أَمِن رَسمِ دارٍ يُشجيكَ غَربُهُ

أَمِن رَسمِ دارٍ يُشجيكَ غَربُهُ

نَزَحتَ زَكيَّ الدَمعِ إِذ فاضَ غَربُهُ

نَزَحتَ زَكيَّ الدَمعِ إِذ فاضَ غَربُهُ

Is it for the traces of a dwelling, whose remoteness grieves you,

From the abode whose western walls brought you grief when you departed,

that you have drawn out pure tears when their torrent overflowed?

Your eyes rained pure tears as the sun set in the west.

عَفا آيَهُ نسجُ الجنوبِ مَعَ الصَبا

عَفا آيَهُ نسجُ الجنوبِ مَعَ الصَبا

وَكُلُّ هَزيم الوَدقِ قَد سالَ غَربُهُ

وَكُلُّ هَزيم الوَدقِ قَد سالَ غَربُهُ

The south wind's weaving with the east wind erased its marks,

The weaving winds of the south were forgiving, and every trail in the valley flowed west.

as did every thundering raincloud whose waters flowed.

The crescent lay within its bounds, a hilal amid the abode illuminated by the western twilight.

بِهِ النَوءُ عَفّى شطرَه فَكَأَنَّهُ

بِهِ النَوءُ عَفّى شطرَه فَكَأَنَّهُ

هِلالٌ خِلالَ الدارِ يَجلُوه غَربُهُ

هِلالٌ خِلالَ الدارِ يَجلُوه غَربُهُ

There the rainstorm effaced half of it, so it seems

I stood with friends asking about its trace, our eyes spilling tears towards the sunset.

a crescent amid the dwelling, revealed by its sharp edge.

Ruins telling of dwellers, needing the downpour from the abode its west had sent.

وَقَفتُ بِهِ صَحبي أُسائِلُ رَسمَهُ

وَقَفتُ بِهِ صَحبي أُسائِلُ رَسمَهُ

عَلى مِثلِها وَالجَفنُ يَذرِفُ غَربُهُ

عَلى مِثلِها وَالجَفنُ يَذرِفُ غَربُهُ

I halted my companions there, questioning its traces,

I say, as transience built its nest and absence took my people, and the west claimed them.

at a dwelling like this, while my eyelid shed its tears.

Your accustomed meadows watered by the showers of spring, gliding over the dunes as the west winds blow.

عَلى طَللٍ يَحكي رُقوماً بِرَسمِهِ

عَلى طَللٍ يَحكي رُقوماً بِرَسمِهِ

بِحاجَةٍ صبٍّ طالَ بِالدارِ غَربُهُ

بِحاجَةٍ صبٍّ طالَ بِالدارِ غَربُهُ

At a ruin whose traces resemble patterned writing,

On a night like the days of separation, its canopy over me as the west lit the stars,

with the longing of a lover whose tears at the dwelling had long flowed.

I walk among the flowers of stars swimming in a sea of darkness the west set in motion.

أَقولُ وَقَد أَرسى الفَنا بِعراصِهِ

أَقولُ وَقَد أَرسى الفَنا بِعراصِهِ

وَأَنزَفَ أَهليهِ البِعادُ وَغَربُهُ

وَأَنزَفَ أَهليهِ البِعادُ وَغَربُهُ

I say, with ruin settled in its courtyards,

My roving glances like shooting stars captured forever in the flow of the west.

and separation and its sting having exhausted its people:

I recalled meeting my beloved though between us the dunes of Hejaz and its west.

سَقى رَبعَك المَعهودَ رَيعانُ عارِضٍ

سَقى رَبعَك المَعهودَ رَيعانُ عارِضٍ

يَسحُّ عَلى سُحمِ الأَثافيّ غَربُهُ

يَسحُّ عَلى سُحمِ الأَثافيّ غَربُهُ

May a raincloud's first downpour water your familiar dwelling,

Remembrance kindled in me flames of ardour, my eyes now hurling their tears west.

its torrent streaming over the blackened hearthstones.

Until dawn drew its sword and the west's starry scabbard was sheathed,

وَلَيلٍ كَيومِ البَينِ مُلقٍ رواقَهُ

وَلَيلٍ كَيومِ البَينِ مُلقٍ رواقَهُ

عَلَيَّ وَقَد جَلّى الكَواكِب غَربُهُ

عَلَيَّ وَقَد جَلّى الكَواكِب غَربُهُ

And many a night, like the day of parting, cast its canopy

The stars of night fell vanquished, as if the west's cup poured over them.

over me, while its darkness brought the stars to light.

The army of dawn came sheathing its sword in the throat of gloom as the west fled away.

أُراعي بِهِ زُهرَ النُجومِ سَوابِحاً

أُراعي بِهِ زُهرَ النُجومِ سَوابِحاً

بِبَحرٍ مِنَ الظَلماءِ قَد جاشَ غَربُهُ

بِبَحرٍ مِنَ الظَلماءِ قَد جاشَ غَربُهُ

In it I watch the bright stars swimming

The Pleiades twittered above the stalks in a meadow the clouds' dew from the west covered.

in a sea of darkness whose waters surged.

A circling moon it dressed, which when rising the west unveiled for all to see.

يُراقِب طَرفي السائِرات كَأَنَّما

يُراقِب طَرفي السائِرات كَأَنَّما

لِطُولِ دوامٍ نيطَ بِالشُهبِ غَربُهُ

لِطُولِ دوامٍ نيطَ بِالشُهبِ غَربُهُ

My eye follows the wandering stars, as though

My slim beloved, his mouth a chain of zephyrs that cure all ills when the west blows.

its corner were tied to the bright stars by long watching.

Cheeks pouring, eyes flickering magic, showing you the sheen of pearls when the west prays.

ذَكَرتُ بِهِ لُقيا الحَبيبِ وَبَينَنا

ذَكَرتُ بِهِ لُقيا الحَبيبِ وَبَينَنا

أَهاضِيبُ أَعلامِ الحِجازِ وَغَربُهُ

أَهاضِيبُ أَعلامِ الحِجازِ وَغَربُهُ

In it I recalled meeting the beloved, while between us lay

A youth clothed in bounty with awe, though his opponent snarls to contest it, cursing the west.

the high plateaus of the Hijaz's mountains and its western reaches.

To you came my untamed ode though the journey and its west could not subdue it.

فَهاجَ لِيَ التِذكارُ نارَ صَبابَةٍ

فَهاجَ لِيَ التِذكارُ نارَ صَبابَةٍ

لَها الجَفنُ أَضحى يَقذِفُ الدَمعَ غَربُهُ

لَها الجَفنُ أَضحى يَقذِفُ الدَمعَ غَربُهُ

Then remembrance stirred in me a fire of longing,

O you who climbed the pinnacle with thought that pierced as deep as the west's lion's.

for which my eyelid's corner began to fling out tears.

Subtler than twilight that enthralls, sweeter than lips imbued with honey by the west.

إِلى أَن نَضا كَفُّ الصَباحِ حُسامَهُ

إِلى أَن نَضا كَفُّ الصَباحِ حُسامَهُ

وَأُغمِدَ مِن سَيفِ المَجَرَّةِ غَربُهُ

وَأُغمِدَ مِن سَيفِ المَجَرَّةِ غَربُهُ

Until morning's hand drew its sword,

If one day it chanced upon ghilman, it would not be like ruins drowned by Maysun's west.

and the edge of the Milky Way's sword was sheathed.

Rather loftily it soars, however long the abode's rain poured from the west.

وَوَلَّت نُجومُ اللَيلِ صَرعى كَأَنَّما

وَوَلَّت نُجومُ اللَيلِ صَرعى كَأَنَّما

أُريقَ عَلَيها مِن فَمِ الكَأسِ غَربُهُ

أُريقَ عَلَيها مِن فَمِ الكَأسِ غَربُهُ

And night's stars withdrew, laid low, as though

It never sang like doves at dawn, nor shone like the world’s face when lit by the west.

heady wine had been poured over them from the cup's mouth.

وَأَقبَل جَيشُ الصُبحِ يُغمِدُ سَيفَه

وَأَقبَل جَيشُ الصُبحِ يُغمِدُ سَيفَه

بِنَحرِ الدُجى وَاللَيلُ يَركُضُ غَربُهُ

بِنَحرِ الدُجى وَاللَيلُ يَركُضُ غَربُهُ

Dawn's army advanced, sheathing its sword

in darkness's throat, while night's fleet steed galloped.

وَزَمزَمَ فَوقَ الأَيكِ قَمريُّ بانَةٍ

وَزَمزَمَ فَوقَ الأَيكِ قَمريُّ بانَةٍ

بِرَوضٍ كَفاهُ مِن نَدى السُحب غَربُهُ

بِرَوضٍ كَفاهُ مِن نَدى السُحب غَربُهُ

A ban-tree's turtledove murmured above the grove,

in a meadow for which the clouds' copious moisture sufficed.

فَهَبَّ يُديرُ الراحَ بَدرٌ يَزينُهُ

فَهَبَّ يُديرُ الراحَ بَدرٌ يَزينُهُ

إِذا قامَ يَجلُوها عَلى الشِرب غَربُهُ

إِذا قامَ يَجلُوها عَلى الشِرب غَربُهُ

Then a full moon sprang up to pass the wine, adorned,

as he stood displaying it to the drinkers, by his vigor.

مِنَ الريمِ خوطيُّ القَوام بِثَغرِهِ

مِنَ الريمِ خوطيُّ القَوام بِثَغرِهِ

سَلاسِلُ راحٍ يُبرئ السُقم غَربُهُ

سَلاسِلُ راحٍ يُبرئ السُقم غَربُهُ

One of the gazelles, slender as a bough; within his mouth

is smooth-flowing wine; his saliva cures sickness.

بِخَدٍّ أَسيل يَجرح اللبَّ خَدُّه

بِخَدٍّ أَسيل يَجرح اللبَّ خَدُّه

وَطَرفٌ كَحيلٌ يَنفُثُ السِحرَ غَربُهُ

وَطَرفٌ كَحيلٌ يَنفُثُ السِحرَ غَربُهُ

With a smooth cheek—his cheek wounds the heart—

and a kohl-dark eye whose corner breathes magic.

يُريكَ شَبيهَ الدُرِّ مِنهُ مَنضَّداً

يُريكَ شَبيهَ الدُرِّ مِنهُ مَنضَّداً

كَمَنطِقِ داود إِذا صالَ غَربُهُ

كَمَنطِقِ داود إِذا صالَ غَربُهُ

He shows you his pearl-like teeth, set in rows,

like Dawud's speech when his keen tongue strikes.

فَتىً قَد كَساهُ الفَضلُ ثَوبَ مَهابَةٍ

فَتىً قَد كَساهُ الفَضلُ ثَوبَ مَهابَةٍ

لَها خَصمُهُ قَد نَشَّ بِالفَمِ غَربُهُ

لَها خَصمُهُ قَد نَشَّ بِالفَمِ غَربُهُ

A youth whom excellence has clothed in a robe of awe,

before which his opponent's saliva has dried in his mouth.

إِلَيكَ أَتَت تَفلي الفَلا بَدَوِيَّةٌ

إِلَيكَ أَتَت تَفلي الفَلا بَدَوِيَّةٌ

وَلَم يُنضِها طُولُ المَسير وَغَربُهُ

وَلَم يُنضِها طُولُ المَسير وَغَربُهُ

To you came a Bedouin maiden, traversing the wastes,

unworn by the journey's length and its strenuous pace.

فَيا مَن رَقي هامَ المَعالي وَفِكرَهُ

فَيا مَن رَقي هامَ المَعالي وَفِكرَهُ

لَدى البَحث أَمضى مِن شَبا اللَيثِ غَربُهُ

لَدى البَحث أَمضى مِن شَبا اللَيثِ غَربُهُ

O you who have scaled glory's summits, whose thought,

in inquiry, has an edge sharper than a lion's fangs.

أَرقَّ مِنَ الصَهباءِ فَاِعجَب بَسبيِها

أَرقَّ مِنَ الصَهباءِ فَاِعجَب بَسبيِها

وَأَعذَبُ مِن ثَغرٍ حَوى الشَهدَ غَربُهُ

وَأَعذَبُ مِن ثَغرٍ حَوى الشَهدَ غَربُهُ

Finer than tawny wine—marvel at her power to captivate—

and sweeter than a mouth whose saliva holds honey.

وَلَو عَرَضت يَوماً لِغيلانَ لَم يَكُن

وَلَو عَرَضت يَوماً لِغيلانَ لَم يَكُن

بِأَطلالِ ميٍّ يَغرق الجفنُ غَربُهُ

بِأَطلالِ ميٍّ يَغرق الجفنُ غَربُهُ

Had she one day appeared to Ghaylan, he would not have

drowned his eyelid in tears at Mayy's ruins.

فَدونَكها لا زالَت تَسمو إِلى العُلا

فَدونَكها لا زالَت تَسمو إِلى العُلا

مَدى الدَهرِ ما صَبَّ سَقي الدار غَربُهُ

مَدى الدَهرِ ما صَبَّ سَقي الدار غَربُهُ

Take her, then; may she ever soar to the heights,

for all time, while the great bucket pours water on the dwelling,

وَما غَرّدت وُرقُ الحَمائِمِ بِالضُحى

وَما غَرّدت وُرقُ الحَمائِمِ بِالضُحى

وَأَشرَق وَجهُ الكَونِ وَاِنجاب غَربُهُ

وَأَشرَق وَجهُ الكَونِ وَاِنجاب غَربُهُ

and as long as gray doves sing in the morning,

and the universe's face shines and its darkness lifts.