رمتني بنجل والسهام جفونُ

رمتني بنجل والسهام جفونُ

عيونٌ دموعي بعدهنَّ عيونُ

عيونٌ دموعي بعدهنَّ عيونُ

They shot me with wide-eyed glances, their arrows eyelids—

She pelted me with pebbles, and arrows are her eyelashes

eyes, in whose wake my tears became springs.

My tearful eyes after them are eyes

وهزَّ الصّبي منهنَّ في معرك النّوى

وهزَّ الصّبي منهنَّ في معرك النّوى

قدودَ قناً قلبي بهنَّ طعين

قدودَ قناً قلبي بهنَّ طعين

And the boy brandished, from among them, in separation's battlefield,

And the child shook some of them in the battle of will

spear-like figures, by which my heart is pierced.

He kindled tender emotions in my heart with them

وحدّثتماني عن عيون ظبائه

وحدّثتماني عن عيون ظبائه

فحسبكما أنَّ الحديث شجون

فحسبكما أنَّ الحديث شجون

And you two told me about the eyes of its gazelles;

And you told me about the eyes of her gazelles

enough, you two—such talk brings sorrows.

It's enough for you that the talk is melancholy

أحنُّ إلى وادي الأراك من الحمى

أحنُّ إلى وادي الأراك من الحمى

وهيهات من وادي الأراك حنين

وهيهات من وادي الأراك حنين

I yearn for Wadi al-Arak within the protected grounds;

I yearn for Wadi Al-Arak more than fever

but how far yearning is from Wadi al-Arak!

Alas from Wadi Al-Arak there is yearning

لقد صحَّ عندي بعد نفخة جاحرٍ

لقد صحَّ عندي بعد نفخة جاحرٍ

وشكَّكتما أنَّ النسيم خؤون

وشكَّكتما أنَّ النسيم خؤون

It became certain to me, after a burrow-dweller's puff—

It was true to me after the breath of a sorcerer

though you two raised doubts—that the breeze is treacherous.

And you doubted that the breeze is deceptive

فيا لوعةً عذريّةً ما احتسبتها

فيا لوعةً عذريّةً ما احتسبتها

إذ الوصل ظنٌ والفراق يقين

إذ الوصل ظنٌ والفراق يقين

Ah, an ʿUdhri anguish I had not foreseen,

Oh what innocent agony I did not expect

since union is conjecture and parting certainty.

When union is mere guess and separation is certain

وبين بيوت الحي كلُّ مليُّة

وبين بيوت الحي كلُّ مليُّة

من الحسن لا تقضى لهنَّ ديون

من الحسن لا تقضى لهنَّ ديون

And amid the tribe's dwellings is every woman rich

And between the houses of the neighborhood every beauty

in beauty; the debts owed them cannot be repaid.

Has debts to them that can never be paid

من الهيف أمَّا قلبها مثل قلبها

من الهيف أمَّا قلبها مثل قلبها

فيقسو وأما قدُّها فيلين

فيقسو وأما قدُّها فيلين

Of the slender-waisted—as for her heart, it is like her bracelet,

As for her heart it is like her heart

and so is hard; but her figure is supple.

It hardens while her stature softens

أحقاً سيقضي البين فينا بحكمه

أحقاً سيقضي البين فينا بحكمه

وتمسي سهول الحبّ وهي حزون

وتمسي سهول الحبّ وهي حزون

Is it true that separation will pass its judgment upon us,

Will separation really judge between us

and love's plains become rugged ground?

And the plains of love become gloomy?

فيا كبدي الحرّي غداةَ زعمتما

فيا كبدي الحرّي غداةَ زعمتما

بأن التنائي في غدٍ سيكون

بأن التنائي في غدٍ سيكون

Ah, my burning liver, on the morning you two claimed

Oh my burning liver the day you claimed

that we would be far apart tomorrow!

That parting will happen tomorrow

دعاني وآيات الديار فإنَّ لي

دعاني وآيات الديار فإنَّ لي

شؤوناً لها بين الطلول شؤون

شؤوناً لها بين الطلول شؤون

Leave me, you two, with the traces of the dwellings, for I have

He called me while the landmarks of the abode so I have

tear-streams with their own concerns amid the ruins.

Affairs between the hills and affairs

فقلبي زناد والسّويداء حراقة

فقلبي زناد والسّويداء حراقة

وللنار فيما بين ذاك كمون

وللنار فيما بين ذاك كمون

So my heart is a fire-striker, and its dark core is tinder;

So my heart is tinder and As-Suwayda is blazing

and fire lies concealed between the two.

And for the fire between that there is dormancy

دفنت الهوى عن جاهلٍ بمكانهِ

دفنت الهوى عن جاهلٍ بمكانهِ

وأشجى الهوى ما بات وهو دفين

وأشجى الهوى ما بات وهو دفين

I buried love, concealing it from one ignorant of its place;

I buried passion from an ignorant one about its place

and the most heartrending love is what lies buried through the night.

And most agonizing is passion when buried

يقولون هوّنْ من كلفتَ بحبّهِ

يقولون هوّنْ من كلفتَ بحبّهِ

لتسلو ولا والحبِّ ليس يهون

لتسلو ولا والحبِّ ليس يهون

They say, 'Make light of the one whose love enthralls you,

They say: "Make light of whom you were burdened with loving"

so you may forget.' No—by love, that beloved cannot be slighted.

To find solace, but love cannot be made light of

وما يعرف الشوقَ المبّرحَ والأسى

وما يعرف الشوقَ المبّرحَ والأسى

سوى مستهامٍ راح وهو حزين

سوى مستهامٍ راح وهو حزين

And none knows agonizing longing and sorrow

And none knows fervent love and sorrow

except a love-crazed lover who goes away grieving.

Except a despairing one who left in sadness

خليليَّ كيف الصبر إن كان ممكناً

خليليَّ كيف الصبر إن كان ممكناً

فإنّي جهلت الصبر كيف يكون

فإنّي جهلت الصبر كيف يكون

My two friends, how can one be patient, if patience is possible?

My friend, how can patience be possible

For I have not known patience, nor how it comes to be.

When I have never known how patience can be?

وخوّفتماني غارةً عامريّةً

وخوّفتماني غارةً عامريّةً

يخفُّ بها الغيران وهو رصين

يخفُّ بها الغيران وهو رصين

And you two frightened me with an ʿAmiri raid,

And you frightened me with a ruinous raid

which makes the jealous man excitable, though he is composed.

Wherein the jealous one hides while steadfast

كفى عاشقاً سلمٌ يكونُ سيوفها

كفى عاشقاً سلمٌ يكونُ سيوفها

لحاظٌ تبثُّ الحرب وهي زبون

لحاظٌ تبثُّ الحرب وهي زبون

Enough for a lover is a peace whose swords are

It suffices a lover to have agreements whose swords

glances that unleash a fierce war.

Are curtains which war unravels while docile

وسمرُ القدود المخطفات فواعلٌ

وسمرُ القدود المخطفات فواعلٌ

فعال القنا الخطّي وهي غصون

فعال القنا الخطّي وهي غصون

And the tawny, slender-waisted figures perform

And the threading of snatched bracelets is doing

the deeds of Khatti spears, though they are branches.

The deed of the slender-waisted one while they are branches

ونور الضحى فوق الوجوه طليقةُ

ونور الضحى فوق الوجوه طليقةُ

وجنح الدياجي في الشعور كمين

وجنح الدياجي في الشعور كمين

And morning's light shines freely upon their faces,

And the light of daybreak above the free faces

while the wing of dark nights lurks in their hair.

And the wings of the black night in the hair dormant

أخوفاً ومن دوني نزارٌ وجارها

أخوفاً ومن دوني نزارٌ وجارها

يجوز هزال العام وهو سمين

يجوز هزال العام وهو سمين

Should I fear, with Nizar before me, while its neighbor

I fear while beyond me are adversaries and a neighbor

passes through the year's leanness, yet remains fat?

Who surpasses the emaciated year while plump

وتلك العوالي والموالي وهذهِ

وتلك العوالي والموالي وهذهِ

جياد العزيز الملك وهيَ صفون

جياد العزيز الملك وهيَ صفون

And those are the lofty lances and retainers, and these

And those heights and lowlands and these

are the steeds of King al-ʿAziz, poised on three legs.

Steeds of the mighty king while they are docile