1. إِنَّ مَن تَهوى مَعَ الفَجرِ ظَعَن

    لَلهَوى وَالقَلبُ مِتباعُ الوَطَن

    Indeed, the one you love departed with the dawn.

    Ah, love! The heart forever follows its homeland.

  2. بانَتِ الشَمسُ وَكانَت كُلَّما

    ذُكِرَت لِلقَلبِ عاوَدتُ دَدَن

    The sun departed, and whenever

    she was recalled to the heart, I returned to dalliance.

  3. نَظَرَت عَيني إِلَيها نَظرَةً

    مِهبَطَ الحُجّاجِ مِن بَطنِ يَمَن

    My eye cast a glance at her

    at the pilgrims' descent from the valley of Yaman,

  4. مَوهِناً تَمشي بِها بَغلَتُها

    في عَثانينَ مِنَ الحَجِّ ثُكَن

    late at night, her mule carrying her along

    amid densely gathered crowds of pilgrims.

  5. فَرَآها القَلبُ لا شَكلَ لَها

    رُبَّما يُعجَبُ بِالشَيءِ الحَسَن

    The heart saw her: none was her equal;

    sometimes one is charmed by a beautiful thing.

  6. قُلتُ قَد صَدَّت فَماذا عِندَكُم

    أَحسَنُ الناسِ لِقَلبٍ مُرتَهَن

    I said: She has turned away; what have you,

    fairest of people, for a heart held in pledge?

  7. وَلَئِن أَمسَت نَواها غَربَةً

    لا تُؤاتيني وَلَيسَت مِن وَطَن

    And though her destination has become exile,

    she will not yield to me, nor is she from my homeland.

  8. فَلَقِدماً قَرَّبَتني نَظرَتي

    لِعَناءٍ آخِرَ الدَهرِ مُعَن

    For indeed, long ago my glance drew me

    to torment, afflicted until the end of time.

  9. ثُمَّ قالَت بَل لِمَن أَبغُضُكُم

    شِقوَةَ العَيشِ وَتَكليفَ الحَزَن

    Then she said: No—may whoever hates you suffer

    the misery of life and the burden of sorrow.

  10. بَل كَريمٌ عَلَّقَتهُ نَفسُهُ

    بِكَريمٍ لَو يُرى أَو لَو يُدَن

    Rather, a noble one whom his own soul has bound

    to a noble one—if only seen or brought near.

  11. سَوفَ آتي زائِراً أَرضَكُمُ

    بِيَقينٍ فَاِعلَميهِ غَيرِ ظَن

    I shall come as a visitor to your land,

    with certainty—know it, without conjecture.

  12. فَأَجابَت هَذِهِ أُمنِيَّةٌ

    لَيتَ أَنّا نَشتَريها بِثَمَن

    She replied: This is a wish;

    if only we could buy it for a price!

  13. وَهيَ إِن شِئتَ تَسيرُ نَحوَنا

    لَو تُريدُ الوَصلَ أَو تُعقَلَ عَن

    And that wish means, if you will, journeying toward us,

    if you desire union, or are restrained from it.

  14. نَصَّكَ العيسُ إِلَينا أَربَعاً

    تَملِكُ العَينَ إِذا العاني وَهَن

    The pale camels would speed you to us in four nights;

    you master your eye when the captive grows weak.