أَرِقتُ لِذِكرى مَنزِلٍ شَطَّ نازِحٍ

أَرِقتُ لِذِكرى مَنزِلٍ شَطَّ نازِحٍ

كَلِفتُ بِأَنفاسِ الشَمالِ لَهُ شَمّا

كَلِفتُ بِأَنفاسِ الشَمالِ لَهُ شَمّا

I lay sleepless, remembering a dwelling gone far, far away;

I lay sleepless remembering a dwelling far, far away.

I grew enamored of the north wind’s breaths, inhaling them for its scent.

I was enamored of the north wind’s breaths, inhaling them for its sake.

فَقُلتُ لِبَرقٍ يَصدَعُ اللَيلَ لامِحٍ

فَقُلتُ لِبَرقٍ يَصدَعُ اللَيلَ لامِحٍ

أَلا حَيِّ عَنّي ذَلِكَ الرَبعَ وَالرَسما

أَلا حَيِّ عَنّي ذَلِكَ الرَبعَ وَالرَسما

I said to a gleaming flash of lightning that cleaves the night:

So I said to lightning flashing, cleaving the night:

“Go, greet for me that encampment and its traces.

Ah, greet that abode and its traces on my behalf,

وَأَبلِغ قَطينَ الدارِ أَنّي أَُحِبُّهُ

وَأَبلِغ قَطينَ الدارِ أَنّي أَُحِبُّهُ

عَلى النَأيِ حُبّاً لَو جَزاني بِهِ جَمّا

عَلى النَأيِ حُبّاً لَو جَزاني بِهِ جَمّا

Tell the household of the dwelling that I love them

And tell the house’s dweller that I love him,

from afar—a love I wish they would requite abundantly.

Despite the distance, with abundant love—if only he would requite it.

وَأَقرىء عُفَيراءَ السَلامَ وَقُل لَها

وَأَقرىء عُفَيراءَ السَلامَ وَقُل لَها

أَلا هَل أَرى ذاكَ السُها قَمَراً تَمّا

أَلا هَل أَرى ذاكَ السُها قَمَراً تَمّا

Give ʿUfayrā my greetings, and say to her:

And convey greetings to ʿUfayrāʾ, and say to her:

‘Ah, shall I see that Suhā as a moon grown full?

Ah, shall I see that Suhā star become a full moon?

وَهَل يَتَثَنّى ذَلِكَ الغُصنُ نَضرَةً

وَهَل يَتَثَنّى ذَلِكَ الغُصنُ نَضرَةً

بِجَزعي وَهَل أَلوي مَعاطِفَهُ ضَمّا

بِجَزعي وَهَل أَلوي مَعاطِفَهُ ضَمّا

Will that bough, in all its freshness, bend

And will that bough sway in fresh bloom

in my valley, and shall I fold its curves into an embrace?

At my valley’s bend—and shall I enfold its curves in an embrace?

وَمَن لي بِذاكَ الخِشفِ مِن مُتَقَنَّصٍ

وَمَن لي بِذاكَ الخِشفِ مِن مُتَقَنَّصٍ

فَآكُلَهُ عَضّاً وَأَشرَبَهُ شَمّا

فَآكُلَهُ عَضّاً وَأَشرَبَهُ شَمّا

Who can get me that fawn from the hunting ground,

And who will secure that fawn for me as quarry,

so I may eat it in bites and drink it in as scent?’

So I may devour it with bites and drink it in by scent?

وَدونَ الصِبا إِحدى وَخَمسونَ حِجَّةً

وَدونَ الصِبا إِحدى وَخَمسونَ حِجَّةً

كَأَنّي وَقَد وَلَّت أُريتُ بِها حُلما

كَأَنّي وَقَد وَلَّت أُريتُ بِها حُلما

Between me and youth stand fifty-one years,

And fifty-one years stand between me and youth,

as though, now they have gone, I had merely been shown a dream in them.

As though, now they have passed, I had been shown a dream in them.

فَيا لَيتَ طَيرَ السَعدِ يَسنَحُ بِالمُنى

فَيا لَيتَ طَيرَ السَعدِ يَسنَحُ بِالمُنى

فَأَحظى بِها سَهماً وَأَنأى بِها قِسما

فَأَحظى بِها سَهماً وَأَنأى بِها قِسما

If only fortune’s bird would cross auspiciously, bearing my desire,

Oh, if only fortune’s bird would fly past bearing my wishes,

that I might win her as my portion and carry her away as my allotted share.

So I might win them as my lot and depart with them as my share.

وَيا لَيتَني كُنتُ اِبنَ عَشرٍ وَأَربَعٍ

وَيا لَيتَني كُنتُ اِبنَ عَشرٍ وَأَربَعٍ

فَلَم أَدعُها بِنتاً وَلَم تَدعُني عَمّا

فَلَم أَدعُها بِنتاً وَلَم تَدعُني عَمّا

If only I were a boy of ten and four—

And oh, if only I were fourteen years old,

then I would not call her daughter, nor would she call me uncle.

So I would not call her daughter, nor would she call me uncle.