أَذِنَ اليَومَ جيرَتي بِحُفوفِ

أَذِنَ اليَومَ جيرَتي بِحُفوفِ

صَرَموا حَبلَ آلِفٍ مَألوفِ

صَرَموا حَبلَ آلِفٍ مَألوفِ

Today my neighbors gave notice of departure;

My neighbor's camels are prepared today

they severed the bond of a loving, beloved companion.

They severed the cord of an old friend

وَاِستَقَلَّت عَلى الجِمالِ حُدوجٌ

وَاِستَقَلَّت عَلى الجِمالِ حُدوجٌ

كُلَّها فَوقَ بازِلٍ مَوقوفِ

كُلَّها فَوقَ بازِلٍ مَوقوفِ

And howdahs rose upon the camels,

The howdahs are loaded on the camels

each atop a full-grown camel held still.

All halted over a kneeling-place

مِن كُراتٍ وَطَرفُهُنَّ سُجُوٌّ

مِن كُراتٍ وَطَرفُهُنَّ سُجُوٌّ

نَظَرَ الأُدمِ مِن ظِباءِ الخَريفِ

نَظَرَ الأُدمِ مِن ظِباءِ الخَريفِ

Bearing maidens whose eyes are calm,

Of globes, whose fringes are drapes

like the gaze of white-bellied gazelles in autumn.

The dark-eyed gazelles look through autumn's mist

خاشِعاتٍ يُظهِرنَ أَكسِيَةَ الخَز

خاشِعاتٍ يُظهِرنَ أَكسِيَةَ الخَز

زِ وَيُبطِنَّ دونَها بِشُفوفِ

زِ وَيُبطِنَّ دونَها بِشُفوفِ

Downcast, they wear outer robes of

Humble, displaying overgowns of silk

silk, with gauzy fabrics beneath.

And lining them with curtains below

وَحَثَثنَ الجِمالَ يَسهَكنَ بِالبا

وَحَثَثنَ الجِمالَ يَسهَكنَ بِالبا

غِزِ وَالأُرجُوانِ خَملَ القَطيفِ

غِزِ وَالأُرجُوانِ خَملَ القَطيفِ

They urged the camels, wearing down with fine cloth

They urged the camels to walk gently

and purple garments the velvet's pile.

Laden with brocade and purple of Al-Katif

مِن هَواهُنَّ يَتَّبِعنَ نَواهُن

مِن هَواهُنَّ يَتَّبِعنَ نَواهُن

نَ فَقَلبي بِهِنَّ كَالمَشغوفِ

نَ فَقَلبي بِهِنَّ كَالمَشغوفِ

For love of them, they follow their chosen course;

Following their passions, following desires

so my heart, through them, is like one lovestruck

While my heart is smitten with passion for them

بِلَعوبٍ مَعَ الضَجيعِ إِذا ما

بِلَعوبٍ مَعَ الضَجيعِ إِذا ما

سَهِرَت بِالعِشاءِ غَيرِ أُسوفِ

سَهِرَت بِالعِشاءِ غَيرِ أُسوفِ

by a woman playful with her bedmate whenever

Sporting with the sleeping mate when she keeps night vigil

she stays awake at night, never melancholy,

Without gloom, neither bread nor fodder

حُلوَةِ النَشرِ وَالبَديهَةِ وَالعِل

حُلوَةِ النَشرِ وَالبَديهَةِ وَالعِل

لاتِ لا جَهمَةٍ وَلا عُلفوفِ

لاتِ لا جَهمَةٍ وَلا عُلفوفِ

sweet in scent, on first meeting and on

Verily, the whiteness has saddened them, so they veiled themselves

later meetings—neither grim nor coarse.

From us with a barrier, blocked off

وَلَقَد ساءَها البَياضُ فَلَطَّت

وَلَقَد ساءَها البَياضُ فَلَطَّت

بِحِجابٍ مِن دونِنا مَسدوفِ

بِحِجابٍ مِن دونِنا مَسدوفِ

And indeed my white hair displeased her, so she hid herself

So learn, when grey appears in the hair, that youth is no ally

behind a lowered veil between us.

And leave talk of my night's pleasure, for you know not my strength or disposition

فَاِعرَفي لِلمَشيبِ إِذ شَمِلَ الرَأ

فَاِعرَفي لِلمَشيبِ إِذ شَمِلَ الرَأ

سَ فَإِنَّ الشَبابَ غَيرُ حَليفِ

سَ فَإِنَّ الشَبابَ غَيرُ حَليفِ

Then honor gray age, now it has covered my

And we accompanied the family of Jafnah, noble lords

head, for youth is no faithful ally.

In Syria, land of plenty

وَدَعِ الذِكرَ مِن عَشائي فَما يُد

وَدَعِ الذِكرَ مِن عَشائي فَما يُد

ريكَ ما قُوَّتي وَما تَصريفي

ريكَ ما قُوَّتي وَما تَصريفي

And cease speaking of my failing sight—what do

And the Banu Mundhir, ash-colored, walking in Al-Hirah at dawn like swords

you know of my strength and my resourcefulness?

And Julanda in Oman, then Qais in Hazramawt's meadows

وَصَحِبنا مِن آلِ جَفنَةَ أَملا

وَصَحِبنا مِن آلِ جَفنَةَ أَملا

كاً كِراماً بِالشامِ ذاتِ الرَفيفِ

كاً كِراماً بِالشامِ ذاتِ الرَفيفِ

We kept company with kings of the house of Jafna,

Sitting, while the boon-companions surround him, giving no pause

noble, in verdant al-Sham;

Until wine is brought in a pitcher

وَبَني المُنذِرِ الأَشاهِبِ بِالحي

وَبَني المُنذِرِ الأَشاهِبِ بِالحي

رَةِ يَمشونَ غُدوَةً كَالسُيوفِ

رَةِ يَمشونَ غُدوَةً كَالسُيوفِ

and al-Mundhir's radiant sons in

And music, when excited by drink, throbs in a freshened rhythm

al-Hira, walking in the morning like swords;

While man is like cracked old leather evened out by the tanner

وَجُلُنداءَ في عُمانَ مُقيماً

وَجُلُنداءَ في عُمانَ مُقيماً

ثُمَّ قَيساً في حَضرَمَوتَ المُنيفِ

ثُمَّ قَيساً في حَضرَمَوتَ المُنيفِ

and Julunda, residing in Oman,

Or a vessel of palm leaves patched by the smith, concealing its cracks with tar

then Qays in lofty Hadramawt,

Misled by fate until he returns, after his walk, to vagrancy

قاعِداً حَولَهُ النَدامى فَما يَن

قاعِداً حَولَهُ النَدامى فَما يَن

فَكُّ يُؤتى بِموكَرٍ مَجدوفِ

فَكُّ يُؤتى بِموكَرٍ مَجدوفِ

seated with drinking companions around him, forever

And from the she-camels, women difficult to drive, exhausted after night journey, empty

served a brimming cup of blended wine.

They have risen above the grayish gravel plain and come to a dreadful place

وَصَدوحٍ إِذا يُهَيِّجُها الشَر

وَصَدوحٍ إِذا يُهَيِّجُها الشَر

بُ تَرَقَّت في مِزهَرٍ مَندوفِ

بُ تَرَقَّت في مِزهَرٍ مَندوفِ

And a clear-voiced singer, when the drinkers rouse her,

Verily I prepare the warriors of my tribe and make ready for some grave affair

soars in song to a plucked lute.

With the valor of warriors excavating the oppression of past kings on the anxious lands

بَينَما المَرءُ كَالرُدَينيِّ ذي الجُب

بَينَما المَرءُ كَالرُدَينيِّ ذي الجُب

بَةِ سَوّاهُ مُصلِحُ التَثقيفِ

بَةِ سَوّاهُ مُصلِحُ التَثقيفِ

While a man is like a Rudayni spear with its

Independent, reproaching the warriors after nightfall with other than logic

socket, made straight by an expert shaft-straightener,

Then with the first light he stirs up a wind-blown dust with light shoes

أَو إِناءِ النُضارِ لاحَمَهُ القَي

أَو إِناءِ النُضارِ لاحَمَهُ القَي

نُ وَدارى صُدوعَهُ بِالكَتيفِ

نُ وَدارى صُدوعَهُ بِالكَتيفِ

or a bowl of nudar wood, joined by a

If we avoid him in the emptiness of the desert or match his forearm with a task

craftsman, its cracks mended with a clamp,

I do not doubt that would restrain him, without pulling the bridle beneath the beard

رَدَّهُ دَهرُهُ المُضَلَّلُ حَتّى

رَدَّهُ دَهرُهُ المُضَلَّلُ حَتّى

عادَ مِن بَعدِ مَشيِهِ لِلدَليفِ

عادَ مِن بَعدِ مَشيِهِ لِلدَليفِ

his treacherous time brings him low until

after his former stride, he returns to shuffling.

وَعَسيرٍ مِنَ النَواعِجِ أَدما

وَعَسيرٍ مِنَ النَواعِجِ أَدما

ءَ مَروحٍ بَعدَ الكَلالِ رَجوفِ

ءَ مَروحٍ بَعدَ الكَلالِ رَجوفِ

And a headstrong, pale she-camel among the swift,

lively after exhaustion, quivering in her stride,

قَد تَعالَلتُها عَلى نَكَظِ المَي

قَد تَعالَلتُها عَلى نَكَظِ المَي

طِ فَتَأتي عَلى المَكانِ المَخوفِ

طِ فَتَأتي عَلى المَكانِ المَخوفِ

I have urged her onward despite the strain of

distance, and she passes through the dreaded place.

وَلَقَد أُحزِمُ اللُبانَةَ أَهلي

وَلَقَد أُحزِمُ اللُبانَةَ أَهلي

وَأُعَدّيهِمُ لِأَمرٍ قَذيفِ

وَأُعَدّيهِمُ لِأَمرٍ قَذيفِ

And indeed I charge my family with fulfilling a need,

and send them afar on a distant undertaking,

بِشُجاعِ الجَنانِ يَحتَفِرُ الظُل

بِشُجاعِ الجَنانِ يَحتَفِرُ الظُل

ماءَ ماضٍ عَلى البِلادِ خَشوفِ

ماءَ ماضٍ عَلى البِلادِ خَشوفِ

on a stout-hearted mount that burrows through the

darkness, pressing on across the lands, intrepid,

مُستَقِلٍّ بِالرِدفِ ما يَجعَلُ الجِر

مُستَقِلٍّ بِالرِدفِ ما يَجعَلُ الجِر

رَةَ بَعدَ الإِدلاجِ غَيرَ الصَريفِ

رَةَ بَعدَ الإِدلاجِ غَيرَ الصَريفِ

bearing the rear rider lightly, he chews no

cud after night travel, only grinds his teeth.

ثُمَّ يُضحي مِن فَورِهِ ذا هِبابٍ

ثُمَّ يُضحي مِن فَورِهِ ذا هِبابٍ

يَستَطيرُ الحَصى بِخُفٍّ كَثيفِ

يَستَطيرُ الحَصى بِخُفٍّ كَثيفِ

Then in the morning he is at once full of vigor,

sending pebbles flying with his thick footpad.

إِن وَضَعنا عَنهُ بِبَيداءَ قَفرٍ

إِن وَضَعنا عَنهُ بِبَيداءَ قَفرٍ

أَو قَرَنّا ذِراعَهُ بِوَظيفِ

أَو قَرَنّا ذِراعَهُ بِوَظيفِ

If we unload him in a barren desert,

or bind his forearm to his shank,

لَم أَخَل أَنَّ ذاكَ يَردَعُ مِنهُ

لَم أَخَل أَنَّ ذاكَ يَردَعُ مِنهُ

دونَ ثَنيِ الزِمامِ تَحتَ الصَليفِ

دونَ ثَنيِ الزِمامِ تَحتَ الصَليفِ

I do not suppose that would restrain him,

without doubling the rein beneath his neck.