يا خَلِيلَيَّ احْبِسَا الرَّكْبَ إذَا مَا

يا خَلِيلَيَّ احْبِسَا الرَّكْبَ إذَا مَا

جِئْتُمَا عَن أَيْمَنِ الحَيِّ الخِيَامَا

جِئْتُمَا عَن أَيْمَنِ الحَيِّ الخِيَامَا

O my two friends, halt the caravan when

O my two dear friends, halt the caravan whenever

you come upon the tents to the right of the encampment.

you reach the tents from the encampment's right side.

وابلُغَا سُعدَى عن الصَّبِّ الذي

وابلُغَا سُعدَى عن الصَّبِّ الذي

غَادرَتْهُ غَرَضَ السُّقْمِ السَّلامَا

غَادرَتْهُ غَرَضَ السُّقْمِ السَّلامَا

Convey to Su‘da word of the lovesick man whom

And convey to Su'da, from the lovesick man whom

she left a target for the arrows of sickness.

she left a target for sickness, his greetings.

واسْأَلاهَا وارْفُقَا جهدَكُما

واسْأَلاهَا وارْفُقَا جهدَكُما

عَجَباً واسْتَفْهِمَاهَا لا مَلامَا

عَجَباً واسْتَفْهِمَاهَا لا مَلامَا

Ask her—and be as gentle as you can—

And ask her, as gently as you both can,

in wonder, and seek her answer without reproach:

in wonder; seek her answer, not in reproach:

ما لَهَا تحمِلُ أعْبَاءَ دَمِي

ما لَهَا تحمِلُ أعْبَاءَ دَمِي

وَهْيَ لا تسطيعُ مِنْ ضَعْفٍ قِيَامَا

وَهْيَ لا تسطيعُ مِنْ ضَعْفٍ قِيَامَا

Why take upon herself the burden of my blood

Why does she bear the burdens of my blood,

when she is too frail even to stand?

when weakness leaves her unable to stand?

وبَرِيقٍ لاحَ وَهْناً بعدَمَا

وبَرِيقٍ لاحَ وَهْناً بعدَمَا

هَدَأَ الطَّائِرُ في الوَكْرِ ونَامَا

هَدَأَ الطَّائِرُ في الوَكْرِ ونَامَا

And many a lightning-flash that gleamed late at night, after

And a lightning flash gleamed late at night—after

the bird in its nest grew still and slept,

the bird grew quiet in its nest and slept—

في كَثِيفَاتِ الحَواشي دُلَّجٍ

في كَثِيفَاتِ الحَواشي دُلَّجٍ

يتجاوبْنَ فَيُشْبهنَ السَّوَامَا

يتجاوبْنَ فَيُشْبهنَ السَّوَامَا

amid thick-fringed clouds journeying by night,

amid thick-fringed clouds traveling through the night,

answering one another like herds at pasture—

answering one another and resembling grazing herds.

بِتُّ أَرْنُوهُ بعينٍ ثَرَّةٍ

بِتُّ أَرْنُوهُ بعينٍ ثَرَّةٍ

تَكِفُ الدَّمْعَ فُرَادَى وتُوَامَا

تَكِفُ الدَّمْعَ فُرَادَى وتُوَامَا

I spent the night gazing at it with a brimming eye

I spent the night gazing at it with a brimming eye,

that shed tears singly and in pairs,

that dripped tears singly and in pairs,

وَهْوَ يَفْرِي حِلَلَ اللَّيّلِ كَمَا

وَهْوَ يَفْرِي حِلَلَ اللَّيّلِ كَمَا

جَرَّدَ الفَارِسُ في الحَرْبِ حُسَامَا

جَرَّدَ الفَارِسُ في الحَرْبِ حُسَامَا

while it cleaved the robes of night, just as

while it slashed the robes of night, as

a horseman bares his sword in battle.

a horseman drew a keen sword in battle.

وصَباً هَبَّتْ سُحَيْراً فَرَوَتْ

وصَباً هَبَّتْ سُحَيْراً فَرَوَتْ

خَبَراً أوْقَعَ في القَلْبِ كَلامَا

خَبَراً أوْقَعَ في القَلْبِ كَلامَا

And an east wind blew before dawn and related

And an east wind blew just before dawn and recounted

news that dealt the heart deep wounds.

news that inflicted wounds on the heart.

حَدَّثَتْ أنَّ عُرَيباً باللّوَى

حَدَّثَتْ أنَّ عُرَيباً باللّوَى

نَقَضُوا العَهْدَ ولمْ يَرْعَوا ذِمَامَا

نَقَضُوا العَهْدَ ولمْ يَرْعَوا ذِمَامَا

It told me that a little Arab clan at al-Liwā

It told me that a little Arab band at al-Liwa

had broken their covenant and honored no sacred pledge.

had broken the covenant and honored no pledge,

واسْتَحَلّوا من دَمِ الصَّبِّ ولَمْ

واسْتَحَلّوا من دَمِ الصَّبِّ ولَمْ

يرْقُبُوا إلاًّ ولمْ يَخْشَوا أَثَامَا

يرْقُبُوا إلاًّ ولمْ يَخْشَوا أَثَامَا

They deemed the lover’s blood lawful, and did not

and deemed the lovesick man's blood lawful, nor did they

heed bond or kinship, nor fear sin.

heed any bond of kinship or fear sin's penalty.

يا عُرَيْباً حلَّلُوا سفكَ دَمِي

يا عُرَيْباً حلَّلُوا سفكَ دَمِي

إنَّما حَلَّلتُمُ شَيْئاً حَرَامَا

إنَّما حَلَّلتُمُ شَيْئاً حَرَامَا

O little Arab clan, sanction the shedding of my blood—

O little Arab band who sanctioned the shedding of my blood,

you have only sanctioned something forbidden.

you have only made lawful something forbidden!

نمتُمُ عَنْ سَهَرِي لَيلاً بِكُمْ

نمتُمُ عَنْ سَهَرِي لَيلاً بِكُمْ

ومَنَعْتُمْ جفنَ عيني أن يَنَامَا

ومَنَعْتُمْ جفنَ عيني أن يَنَامَا

You slept while I kept vigil all night for love of you,

You slept, heedless of my sleeplessness at night because of you,

and kept my eyelids from sleeping.

and kept my eyelid from sleeping.

ما لكُمْ بدَّلْتُمونِي سَادَتِي

ما لكُمْ بدَّلْتُمونِي سَادَتِي

بالرِّضَا سُخْطاً وبالوصْلِ انْصِرَامَا

بالرِّضَا سُخْطاً وبالوصْلِ انْصِرَامَا

What ails you, my masters, that you have exchanged

Why, my lords, have you given me

favor for wrath, and union for severance?

anger instead of favor, and severance instead of union?

كُلَّما عَنَّ لهُ ذِكْرُكُمُ

كُلَّما عَنَّ لهُ ذِكْرُكُمُ

أسْبَلَتْ أجفانُهُ الدَّمعَ سِجَامَا

أسْبَلَتْ أجفانُهُ الدَّمعَ سِجَامَا

Whenever the thought of you comes to him,

Whenever the thought of you occurs to him,

his eyelids let their tears stream down.

his eyelids shed tears in streams.

وإذَا غَنَّتْ حَمَاماتُ الحِمَى

وإذَا غَنَّتْ حَمَاماتُ الحِمَى

حَمَتِ النَّومَ وأَهْدتْهُ الحِمَامَا

حَمَتِ النَّومَ وأَهْدتْهُ الحِمَامَا

And whenever the doves of the sanctuary sing,

And when the doves of the protected pasture sing,

they banish sleep and gift him death.

they deny him sleep and bestow death upon him.

لا يَلَذُّ العَيْشَ في يَقِظَتِهِ

لا يَلَذُّ العَيْشَ في يَقِظَتِهِ

لا ولا يَأْلفُ باللَّيْلِ المنَامَا

لا ولا يَأْلفُ باللَّيْلِ المنَامَا

Life gives him no delight while he is awake,

He finds no pleasure in life while awake,

nor can he grow familiar with sleep at night.

no, nor does he know slumber at night.

فَهْوَ بينَ اليَأْسِ مِنْكُمْ والرَّجَا

فَهْوَ بينَ اليَأْسِ مِنْكُمْ والرَّجَا

مَيِّتٌ حَيٌّ فَدَاووهُ لِمَامَا

مَيِّتٌ حَيٌّ فَدَاووهُ لِمَامَا

Thus he wavers between despair of you and hope—

So he, between despair of you and hope,

a living dead man: heal him with a visit now and then.

is dead yet alive—so tend him now and then.