خليليَّ سيرا بارَكَ اللَّهُ فيكُما

خليليَّ سيرا بارَكَ اللَّهُ فيكُما

فقد شاقَنِي مِن أرضِ عُذرَةَ ريمُ

فقد شاقَنِي مِن أرضِ عُذرَةَ ريمُ

My two friends, journey on—may God bless you both.

My companions, journey on and may Allah bless you both

For a gazelle from the land of ʿUdhrah has stirred my longing.

The land of Udhra's Rim has wearied me

بَهيرُ الخُطا لا يكلِّمُ الأَرضَ وطْؤُهُ

بَهيرُ الخُطا لا يكلِّمُ الأَرضَ وطْؤُهُ

وما حازَهُ منهُ الوِشاحُ هضيمُ

وما حازَهُ منهُ الوِشاحُ هضيمُ

Breathless of gait, his tread does not wound the earth,

A mounted scout cannot speak to the land his feet tread

and what the sash encircles of him is slender.

Nor benefit from the mantle that shrouds him

يَنوشُ بواديها الأَراكَ وَعِندَهُ

يَنوشُ بواديها الأَراكَ وَعِندَهُ

مناهِلُ تُرعي أَهلَها وَتُسيمُ

مناهِلُ تُرعي أَهلَها وَتُسيمُ

He reaches for the arak in its valley, and beside him are

It waters the wild deer in its valleys

watering places that give their dwellers pasture and send them grazing.

With springs that sustain its people and cool them

فَما لَكُما مُستشرفينِ لمائِها

فَما لَكُما مُستشرفينِ لمائِها

تُذادانِ عنهُ والرَّكائبُ هِيمُ

تُذادانِ عنهُ والرَّكائبُ هِيمُ

So why do you two gaze expectantly toward their water,

Why do you both shun its waters

when you are driven from it and the riding camels are maddened by thirst?

And shy from them while the riding camels wander freely?

أَلَم تَعلَما أَنَّ السَّماحَة في الوَرى

أَلَم تَعلَما أَنَّ السَّماحَة في الوَرى

وَبُخلَهُمُ لا اغتالَ عِرضيَ خِيمُ

وَبُخلَهُمُ لا اغتالَ عِرضيَ خِيمُ

Have you two not learned that generosity among people

Do you not know that magnanimity on earth

and their stinginess—may it never assail my honor—are innate traits?

And their meanness did not rob me of my honored abode

أَحِنُّ إِليهِ حَنَّةً لَم يَجُد بِها

أَحِنُّ إِليهِ حَنَّةً لَم يَجُد بِها

لِخلٍّ وذي قُربَى أَخٌ وَحَميمُ

لِخلٍّ وذي قُربَى أَخٌ وَحَميمُ

I yearn for him with a yearning never lavished

I yearn for it with a yearning none has found

on a friend or kinsman by a brother or intimate companion.

For a friend, a kinsman, a brother or an intimate

وَأَرثي لِمَن يَشكو الهوى فكأَنَّهُ

وَأَرثي لِمَن يَشكو الهوى فكأَنَّهُ

بِهِ غَرَضٌ للعاذلينَ رَجيمُ

بِهِ غَرَضٌ للعاذلينَ رَجيمُ

And I pity whoever complains of love, for he seems

And I grieve for one who complains of love so it seems

a target because of it, pelted with stones by reproachers.

He has fallen prey to those who hurl reproaches

وَما لي أُكنِّي عَن سُعادَ بِغَيرِها

وَما لي أُكنِّي عَن سُعادَ بِغَيرِها

وَبي كمَدٌ بينَ الضُّلوعِ مُقيمُ

وَبي كمَدٌ بينَ الضُّلوعِ مُقيمُ

And why should I call Suʿād by another name,

Why should I hide my love for Sauda through any but her

while grief dwells within me, between my ribs?

While my innermost being harbors an abiding anguish

تُصافِحُ جَفني عَبرَةٌ بعدَ عَبرَةٍ

تُصافِحُ جَفني عَبرَةٌ بعدَ عَبرَةٍ

إِذا ما سَرى بَرقٌ وهَبَّ نَسيمُ

إِذا ما سَرى بَرقٌ وهَبَّ نَسيمُ

Tear after tear clasps my eyelid

Tear follows tear wetting my eyelids

whenever lightning courses through the night and a breeze blows.

When lightning flashes and a breeze stirs

فَشَوقي لَئيمٌ والدُّموعُ كَريمَةٌ

فَشَوقي لَئيمٌ والدُّموعُ كَريمَةٌ

ووجدي سَفيهٌ والعَزاءُ حَليمُ

ووجدي سَفيهٌ والعَزاءُ حَليمُ

So my longing is mean, while my tears are generous,

So my passion is base but tears noble

and my passion is foolish, while consolation is forbearing.

And my love foolish but solace is wise