وَرَكبٍ يَزجُرونَ عَلى وَجاها

وَرَكبٍ يَزجُرونَ عَلى وَجاها

بِقارِعَةِ النَّقا قُلُصاً عِجالا

بِقارِعَةِ النَّقا قُلُصاً عِجالا

And many a band of riders drives on, despite their mounts’ sore feet,

With riders urging their horses on,

swift young she-camels along the sandy ridge’s main track.

Racing with the striking of spears impatiently,

فَحالَتْ دونَهُم تَلَعاتُ نَجدٍ

فَحالَتْ دونَهُم تَلَعاتُ نَجدٍ

كَما وارَيتَ بِالقُرُبِ النِّصالا

كَما وارَيتَ بِالقُرُبِ النِّصالا

Then the heights of Najd hid them from view,

The undulating sands of Najd blocked their way,

as you conceal blades in their sheaths.

As though it showered them with arrows nearby.

حَمَلنَ مِنَ الظِّباءِ العِينِ سِرباً

حَمَلنَ مِنَ الظِّباءِ العِينِ سِرباً

وَقَد عُوِّضنَ عَن كُنُسٍ رِحالا

وَقَد عُوِّضنَ عَن كُنُسٍ رِحالا

They bore a herd of wide-eyed gazelles,

They carried a flock of gazelles in their eyes,

who had been given saddles in place of their lairs.

And forgot about their traveling bags.

وَفي الأَحداجِ بَدرٌ مِن هِلالٍ

وَفي الأَحداجِ بَدرٌ مِن هِلالٍ

ضَمَمنَ إِلَيهِ مِن بَدرٍ هِلالا

ضَمَمنَ إِلَيهِ مِن بَدرٍ هِلالا

And in the howdahs, a full moon from Hilal;

In the crescents is a full moon gathering

they drew close to it a crescent from Badr.

Crescent moons into its fullness.

وَغانيَةٍ لَه سِرٌّ مَصونٌ

وَغانيَةٍ لَه سِرٌّ مَصونٌ

أُكَفكِفُ عَنهُ لي دَمعاً مُذالا

أُكَفكِفُ عَنهُ لي دَمعاً مُذالا

And a beauty—with a secret kept safe for him;

She has a secret he guards,

I stem, on its account, my freely shed tears.

I avert my tears submissively.

تُواصِلُني وَما بالنَّجمِ مَيلٌ

تُواصِلُني وَما بالنَّجمِ مَيلٌ

وَتَهجُرُني إِذا ما النَّجمُ مالا

وَتَهجُرُني إِذا ما النَّجمُ مالا

She joins me while the star shows no decline,

She keeps me company when the star inclines toward me,

and forsakes me when the star sinks.

And abandons me when the star turns away.

فَلَيتَ الدَّهرَ لَيلٌ أَرتَديهِ

فَلَيتَ الدَّهرَ لَيلٌ أَرتَديهِ

فَتَطْرُقَ مَضجَعي أَبَداً خَيالا

فَتَطْرُقَ مَضجَعي أَبَداً خَيالا

If only all time were a night I could wear,

If only time were a night I donned

so she might visit my bed forever as a phantom.

So that sleep would forever visit my bed.

فَأَلقاها عَلى قُربٍ وَبُعدٍ

فَأَلقاها عَلى قُربٍ وَبُعدٍ

فَلا هَجراً تُجِدُّ وَلا وِصالا

فَلا هَجراً تُجِدُّ وَلا وِصالا

Then I would meet her, near or far,

I have cast it onto nearness and distance,

and she would renew neither estrangement nor union.

Neither separation nor union I find.

تَوَقَّرَ أُزْرُها شِبَعاً فَقَرَّتْ

تَوَقَّرَ أُزْرُها شِبَعاً فَقَرَّتْ

وَطاشَ وِشاحُها غَرَثاً فَجالا

وَطاشَ وِشاحُها غَرَثاً فَجالا

Her waist-wraps grew heavy with fullness and lay still;

Her family honor has grown while she waned,

her sash grew light with hunger and swung about.

Her veil has unraveled into disgrace.

إِذا نَظَرَت إِليَّ حَكَت مَهاةً

إِذا نَظَرَت إِليَّ حَكَت مَهاةً

أَوِ التَفَتَت لَمَحتُ بِها غَزالا

أَوِ التَفَتَت لَمَحتُ بِها غَزالا

When she looked at me, she resembled a female oryx;

When she looks upon me, she narrates confusion,

or, if she turned, I glimpsed a gazelle in her.

Or turns – and I glimpse a gazelle in her.

وَمِمّا شاقَني بِالرَّملِ بَرقٌ

وَمِمّا شاقَني بِالرَّملِ بَرقٌ

قَصيرٌ خَطوُهُ وَاللَيلُ طالا

قَصيرٌ خَطوُهُ وَاللَيلُ طالا

And among what stirred my longing in the sands was lightning,

Of what has burdened me in the sands is a lightning bolt

its stride short, while the night grew long.

- Brief in step, while the night is long.

وَذَكَّرَني اِبتِسامَةَ أُمِّ عَمروٍ

وَذَكَّرَني اِبتِسامَةَ أُمِّ عَمروٍ

فأَبكاني وَصَحبي وَالجِمالا

فأَبكاني وَصَحبي وَالجِمالا

It reminded me of Umm Amr’s smile,

It reminded me of the smile of Umm ‘Amr,

so it made me, my companions, and the camels weep.

Making me and my companions weep.

سَرى وَهْناً وَطَرْفي يَقتَفيهِ

سَرى وَهْناً وَطَرْفي يَقتَفيهِ

فَلَم يَلحَقهُ واِقتَسَما الكَلالا

فَلَم يَلحَقهُ واِقتَسَما الكَلالا

It journeyed late at night, while my gaze pursued it;

Delicately it crept, and my eyes chased it,

but my gaze did not catch it, and the two shared weariness.

But could not catch it, so they shared the kohl.