باتَت تُذَكِّرِنُي بِاللَهِ قاعِدَةً

باتَت تُذَكِّرِنُي بِاللَهِ قاعِدَةً

وَالدَمعُ يَنهَلُّ مِن شَأنَيهِما سَبَلا

وَالدَمعُ يَنهَلُّ مِن شَأنَيهِما سَبَلا

She sat through the night, reminding me of God,

Sitting reminds me of God

and tears poured in torrents from the channels of her eyes.

And tears flow copiously from my eyes

يا بنَةَ عَمِّي كِتابُ اللَهِ أَخرَجَني

يا بنَةَ عَمِّي كِتابُ اللَهِ أَخرَجَني

عَنكُم وَهَل أَمنَعَنَّ اللَهَ ما فَعَلا

عَنكُم وَهَل أَمنَعَنَّ اللَهَ ما فَعَلا

O daughter of my uncle, God's Book has sent me away

O daughter of my uncle, God's book has taken me away from you

from you all; and can I thwart what God has done?

Could I have prevented what God had ordained?

فَإِن رَجَعتُ فَرَبُّ الناسِ يُرجِعُني

فَإِن رَجَعتُ فَرَبُّ الناسِ يُرجِعُني

وَإِن لَحِقتُ بِرَبّي فَابتَغي بَدَلا

وَإِن لَحِقتُ بِرَبّي فَابتَغي بَدَلا

If I return, the Lord of mankind will bring me back;

If I return, the Lord of all people will make me return

and if I join my Lord, then seek another in my place.

And if I meet my Lord, then seek a replacement

ما كُنتُ أَعرَجَ أَو أَعمًى فَيَعذِرَني

ما كُنتُ أَعرَجَ أَو أَعمًى فَيَعذِرَني

أَو ضارِعاً مِن ضنًى لَم يَستَطِع حِوَلا

أَو ضارِعاً مِن ضنًى لَم يَستَطِع حِوَلا

I was neither lame nor blind, that He might excuse me,

I was not lame or blind to be excused

nor feeble from wasting illness, unable to move.

Nor suffering from poverty, unable to move

وَحَاجَة مِثلِ حَرِّ النارِ داخِلَةٍ

وَحَاجَة مِثلِ حَرِّ النارِ داخِلَةٍ

سَلّيتُها بأَمونٍ ذُمِّرَت جَمَلا

سَلّيتُها بأَمونٍ ذُمِّرَت جَمَلا

And a longing within me, like the heat of fire,

I had a burning need

I assuaged with a trusty she-camel, judged a male at birth,

Which I hoped to fulfill, a camel laden

مَطوِيَّةِ الزَّورِ طَيَّ البِئرِ دَوسَرةٍ

مَطوِيَّةِ الزَّورِ طَيَّ البِئرِ دَوسَرةٍ

مَفرُوشِة الرِجلِ فَرشاً لَم يَكُن عَقَلا

مَفرُوشِة الرِجلِ فَرشاً لَم يَكُن عَقَلا

her chest firmly built like a well's lining, mighty,

The lying, deceitful one, hiding in the well

her hind legs spread wide, though not from deformity.

Her legs outspread, lacking any sense

كَأَنَّها بَعدَما جَدَّ النَجاءُ بِها

كَأَنَّها بَعدَما جَدَّ النَجاءُ بِها

بِالشيِّطينِ مَهاةُ سُروِلَت رَمَلا

بِالشيِّطينِ مَهاةُ سُروِلَت رَمَلا

She seemed, once her swift pace grew urgent,

As if, after being impregnated by the devil

an oryx cow at al-Shaytayn, wearing trousers of sand.

She was possessed, wandering the sands

باتَت بِذِي الحَومِ تُزجِيهِ ويَتبَعُها

باتَت بِذِي الحَومِ تُزجِيهِ ويَتبَعُها

سِيدٌ أَزَلُّ إِذا ما استَأَنسَت مَثَلا

سِيدٌ أَزَلُّ إِذا ما استَأَنسَت مَثَلا

She spent the night at Dhu al-Hawm, urging her calf on, followed by

She spent the night with a fox, trying to arouse him

a lean-hipped wolf, standing erect whenever she looked about.

A sly leader, if he desired the likes of her

فاستَشعَرَت وَأَبى أَن يَستَجِيبَ لَها

فاستَشعَرَت وَأَبى أَن يَستَجِيبَ لَها

فَأَيقَنَت أَنَّهُ قَد ماتَ أَو أُكِلا

فَأَيقَنَت أَنَّهُ قَد ماتَ أَو أُكِلا

Then she grew fearful, and her calf would not answer her;

She incited him, but he refused to respond

so she knew for certain that he had died or been eaten.

So she was sure that he was dead or eaten

فَهاجَها بَعدَما رِيَعت أَخو قَنَصٍ

فَهاجَها بَعدَما رِيَعت أَخو قَنَصٍ

عارِي الأَشاجعِ مِن نَبهانَ أَو ثُعَلا

عارِي الأَشاجعِ مِن نَبهانَ أَو ثُعَلا

Then, after she had been frightened, a huntsman roused her,

Then she was aroused, after sensing the scent

his hand-sinews exposed, from Nabhan or Thuʿal,

Of a bold hunter, naked of weapons

بِأَكلُبٍ كَقِداحِ النَبعِ يُوسِدُها

بِأَكلُبٍ كَقِداحِ النَبعِ يُوسِدُها

طِملُ أَخُو قَفرَةٍ غَرثانُ قَد نَحَلا

طِملُ أَخُو قَفرَةٍ غَرثانُ قَد نَحَلا

with hounds like shafts of nabʿ wood, urged on by

With dogs like flash floods, pinning him down

a ragged wilderness-dweller, famished and wasted thin.

The brother of a rat, dirty and unkempt

فَلَم تَدَع وَاحِداً مِنهُنَّ ذا رَمَقٍ

فَلَم تَدَع وَاحِداً مِنهُنَّ ذا رَمَقٍ

حَتّى سَقَتهُ بِكَأسِ المَوتِ فَانجَدَلا

حَتّى سَقَتهُ بِكَأسِ المَوتِ فَانجَدَلا

So she would not leave a single one of them still breathing

She left none of them alive

until she made him drink from death's cup, and he fell sprawling.

Until she quenched their thirst with the cup of death

إِذا أَتى مَعرَكاً مِنها تُعرِّفُهُ

إِذا أَتى مَعرَكاً مِنها تُعرِّفُهُ

مُحرَنبِئاً عَلَّمَتهُ المَوتَ فانقَفَلا

مُحرَنبِئاً عَلَّمَتهُ المَوتَ فانقَفَلا

Whenever one entered her battleground, she made him understand:

Whenever she approached battle, she made him

as he crouched, she taught him death, and he turned back.

A harbinger of death, teaching him to withdraw

حَتّى إِذا هَبَطَ الأَفلاَحَ وَاِنقَطَعَت

حَتّى إِذا هَبَطَ الأَفلاَحَ وَاِنقَطَعَت

عَنُه الجَنُوبُ وَحَلَّ الغائِطَ السَهِلا

عَنُه الجَنُوبُ وَحَلَّ الغائِطَ السَهِلا

At last, when he descended to al-Aflah, cut off

Until when the peasants descended and

from the south wind, and settled in the level lowland,

The winds ceased, leaving the open plain

أَشكى وَلَهَّفَ أمَّيهِ وَقَد لَهِفَت

أَشكى وَلَهَّفَ أمَّيهِ وَقَد لَهِفَت

أُمّاهُ والأُمُ مِمّا يُنحِلُ الخَبَلا

أُمّاهُ والأُمُ مِمّا يُنحِلُ الخَبَلا

he made his two mothers complain and grieve; already grieving were

He complained and yearned for his mother

his two mothers; motherhood is among the things that breed madness.

While she yearned for him, addling the mind

وَما عَصَيتُ أَمِيراً غَيرَ مُتَّهَمٍ

وَما عَصَيتُ أَمِيراً غَيرَ مُتَّهَمٍ

عِندي وَلكِنَّ أَمرَ المَرءِ ما ارتَجَلا

عِندي وَلكِنَّ أَمرَ المَرءِ ما ارتَجَلا

And I have not disobeyed a commander above suspicion

I never disobeyed any leader unless accused

in my eyes; but a man's course is what he decides on the spot.

By me, but one's fate is unforeseen