أرى هذي النياقَ لها حنينٌ

أرى هذي النياقَ لها حنينٌ

إلى إلْفٍ لها ولها رُغاءُ

إلى إلْفٍ لها ولها رُغاءُ

I see these she-camels are filled with yearning

I see these she-camels yearning

For a beloved companion, and they bellow aloud.

For a companion dear to them, and lowing,

وأجفانٌ بِعَبْرَتها رواءٌ

وأجفانٌ بِعَبْرَتها رواءٌ

وأحشاءٌ بزفرتها ظِماء

وأحشاءٌ بزفرتها ظِماء

Their eyelids are refreshed by streaming tears,

And eyelids quenched by their tears,

While their innards thirst amid their sighs.

And innards parched by their sighs,

وأنَّ بها من الأَشجانِ داءً

وأنَّ بها من الأَشجانِ داءً

أعندك يا هذيم لها دواء

أعندك يا هذيم لها دواء

And in them lies an ailment born of sorrows.

And that within them lies an ailment of sorrow—

Have you, Huthaym, a remedy for them?

Have you, O Hudhaym, a remedy for them?

حدا منها بها للشَّوق حادٍ

حدا منها بها للشَّوق حادٍ

وفاز بها بعد التوقّص والنجاء

وفاز بها بعد التوقّص والنجاء

A cameleer drove them on, awakening their longing,

A camel-driver from among them urged them toward yearning with song,

And bore them away through jolting haste and headlong flight.

And won them after short-stepped trotting and swift travel.

أراها والغرام قد ابْتلاها

أراها والغرام قد ابْتلاها

بلى إنَّ الغرامَ هو البلاء

بلى إنَّ الغرامَ هو البلاء

I see that passion has afflicted them.

I see them, and passion has afflicted them;

Yes—passion itself is the affliction.

Yes, passion itself is the affliction.

أراعَ فؤادَها بَيْنٌ وإلاّ

أراعَ فؤادَها بَيْنٌ وإلاّ

فما هذا التَّلَهُّفُ والبكاء

فما هذا التَّلَهُّفُ والبكاء

Was it separation that alarmed their hearts? If not,

Has separation alarmed their hearts? If not,

What is this anguished longing and weeping?

Then what is this anguished longing and weeping?

وهل أودى بها يوماً وقوف

وهل أودى بها يوماً وقوف

على رسمٍ ومرتبع خلاء

على رسمٍ ومرتبع خلاء

And has a halt ever brought them near to death—

And did a halt one day bring them to ruin

A halt beside faint traces and a deserted campsite?

At a dwelling's traces and a deserted pasture?

فذرها والصَّبابة حيث شاءت

فذرها والصَّبابة حيث شاءت

أليس الوجد يفعل ما يشاء

أليس الوجد يفعل ما يشاء

Then leave them to yearning, wherever it may lead them:

So leave them with yearning, wherever it wills;

Does not ardent love do whatever it pleases?

Does not longing do whatever it wills?

تَحِنُّ إلى منازلها بسلع

تَحِنُّ إلى منازلها بسلع

عَفَتْها الهوجُ والريح العفاء

عَفَتْها الهوجُ والريح العفاء

They yearn for their dwellings at Salʿ,

They yearn for their dwellings at Salʿ,

Which raging, effacing winds have erased.

Erased by raging gales and the effacing wind,

وقوم أحسنوا الحسنى إليها

وقوم أحسنوا الحسنى إليها

ولكنْ بعد ذلك قد أساؤا

ولكنْ بعد ذلك قد أساؤا

And for a people who once showed them every kindness,

And for a people who showed them the finest kindness,

But afterward treated them cruelly.

And yet afterward they wronged them.

نأَوْا عنها فكان لها التفاتٌ

نأَوْا عنها فكان لها التفاتٌ

إليهم تارةً ولها انثناء

إليهم تارةً ولها انثناء

They withdrew from them, so the camels kept looking back,

They drew far away from them; the camels cast glances

Now turning toward them, now bending back again.

Toward them now and then, and turned back.

وظَنَّتْ أَنَّهم يَدنونَ منها

وظَنَّتْ أَنَّهم يَدنونَ منها

فخابَ الظَّنُّ وانْقطع الرَّجاء

فخابَ الظَّنُّ وانْقطع الرَّجاء

They thought that they were drawing near to them,

And they thought the people were drawing near to them;

But their expectation failed, and hope was cut off.

So their expectation failed, and hope came to an end.