هاتيكَ جُملٌ بأرضٍ لا يُقَرِّبُها

هاتيكَ جُملٌ بأرضٍ لا يُقَرِّبُها

إلّا هِبَلٌّ مِنَ العيدِيِّ مُعتَقَدُ

إلّا هِبَلٌّ مِنَ العيدِيِّ مُعتَقَدُ

There is Juml, in a land nothing can bring near—

Yonder is Juml, in a land that cannot be brought within reach

except a massive, firmly knit camel of the ʿĪdī breed.

except by a huge, stout-built camel of the ʿĪdī breed.

وَدونُها مَعشَرٌ خُزرٌ عيونُهُمُ

وَدونُها مَعشَرٌ خُزرٌ عيونُهُمُ

لو تَخمُدُ النارُ من حرٍّ لما خَمَدوا

لو تَخمُدُ النارُ من حرٍّ لما خَمَدوا

Before her stand a people with narrow, sidelong eyes;

And between us and her stands a band with narrowed eyes;

if fire itself were quenched by heat, still they would not cool.

if fire could be quenched by heat, they would not be quenched.

عَدّوا عَلَينا ذُنوباً في زيارَتِها

عَدّوا عَلَينا ذُنوباً في زيارَتِها

لِيَحجبوها وَفي أخلاقِهم نَكَدُ

لِيَحجبوها وَفي أخلاقِهم نَكَدُ

They counted our visits to her as sins against us,

They charged us with sins for visiting her,

that they might hide her away—crabbedness is in their nature.

to keep her secluded; their character is full of ill temper.

وَحالَ من دونها شَكسٌ خلائِقُه

وَحالَ من دونها شَكسٌ خلائِقُه

كأَنَّهُ نَمِرٌ في جِلدِهِ الرُبَدُ

كأَنَّهُ نَمِرٌ في جِلدِهِ الرُبَدُ

And barring the way to her is one harsh in disposition,

And one of surly disposition stood in the way of reaching her,

as though he were a leopard with dusky mottlings on his hide.

as though he were a leopard with dusky mottling in its hide.

فَلَيسَ إلّا عويلٌ كلَّما ذُكِرَت

فَلَيسَ إلّا عويلٌ كلَّما ذُكِرَت

أو زَفرَةٌ طالما أنَّت بها الكَبِد

أو زَفرَةٌ طالما أنَّت بها الكَبِد

There is nothing but wailing whenever she is mentioned,

There is nothing but wailing whenever she is mentioned,

or a sigh—the liver has so often groaned because of her.

or a sigh with which the liver has so often moaned.

وَتَيَّمَتنِيَ جُملٌ فاستَمَرَّ بها

وَتَيَّمَتنِيَ جُملٌ فاستَمَرَّ بها

شحطٌ مِنَ الدارِ لا أمٌّ ولا صَدَدُ

شحطٌ مِنَ الدارِ لا أمٌّ ولا صَدَدُ

Juml has enthralled me, and because of her there persists

And Juml enslaved me; then she was borne ever farther

a far remove from home—no route toward her, no approach.

by distance from home—no approach, no nearness.

قالوا غَداةَ استقلَّت ما لمقلَتِهِ

قالوا غَداةَ استقلَّت ما لمقلَتِهِ

أمِن قَذىً هَمَلَت أم عارها رَمَدُ

أمِن قَذىً هَمَلَت أم عارها رَمَدُ

On the morning she set out, they said, “What ails his eye?

They said, the morning she departed, “What ails his eye?

Has a mote made it stream, or has inflammation assailed it?”

Has a speck made it stream, or has inflammation afflicted it?”

فَقُلتُ لا بَل غَدَت سلمى لِطيَّتِها

فَقُلتُ لا بَل غَدَت سلمى لِطيَّتِها

فليتَهُم مثلَ وجدي بُكرَةً وُجِدوا

فليتَهُم مثلَ وجدي بُكرَةً وُجِدوا

I said, “No; rather, Salma has gone upon her journey.”

I said, “No; rather, Salma set out for her destination.”

Would that, one morning, they were stricken with longing like mine.

If only they had suffered anguish like mine at daybreak!

إن كانَ وَصلُكِ أَبلى الدهرُ جدَّته

إن كانَ وَصلُكِ أَبلى الدهرُ جدَّته

وكلُّ شيءٍ جَديدٍ هالِكٌ نَفَدُ

وكلُّ شيءٍ جَديدٍ هالِكٌ نَفَدُ

If time has worn the newness from union with you,

If time has worn away the freshness of your bond with me—

every new thing is doomed to perish and pass.

and every new thing perishes and is spent—

فقد أُراني وَوَجدي إذ تفارِقُني

فقد أُراني وَوَجدي إذ تفارِقُني

يوماً كوجدِ عجوزٍ دِرعُها قِدَدُ

يوماً كوجدِ عجوزٍ دِرعُها قِدَدُ

I see myself and my longing, when you part from me,

I still recall how my anguish, when you parted from me,

one day like the grief of an old woman, her shift torn into strips,

was one day like an old woman's grief, her gown in shreds,

تبكي على بَطَلٍ حُمَّت مَنِيَّتُهُ

تبكي على بَطَلٍ حُمَّت مَنِيَّتُهُ

وكانَ واتِرَ أَعداءٍ بهِ ابتُرُدوا

وكانَ واتِرَ أَعداءٍ بهِ ابتُرُدوا

weeping for a hero whose appointed death came due,

weeping for a hero whose death had been ordained;

who had left foes craving blood, until through him their vengeance cooled.

he had bereaved enemies, who cooled their wrath through him.

وَقَد خَلا زَمَنٌ لو تَصرِمينَ لَهُ

وَقَد خَلا زَمَنٌ لو تَصرِمينَ لَهُ

وَصلي لأَيقَنتُ أَنّي مَيِّتٌ كَمِدُ

وَصلي لأَيقَنتُ أَنّي مَيِّتٌ كَمِدُ

There passed a time when, had you broken then

And there was once a time when, had you severed

my bond with you, I would have known for certain I must die of grief—

my bond with you, I would have been certain to die of grief:

أَزمانَ تُعجِبُني جُملٌ وأكتُمُه

أَزمانَ تُعجِبُني جُملٌ وأكتُمُه

جُملاً حياءً وما وَجدٌ كما أَجِدُ

جُملاً حياءً وما وَجدٌ كما أَجِدُ

the times when Juml delighted me and I concealed it

the days when Juml delighted me, and I concealed it

from Juml out of modesty; no longing matches what I feel.

from Juml out of modesty—no longing was like what I felt.

فَقَد بَرِئتُ على أَنّي إذا ذُكرت

فَقَد بَرِئتُ على أَنّي إذا ذُكرت

ينهَلُّ دَمعي وَتَحيا غُصَّةٌ تَلِدُ

ينهَلُّ دَمعي وَتَحيا غُصَّةٌ تَلِدُ

I have recovered—except that, whenever she is mentioned,

So I have recovered, though whenever she is mentioned,

my tears stream down, and a choking pang comes alive, giving birth anew—

my tears pour down, and an old choking sorrow revives,

من عَهدِ سلمى التي هامَ الفؤادُ بها

من عَهدِ سلمى التي هامَ الفؤادُ بها

أزمانَ أَزمان سَلمى طَفَلةٌ رُؤدُ

أزمانَ أَزمان سَلمى طَفَلةٌ رُؤدُ

ever since the days of Salma, she with whom the heart was enthralled,

from the days of Salma, with whom the heart was madly in love,

those times, those times when Salma was a tender, graceful girl.

those days, those days when Salma was a tender, delicate maiden.

قَد قلتُ للكاشِحِ المُبدي عَداوته

قَد قلتُ للكاشِحِ المُبدي عَداوته

قَد طالما كانَ مِنكَ الغِشُّ والحَسَدُ

قَد طالما كانَ مِنكَ الغِشُّ والحَسَدُ

I said to the spiteful detractor who displays his enmity,

I have said to the spiteful man who displays his hostility:

“Long have deceit and envy come from you.

“For so long, deceit and envy have come from you.

ألا تُبَيِّنُ لي لازِلتَ تَبغُضُني

ألا تُبَيِّنُ لي لازِلتَ تَبغُضُني

حتّامَ أَنتَ إذا ما ساعَقَت ضَمِدُ

حتّامَ أَنتَ إذا ما ساعَقَت ضَمِدُ

Will you not make it clear to me—you who have never ceased to hate me—

Will you not explain to me—you never cease to hate me—

how long, whenever you quarrel, will you remain rancorous?

how long you will remain rancorous whenever you trade insults?

وَقَد ترى غيرَ ذي شكٍّ وتَعلَمُهُ

وَقَد ترى غيرَ ذي شكٍّ وتَعلَمُهُ

أن ليسَ لي إذ نأت صبرٌ ولا جَلَدُ

أن ليسَ لي إذ نأت صبرٌ ولا جَلَدُ

You see it beyond all doubt, and you know it:

And you see, without a doubt, and know it:

since she went far away, I have neither patience nor endurance.”

since she went far away, I have neither patience nor endurance.”