أَمِن مَنزِلٍ عافٍ وَمِن رَسمِ أَطلالِ

أَمِن مَنزِلٍ عافٍ وَمِن رَسمِ أَطلالِ

بَكيتَ وَهَل يَبكي مِنَ الشَوقِ أَمثالي

بَكيتَ وَهَل يَبكي مِنَ الشَوقِ أَمثالي

Was it over an effaced dwelling and the trace of ruins

From a house of well-being and from the outline of ruins

That you wept? Do those like me weep from longing?

I wept, and does anyone like me weep from longing?

دِيارُهُمُ إِذ هُم جَميعٌ فَأَصبَحَت

دِيارُهُمُ إِذ هُم جَميعٌ فَأَصبَحَت

بَسابِسَ إِلّا الوَحشَ في البَلَدِ الخالي

بَسابِسَ إِلّا الوَحشَ في البَلَدِ الخالي

Their dwellings, where once they were all together, are now

Their abodes, when all were gone, became

Barren wastes, with only wild beasts in the deserted land.

Desolate but for the beasts in the empty land.

قَليلاً بِها الأَصواتُ إِلّا عَوازِفاً

قَليلاً بِها الأَصواتُ إِلّا عَوازِفاً

عِراراً زِماراً مِن غَياهيبَ آجالِ

عِراراً زِماراً مِن غَياهيبَ آجالِ

Few sounds are heard there, save eerie cries—

Few are the sounds there except for

Male ostriches’ booming and females’ piping from the herds’ dark depths.

Wailing pipes, from desert foxes prolonging their howls.

فَإِن تَكُ غَبراءُ الخُبَيبَةِ أَصبَحَت

فَإِن تَكُ غَبراءُ الخُبَيبَةِ أَصبَحَت

خَلَت مِنهُمُ وَاِستَبدَلَت غَيرَ أَبدالِ

خَلَت مِنهُمُ وَاِستَبدَلَت غَيرَ أَبدالِ

So if the dusty ground of al-Khubaybah has now become

So if the beloved's abode is dusty, it has become

Empty of them, and taken others who are no true replacements,

Empty of them and taken on others in exchange.

بِما قَد أَرى الحَيَّ الجَميعَ بِغِبطَةٍ

بِما قَد أَرى الحَيَّ الجَميعَ بِغِبطَةٍ

بِها وَاللَيالي لا تَدومُ عَلى حالِ

بِها وَاللَيالي لا تَدومُ عَلى حالِ

Yet once I saw the whole tribe in happiness

Seeing all the living happy

There—and the nights do not remain in one condition.

In it, and the nights do not last in one state,

أَبَعدَ بَني عَمروٍ وَرَهطي وَإِخوَتي

أَبَعدَ بَني عَمروٍ وَرَهطي وَإِخوَتي

أُرَجّي لَيانَ العَيشِ وَالعَيشُ ضَلّالُ

أُرَجّي لَيانَ العَيشِ وَالعَيشُ ضَلّالُ

After the sons of ‘Amr, my clan, and my brothers,

After the clan of ‘Amr, my comrades and brothers

Shall I hope for an easy life, when life is treacherous?

I wish for the comfort of life, though life leads astray.

فَلَستُ وَإِن أَضحَوا مَضَوا لِسَبيلِهِم

فَلَستُ وَإِن أَضحَوا مَضَوا لِسَبيلِهِم

بِناسيهِمُ طولَ الحَياةِ وَلا سالي

بِناسيهِمُ طولَ الحَياةِ وَلا سالي

So I will not—though they have now gone their way—

If they are gone, gone on their way,

Forget them throughout my life, nor be consoled.

I won’t forget them, throughout life, nor move on.

أَلا تَقِفانِ اليَومَ قَبلَ تَفَرُّقٍ

أَلا تَقِفانِ اليَومَ قَبلَ تَفَرُّقٍ

وَنَأيٍ بَعيدٍ وَاِختِلافٍ وَأَشغالِ

وَنَأيٍ بَعيدٍ وَاِختِلافٍ وَأَشغالِ

Will you two not stop today, before parting

Will you not stop today, before parting

And far separation, changing ways, and cares,

And distant separation and divergence and preoccupations,

إِلى ظُعُنٍ يَسلُكنَ بَينَ تَبالَةٍ

إِلى ظُعُنٍ يَسلُكنَ بَينَ تَبالَةٍ

وَبَينَ أَعالي الخَلِّ لاحِقَةِ التالي

وَبَينَ أَعالي الخَلِّ لاحِقَةِ التالي

Beside the women in litters passing between Tabalah

At the flanks of a valley between Tabala

And the upper reaches of al-Khall, one catching up with the next?

And the heights of Khall, pursuing the following hills,

فَلَمّا رَأَيتُ الحادِيَينِ تَكَمَّشا

فَلَمّا رَأَيتُ الحادِيَينِ تَكَمَّشا

نَدِمتُ عَلى أَن يَذهَبا ناعِمَي بالِ

نَدِمتُ عَلى أَن يَذهَبا ناعِمَي بالِ

Then, when I saw the two camel-drivers hasten,

When I saw the two drivers shrink back

I regretted that they should depart so carefree.

I regretted that they would take away my easy life,

رَفَعنَ عَلَيهِنَّ السِياطَ فَقَلَّصَت

رَفَعنَ عَلَيهِنَّ السِياطَ فَقَلَّصَت

بِنا كُلُّ فَتلاءِ الذِراعَينِ شِملالِ

بِنا كُلُّ فَتلاءِ الذِراعَينِ شِملالِ

They raised the whips over them; then sped away

Raising the whips over them, so they shrank

With us every fleet she-camel with sinewy forelegs.

Together, the forearms of both gathering in.

خَلوجٍ بِرِجلَيها كَأَنَّ فُروجَها

خَلوجٍ بِرِجلَيها كَأَنَّ فُروجَها

فَيافي سُهوبٍ حَيثُ تَختَبُّ في الآلِ

فَيافي سُهوبٍ حَيثُ تَختَبُّ في الآلِ

Swinging her hind legs, as though the gaps between them

With a gait of her legs as if her clefts

Were wide desert plains, where she trots in the mirage.

Were rough ground where the mirage wavers.

فَأَلحَقَنا بِالقَودِ كُلُّ دِفَقَّةٍ

فَأَلحَقَنا بِالقَودِ كُلُّ دِفَقَّةٍ

مُصَدَّرَةٍ بِالرَحلِ وَجناءَ مِرقالِ

مُصَدَّرَةٍ بِالرَحلِ وَجناءَ مِرقالِ

So every swift-moving she-camel brought us up with the caravan,

And every surge of us

Her saddle set forward, stout-cheeked and swift-trotting.

Fastened by the packsaddles and the camel-litters’ awnings,

فَمِلنا وَنازَعنا الحَديثَ أَوانِساً

فَمِلنا وَنازَعنا الحَديثَ أَوانِساً

عَلَيهِنَّ جَيشانِيَّةٌ ذاتُ أَغيالِ

عَلَيهِنَّ جَيشانِيَّةٌ ذاتُ أَغيالِ

So we turned aside and exchanged talk with gracious women,

And we shared conversation and sweets

Wearing Jayshani cloth with ornamental stripes.

And talk of whatever the fancy of the empty mind desires,

وَمِلنا إِلَينا بِالسَوالِفِ وَالحُلى

وَمِلنا إِلَينا بِالسَوالِفِ وَالحُلى

وَبِالقَولِ فيما يَشتَهي المَرِحُ الخالي

وَبِالقَولِ فيما يَشتَهي المَرِحُ الخالي

And we leaned toward one another, with necks and ornaments,

As if youth had come with the scent of a soft

And with talk of what a merry, carefree man desires.

Breeze of musk, not purchasable with money however dear,

كَأَنَّ الصَبا جاءَت بِريحِ لَطيمَةٍ

كَأَنَّ الصَبا جاءَت بِريحِ لَطيمَةٍ

مِنَ المِسكِ لا تُسطاعُ بِالثَمَنِ الغالي

مِنَ المِسكِ لا تُسطاعُ بِالثَمَنِ الغالي

As though the east wind had brought the scent of a perfume caravan,

And the fragrance of Khuzama in the corners of a garden

Of musk beyond purchase, even at a dear price,

Watered from it, flowing from the hanging water-skin.

وَريحِ خُزامى في مَذانِبِ رَوضَةٍ

وَريحِ خُزامى في مَذانِبِ رَوضَةٍ

جَلا دِمنَها سارٍ مِنَ المُزنِ هَطّالِ

جَلا دِمنَها سارٍ مِنَ المُزنِ هَطّالِ

And the scent of lavender in a meadow’s watercourses,

Whose dung-stains a night-passing cloud washed clean with pouring rain.