حَلَّت سُعادُ وَأَهلُها سَرِفا

حَلَّت سُعادُ وَأَهلُها سَرِفا

قَوماً عِدىً وَمَحَلَّةً قَذفا

قَوماً عِدىً وَمَحَلَّةً قَذفا

Su'ad and her people settled at Sarif,

Su'ad and her kin have settled at Sarif,

among hostile folk, in a far-off encampment.

Among a hostile folk, in a distant abode.

وَاِحتَلَّ أَهلُكِ سيفَ كاظِمَةٍ

وَاِحتَلَّ أَهلُكِ سيفَ كاظِمَةٍ

فَأَشَتَّ ذاكَ الهَجرُ وَاِختَلَفا

فَأَشَتَّ ذاكَ الهَجرُ وَاِختَلَفا

And your people settled on Kazimah's shore;

While your people have occupied the coast of Kazima,

so that parting scattered us and drove us apart.

So that separation has scattered us and grown vast.

وَكَأَنَّ سُعدى إِذ تُوَدِّعُنا

وَكَأَنَّ سُعدى إِذ تُوَدِّعُنا

وَقَدِ اِشرَأَبَّ الدَمعُ أَن يَكِفا

وَقَدِ اِشرَأَبَّ الدَمعُ أَن يَكِفا

And Su'da, as she bade us farewell, was like

It was as though Su'da, when she bade us farewell,

—while tears welled up, about to fall—

With tears welling up, ready to spill over,

رَشَأٌ تَواصَينَ القِيانُ بِهِ

رَشَأٌ تَواصَينَ القِيانُ بِهِ

حَتّى عَقَدنَ بِأُذنِهِ شَنَفا

حَتّى عَقَدنَ بِأُذنِهِ شَنَفا

a fawn the singing girls charged one another to tend,

Was a young gazelle, over whom the handmaidens fussed,

until they fastened an earring to its ear.

Until they fastened an earring upon her ear.

فَاِزجُر فُؤادَكَ أَو سَنَزجُرُهُ

فَاِزجُر فُؤادَكَ أَو سَنَزجُرُهُ

قَسَماً لِيَنتَهِيَنَّ أَو حَلَفا

قَسَماً لِيَنتَهِيَنَّ أَو حَلَفا

So restrain your heart, or we shall restrain it;

So rebuke your heart—or we shall rebuke it—

by oath—or solemn pledge—it shall surely desist.

By a solemn oath, it must surely desist or vow to do so.

فَالحُبُّ ظَهرٌ أَنتَ راكِبُهُ

فَالحُبُّ ظَهرٌ أَنتَ راكِبُهُ

فَإِذا صَرَفتَ عِنانَهُ اِنصَرَفا

فَإِذا صَرَفتَ عِنانَهُ اِنصَرَفا

For love is a mount, and you its rider;

For love is but a steed you ride upon;

so when you turn its rein, it turns aside.

If you turn its reins, it will turn away.

وَتَنوفَةٍ تَمشي الرِياحُ بِها

وَتَنوفَةٍ تَمشي الرِياحُ بِها

حَسرى وَيَشرَبُ مائُها نُطَفا

حَسرى وَيَشرَبُ مائُها نُطَفا

And many a desert where the winds walk

Many a barren desert where the winds walk,

exhausted, and its water is drunk in drops—

Weary, and its water is drunk only in scant drops.

كَلَّفتُها أُجُداً تَخالُ بِها

كَلَّفتُها أُجُداً تَخالُ بِها

مَرَحاً مِنَ الخُيَلاءِ أَو صَلَفا

مَرَحاً مِنَ الخُيَلاءِ أَو صَلَفا

I tasked a sturdy she-camel with crossing it; in her you might see

I traversed it upon a sturdy she-camel; you would think,

exuberance born of pride, or arrogance.

From her liveliness, that she possessed pride or arrogance.

وَهَبَ الجَديلُ لَها مَدارِعَهُ

وَهَبَ الجَديلُ لَها مَدارِعَهُ

وَالقِمَّةَ العَلياءَ وَالشَعَفا

وَالقِمَّةَ العَلياءَ وَالشَعَفا

Al-Jadil bestowed his coats upon her,

The mountain ibex has gifted her its armored hide,

and his lofty crown and crests.

Along with the high peaks and the towering summits.

قَد قُلتُ لِلعَبّاسِ مُعتَذِراً

قَد قُلتُ لِلعَبّاسِ مُعتَذِراً

مِن ضَعفِ شُكريهِ وَمُعتَرِفا

مِن ضَعفِ شُكريهِ وَمُعتَرِفا

I have said to al-Abbas, apologizing

I said to Al-Abbas, offering my excuses

for my feeble thanks to him, and admitting:

For the frailty of my gratitude, and confessing:

أَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ جَلَّلتَني نِعَماً

أَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ جَلَّلتَني نِعَماً

أَوهَت قِوى شُكري فَقَد ضَعُفا

أَوهَت قِوى شُكري فَقَد ضَعُفا

You are a man who has cloaked me in favors

"You are a man who has clothed me in blessings,

that sapped my gratitude's strength; it has indeed grown weak.

Which have overwhelmed the strength of my thanks, leaving it feeble.

فَإِلَيكَ قَبلَ اليَومِ تَقدِمَةً

فَإِلَيكَ قَبلَ اليَومِ تَقدِمَةً

لاقَتكَ بِالتَصريحِ مُنكَشِفا

لاقَتكَ بِالتَصريحِ مُنكَشِفا

So a preliminary word to you, before today,

So take this offering, presented before today,

has reached you openly, without concealment:

Meeting you with clear and open declaration:

لا تُسدِيَنَّ إِلَيَّ عارِفَةً

لا تُسدِيَنَّ إِلَيَّ عارِفَةً

حَتّى أَقومَ بِشُكرِ ما سَلَفا

حَتّى أَقومَ بِشُكرِ ما سَلَفا

Do not ever bestow a favor upon me

Do not bestow upon me another favor,

until I give due thanks for what has gone before.

Until I have fully given thanks for what has passed."