وَقَفْنا برَبْع المالكيَّة وَقْفَةً

وَقَفْنا برَبْع المالكيَّة وَقْفَةً

تَهيجُ بنا في الرَّبعِ ما حَلَّ بالرَّبْعِ

تَهيجُ بنا في الرَّبعِ ما حَلَّ بالرَّبْعِ

We paused awhile at the deserted dwelling of the Mālikiyya,

We paused at al-Malikiyya's dwelling-place—a pause

We paused at the quarter of al-Malikiyyah, a pause

and what had befallen those ruins stirred us deeply there.

that stirs in us, at the dwelling, what befell the dwelling.

That stirred in us what had befallen the quarter,

تُثير أسى قلب وأدمعَ ناظرٍ

تُثير أسى قلب وأدمعَ ناظرٍ

فمن لاعجٍ وترٍ ومن مدمعٍ شفع

فمن لاعجٍ وترٍ ومن مدمعٍ شفع

It rouses a heart’s sorrow and a beholder’s tears—

It rouses a heart's sorrow and an eye's tears:

Evoking sorrow in a heart and tears in an eye.

burning anguish leaves one solitary, while streaming tears come paired.

from a single burning anguish, and from paired tearful eyes.

So one grieved while another shed copious tears.

ولك يكف هذا الوجد حتَّى استفزَّني

ولك يكف هذا الوجد حتَّى استفزَّني

ونحنُ بسلع لهف نفسي على سلع

ونحنُ بسلع لهف نفسي على سلع

Nor did this passion suffice, until it shook me to the core,

And this yearning [did not?] suffice until I was stirred—

Yet this anguish would persist until it provoked me,

while we were at Mount Salʿ—alas, my soul, for Salʿ!

while we were at Salʿ—how my soul grieves for Salʿ!—

While we were in Sal' pining for Sal'.

غرامٌ بجمع يا هذيم وصبوة

غرامٌ بجمع يا هذيم وصبوة

ومجتمع الأَهوال ى زال في جمع

ومجتمع الأَهوال ى زال في جمع

A love at Jamʿ, O Hudhaym, and a yearning—

by ardent love at Jamʿ, O Hudhaym, and youthful longing,

A passion for a group, O Hudhaym, and an assembly,

while the gathering-place of terrors still remains at Jamʿ.

and a gathering of terrors that [has not?] ceased at Jamʿ,

And a gathering where terrors had gathered.

وشوقٍ أَضرَّ القلب لا صبر عنده

وشوقٍ أَضرَّ القلب لا صبر عنده

ويَعْلَم أنَّ الصَّبرَ أجلبُ للنفع

ويَعْلَم أنَّ الصَّبرَ أجلبُ للنفع

And a longing that has ravaged the heart, beyond all endurance,

and a yearning that harmed the heart, leaving it no patience,

And a yearning that sorely hurt my heart, having no patience,

though it knows that patience is most conducive to good.

though it knows that patience is likelier to bring benefit.

Though knowing that patience brings greater benefit.

يذكِّرني أيَّام ظمياءَ نَوَّلَتْ

يذكِّرني أيَّام ظمياءَ نَوَّلَتْ

قليلاً وبعد النيل مالت إلى المنع

قليلاً وبعد النيل مالت إلى المنع

It recalls for me the days when Ẓamyā granted me

It reminds me of the days when Ẓamyāʾ granted

It reminds me of bright days that have passed,

a little favor, then, after yielding, turned to denial.

a little, then, after I had gained it, turned to withholding.

Briefly providing drink, then refusing to give.

ولم أَنْسَ إذ زارت بليلٍ تَبَوَّأَتْ

ولم أَنْسَ إذ زارت بليلٍ تَبَوَّأَتْ

وشاةُ الهوى منه مقاعد للسمع

وشاةُ الهوى منه مقاعد للسمع

Nor have I forgotten when she visited by night, as love’s informers

Nor have I forgotten her visit on a night when

I cannot forget when she visited me by night, stayed over,

had taken up listening posts there.

love's tale-bearers had taken seats within it to listen.

The doe of love making my hearing her dwelling.

وحاكى دجاه فرعها فتطلَّعَتْ

وحاكى دجاه فرعها فتطلَّعَتْ

بمثلِ محيَّا البدر في داجن الفرع

بمثلِ محيَّا البدر في داجن الفرع

Its darkness resembled her tresses; then there appeared

And her hair matched its darkness; then she appeared

Her slender form emulated the branches in the dark,

a face like the full moon amid the dark mass of her hair.

with a face like the full moon amid her dark tresses.

Like the full moon rising in the blackness of the boughs.

تعيدُ على سمعي أحاديث عتبها

تعيدُ على سمعي أحاديث عتبها

كساجعة ورقاء تطرب بالسّجع

كساجعة ورقاء تطرب بالسّجع

She repeats within my hearing her words of tender reproach,

She repeats in my hearing the words of her reproach,

She repeated in my ear her gentle reproaches,

like a cooing grey dove, enchanting with its measured song.

like a cooing gray dove, enchanting with its coos.

Like the melodious cooing of a sandgrouse with assonance.

تدقُّ معانيها كدقَّةِ خصرها

تدقُّ معانيها كدقَّةِ خصرها

برقَّةِ ألفاظٍ تَضَمَّنها دمعي

برقَّةِ ألفاظٍ تَضَمَّنها دمعي

Her meanings are subtle as the slenderness of her waist,

Their meanings are as delicate as her waist is slender,

Her words pierced as sharply as her slender waist,

clothed in delicate words that my tears enfold.

in tender words that my tears enfolded.

In delicate phrases hinted by my tears.

وإنَّ رضاباً قد سَقَتْنيه مرَّةً

وإنَّ رضاباً قد سَقَتْنيه مرَّةً

على غفلة الواشين في أيمن الجزع

على غفلة الواشين في أيمن الجزع

And indeed, the nectar of her lips, which once she gave me to drink

And indeed, the sweet saliva she once gave me to drink—

Once she gave me a slap for not noticing

while the informers were unaware, on the pass’s right-hand side—

while the tale-bearers were unaware, on the valley bend's right side—

The spies to my right in the thicket.

فإنَّ بقايا طَعْمِه بَعدُ في فمي

فإنَّ بقايا طَعْمِه بَعدُ في فمي

ولذَّة هاتيك الأَحاديث في سمعي

ولذَّة هاتيك الأَحاديث في سمعي

the lingering trace of its taste is still within my mouth,

indeed, traces of its taste are still in my mouth,

For the taste of it still remains in my mouth,

and the delight of those conversations still within my ears.

and the delight of those conversations still in my hearing.

And the pleasure of those words still rings in my ears.

وما ذاك إلاَّ قبل أَن نشهد النوى

وما ذاك إلاَّ قبل أَن نشهد النوى

ومن قبل أنْ نُرمى من البين بالصّدع

ومن قبل أنْ نُرمى من البين بالصّدع

Yet all of that was before we witnessed departure,

And that was only before we witnessed separation,

But that was before we saw the firebrands

before estrangement struck us with a sundering blow.

and before parting struck us with its rending blow.

And before we were parted by separation's cleft.