لاحَ بُرَيقٌ يَلمَعُ

لاحَ بُرَيقٌ يَلمَعُ

لِمُغرَمٍ لا يَهجَعُ

لِمُغرَمٍ لا يَهجَعُ

A little lightning-flash appeared, gleaming,

A radiant light gleams

to a love-stricken man who does not sleep,

For a passionate one who does not sleep

وَهاجَ وَجداً لَم يَزَلْ

وَهاجَ وَجداً لَم يَزَلْ

تُطوى عَلَيهِ الأَضلُعُ

تُطوى عَلَيهِ الأَضلُعُ

and stirred a longing that had always

And burning with love that does not cease

lain enclosed within his ribs.

Ribs are folded over it

وَقَد تَوالَتْ مِن سَنا

وَقَد تَوالَتْ مِن سَنا

هُ لَمَعاتٌ تَخدَعُ

هُ لَمَعاتٌ تَخدَعُ

And from its radiance came in succession

And there have come from a year

beguiling flashes;

Flashes that deceive

فَحالَ بَينَ ناظِري

فَحالَ بَينَ ناظِري

وَبَينَهُنَّ الأَدمُعُ

وَبَينَهُنَّ الأَدمُعُ

but between my gaze

So tears intervened

and those flashes came my tears.

Between my eyes and them

وَكَيفَ يُخلي العَينَ مِن

وَكَيفَ يُخلي العَينَ مِن

دَمعٍ فؤادٌ مَوجَعُ

دَمعٍ فؤادٌ مَوجَعُ

And how could the eye be kept free of

And how can an eye be devoid

tears by a heart in pain?

Of tears when the heart aches

صَبا إِلى نَجدٍ وَقَد

صَبا إِلى نَجدٍ وَقَد

سُدَّ إِليهِ المَطلَعُ

سُدَّ إِليهِ المَطلَعُ

It yearned for Najd, although

Yearning for Najd though

the way there had been barred.

The way to it is blocked

وَقُلتُ إِذْ حَنَّ أَبو ال

وَقُلتُ إِذْ حَنَّ أَبو ال

مِغوارِ وَهْوَ أَروَعُ

مِغوارِ وَهْوَ أَروَعُ

And I said, when Abu al-

And I said when the father of

Mighwar yearned, valiant though he was

Mighwar weakened, yet he is most graceful

وَلَم يَكُن مِن صَدَما

وَلَم يَكُن مِن صَدَما

تِ النَّائِباتِ يَجزَعُ

تِ النَّائِباتِ يَجزَعُ

and never, beneath the blows

And he was not

of calamity, one to quail:

Of those who panic from misfortunes

إِن خارَ مِنها عودُهُ

إِن خارَ مِنها عودُهُ

فالمَشرَفِيُّ يُطبَعُ

فالمَشرَفِيُّ يُطبَعُ

If his timber has weakened beneath them,

If its firewood is extinguished

even a Mashrafi blade can be tarnished.

Al-Musharifi will rekindle it

لَيسَ إِلى وادي الغَضى

لَيسَ إِلى وادي الغَضى

فيما أَظُنُّ مَرجِعُ

فيما أَظُنُّ مَرجِعُ

To Wadi al-Ghada there is,

The valley of anger is not, I reckon

I think, no return.

Where it will retreat

وَالعِيسُ قَد أَخطأَها

وَالعِيسُ قَد أَخطأَها

عَلى النُّقَيْبِ مَرتَعُ

عَلى النُّقَيْبِ مَرتَعُ

And the pale camels have lacked

And the scout missed it

pasture at al-Nuqayb.

At An-Nuqayb is its pasture

فَما بِهِ ماءٌ روىً

فَما بِهِ ماءٌ روىً

وَلا مَرادٌ مُمرِعُ

وَلا مَرادٌ مُمرِعُ

For there is no thirst-quenching water there,

In it there is no water to drink

nor any lush grazing ground.

Nor a purpose to graze

وَهُنَّ تَحتَ أَنسُعٍ

وَهُنَّ تَحتَ أَنسُعٍ

كَأَنَّهُنَّ أَنسُعُ

كَأَنَّهُنَّ أَنسُعُ

And beneath their girth-straps they are

And they are under Anas,

as thin as the straps themselves.

As if they are more friendly

صَبراً فَقَد أَرَّقَني

صَبراً فَقَد أَرَّقَني

حَنينُكِ المُرَجَّعُ

حَنينُكِ المُرَجَّعُ

Patience! For I have been kept awake

Have patience, for yearning for you

by your repeated cries of longing.

Has deprived me of sleep

يا حَبَّذا نَجدٌ وَرَيَّا

يا حَبَّذا نَجدٌ وَرَيَّا

وَالحِمى وَالأَجرَعُ

وَالحِمى وَالأَجرَعُ

Ah, how dear are Najd and Rayya,

How good are Najd, Rayyan

and al-Hima and al-Ajraʿ,

And the sanctuary and Al-Ajra’

وَظِلُّهُ الأَلمى حَوَا

وَظِلُّهُ الأَلمى حَوَا

لَيهِ غَديرٌ مُترِعُ

لَيهِ غَديرٌ مُترِعُ

and its dusky shade; around

And its shady side surrounds

it lies a brimming pool.

A meadow irrigated around it

رَيّا الَّتي اُختيرَ لَها

رَيّا الَّتي اُختيرَ لَها

بِذي الأَراكِ مَربَعُ

بِذي الأَراكِ مَربَعُ

Rayya, for whom was chosen

Rayyan that was chosen for it

a spring abode at Dhu al-Arak:

In Thi Al-Araak a square

غَرثَى الوِشاحَينِ وَل

غَرثَى الوِشاحَينِ وَل

كِنَّ السِوارَ مُشبَعُ

كِنَّ السِوارَ مُشبَعُ

hungry at her two sashes, yet

Clasping the two armlets but

her bracelet is well fed.

The bracelet is filled

أَشتاقُها وَالقَلبُ مِنِّ

أَشتاقُها وَالقَلبُ مِنِّ

ي لِلغَرامِ أَجمَعُ

ي لِلغَرامِ أَجمَعُ

I long for her, and my heart

I long for it and my heart

is wholly given to passion.

Is wholeheartedly enamored

وَبَينَنا بيدٌ بِأَي

وَبَينَنا بيدٌ بِأَي

دى الناجياتِ تُذرَعُ

دى الناجياتِ تُذرَعُ

And between us lie deserts, which the forelegs

And between us there is a separation

of swift she-camels measure out.

At the hands of the survivors it was cut

فَما لِسَمعِي بِالمَلا

فَما لِسَمعِي بِالمَلا

مِ إِن حَنَنتُ يُقرَعُ

مِ إِن حَنَنتُ يُقرَعُ

Why, then, should my ears, with blame,

So my hearing does not delight

be assailed if I yearn,

In melody, if I moan it is blocked

والإِبِلُ الهُوجُ إِلى

والإِبِلُ الهُوجُ إِلى

أُلاَّفِهِنَّ تَنْزَعُ

أُلاَّفِهِنَّ تَنْزَعُ

when even the headstrong camels

And the camels, missing their

long for their familiar companions?

Familiarity, tug away