خَلِيلَيَّ عُوجا نُحَيِّ نِباعا

خَلِيلَيَّ عُوجا نُحَيِّ نِباعا

وَخَيماً بِهِ وَنُحَيِّ الرِباعا

وَخَيماً بِهِ وَنُحَيِّ الرِباعا

My two friends, turn aside: let us greet Nibāʿ,

My beloved, make your house crooked and we will make it straight

and Khaym there, and greet the campsites.

And pitch a tent by it and we will make it square

تَبَدَّلَتِ الأُدمَ مِن أَهلِها

تَبَدَّلَتِ الأُدمَ مِن أَهلِها

وَعَينَ المَها وَنَعاماً رِتاعا

وَعَينَ المَها وَنَعاماً رِتاعا

They have taken pale gazelles in place of their people,

The settled folk have been made strangers by it

and wide-eyed oryx, and grazing ostriches.

With the eye of the ostrich and the steps of an ostrich fleet

يُسَوِّقُها بِالرِياضِ الظَليمُ

يُسَوِّقُها بِالرِياضِ الظَليمُ

سِياقَ المُعاقِبِ رَكباً سِراعا

سِياقَ المُعاقِبِ رَكباً سِراعا

The male ostrich drives them through the meadows,

He drives them out into the shaded gardens

as one taking turns to ride drives a swift caravan.

The pace of the avenger, a riding company swift

فَلا ما وَقالا جِداءٌ قَليلٌ

فَلا ما وَقالا جِداءٌ قَليلٌ

سُؤالُكَ رَبعاً مُحِيلاً وَقاعا

سُؤالُكَ رَبعاً مُحِيلاً وَقاعا

The two reproached me and said, 'Little good comes

So neither said a few words of condolence

of your questioning a desolate campsite and a barren plain.

Your question a difficult unanswerable territory

رَأَيتَ المُحبِّينَ قَد أَقصَرُوا

رَأَيتَ المُحبِّينَ قَد أَقصَرُوا

وَتَأبى لِحينِكَ إِلّا اِتِّباعا

وَتَأبى لِحينِكَ إِلّا اِتِّباعا

You have seen that lovers have already given up,

I saw lovers who shortened their stay

yet, to your undoing, you insist on following

And your time refuses all but to follow

لِلَيلى فُؤادَكَ في خَلوَةٍ

لِلَيلى فُؤادَكَ في خَلوَةٍ

وَفي مَجلِسٍ أَو سَمِعتَ السَماعا

وَفي مَجلِسٍ أَو سَمِعتَ السَماعا

your heart toward Layla, in solitude,

For Leyla your heart in solitude

in company, or when you hear singing.

Or in a sitting or if you heard a tale

تَحِنُّ إِذا ذُكِرَت مَرَّةً

تَحِنُّ إِذا ذُكِرَت مَرَّةً

حَنينَ الطَرِيفِ أَرادَ النِزاعا

حَنينَ الطَرِيفِ أَرادَ النِزاعا

You yearn whenever she is mentioned,

You yearn whenever she is mentioned

like a newly acquired camel longing to return home.'

With the yearning of the gentle-natured who sought contention

فَقُلتُ بَلى عَرِّجا ساعَةً

فَقُلتُ بَلى عَرِّجا ساعَةً

وَغُضّا المَلامَ فَعاجا وَطاعا

وَغُضّا المَلامَ فَعاجا وَطاعا

I said, 'Yes—turn aside a while,

So I said yes, go indirectly for an hour

and ease your blame.' They turned aside and obeyed,

And restrain blame so be gentle and obedient

لِذي شَجَنٍ يَعتَريهِ المِرا

لِذي شَجَنٍ يَعتَريهِ المِرا

رَ شَوقٌ يُعالِجُ مِنهُ رُداعا

رَ شَوقٌ يُعالِجُ مِنهُ رُداعا

for a sorrowing man, assailed time and again

For one with sorrow that afflicts him

by longing, struggling with the aching it brings.

A passion that treats him with pretended remedy

فَظَلتُ أُبَكّي وَقَد أَسعَدا

فَظَلتُ أُبَكّي وَقَد أَسعَدا

عَلى ذاكَ فيهِ بِهِ ما اِستَطاعا

عَلى ذاكَ فيهِ بِهِ ما اِستَطاعا

I kept lamenting, and both joined my mourning

So I remained weeping while they were happy

there, over that place, as much as they could,

For that, through it, with it, what they were capable of

بِأَجرَعَ جَعدِ الثَرى مُكتَسٍ

بِأَجرَعَ جَعدِ الثَرى مُكتَسٍ

مِنَ البَقلِ حَوذانَهُ وَالدُعاعا

مِنَ البَقلِ حَوذانَهُ وَالدُعاعا

on a sandy rise with rough, moist soil, clothed

With tufts of matted hair on dusty soil

in green growth—its buttercups and duʿāʿ plants—

From herbs, its pods and worms

وَمَجلِسِ خَمسٍ بِهِ مَوهِناً

وَمَجلِسِ خَمسٍ بِهِ مَوهِناً

تَواعَدنهُ إِذ أَرَدنَ اِجتِماعا

تَواعَدنهُ إِذ أَرَدنَ اِجتِماعا

and at the meeting-place of five women there, late at night,

And a sitting of five in which we confided

which they appointed when they wished to gather.

When they wanted to meet they sent a silent messenger

بَعَثنَ رَسُولاً كَتُوماً لِما

بَعَثنَ رَسُولاً كَتُوماً لِما

أَرَدنَ إِذا ما الرَسُولُ أَذاعا

أَرَدنَ إِذا ما الرَسُولُ أَذاعا

They sent a messenger, discreet about what

To me that come to us but beware

they desired, when a messenger might otherwise divulge it,

And guard yourself from our people and their abuse

إِلَيَّ بِأَن إِيتِنا وَاحذَرَن

إِلَيَّ بِأَن إِيتِنا وَاحذَرَن

وَقاكَ الرَدى أَهلَنا وَالشِناعا

وَقاكَ الرَدى أَهلَنا وَالشِناعا

to me, saying, 'Come to us, and beware

Enemies to us through time unwavering

our kin and scandal—may you be spared death!—

If they sensed, with a glance or listening, injury

عِداةً لَنا الدَهرَ لا يَغفَلُونَ

عِداةً لَنا الدَهرَ لا يَغفَلُونَ

أذا وَجَسُوا نَظَراً وَاِستِماعا

أذا وَجَسُوا نَظَراً وَاِستِماعا

they are forever our enemies, never off their guard,

So I walked with the gait of a wounded beast

watching and listening whenever they sense anything.'

Saw me in childbirth so she took flight far

فَأَقبَلتُ أَمشي كَمَشي الفَنيقِ

فَأَقبَلتُ أَمشي كَمَشي الفَنيقِ

رَأَتهُ المَخاضُ فَطارَت شَعاعا

رَأَتهُ المَخاضُ فَطارَت شَعاعا

I came walking like a pampered bull camel

Upon me a cloak I wrapped myself

at whose sight the pregnant she-camels scattered in all directions.

In my custom, fearing it would be broadcast

عَلَيَّ كِساءٌ تَقَنَّعتُهُ

عَلَيَّ كِساءٌ تَقَنَّعتُهُ

عَلى سُنَّتي خَشيَةً أَن يُذاعا

عَلى سُنَّتي خَشيَةً أَن يُذاعا

I wore a cloak with which I had veiled myself,

By my walk that I am a complainer, whiner

as was my custom, fearing word would spread

So when I reached I removed the mask

بِمَمشايَ أَن كاشِحٌ رانئٌ

بِمَمشايَ أَن كاشِحٌ رانئٌ

فَلَمّا بَلَغتُ كَشَفتُ القِناعا

فَلَمّا بَلَغتُ كَشَفتُ القِناعا

of my going, should a spiteful watcher be looking.

Tresses like the trailing branches in which eyes delight

When I arrived, I lifted the veil:

Feed at night, their teeth gleam as they smile

عَقائِلُ كَالمُزنِ فيها البُرُو

عَقائِلُ كَالمُزنِ فيها البُرُو

قُ يُعشى العُيُونَ سَناها التِماعا

قُ يُعشى العُيُونَ سَناها التِماعا

noble ladies, like rainclouds filled with lightning,

When they traveled or went into hiding

their flashing brilliance dazzling the eyes.

I saw from their glow rays rise

إِذا ما سَفَرنَ وَإِمّا اِختَبَي

إِذا ما سَفَرنَ وَإِمّا اِختَبَي

نَ أَبصَرتُ مِن ضَوئِهِنَّ الشَعاعا

نَ أَبصَرتُ مِن ضَوئِهِنَّ الشَعاعا

Whether they unveiled or kept themselves hidden,

As through the clouds the sun of day appears to rise

I saw the rays of their light,

كَما تَتَراءى خِلالَ السَحا

كَما تَتَراءى خِلالَ السَحا

بِ شَمسُ النَهارِ تَرُومُ اطِّلاعا

بِ شَمسُ النَهارِ تَرُومُ اطِّلاعا

as there comes into view through the clouds

the daytime sun, striving to emerge.