تُزمُّ غَداً للظاعنينَ الرَّكائبُ

تُزمُّ غَداً للظاعنينَ الرَّكائبُ

فتُحدى وتَخدي بالنِّجاءِ النّجائبُ

فتُحدى وتَخدي بالنِّجاءِ النّجائبُ

Tomorrow the riding camels will be bridled for those departing,

Tomorrow the camel litters will depart,

and the noble camels will be urged by song and stride swiftly.

To be challenged, and to fall upon the cries with cries,

ويُوحشُ مَغْنى الحَيِّ غِبَّ ارتحالِهِمْ

ويُوحشُ مَغْنى الحَيِّ غِبَّ ارتحالِهِمْ

كما أوحشتْ بعدَ العقودِ التّرائبُ

كما أوحشتْ بعدَ العقودِ التّرائبُ

The tribe's abode will grow desolate after their departure,

And the chanting of the living will be made lonesome by their departure,

as upper chests lie bare once their necklaces are gone.

As the turtle-doves were after the separation of lovers.

وتَبقى الأثافي كالحمائمِ رُكّداً

وتَبقى الأثافي كالحمائمِ رُكّداً

نأتْ دونَها الأوكارُ فهْيَ غَرائبُ

نأتْ دونَها الأوكارُ فهْيَ غَرائبُ

The hearthstones will remain like motionless doves,

And the nests will remain like frightened doves,

their nests far away, leaving them strangers.

While their burrows have become strange to them.

أو الكبدُ الحَرَّى يقطِّعُ جُرمَها

أو الكبدُ الحَرَّى يقطِّعُ جُرمَها

ثلاثةَ أجزاءٍ جَوىً مُتراكبُ

ثلاثةَ أجزاءٍ جَوىً مُتراكبُ

Or like a burning liver whose substance is cut

Or like a burning liver, its illness tearing it apart into three connected pieces,

into three parts by anguish piled upon anguish.

The bow of fidelity will pay its ransom just as it did.

ستعطفُ قوس النوى فِدىً مِثلها

ستعطفُ قوس النوى فِدىً مِثلها

وللوجدِ في قَلبي سِهامٌ صَوائبُ

وللوجدِ في قَلبي سِهامٌ صَوائبُ

The bow of separation will bend—may its like be a ransom—

And for the passion in my heart there are healing arrows.

and longing has unerring arrows in my heart.

The ruins of the abodes will conceal from the winds

وتكتمُ أطلالَ الديِّارِ مِنَ النّوى

وتكتمُ أطلالَ الديِّارِ مِنَ النّوى

نوائبُ تُفْشي سِرَّهُنَّ النواعبُ

نوائبُ تُفْشي سِرَّهُنَّ النواعبُ

The ruins of the dwellings are shrouded by separation's

Secrets that the melodious singing will reveal.

calamities, whose secret the cawing crows reveal.

And it will weep for the coolness of its shadow that is gone,

وتَبكي على ما فاتَ من بردِ ظلِّها

وتَبكي على ما فاتَ من بردِ ظلِّها

شَواد سَخيناتُ العيونِ نَوادبُ

شَواد سَخيناتُ العيونِ نَوادبُ

And for the lost coolness of their shade there weep

With the burning tears of grieving eyes.

singing birds, their eyes hot with tears, lamenting.

Just as she-camels cloaked themselves in the garb of bereavement,

كما ادَّرعتْ زِيّ الحداد ثواكلٌ

كما ادَّرعتْ زِيّ الحداد ثواكلٌ

تلوَّتْ على أعناقهِنَّ الذَّوائبُ

تلوَّتْ على أعناقهِنَّ الذَّوائبُ

Like bereaved mothers who have donned mourning dress,

Bearing litters on their necks.

their tresses twisted about their necks.

And there is many a day when parting lays its claim,

وربَّ نهارٍ للفراقِ أصيلُه

وربَّ نهارٍ للفراقِ أصيلُه

ووَجْهي كلا لونيهِما متناسبُ

ووَجْهي كلا لونيهِما متناسبُ

And many a day of parting: its late afternoon

And my face and its two colors are equal.

and my face matched each other in hue.

So my tears and my form and my camel are soaked,

فدَمعي وشَخصي والمَطيُّ مُقطّرٌ

فدَمعي وشَخصي والمَطيُّ مُقطّرٌ

وقَلبي وقُرصُ الشّمسِ والهَمُّ واجب

وقَلبي وقُرصُ الشّمسِ والهَمُّ واجب

My tears were shed, my body cast down, the camels strung in a train;

My heart and the sun's disk and the worry mandatory.

my heart throbbed, the sun's disk set, and grief was inescapable.

I have used it to count the stars of my tears,

ظلِلتُ به أُحصي كواكبَ أدمُعي

ظلِلتُ به أُحصي كواكبَ أدمُعي

وفي مثلِ ذاكَ اليومِ تُحصى الكواكبُ

وفي مثلِ ذاكَ اليومِ تُحصى الكواكبُ

All that day I counted the stars of my tears,

And on such a day the stars themselves are counted.

and on a day like that the stars are counted.

Who pardons me about an absent one whose image,

فمَن عاذِري مِن غائبٍ وخيالُه

فمَن عاذِري مِن غائبٍ وخيالُه

إذا خاطَ جفني النومُ أو غابَ آيبُ

إذا خاطَ جفني النومُ أو غابَ آيبُ

So who will excuse me for an absent one whose phantom

When sleep lines my eyelids or goes away, errs?

returns when sleep stitches my eyelids shut—or departs?

It dons the gown of darkness as if

تدرَّعَ سربالَ الدُّجى وكأنّما

تدرَّعَ سربالَ الدُّجى وكأنّما

على وَجنتيه رونقُ الصُّبح ذائبُ

على وَجنتيه رونقُ الصُّبح ذائبُ

He donned the robe of darkness, as though

The radiance of dawn were melting on its cheeks.

the radiance of dawn were melting upon his cheeks.

And none would watch over it but its sisters,

ولم يكُ يرعاهُ سوى أخواتِهِ

ولم يكُ يرعاهُ سوى أخواتِهِ

عنيتُ دَراري النُّجومِ مُراقب

عنيتُ دَراري النُّجومِ مُراقب

No watcher guarded him save his sisters—

I have watched over the scattering of the stars.

I mean the brilliant stars.

So I have kept contacting him while he traveled far away,

فما زلتُ منهُ واصلاً وهْوَ هاجرٌ

فما زلتُ منهُ واصلاً وهْوَ هاجرٌ

وغازلتُ منهُ حاضراً وهو غائِبُ

وغازلتُ منهُ حاضراً وهو غائِبُ

I remained united with him though he forsook me,

And kept yearning for him while he was absent.

and wooed him as one present though he was absent.

May God give him a phantom to visit me, while between us

لهُ اللهُ من طيفٍ يزورُ وبينَهُ

لهُ اللهُ من طيفٍ يزورُ وبينَهُ

وبَيني رمالٌ جمّةٌ وسبَاسِب

وبَيني رمالٌ جمّةٌ وسبَاسِب

God bless the visiting phantom, though between him

Lie vast sands and long journeys.

and me lie abundant sands and level wastes.

For in their edges is drinking for the turbid,

فلِلكُدْرِ في أطرافهِنَّ مشاربٌ

فلِلكُدْرِ في أطرافهِنَّ مشاربٌ

وللعُفْرِ في أكنافهِنَّ مَسارب

وللعُفْرِ في أكنافهِنَّ مَسارب

Along their edges dusky sandgrouse have watering places,

And in their valleys is drinking for the dusty.

and along their flanks pale gazelles have trails.

He is the moon, guided by the stars toward us,

هو البدرُ تَهديهِ الكواكبُ نَحونا

هو البدرُ تَهديهِ الكواكبُ نَحونا

كما البدرُ تَهدينا إليهِ الغَياهبُ

كما البدرُ تَهدينا إليهِ الغَياهبُ

He is the full moon, guided toward us by the stars,

As the moon guides us toward those who are absent.

as deep darkness guides us toward the full moon.

He chases away my cares when he comes visiting me in my sleep,

يُنزِّهُني في رَقدتي وهو وافِدٌ

يُنزِّهُني في رَقدتي وهو وافِدٌ

يوحشُني في يَقظتي وهْوَ ذاهِبُ

يوحشُني في يَقظتي وهْوَ ذاهِبُ

He delights me in my slumber as he arrives,

And saddens my waking when he goes away.

and leaves me lonely in my waking as he departs.

If one of his nostrils is blocked, the other flows,

فإن سُدَّ منه مِنخَرٌ جاشَ منخرٌ

فإن سُدَّ منه مِنخَرٌ جاشَ منخرٌ

وإن سرَّ منهُ جانبٌ ساءَ جانب

وإن سرَّ منهُ جانبٌ ساءَ جانب

If one of his nostrils is blocked, another gushes;

And if one of his sides is harmed, the other is disgraged.

and if one side of him gives joy, another gives sorrow.

Just as the gleam of the lying fire deludes

كما غرَّ بالنارِ الكذوبِ وميضُها

كما غرَّ بالنارِ الكذوبِ وميضُها

عيونَ البَرايا خُلّبٌ أو حبُاحِبُ

عيونَ البَرايا خُلّبٌ أو حبُاحِبُ

Just as the glimmer of a lying fire deceives

The eyes of the innocent, whether bleary or blinking.

mortal eyes—rainless lightning or Ḥubāḥib's fire.

Such is the way of fate, it has not made any stretch

كذلكَ دأبُ الدَّهرِ لم يصفُ موردٌ

كذلكَ دأبُ الدَّهرِ لم يصفُ موردٌ

منَ العيشٍ إلاَ كدَّرتَهُ شوائبُ

منَ العيشٍ إلاَ كدَّرتَهُ شوائبُ

Such is time's way: no wellspring runs clear

Of life pleasant without marring it with impurities.

in life without impurities clouding it.

It has judged unjustly until the happy times were driven out

قضى جائراً حتى اشرأبّت مناسمٌ

قضى جائراً حتى اشرأبّت مناسمٌ

إلى حيثُ شاءَتْ واطمأنّتْ غَواربُ

إلى حيثُ شاءَتْ واطمأنّتْ غَواربُ

It decreed unjustly, till camel-hooves craned upward

To where they wished, and the wrongs were calm.

wherever they wished, and withers sank low.

The eagle prevailed and ate its fill of the pigeon's flesh,

وصادَ العقابَ الصَّعْوُ فاقتاتَ شلْوَهُ

وصادَ العقابَ الصَّعْوُ فاقتاتَ شلْوَهُ

وصالَ على أسدِ العَرينِ الثّعالب

وصالَ على أسدِ العَرينِ الثّعالب

The sparrow hunted the eagle and fed on its carcass,

While the fox feasted on the lion of the den.

and foxes assailed the lion of the den.

So prevail over all those whom

فغالِبْ بما سيّرْتُهُ فيكَ كلَّ مَنْ

فغالِبْ بما سيّرْتُهُ فيكَ كلَّ مَنْ

تَاه وأيِقنْ أنَّ جندكَ غالِبُ

تَاه وأيِقنْ أنَّ جندكَ غالِبُ

So overcome, with what I have sent forth about you, everyone

You dispatched against me, and know your troops will prevail.

who struts, and be certain that your army will prevail.

Of what my own imaginings have created,

وعندكَ ممّا أنشأتْهُ خَواطِري

وعندكَ ممّا أنشأتْهُ خَواطِري

غرائبُ فيها للرواةِ رَغائب

غرائبُ فيها للرواةِ رَغائب

You possess, among what my thoughts have fashioned,

There are wonders for the storytellers full of wonders.

rarities offering reciters much to covet.

One day they appear as brides of peace,

فطوراً بها في السّلم تُجلى عرائسٌ

فطوراً بها في السّلم تُجلى عرائسٌ

وطوراً بها في الحربِ تُزجى كتَائب

وطوراً بها في الحربِ تُزجى كتَائب

At times, through them, brides are unveiled in peace,

Another day in war they are battalions thrown into the fray.

and at times, through them, battalions are driven forward in war.

A thirsty man scorned meeting you, but ended up

وإنّ امراً عطشانَ وافاكَ شائماً

وإنّ امراً عطشانَ وافاكَ شائماً

حَيَاكَ لَمَدلولٌ على الماءِ قارب

حَيَاكَ لَمَدلولٌ على الماءِ قارب

Indeed, a thirsty man who comes to you, watching for

Greeted, led to the water's edge.

your rain, is surely a water-seeker guided to water.