وَقَفتُ عَلى رَبْعَيْ سُلَيمَى بِعالِجٍ

وَقَفتُ عَلى رَبْعَيْ سُلَيمَى بِعالِجٍ

وَقَد كادَ أَن يَشكو البِلى طَللاهُما

وَقَد كادَ أَن يَشكو البِلى طَللاهُما

I stood at Sulayma’s two dwelling-sites in Alij,

I stood upon the ruins of Suleima in Al-Alij,

And their twin ruins all but lamented decay.

And they had almost begun to complain of decrepitude.

فَأَذرَيتُ مِن عَينيَّ ما رَويا بِهِ

فَأَذرَيتُ مِن عَينيَّ ما رَويا بِهِ

وَلَم يُروِ مِنّي غُلَّةً وَشَلاهُما

وَلَم يُروِ مِنّي غُلَّةً وَشَلاهُما

So I shed from my eyes what quenched them both,

So I shed the tears my eyes had stored,

Yet their two trickles did not quench my burning thirst.

Not for grief or pain for their fate.

وَقالَ أَبو المِغوارِ أَيُّهما الَّذي

وَقالَ أَبو المِغوارِ أَيُّهما الَّذي

تَهيمُ بِهِ وَجداً فَقُلتُ كِلاهُما

تَهيمُ بِهِ وَجداً فَقُلتُ كِلاهُما

And Abu al-Mighwar said, “Which of the two is the one

And Abu Mighwar said: "Which of the two

You are mad with longing for?” I said, “Both of them.”

Makes you grieve so?" I said: "They both do."