عَلى التَّلَعاتِ الحُوِّ مِن أَيمَنِ الحِمى

عَلى التَّلَعاتِ الحُوِّ مِن أَيمَنِ الحِمى

لِكَعبيَّةٍ آباؤُها طَلَلٌ قَفرُ

لِكَعبيَّةٍ آباؤُها طَلَلٌ قَفرُ

On the dusky heights, to the right of the protected pasture,

On the sweet slopes, blowing from the wellspring on the auspicious side,

For a woman of Kaʿb, her forefathers—a desolate ruin.

Is a dwelling whose forefathers are ruins in the wasteland,

كَأَنَّ بَقاياهُ وَشائِعُ يُمنَةٍ

كَأَنَّ بَقاياهُ وَشائِعُ يُمنَةٍ

يُنشِّرُها كَيما يُغالي بِها التَّجرُ

يُنشِّرُها كَيما يُغالي بِها التَّجرُ

As though its remnants were patterned strands of a Yemeni cloak,

As if its remnants were those of a right hand,

Which merchants unfold to demand a high price for it.

Which it displays, that traders might make much of it.

وَقَفنا بِهِ وَالعَينُ تَجري غُروبُها

وَقَفنا بِهِ وَالعَينُ تَجري غُروبُها

وَتُرزمُ عِيسٌ في أَزِمَّتها صُعرُ

وَتُرزمُ عِيسٌ في أَزِمَّتها صُعرُ

We halted beside it, our eyes streaming tears,

We stopped by it as the eye shed its setting,

And pale camels rumbled, their necks bent in their halters.

And the goat bleated in its fold in despondency,

وَيَعذِلُني صَحبي وَيُسبِلُ دَمعَهُ

وَيَعذِلُني صَحبي وَيُسبِلُ دَمعَهُ

خَليلي هُذَيمٌ بَلَّ هامَتَهُ القَطرُ

خَليلي هُذَيمٌ بَلَّ هامَتَهُ القَطرُ

And my companions reproached me, while tears streamed from

My companions blame me and let their tears flow,

My friend Hudhaym; rain had drenched his head.

My friend Hudhaym - but the rain has soaked his mantle.

وَلَستُ أُبالي مَن يَلومُ عَلى الهَوى

وَلَستُ أُبالي مَن يَلومُ عَلى الهَوى

فَلي في هَوى سَلمى وَأَترابِها عُذرُ

فَلي في هَوى سَلمى وَأَترابِها عُذرُ

And I care not who reproaches me for love,

I do not care who blames me for passion,

For I have an excuse for loving Salma and her peers.

For in my passion for Salma and her dwellings there is an excuse.

نَحيلَةُ مُستَنِّ الوِشاحِ خَريدَةٌ

نَحيلَةُ مُستَنِّ الوِشاحِ خَريدَةٌ

إِذا نَهَضَت لَم يَستَطِع رِدفَها الخَصرُ

إِذا نَهَضَت لَم يَستَطِع رِدفَها الخَصرُ

A shy maiden, slender where her sash runs,

Slim of waist, wearing a flimsy robe, purchased,

When she rises, her waist cannot bear her hips.

When she gets up, the waist cannot retain her.

تَميسُ اِهتِزازَ الغُصنِ مِن نَشوَةِ الصِّبا

تَميسُ اِهتِزازَ الغُصنِ مِن نَشوَةِ الصِّبا

أَمِنْ مُقلَتَيها أَسكَرَ القَدَمَ الخَمرُ

أَمِنْ مُقلَتَيها أَسكَرَ القَدَمَ الخَمرُ

She sways like a trembling branch, intoxicated with youth;

She sways with the bending of the branch from the rapture of the zephyr,

Is it wine from her eyes that has made her feet reel?

Or has the wine from her glances intoxicated the foot?

وَما أَنسَ لا أَنسَ الوَداعَ وَقَولَها

وَما أَنسَ لا أَنسَ الوَداعَ وَقَولَها

بَني عَبدِ شَمسٍ أَنتُمُ في غَدٍ سَفْرُ

بَني عَبدِ شَمسٍ أَنتُمُ في غَدٍ سَفْرُ

Whatever I forget, I will not forget the farewell and her words:

How forgetful she was! She did not forget the farewell, and her words:

"Sons of ʿAbd Shams, tomorrow you will be travelers."

"You, sons of the servant of the Sun, will travel tomorrow."

أَجَل نَحنُ سَفْرٌ في غَدٍ وَدموعُنا

أَجَل نَحنُ سَفْرٌ في غَدٍ وَدموعُنا

بِنَحرِكِ أَو بالمَبسِمِ العِقدُ وَالثَّغرُ

بِنَحرِكِ أَو بالمَبسِمِ العِقدُ وَالثَّغرُ

"Yes, tomorrow we will be travelers, and our tears

Yes, we travel tomorrow, and our tears

Are necklace and teeth, at your throat or smiling mouth."

Are in your throat or in the necklace and mouth.

وَرُحنا سِراعاً وَالقُلوبُ مَشوقَةٌ

وَرُحنا سِراعاً وَالقُلوبُ مَشوقَةٌ

أَقامَت بِها الأَشجانُ واِرتَحَلَ الصَّبرُ

أَقامَت بِها الأَشجانُ واِرتَحَلَ الصَّبرُ

And we departed swiftly, our hearts full of longing;

And we went quickly, and the hearts were yearning,

Sorrows settled in them, and patience departed.

Wherein grief stayed and patience departed.

حَمامَةَ ذاتِ السِّدرِ بِاللَهِ غَرِّدي

حَمامَةَ ذاتِ السِّدرِ بِاللَهِ غَرِّدي

يُجاوبكِ صَحبي بالنَقا سُقِيَ السِّدرُ

يُجاوبكِ صَحبي بالنَقا سُقِيَ السِّدرُ

O dove of Dhāt al-Sidr, by God, sing!

O turtle-dove of the sidr, for God's sake sing!

My companions at the sandhill will answer you—may the lote trees be watered!

My companions will answer you - the sidr is watered.

أَيُسعِدُ مَن يُدميجَوانِحَهُ النَّوى

أَيُسعِدُ مَن يُدميجَوانِحَهُ النَّوى

حَمامٌ لَدَيهِ الإِلفُ وَالفَرخُ وَالوَكرُ

حَمامٌ لَدَيهِ الإِلفُ وَالفَرخُ وَالوَكرُ

Can one whose ribs separation makes bleed be consoled

Does he who has built his love-nest rejoice

By a dove with its mate, its chick, and its nest?

In a dove that has familiarity, chicks and a nest?

يُناغيهما حَتَّى يَميلَ إِلَيهما

يُناغيهما حَتَّى يَميلَ إِلَيهما

إِذا اِكتَنَفاهُ الجيدُ مِنهُ أَوِ النَّحرُ

إِذا اِكتَنَفاهُ الجيدُ مِنهُ أَوِ النَّحرُ

It coos to them both until toward them inclines

It coos to them until it inclines toward them

Its neck or breast, when they gather round it.

When the neck or the breast enfolds it.

وَلا يَستَفِزُّ الشَّوقُ إِلّا مُتَيَّماً

وَلا يَستَفِزُّ الشَّوقُ إِلّا مُتَيَّماً

إِذا ذُكِرَ الأَحبابُ رَنَّحَهُ الذِّكرُ

إِذا ذُكِرَ الأَحبابُ رَنَّحَهُ الذِّكرُ

And longing stirs only one enslaved by love;

Passion provokes none but the lovesick

When loved ones are mentioned, remembrance makes him reel.

When loved ones are remembered - remembrance excites him.

وَبالقارَةِ اليُمنى عَلى عَذَبِ الحِمى

وَبالقارَةِ اليُمنى عَلى عَذَبِ الحِمى

عِذابُ الثَّنايا مِن سَجيَّتِها الهَجرُ

عِذابُ الثَّنايا مِن سَجيَّتِها الهَجرُ

And on the right-hand rocky hill, at the fringes of the protected pasture,

On the right dune, by the sweet wellspring,

Are sweet-toothed maidens, whose nature is estrangement.

Is the torment of the slopes from their estrangement.

تَذَكَّرتُها وَاللَّيلُ يُسبِلُ ظِلَّهُ

تَذَكَّرتُها وَاللَّيلُ يُسبِلُ ظِلَّهُ

فَبِتُّ أريقُ الدَّمعَ حَتَّى بَدا الفَجرُ

فَبِتُّ أريقُ الدَّمعَ حَتَّى بَدا الفَجرُ

I remembered her as night let its shadow fall,

I remembered her while the night let down its shade,

So I spent the night pouring out tears until dawn appeared.

So I shed tears until dawn broke.