وَقَفَ الرَّبْع على مُرْتَبَعٍ

وَقَفَ الرَّبْع على مُرْتَبَعٍ

قد خلا يا سعدُ من آل سعاد

قد خلا يا سعدُ من آل سعاد

The dwelling stood upon a spring pasture,

The quarter stood on a square

now empty, O Sa'd, of Su'ad's people,

Deserted, O Saad, by the people of prosperity

ورسومٍ رحت أستسقي لها

ورسومٍ رحت أستسقي لها

من عيون الركب منهلَّ الغوادي

من عيون الركب منهلَّ الغوادي

and ruins for which I went to seek rain

And features that went to draw water for it

from the riders' eyes—the downpour of morning clouds.

From the springs of the caravan, the watering place of the valleys

فبكاها كلُّ صبٍّ بدمٍ

فبكاها كلُّ صبٍّ بدمٍ

نائباً عني وما ذاك مرادي

نائباً عني وما ذاك مرادي

So every lovesick lover wept blood for them,

So every passionate youth wept for it

in my stead, though that was not my wish.

Acting on my behalf, though that was not my intention

وهذيم لم يجد ممّا به

وهذيم لم يجد ممّا به

جَلداً وهو قويٌّ في الجلاد

جَلداً وهو قويٌّ في الجلاد

And Hudhaym could not find, in his affliction,

And this, finding nothing in it

fortitude, though he was strong in combat.

To endure, though he was strong in endurance

فتعجبت على علمي به

فتعجبت على علمي به

أنَّه صَلْدُ الصفا واري الزناد

أنَّه صَلْدُ الصفا واري الزناد

So I marveled, though I knew him

So I was amazed by my knowledge of him

to be hard as rock, his fire-strikers sparking,

That he is firm in loyalty and pure in friendship

من صبابات جوًى أضمرها

من صبابات جوًى أضمرها

ودموعٍ فوق خدَّيْه بوادي

ودموعٍ فوق خدَّيْه بوادي

at the anguished longings he concealed,

From the passions of youth that he harbored

and tears plainly visible upon his cheeks,

And tears above his cheeks in the valleys

قائلاً كيف مَضَتْ أيامنا

قائلاً كيف مَضَتْ أيامنا

وهوًى لم يك منها بالمعاد

وهوًى لم يك منها بالمعاد

saying, 'How our days have passed away,

Saying, how have our days passed

and the love of those days, never to be restored!

And passion that will not be until the return

وانقضى المعهد فَلِمْ لا تنقضي

وانقضى المعهد فَلِمْ لا تنقضي

زفرات الوجد من هذا الفؤاد

زفرات الوجد من هذا الفؤاد

And the old haunt is gone—why, then, do not

And the appointed time has elapsed - so why do not

the sighs of longing from this heart cease?'

The sighs of passion cease from this heart