إِنَّ الفَريقَ مُذِ اِستَقَلَّ مُغَرِّبا

إِنَّ الفَريقَ مُذِ اِستَقَلَّ مُغَرِّبا

لَم يُبقِ لي في طيبِ عَيشٍ مَرغَبا

لَم يُبقِ لي في طيبِ عَيشٍ مَرغَبا

Indeed, the company, since it set off westward,

Since the group has gone abroad,

has left me no desire for a pleasant life.

No pleasant life is left for me to enjoy.

لَمّا تَحَمَّلَ لِلرَحيلِ حَسِبتُهُ

لَمّا تَحَمَّلَ لِلرَحيلِ حَسِبتُهُ

مِن كَثرَةِ الظَبَياتِ فيهِ رَبرَبا

مِن كَثرَةِ الظَبَياتِ فيهِ رَبرَبا

When it packed up to depart, I thought it

When he prepared for departure I thought,

a herd of gazelles, so many does were in it.

From his frequent sighs, he was restless.

وَبِمُهجَتي تِلكَ البُدورُ عَشِيَّةً

وَبِمُهجَتي تِلكَ البُدورُ عَشِيَّةً

إِذ نَكَّبَت أَكنافَ غُرَّبَ غُرَّبا

إِذ نَكَّبَت أَكنافَ غُرَّبَ غُرَّبا

And my heart's blood as ransom for those full moons that evening,

And my heart was grieved in the evening

when they skirted Ghurrab's outskirts, westbound.

When the saddled camels turned away.

وَعَلى المَطايا مِن ذُؤَابَةِ عامِرٍ

وَعَلى المَطايا مِن ذُؤَابَةِ عامِرٍ

وَجهٌ يَروقُكَ سافِراً وَمُنَقَّبا

وَجهٌ يَروقُكَ سافِراً وَمُنَقَّبا

And on the mounts, from the noblest stock of ʿAmir,

On the camels, from the clan of 'Amir,

a face delights you, unveiled and veiled alike.

Were cheerful faces traveling veiled.

ذو صَفحَةٍ لَو لَم يُصافِح نارَها

ذو صَفحَةٍ لَو لَم يُصافِح نارَها

ماءُ الشَبابِ لَخِفتُ أَن تَتَلَهَّبا

ماءُ الشَبابِ لَخِفتُ أَن تَتَلَهَّبا

With a cheek—had its fire not been touched

A cheek, that would please you journeying abroad,

by the water of youth, I would have feared it would blaze.

If its fire had not been touched would be extinguished by the water of youth were it to blaze.

يا غُرَّةَ الحَيِّ اللَقاحِ أَواجِبٌ

يا غُرَّةَ الحَيِّ اللَقاحِ أَواجِبٌ

أَن تَزهَدي زُهدَ المَلولِ وَأَرغَبا

أَن تَزهَدي زُهدَ المَلولِ وَأَرغَبا

O glory of the independent clan, must it be

O freshness of lively communion, it is fitting

that you turn away like one grown weary, while I yearn?

That you disdain the gloom of the sullen and discontent.

أَفدي بِأَنفَسِ ما أُدافِعُ عَنهُ مَن

أَفدي بِأَنفَسِ ما أُدافِعُ عَنهُ مَن

قَطَعَ الحَياةَ تَعَنُّتاً وَتَعَتُّبا

قَطَعَ الحَياةَ تَعَنُّتاً وَتَعَتُّبا

I would ransom with the dearest thing I guard the one

I would ransom with my soul him for whom I defend

who has spent life in obstinacy and reproach.

One who has willfully severed life and become estranged.

ما كُنتُ قِدماً ذا نَصيبٍ في الهَوى

ما كُنتُ قِدماً ذا نَصيبٍ في الهَوى

فَجَعَلتِ لي مِنهُ النَصيبَ المُنصِبا

فَجَعَلتِ لي مِنهُ النَصيبَ المُنصِبا

I once had no share in love;

I was not formerly one with a share in love -

then you allotted me its exhausting share.

You made me have in it an appointed portion.

أَصلَيتِني بِالهَجرِ ناراً ما خَبَت

أَصلَيتِني بِالهَجرِ ناراً ما خَبَت

فَعَلِمتُ أَنَّ هَواكِ زَندٌ ماكَبا

فَعَلِمتُ أَنَّ هَواكِ زَندٌ ماكَبا

You made me burn through estrangement in a fire that never died;

You have kindled me with estrangement into a fire that has not died out,

so I knew that love of you was a fire-stick that never failed.

So I knew that your passion is lasting and firmly rooted.

وَأَمَرتِني أَلّا أَمُرَّ بِدارِكُم

وَأَمَرتِني أَلّا أَمُرَّ بِدارِكُم

فَمَتى مَرَرتُ بِها مَرَتُ مُجَنِّبا

فَمَتى مَرَرتُ بِها مَرَتُ مُجَنِّبا

And you ordered me not to pass by your dwelling;

And you ordered me not to pass by your abode -

so whenever I passed it, I passed at a distance.

Yet whenever I passed by it I turned aside.

خِفتِ الرَقيبَ وَلَو وَصَلتِ أَمِنتِهِ

خِفتِ الرَقيبَ وَلَو وَصَلتِ أَمِنتِهِ

وَنَهَيتِ دَمعَ العَينِ أَن يَتَصَوَّبا

وَنَهَيتِ دَمعَ العَينِ أَن يَتَصَوَّبا

You feared the watcher, though had you joined me, you would have been safe from him;

You feared the spy, and had you felt secure you would have allowed him

and you forbade the eye's tears to stream down.

And you forbade the tears of my eye to flow down my cheeks.

وَسَنَنتِ لي أَن لا يَبوحَ مُحَدِّثاً

وَسَنَنتِ لي أَن لا يَبوحَ مُحَدِّثاً

أَأَمِنتِ أَن يُملي الصُدودُ فَيَكتُبا

أَأَمِنتِ أَن يُملي الصُدودُ فَيَكتُبا

And you decreed for me that my tears must not speak their secret;

And you made it a law for me that I should not speak of my love,

have you no fear that rejection will dictate and they will write?

Did you feel safe that the silent would dictate and then write?

لا تَمزُجي صَفوَ الوِدادِ بِجِفوَةٍ

لا تَمزُجي صَفوَ الوِدادِ بِجِفوَةٍ

ما الماءُ مُحتاجٌ إِلى أَن يُقطَبا

ما الماءُ مُحتاجٌ إِلى أَن يُقطَبا

Do not mix affection's purity with coldness;

Do not mingle the purefriendship with coldness,

water has no need to be mixed.

Water has no need to be frozen to be pure.

ما لِلخَيالِ الطارِقِ مُستَرسِلاً

ما لِلخَيالِ الطارِقِ مُستَرسِلاً

قَد صارَ يَطرُقُ خائِفاً مُتَرَقِّبا

قَد صارَ يَطرُقُ خائِفاً مُتَرَقِّبا

What ails the phantom that once came freely by night?

Why does my imagination roam at large

It now comes by night, fearful and watchful.

When it has now become fearful and watchful?

هَل خافَ مِن عَدواكِ حينَ أَمَرتِهِ

هَل خافَ مِن عَدواكِ حينَ أَمَرتِهِ

أَن لا يُلِمَّ تَجَنِّياً وَتَجَنُّبا

أَن لا يُلِمَّ تَجَنِّياً وَتَجَنُّبا

Did it fear contagion from you when you ordered it

Did it fear your enemies when you ordered it

not to visit, out of unjust hostility and avoidance?

Neither to touch openly nor secretively?

لا تَردَعيهِ عَنِ المَزارِ فَإِنَّهُ

لا تَردَعيهِ عَنِ المَزارِ فَإِنَّهُ

لَو لَم يَزُر شَوقاً لَزارَ تَطَرُّبا

لَو لَم يَزُر شَوقاً لَزارَ تَطَرُّبا

Do not deter it from visiting, for

Do not restrain it from visiting me, for even if

if it did not visit out of longing, it would visit for delight.

It did not come from longing, it would come from caprice.

كَم أَشتَكي الإِعراضَ ظَنّاً أَنَّني

كَم أَشتَكي الإِعراضَ ظَنّاً أَنَّني

أُشكى وَأَعتُبُ آمِلاً أَن أُعتَبا

أُشكى وَأَعتُبُ آمِلاً أَن أُعتَبا

How often I complain of your aversion, thinking that I

How I complain of being shunned, thinking that I

will find redress, and reproach you, hoping to be appeased.

Complain and reproach, hoping to be reproached!