لا أندبُ الربعُ قفراً غير مأنوس

لا أندبُ الربعُ قفراً غير مأنوس

ولا أحن إلى الحادي ولا العيس

ولا أحن إلى الحادي ولا العيس

I do not mourn the dwelling, desolate and unpeopled,

I do not lament an unfamiliar desert waste,

I do not mourn the desolate encampment, bereft of life,

Nor yearn for the camel-driver or the pale camels.

Nor yearn for the bygone days or old companions.

Nor do I yearn for the caravan driver or the white camels.

أحقُّ منزلةً بالتَركِ منزلَةً

أحقُّ منزلةً بالتَركِ منزلَةً

وصلُ الحبيبُ عليها غير مأنوس

وصلُ الحبيبُ عليها غير مأنوس

The dwelling most deserving of abandonment is one

A house where the beloved dwells seems more deserving,

The place most deserving of abandonment is a place

Where union with the beloved is unfamiliar.

Even if the lodging be unfamiliar.

Where union with the beloved is nowhere to be found.

لكن بكائي على أبناءِ دهقنةٍ

لكن بكائي على أبناءِ دهقنةٍ

غُرٍّ بها ليل من أبناء آلوسِ

غُرٍّ بها ليل من أبناء آلوسِ

But my tears are for the sons of landed gentry,

But my tears are for the youths of Duhganah,

Rather, my weeping is for the sons of a Dihqan,

Fair, noble youths among the sons of Alus.

Who endured a long night of grief from Alous' sons.

Noble masters from the lineage of Alus.

يا ليلةً عبرت ما كان أقصرها

يا ليلةً عبرت ما كان أقصرها

والراحُ تعمل في إخوانِكَ الشوسِ

والراحُ تعمل في إخوانِكَ الشوسِ

O night gone by, how brief you were!

Oh what a short night that passed!

O night that passed! How brief it seemed,

And wine was working upon your fierce-eyed companions.

While the winds blowing through your brethren wildly.

While wine worked its magic upon your fierce companions.

تكردسَ الليلُ كُردوساً ففرّقهُ

تكردسَ الليلُ كُردوساً ففرّقهُ

صبحٌ أغارَ عليه في كراديسِ

صبحٌ أغارَ عليه في كراديسِ

Night massed into a battalion, then was dispersed

The night heaped up like a pile and scattered it.

The night massed together like a battalion, then was scattered

By dawn, which raided it in battalions.

Morning came envying it in its heaps.

By a morning that raided it with battalions of light.

وشادنٍ نطقت بالسحرِ مقلتهُ

وشادنٍ نطقت بالسحرِ مقلتهُ

مزنّرٍ ألف تطهيرٍ وتقديس

مزنّرٍ ألف تطهيرٍ وتقديس

And a young gazelle whose eye spoke enchantment,

Shadan spoke magic at dawn,

And a young fawn whose eyes spoke with sorcery,

Wearing a Christian girdle, accustomed to purification and consecration—

With a thousand purifications and blessings.

Girded with a sash, accustomed to purification and holy rites.

نازعتهُ الكأسَ في رفق أحدّثهُ

نازعتهُ الكأسَ في رفق أحدّثهُ

وفي زيّ قاض ونشج الشيخ إبليس

وفي زيّ قاض ونشج الشيخ إبليس

I vied with him over the cup, gently talking to him,

He took the cup gently and spoke to it,

I exchanged the cup with him, speaking gently,

In a judge's garb, while old Iblis sobbed.

Wearing a judge's attire, while Sheikh Iblees sobbed.

Dressed in a judge's garb, yet with the intent of old Iblis.

فمدّ راحته نحوي وأنشدَني

فمدّ راحته نحوي وأنشدَني

حيّ الهِدَملة من ذاتِ المواعيس

حيّ الهِدَملة من ذاتِ المواعيس

Then he stretched his palm toward me and recited:

He stretched out his hand to me and recited,

He extended his palm toward me and recited:

‘Hail al-Hidamla of Dhat al-Mawa'is.’

The protector of Hidmalah from the abundant goblets.

"Greetings to Hidamla of the shifting sands!"

لمّا انتشيتُ وصحبي منتشون كرى

لمّا انتشيتُ وصحبي منتشون كرى

وخفتُ صرعتَهُ إيّايَ بالكوسِ

وخفتُ صرعتَهُ إيّايَ بالكوسِ

When I was tipsy and my companions drunk with slumber,

When I woke up with my sober companions,

When I grew intoxicated, and my companions were drunk with sleep,

And feared his felling me with the winecups,

I feared he had smitten me with his staff.

And I feared being struck down by the overflowing cups,

غضضتُ مستنعساً عمداً لأنعسهُ

غضضتُ مستنعساً عمداً لأنعسهُ

فاستشعرت مقلتاهُ النوم من كوس

فاستشعرت مقلتاهُ النوم من كوس

I deliberately lowered my gaze, feigning drowsiness to make him drowsy.

I frowned as if still drowsy to make him drowsy,

I lowered my eyes, feigning drowsiness to make him slumber,

Then his eyes felt sleep coming upon them from the cups.

So his eyelids felt sleepy from the staff.

Until his eyes succumbed to the infection of sleep.

وامتد فوق سرير كان أوفقُ لي

وامتد فوق سرير كان أوفقُ لي

على تشعشعهِ من عَرشِ بلقيس

على تشعشعهِ من عَرشِ بلقيس

He stretched out on a bed that suited me better,

He sprawled atop a bed that suited me well,

He stretched out upon a bed that was, for me, more fitting

For all its glitter, than the throne of Bilqis.

Shining from Belqees' throne.

In its radiance than the throne of Queen Bilqis.

فقمتُ أمشقُ في قرطاسهِ بيدٍ

فقمتُ أمشقُ في قرطاسهِ بيدٍ

خطاطةٍ ما يعاني في القراطيس

خطاطةٍ ما يعاني في القراطيس

Then I rose to scrawl on his parchment with a hand

So I rose to scribble on his parchment with a hand

So I rose to inscribe upon his parchment with a hand

Skilled in writing what one labors over on parchments.

Writing what torments him in his holy books.

Skilled in calligraphy, writing what one suffers in scrolls.

فحسّ بي ثالثٌ قبل الفراغ وقد

فحسّ بي ثالثٌ قبل الفراغ وقد

نعى الصباحَ لنا قرعُ النواقيس

نعى الصباحَ لنا قرعُ النواقيس

A third man noticed me before I had finished, and already

A third man sensed me before I finished,

But a third party sensed me before I finished, just as

The ringing of bells had proclaimed morning to us.

Announcing dawn to us with the bells' rings.

The striking of the church bells announced the morning to us.

فقالَ من أنت قلتُ القسّ زارَولا

فقالَ من أنت قلتُ القسّ زارَولا

به كديرِكَ من تشميس قسّيس

به كديرِكَ من تشميس قسّيس

He said, ‘Who are you?’ I said, ‘The priest has visited—and no

He said "Who are you?" I said "the priest Zaroula,

He asked, "Who are you?" I said, "The priest is visiting,"

Priest's sunning there resembles that in your monastery.’

Who purified your monastery."

"And your monastery suffers no harm from a priest's service."

فقامَ يوسعني شتماً وأوسعهُ

فقامَ يوسعني شتماً وأوسعهُ

حُلماً بنى عرشهِ من غير تأسيس

حُلماً بنى عرشهِ من غير تأسيس

He rose, showering me with insults, while I showered him

He rose up insulting me extensively, and I insulted him even more,

He began to heap insults upon me, while I met him

With a dream whose throne he built without foundation.

With patience built his throne without founding.

With a patience that built its throne without foundation.

وقال بئسَ لعمري أنت من رجلٍ

وقال بئسَ لعمري أنت من رجلٍ

فقلتُ مهلاً فإني لستُ بالبيسِ

فقلتُ مهلاً فإني لستُ بالبيسِ

He said, ‘By my life, what a wretched man you are!’

He said "Woe to me! You are an evil man."

He said, "By my life, what a wretched man you are!"

I said, ‘Easy now, for I am no wretch.’

I said "Wait! For I am no weakling."

I replied, "Gently now, for I am not the Wretched One."