1. لَقَد حَبَّبَت نُعمٌ إِلَيَّ بِوَجهِها

    مَسافَةَ ما بَينَ الوَتائِرِ فَالنَقعِ

    Indeed, Nuʿm has, with her face, made dear to me

    the distance between al-Watāʾir and al-Naqʿ.

  2. وَمِن أَجلِ ذاتِ الخالِ أَعمَدتُ ناقَتي

    أُكَلِّفُها سَيرَ الكَلالِ مَعَ الظَلعِ

    And for the woman with the mole I have overstrained my she-camel,

    forcing her to travel, exhausted and lame.

  3. وَمِن أَجلِ ذاتِ الخالِ آلَفُ مَنزِلاً

    أَحِلُّ بِهِ لا ذا صَديقٍ وَلا زَرعِ

    And for the woman with the mole I frequent a dwelling

    where I lodge with neither friend nor crops.

  4. وَمِن أَجلِ ذاتِ الخالِ يَومَ لَقيتُها

    بِمُندَفَعِ الأَخبابِ سابَقَني دَمعي

    And for the woman with the mole, the day I met her

    at the outlet of al-Akhbāb, my tears raced ahead of me.

  5. وَمِن أَجلِ ذاتِ الخالِ عُدتُ كَأَنَّني

    مُخامِرُ داءٍ داخِلٍ وَأَخو رِبعِ

    And for the woman with the mole I returned as though I were

    a sufferer from inward sickness and a companion of quartan fever.

  6. أَلَم تَرَ ذاتُ الخالِ أَنَّ مَقالَها

    لَدى البابِ زادَ القَلبَ رَدعاً عَلى رَدعِ

    Did the woman with the mole not see that her words

    by the door added pain upon pain to my heart?

  7. وَأُخرى لَدى البَيتِ العَتيقِ نَظَرتُها

    إِليها تَمَشَّت في عِظامي وَفي سَمعي

    And another glance I cast beside the Ancient House

    toward her crept through my bones and through my hearing.

  8. فَلَم أَنسَ مِلأَشياءِ لا أَنسَ نَظرَتي

    إِلَيها وَتِربَيها وَنَحنُ لَدى سَلعِ

    So I have not forgotten—of all things, I do not forget my glance

    at her and her two age-mates, while we were beside Salʿ.