحظٍ حَمت وردَ اللَّمى الخَصِرِ

    In days when I had, from graceful maidens’ eyes whenever they looked,

    Arrows of glances guarding the cool watering-place of dusky lips.

  6. والسُّمر تُبدي من الأعطاف إن خطرت

    سُمراً وبيضاً من الأَجفانِ في النَّظرِ

    And dusky maidens, when they sway, reveal from their flanks

    Brown spears, and white swords from their eyelids as they gaze.

  7. وللِصَّبا نفحةٌ تَسري بِضائعها

    مَنابتُ البانِ والحَوذانِ والسَّمرُ

    And the east wind has a breath that drifts; its wares

    Are the places where bān, buttercups, and acacias grow.

  8. والرَّوضُ قد حَدقت أحداقُ نرجسهِ

    كأنَّها حدَقٌ في فاتر الحَوَرِ

    And the garden—its narcissi’s eyes have fixed their gaze,

    As though they were pupils in languid eyes, dark against white.

  9. قفِوا فإِن خِلتمُ الأكوار مائلةً

    بكُم فَذاكَ نَسيمٌ جاءَ بالخَبرِ

    Halt; if you think the camel-saddles are tilting

    With you, that is a breeze that has come bearing news.

  10. فَحدِّثوهُ بوَجدي فَهوَ يُبلِغُهُ

    إِلى النُّزولِ حِمَى قَلبي وفَي بَصَري

    Then tell it of my yearning, for it will convey it

    To those dwelling in my heart’s sanctuary and in my sight.