أَغُضُّ جِماحَ الوَجدِ بَينَ الجوانِحِ

أَغُضُّ جِماحَ الوَجدِ بَينَ الجوانِحِ

بِدَمعٍ مِنَ العَينِ الطَّليحَةِ سافِحِ

بِدَمعٍ مِنَ العَينِ الطَّليحَةِ سافِحِ

I rein in the wild surge of longing within my breast

I curb the wild surge of passion within my ribs

with tears pouring from my weary eye.

With tears streaming from my weary eye.

وَإِن هَبَّ عُلويُّ الرِّيِاحِ تَطَلَّعَتْ

وَإِن هَبَّ عُلويُّ الرِّيِاحِ تَطَلَّعَتْ

نَوازِعُ مِن شَوقٍ عَلى الصَبِّ جامِحِ

نَوازِعُ مِن شَوقٍ عَلى الصَبِّ جامِحِ

And when a wind from the uplands blows, there rise

And if the highland wind blows, there rise

impulses born of yearning, unbridled against patience.

Impulses of a longing that runs wild against the lover.

كَأَنَّ التِوائي مِن جَوىً وَصَبابَةٍ

كَأَنَّ التِوائي مِن جَوىً وَصَبابَةٍ

تَرَنُّحُ نَشوانٍ مِنَ السُّكرِ طافِحِ

تَرَنُّحُ نَشوانٍ مِنَ السُّكرِ طافِحِ

As though my writhing with anguish and ardent love

As though my writhing from heartache and yearning

were the reeling of a drunkard, awash in intoxication.

Were the swaying of a man brimming with drunkenness.

حَنَنتُ إِلى وادي الغَضَى سُقِيَ الغَضَى

حَنَنتُ إِلى وادي الغَضَى سُقِيَ الغَضَى

حَيا كُلِّ غادٍ مِن سَحابٍ وَرائِحِ

حَيا كُلِّ غادٍ مِن سَحابٍ وَرائِحِ

I yearned for Wadi al-Ghaḍā—may its ghaḍā trees be watered

I yearned for Wadi al-Ghada—may the ghada trees be watered

by the life-giving rain of every morning and evening cloud.

By the rain of every cloud passing morning and evening.

أكُرُّ إِلَيهِ نَظرَةً بَعدَ نَظرَةٍ

أكُرُّ إِلَيهِ نَظرَةً بَعدَ نَظرَةٍ

بِطَرفٍ إِلى نَجدٍ عَلى النَّأْيِ طامِحِ

بِطَرفٍ إِلى نَجدٍ عَلى النَّأْيِ طامِحِ

Again and again I turn my gaze toward it,

I turn my gaze toward it, glance after glance,

my eye reaching toward Najd across the distance.

With an eye straining toward Najd, despite the distance.

وَلَمّا جَزَعنا الرَّملَ قال لَنا السُّرى

وَلَمّا جَزَعنا الرَّملَ قال لَنا السُّرى

أَلا رَفِّهوا عَن ساهِماتٍ طَلائِحِ

أَلا رَفِّهوا عَن ساهِماتٍ طَلائِحِ

And when we crossed the sandy tract, the night journey told us:

And when we crossed the sands, the night journey said to us:

“Come, give your exhausted grazing beasts some rest.”

“Come, give relief to these gaunt, exhausted mounts.”

فَنِمنا غِشاشاً ثُمَّ ثُرنا مِنَ الكَرى

فَنِمنا غِشاشاً ثُمَّ ثُرنا مِنَ الكَرى

إِلى كُلِّ نِضوٍ لاغِب الصَّوتِ رازِحِ

إِلى كُلِّ نِضوٍ لاغِب الصَّوتِ رازِحِ

We slept but lightly; then we sprang from slumber

So we slept briefly, then sprang up from slumber

to each gaunt mount, faint-voiced and bowed with exhaustion.

To each wasted mount, weary-voiced and sunk in exhaustion.

وَقَوَّمتُ مِن أَعناقِها عَن ضَلالِها

وَقَوَّمتُ مِن أَعناقِها عَن ضَلالِها

بِأَرجاءِ عُريانِ الطَّريقَةِ واضِحِ

بِأَرجاءِ عُريانِ الطَّريقَةِ واضِحِ

I set their necks straight, away from wandering,

And I straightened their necks, turning them from their straying,

through the reaches of a bare expanse whose road lay clear.

Across the reaches of a bare, clear path.

وَقَد كَلَّفَتني دُلجَةَ اللَّيلِ غادَةٌ

وَقَد كَلَّفَتني دُلجَةَ اللَّيلِ غادَةٌ

شَبيهَةُ خِشفٍ يَتبَعُ الأُمَّ راشِحِ

شَبيهَةُ خِشفٍ يَتبَعُ الأُمَّ راشِحِ

A graceful maiden has made me journey through the night—

And a graceful maiden had made me journey by night,

like a fawn now strong enough to follow its dam—

Like a fawn following its mother, newly able to walk.

وَتوردُني وَالشَّمسُ ذابَ لُعابُها

وَتوردُني وَالشَّمسُ ذابَ لُعابُها

وَقائِعَ تَحكيها مُتونُ الصَّفائِحِ

وَقائِعَ تَحكيها مُتونُ الصَّفائِحِ

and she leads me, when the sun’s spittle has melted,

And she leads me, while the sun's saliva melts,

into battles whose story the broad sword-blades tell.

Into battles recounted by the flat faces of swords.

فَطَوْراً أَجوبُ الأَرضَ فَوقَ مَطيَّةٍ

فَطَوْراً أَجوبُ الأَرضَ فَوقَ مَطيَّةٍ

وَطَوْراً عَلى ضافي السَّبيبَةِ سابِحِ

وَطَوْراً عَلى ضافي السَّبيبَةِ سابِحِ

At times I traverse the earth upon a mount,

So at times I cross the earth upon a riding camel,

and at times upon a fleet courser with a streaming mane.

And at times on a flowing-maned steed, swimming in its stride.

وَأَبكي بِعَينٍ يَمتَري عَبَراتِها

وَأَبكي بِعَينٍ يَمتَري عَبَراتِها

تَبَسُّمُ بَرقٍ آخرَ اللَيلِ لائِحِ

تَبَسُّمُ بَرقٍ آخرَ اللَيلِ لائِحِ

I weep with an eye whose tears are drawn forth

And I weep, my eye's tears milked forth

by the smile of lightning gleaming at night’s end.

By the smile of lightning gleaming at night's end.

وَقَلبي إِذا ما عاوَدَ البُراءَ هاضَهُ

وَقَلبي إِذا ما عاوَدَ البُراءَ هاضَهُ

بُكاءُ حَمامٍ يَذكُرُ الإِلفَ نائِحِ

بُكاءُ حَمامٍ يَذكُرُ الإِلفَ نائِحِ

And whenever anguish assails my heart again, it is broken

And whenever my heart returns to health, it is broken anew

by a dove’s weeping, wailing as it remembers its mate.

By the weeping of a mourning dove remembering its mate.

وَهَيفاءَ نَشوى اللَّحظِ وَالقِدِّ وَالخُطا

وَهَيفاءَ نَشوى اللَّحظِ وَالقِدِّ وَالخُطا

غَذيَّةَ عَيشٍ في الشَّبيبَةِ صالِحِ

غَذيَّةَ عَيشٍ في الشَّبيبَةِ صالِحِ

And a slender-waisted beauty, languorous in gaze, form, and gait,

And a slender-waisted maiden, tipsy in glance, figure, and gait,

nurtured in the wholesome ease of youth,

Nurtured by a good life in youth,

تَلَفَّتُ نَحوي في اِرتِقابٍ وَخيفَةٍ

تَلَفَّتُ نَحوي في اِرتِقابٍ وَخيفَةٍ

تَلَفُّتَ ظَبيٍ في الصَّريمَةِ سانِحِ

تَلَفُّتَ ظَبيٍ في الصَّريمَةِ سانِحِ

turned toward me, watchful and afraid,

Turns toward me, watchful and afraid,

as a gazelle turns, coming into view in a lonely sand tract.

As a gazelle turns in the thicket, crossing from left to right.

أَصابَت فُؤادي إِذ رَمَتني مُشيفَةً

أَصابَت فُؤادي إِذ رَمَتني مُشيفَةً

عَلى طَمَحاتٍ مِن عُيونٍ لوامِحِ

عَلى طَمَحاتٍ مِن عُيونٍ لوامِحِ

She struck my heart when she shot me, peering down

She struck my heart when she shot at me, peering down,

with the lofty glances of flashing eyes.

With far-reaching looks from flashing eyes.

وَقَد عَلِمَت أَنَّ الرَمِيَّ بَقاؤُهُ

وَقَد عَلِمَت أَنَّ الرَمِيَّ بَقاؤُهُ

قَليلٌ بِسَهمٍ بَينَ جَنبَيهِ جارِحِ

قَليلٌ بِسَهمٍ بَينَ جَنبَيهِ جارِحِ

She knew that the one she had struck would not live

And she knew that the life of the arrow-stricken one

long, with a wounding arrow lodged between his ribs.

Is brief, with a wounding shaft between his sides.