أَأَن هَبَّ علوي يُعَلِّلُ فِتيَةً

أَأَن هَبَّ علوي يُعَلِّلُ فِتيَةً

بِنَخلَةَ وَهناً فاضَ مِنكَ المَدامِعُ

بِنَخلَةَ وَهناً فاضَ مِنكَ المَدامِعُ

Is it because ʿAlawi rose to entertain young men

My lofty passion justified youths

at Nakhla, late at night, that your tears overflowed?

With a palm tree, and tears poured from you

فَهاجَ جَوىً في القَلبِ ضُمّنهُ الهَوى

فَهاجَ جَوىً في القَلبِ ضُمّنهُ الهَوى

بِبَينونَةَ يَنأى بِها مَنْ يُوادِعُ

بِبَينونَةَ يَنأى بِها مَنْ يُوادِعُ

So a burning sorrow stirred in the heart, planted there by love,

It stirred up longing in my heart which love had planted

at Baynunah, where the one bidding farewell draws far away.

With parting by which one who bids farewell departs

وَهاجَ المعنىّ مِثل ما هاجَ قَلبهُ

وَهاجَ المعنىّ مِثل ما هاجَ قَلبهُ

عَلَيكَ بِنُعمانَ الحَمامُ السَّواجِعُ

عَلَيكَ بِنُعمانَ الحَمامُ السَّواجِعُ

And the love-tormented man was stirred, as his heart was stirred

And meaning was stirred just as his heart was stirred

over you at Nuʿman by the cooing doves.

For you, with Numan's dove, the wailing visitors

وَما خِفْتُ بَينَ الحَيِّ حَتّى رَأَيتَهُم

وَما خِفْتُ بَينَ الحَيِّ حَتّى رَأَيتَهُم

بِبَينونَةَ السّفلى وَهُنَّ نَوازِعُ

بِبَينونَةَ السّفلى وَهُنَّ نَوازِعُ

And I did not fear the tribe's departure until I saw them

And I had no fear among the living until I saw them

at lower Baynunah, as they were pulling away.

With the lower parting, and they were departing visitors

وَأَصبَحتُ مَهموماً كَأَنَّ مَطِيَّتي

وَأَصبَحتُ مَهموماً كَأَنَّ مَطِيَّتي

بِجَنبِ مَسولا أَو بِوَجرَةَ ظالِعُ

بِجَنبِ مَسولا أَو بِوَجرَةَ ظالِعُ

And I became grief-stricken, as though my mount

And I became anxious as if my riding beast

beside Masula or at Wajrah were limping.

Were by a pampered one or a climbing she-camel

لِنَفسي حَديثٌ دونَ صَحبي وَأَصبَحَت

لِنَفسي حَديثٌ دونَ صَحبي وَأَصبَحَت

تَزيدُ لِعَينَيَّ الشُّخوصُ السَّواجِعُ

تَزيدُ لِعَينَيَّ الشُّخوصُ السَّواجِعُ

I talk to myself, apart from my companions; and now

I have a conversation with myself apart from friends and the risings became

the cooing figures grow larger before my eyes.

More increasing for my eye the wailing departures

أَمُرتَجَعٌ لي مِثلَ أَيّامِ حمّة

أَمُرتَجَعٌ لي مِثلَ أَيّامِ حمّة

وَأَيّام ذي قارٍ عَلَيَّ الرَّواجِعُ

وَأَيّام ذي قارٍ عَلَيَّ الرَّواجِعُ

Can days like those of Hammah be brought back to me,

I am like the days of resolve and the days

and the days of Dhu Qar return to me?

Of Dhi Qar upon me were the returning ones

وَقاتِلَتي بَعدَ الذِّماءِ وَعائِدٍ

وَقاتِلَتي بَعدَ الذِّماءِ وَعائِدٍ

عَلَيَّ خَيالٌ مِنك مُذْ أَنا يافِعُ

عَلَيَّ خَيالٌ مِنك مُذْ أَنا يافِعُ

And you, my slayer after life's last flicker—and ever returning

And my killer after blame and one returning

to me is a vision of you, ever since I was a youth,

An apparition of you since I was a youth

لَيالي إِذْ أَهلي وَأَهلُكَ جيرَةٌ

لَيالي إِذْ أَهلي وَأَهلُكَ جيرَةٌ

وَسَلمٌ وَإِذ لَم يَصدَعُ الحَيّ صادِعُ

وَسَلمٌ وَإِذ لَم يَصدَعُ الحَيّ صادِعُ

in the nights when my people and yours were neighbors

Nights when my family and your family were neighbors

and at peace, when no divider had split the tribe.

And well-being, and the living were not discordant

نسر الهَوى إِلَّا إِشارَةِ حاجِبٍ

نسر الهَوى إِلَّا إِشارَةِ حاجِبٍ

هَناكَ وَإِلَّا أَن تُشيرَ الأَصابِعُ

هَناكَ وَإِلَّا أَن تُشيرَ الأَصابِعُ

We kept love secret, save for a gesture of an eyebrow

The eagle of love stirred except by a sign of eyebrows

there, or a signal from the fingers.

There or that fingers would gesture

فَما لَك إِذْ تَرمينَ يا أُمّ هَيثَمٍ

فَما لَك إِذْ تَرمينَ يا أُمّ هَيثَمٍ

حُشاشَةَ نَفسي شَلّ مِنكَ الأَصابِعُ

حُشاشَةَ نَفسي شَلّ مِنكَ الأَصابِعُ

So what is the matter with you, as you shoot, O Umm Haytham,

So why is it, O mother of Haytham

at my soul's last spark—may your fingers be paralyzed!

That you make my soul a target, though fingers desist?

بِها أَسهُمٌ لا قاصِراتٌ عَنِ الحَشا

بِها أَسهُمٌ لا قاصِراتٌ عَنِ الحَشا

وَلا شاخِصاتٌ عَن فُؤادي طَوالِعُ

وَلا شاخِصاتٌ عَن فُؤادي طَوالِعُ

In them are arrows that do not fall short of the vitals,

With them arrows not falling short of true aim

nor soar past my heart.

Nor rising above my heart aimed straight

فَمِنهُنَّ أَيّامُ الشَّبابِ ثَلاثَةٌ

فَمِنهُنَّ أَيّامُ الشَّبابِ ثَلاثَةٌ

وَمِنهُنَّ سَهمٌ بَعدَما شِبتُ رابِعُ

وَمِنهُنَّ سَهمٌ بَعدَما شِبتُ رابِعُ

Three of them came in the days of youth,

Among them days of youthfulness three

and among them a fourth arrow came after I turned gray.

And among them an arrow after I was aged, a fourth

لئِن كانَ عُذري في مَشيبي ضَيِّقاً

لئِن كانَ عُذري في مَشيبي ضَيِّقاً

عَلَيَّ فَعُذري في الشَّبيبَةِ واقِعُ

عَلَيَّ فَعُذري في الشَّبيبَةِ واقِعُ

If my excuse in my gray-haired years is scant

If my excuse in my greying is narrow

for me, then my excuse in youth is sound.

Then my excuse in youth had occurred

إِذا اِغتَبَقَتني بَلدَةٌ لَم أَكُن لَها

إِذا اِغتَبَقَتني بَلدَةٌ لَم أَكُن لَها

نَسيباً وَلم تَسْدَدْ عَلَيَّ المَطالِعُ

نَسيباً وَلم تَسْدَدْ عَلَيَّ المَطالِعُ

When a land drank me in at evening, I was not

When a land I did not belong to entrapped me

kin to it, nor were the ways out barred to me.

No arrows were divined against me