يقول ليَ النَّصوحُ هلكْتَ وَجْداً

يقول ليَ النَّصوحُ هلكْتَ وَجْداً

بمنْ تهوى وما كذَب النَّصوحُ

بمنْ تهوى وما كذَب النَّصوحُ

The sincere adviser tells me: You are undone by longing

My friend counsels me: "You're lovesick with yearning!

for the one you love—and the adviser did not lie.

For the one you love - my friend doesn't lie.

وقالإلى متى تبكي رسوماً

وقالإلى متى تبكي رسوماً

عَفَتْهنَّ الجنوب وكم تنوح

عَفَتْهنَّ الجنوب وكم تنوح

And he said: How long will you weep over traces

How long will you weep over traces

the south wind has effaced, and how long will you lament?

Scoured by the south winds, crying out in anguish?

فغضَّ الطَّرف عن طَلَلٍ قديمٍ

فغضَّ الطَّرف عن طَلَلٍ قديمٍ

فقد أودى بك الطَّرف الطَّموح

فقد أودى بك الطَّرف الطَّموح

So avert your gaze from an ancient ruin,

Turn your gaze from ancient ruins,

for your eager gaze has brought you to ruin.

For seeking them has led you to ruin.

تلوحُ لعينِك الدِّمَن البوالي

تلوحُ لعينِك الدِّمَن البوالي

وقد تخفى وآونةً تلوح

وقد تخفى وآونةً تلوح

The weathered camp remains appear before your eyes,

Phantom encampments shimmer before your eyes,

and sometimes they vanish, and at times they appear.

Now vanishing, now shimmering into view.

أراعَكَ ما ترى من رسم دارٍ

أراعَكَ ما ترى من رسم دارٍ

وطارَ بقلبك البرق اللّموح

وطارَ بقلبك البرق اللّموح

Has the trace of a dwelling you see startled you,

You’re startled by what you see of a house’s vestige,

and has the flashing lightning flown off with your heart?

And your heart leaps up like lightning’s flashing glare.

فخَفِّضْ من فؤادك حين يبدو

فخَفِّضْ من فؤادك حين يبدو

لعينك بارقٌ وتَهُبُّ ريح

لعينك بارقٌ وتَهُبُّ ريح

So calm your heart when there appears

So rein in your heart when a glimmer appears

before your eyes a lightning flash, and a wind blows.

And a wind stirs for your sight.

وفي الأَطلال ما تشكو إليها

وفي الأَطلال ما تشكو إليها

من البلوى ولكنْ لا تبوح

من البلوى ولكنْ لا تبوح

And in the ruins lies what you lament to them

Of your afflictions, complain not to the ruins -

of affliction, yet they do not speak.

Keep your torment to yourself, make no lament.

مَحَت آثارها للحيّ نأيٌ

مَحَت آثارها للحيّ نأيٌ

وممَّنْ أَنْتَ تهواه نزوح

وممَّنْ أَنْتَ تهواه نزوح

The tribe's remoteness has erased their traces,

For time has erased their vestiges from the living,

and the departure of the one you love,

And the one you loved is gone like them.

كما مُحِيَتْ سطورٌ من كتابٍ

كما مُحِيَتْ سطورٌ من كتابٍ

وما يدري لها عندي شروح

وما يدري لها عندي شروح

as lines have been erased from a book.

Lines have been erased from a book,

Yet he does not know I have commentaries on them.

And though I gloss them, their meaning is obscure.

وقد راحت ركائب آل ميٍّ

وقد راحت ركائب آل ميٍّ

فما راحت وللمشتاق روح

فما راحت وللمشتاق روح

And the riding camels of Mayy's kin have departed;

The ships of the House of Mays have sailed away,

but they did not leave the yearning lover with a soul.

At rest now, while the lover has no rest.

فقلتُ نعم ولي جفنٌ قريح

فقلتُ نعم ولي جفنٌ قريح

بعبرته ولي قلبٌ جريح

بعبرته ولي قلبٌ جريح

So I said: Yes; my eyelid is sore

I said “Yes, though my eyelids ache with tears

from its tears, and my heart is wounded.

And my heart is deeply wounded,

أروح على منازلها وأغدو

أروح على منازلها وأغدو

فأَغدو يا هذيم كما أَروح

فأَغدو يا هذيم كما أَروح

I go to her dwellings at evening and at dawn;

I will go to their dwellings at dawn and dusk -

so at dawn, O Hudhaym, I go as I do at evening.

Dusk and dawn, I wander, Hudhaym.

لئنْ جاد السَّحاب وجادَ طرفي

لئنْ جاد السَّحاب وجادَ طرفي

أَرَيْتُ الدَّهرَ أيَّهما الشَّحيح

أَرَيْتُ الدَّهرَ أيَّهما الشَّحيح

If the clouds give freely and my eye gives freely,

If the clouds rain down, if my eyes rain down,

I shall show Time which of the two is miserly.

I see which of the two is more miserly.

فدعني يا هذيم بها لعلِّي

فدعني يا هذيم بها لعلِّي

أَموتُ من الغرام وأَستريح

أَموتُ من الغرام وأَستريح

So leave me, O Hudhaym, there; perhaps

So let me, Hudhaym, be with them - perhaps

I may die of passion and find rest.

I’ll die of love and find peace.”