كَأنَّنَا يَا سُلَيْمَى لَمْ نُلِمَّ بِكُمْ

كَأنَّنَا يَا سُلَيْمَى لَمْ نُلِمَّ بِكُمْ

وتَحْتَنَا عَلَسِيَّاتٌ مَلاَجِيجُ

وتَحْتَنَا عَلَسِيَّاتٌ مَلاَجِيجُ

As though, O Sulayma, we had never stopped among you,

It is as though, Sulayma, we had never visited you,

with fleet, deep-chested she-camels beneath us;

with tireless ʿAlas-bred she-camels beneath us;

وَلَمْ نُكَلِّمْكِ والحُسَّادُ قَدْ حَضَرُوا

وَلَمْ نُكَلِّمْكِ والحُسَّادُ قَدْ حَضَرُوا

وفي الكَلامِ عَنِ الحَاجَاتِ تَخْلِيجُ

وفي الكَلامِ عَنِ الحَاجَاتِ تَخْلِيجُ

as though we had never spoken to you while the envious stood by—

nor spoken to you while the envious were already present,

though speech about one’s desires catches and falters.

and our talk of our wishes was oblique;

وَلَمْ نَقُلْ يَوْمَ سَارَتْ عِيْسُكُمْ عَنَقاً

وَلَمْ نَقُلْ يَوْمَ سَارَتْ عِيْسُكُمْ عَنَقاً

والدَّوْسَرِيُّ بِجَذْبِ السَّاجِ مَجْرُوجُ

والدَّوْسَرِيُّ بِجَذْبِ السَّاجِ مَجْرُوجُ

Nor did we say, the day your pale camels strode swiftly away,

nor said, the day your pale camels went at a brisk walk—

and the great Dawseriyya was driven on with a teakwood pole:

while the massive camel was jarred by the tugging of the cloak—

سَقَى سَقَى اللّهُ جِيراناً لَنا ظَعَنُوا

سَقَى سَقَى اللّهُ جِيراناً لَنا ظَعَنُوا

لَمَّا دَنَا مِنْ رِيَاضِ الْحَزْنِ تَهْيِيجُ

لَمَّا دَنَا مِنْ رِيَاضِ الْحَزْنِ تَهْيِيجُ

“May—may God rain upon those neighbors of ours who journeyed off,”

'May God send rain—send rain—to neighbors of ours who departed,'

when the summons to leave the meadows of al-Hazn drew near.

when withering drew near the meadows of al-Hazn.

لَمْ أخْشَ بَيْنَهُمُ حَتَّى غَدَوْا حِزَقاً

لَمْ أخْشَ بَيْنَهُمُ حَتَّى غَدَوْا حِزَقاً

واسْتَوْسَقَتْ بِهِمُ البُزْلُ العَنَاجِيجُ

واسْتَوْسَقَتْ بِهِمُ البُزْلُ العَنَاجِيجُ

I did not dread their parting until at dawn they went in bands,

I did not fear their departure until they set off in groups,

and the full-grown, noble camels closed ranks bearing them.

and the tall, noble, full-grown camels gathered with them aboard.

فَاحْتَثَّ مِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ حَادِيهُم غَرِداً

فَاحْتَثَّ مِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ حَادِيهُم غَرِداً

وَخُدِّرَتْ دُونَ مَنْ تَهْوَى الهَوَادِيجُ

وَخُدِّرَتْ دُونَ مَنْ تَهْوَى الهَوَادِيجُ

Then from behind, their singing camel-driver urged them hard,

Then their driver urged them onward from behind, singing,

while the howdahs hid, beyond reach, the women one loves.

and the howdahs were curtained, hiding the one you love.

وَأَصْبَحتْ مِنْهُمُ ضَبَّاءُ خَالِيَةً

وَأَصْبَحتْ مِنْهُمُ ضَبَّاءُ خَالِيَةً

كما خَلَتْ مِنْهُمُ الزَّوْرَاءُ فالعُوجُ

كما خَلَتْ مِنْهُمُ الزَّوْرَاءُ فالعُوجُ

Dabba awoke emptied of them,

And Dabba’ became empty of them,

as al-Zawra, and then al-‘Awj, were emptied.

as al-Zawra’, then al-ʿUj, lay empty of them.

تِلكُمْ دِيَارُكُمُ بالقَفِّ دَارِسَةٌ

تِلكُمْ دِيَارُكُمُ بالقَفِّ دَارِسَةٌ

يَسْتَنُّ فيها عَجَاجُ الصَّيْفِ والهُوجُ

يَسْتَنُّ فيها عَجَاجُ الصَّيْفِ والهُوجُ

Those dwellings of yours at al-Qaff are effaced,

Those are your dwellings at al-Qaff, their traces effaced,

where summer’s dust and raging winds run free—

where summer dust and violent winds race.

قَفْراً خَلاءً مَا يَظَلُّ بِهَا

قَفْراً خَلاءً مَا يَظَلُّ بِهَا

إلاّ الظِّبَاءُ وَغِرْبَانٌ مَشَاحِيجُ

إلاّ الظِّبَاءُ وَغِرْبَانٌ مَشَاحِيجُ

desolate, bare; nothing dwells there

Barren and empty, with nothing staying there by day

except gazelles and ravens harshly cawing.

except gazelles and loudly cawing ravens.

فيها أَوَارٍ وآثارٌ بِعَرْضتِهَا

فيها أَوَارٍ وآثارٌ بِعَرْضتِهَا

وَمَاثِلٌ نَاحِلٌ في الدَّارِ مَشْجُوجُ

وَمَاثِلٌ نَاحِلٌ في الدَّارِ مَشْجُوجُ

Within it are tethering stakes and traces across its open court,

In it are tethering-stakes and traces across its grounds,

one still standing in the camp, worn thin and split.

and a slender, upright stake in the dwelling, split at the head.

دارٌ لِنَاعِمَةٍ بَيْضَاءَ حُلَّتُها

دارٌ لِنَاعِمَةٍ بَيْضَاءَ حُلَّتُها

عَصْبٌ يَمَان وَبُرْدٌ فِيهِ تَدْبِيجُ

عَصْبٌ يَمَان وَبُرْدٌ فِيهِ تَدْبِيجُ

A dwelling once belonging to a soft-living, fair woman, whose raiment

The home of a delicate, fair woman, whose clothing

was striped Yemeni cloth and a mantle rich with embroidery;

was striped Yemeni cloth and a brocaded mantle.

وَمَوْرِدٍ آجِنٍ سُدْمٍ مَنَاهِلُهُ

وَمَوْرِدٍ آجِنٍ سُدْمٍ مَنَاهِلُهُ

كأنَّ رِيقَ الدُّبَى فِيهِنَّ مَلْجُوجُ

كأنَّ رِيقَ الدُّبَى فِيهِنَّ مَلْجُوجُ

and a stagnant watering place, dark about its approaches,

And a stagnant watering-place, its pools silted up,

as though flies’ spittle had been spat into it.

as though the spit of young locusts were mixed into them.

زَارَتْكَ سَلُمَةُ والظَّلْمَاءُ دَاجِيَةٌ

زَارَتْكَ سَلُمَةُ والظَّلْمَاءُ دَاجِيَةٌ

والعَيْنُ هَاجِعَةٌ والرُّوحُ مَعْرُوجُ

والعَيْنُ هَاجِعَةٌ والرُّوحُ مَعْرُوجُ

Sulayma visited you while the darkness lay deep,

Saluma visited you while the night was deeply dark,

the eye asleep and the soul borne away.

with the eye asleep and the spirit borne aloft.

فَمَرْحَباً بِكَ مِنْ طَيْفٍ أَلَمَّ بِنَا

فَمَرْحَباً بِكَ مِنْ طَيْفٍ أَلَمَّ بِنَا

وَلَيْسَ يا سَلْمُ بي في السلم تحريج

وَلَيْسَ يا سَلْمُ بي في السلم تحريج

Welcome, then, apparition that came upon us!

So welcome to you, dream-vision that has come to us!

O Salm, in peace there is no constraint upon me.

And, Salm, I have no scruples about peace.

هَلْ يُدْنِيَنَّكَ مِنْ سَلْمَى وَجِيرَتِها

هَلْ يُدْنِيَنَّكَ مِنْ سَلْمَى وَجِيرَتِها

قَلائِصٌ أَرْحَبيَّاتٌ حَرَاجِيجُ

قَلائِصٌ أَرْحَبيَّاتٌ حَرَاجِيجُ

Will they indeed bring you near to Salma and her company—

Will they indeed bring you near Salma and her neighbors—

young she-camels of Arhab stock, tall and powerful,

young Arhab-bred she-camels, lean and long-limbed?

هُدْلُ المَشَافِرِ أَيْدِيها مُوَثَّقَةٌ

هُدْلُ المَشَافِرِ أَيْدِيها مُوَثَّقَةٌ

زُجٌّ وأَرْجُلُهَا زُلٌّ هَزالِيجُ

زُجٌّ وأَرْجُلُهَا زُلٌّ هَزالِيجُ

with pendant lips and strongly knit forelegs,

Drooping-lipped, their forelegs strongly knit,

slender-shanked, their feet smooth and fleet?

long and tapered, and their hind legs lean and swift.

لَمَّا لَقِحْنَ لِمَاءِ الفَحْلِ أعْجَلَهَا

لَمَّا لَقِحْنَ لِمَاءِ الفَحْلِ أعْجَلَهَا

وَقْت النِّكَاحِ فَلَمْ يُتْمِمْنَ تَخْدِيجُ

وَقْت النِّكَاحِ فَلَمْ يُتْمِمْنَ تَخْدِيجُ

When they conceived by the stallion’s seed, it hurried them;

When they conceived from the sire’s seed, they were hurried

mating-time came, and they did not carry full term—a premature birth.

at mating time into premature birth, and did not carry to term.

تفري السباع سلىً عنه تماشقهُ

تفري السباع سلىً عنه تماشقهُ

كأنه بردُ عصبٍ فيه تضريجُ

كأنه بردُ عصبٍ فيه تضريجُ

Wild beasts tear the afterbirth from it, tugging it apart,

Wild beasts tear the fetal membrane from the fetus, tugging it among themselves,

as though it were a striped mantle streaked with red.

as though it were a striped mantle blotched with red.

قَالَتْ تَغيَّرْتَ عَنْ وُدِّي فَقُلْتُ لَهَا

قَالَتْ تَغيَّرْتَ عَنْ وُدِّي فَقُلْتُ لَهَا

لا والذي بَيتُهُ يَا سَلمُ مَحْجُوجُ

لا والذي بَيتُهُ يَا سَلمُ مَحْجُوجُ

She said, “You have turned away from loving me.” I answered her:

She said, 'You have turned from loving me.' I said to her,

“No—by Him whose House, O Salm, the pilgrims seek!

'No, Salm—by Him whose House is visited by pilgrims!'

ما أَنْسَ لاَ أَنْسَ مِنْكُمْ نَظْرَةً سَلَفَتْ

ما أَنْسَ لاَ أَنْسَ مِنْكُمْ نَظْرَةً سَلَفَتْ

في يَوْمِ عيدٍ وَيَوْمُ العِيدِ مَخْرُوجُ

في يَوْمِ عيدٍ وَيَوْمُ العِيدِ مَخْرُوجُ

I do not forget—never forget—a glance of yours that passed

Whatever I forget, I shall not forget a long-ago glance from you,

on a feast day, the day when all go forth.”

on a festival day—a day when people go out.