لَتارِكٌ أَرضَكُم مِن غَيرِ مَقليَةٍ

لَتارِكٌ أَرضَكُم مِن غَيرِ مَقليَةٍ

وَزائِرٌ أَهلَ حُلوانٍ وَإِن بَعُدوا

وَزائِرٌ أَهلَ حُلوانٍ وَإِن بَعُدوا

I shall surely leave your land, not out of hatred,

Leaving your lands with no regrets,

and visit the people of Hulwan, though they are far away.

Visiting the people of Hulwan though distant they may be.

إِنّي وَجدِّك يَدعوني لأَرضِهِم

إِنّي وَجدِّك يَدعوني لأَرضِهِم

قُربُ الأَواصِرِ والرِّفدُ الَّذي رَفَدوا

قُربُ الأَواصِرِ والرِّفدُ الَّذي رَفَدوا

Indeed, by your fortune, what calls me to their land

For your love calls me to your lands,

is the closeness of our ties and the bounty they bestowed.

So close are our ties and bounties you have bestowed.

كَذاكَ لا يَزدَهيني عَن بَني كَرَمٍ

كَذاكَ لا يَزدَهيني عَن بَني كَرَمٍ

وَلَو ضَنَنتُ بِهِنَّ البُدَّنُ الخُرُدُ

وَلَو ضَنَنتُ بِهِنَّ البُدَّنُ الخُرُدُ

Thus I am not lured away from generous men—

Thus the people of Karam cannot keep me away,

even though I cherish them—by full-bodied, bashful maidens.

Not even if I deemed them paltry and mean.

بَل لَيتَ شِعري وليتٌ غَيرُ مُدرِكَةٍ

بَل لَيتَ شِعري وليتٌ غَيرُ مُدرِكَةٍ

وَكُلُّ ما دونَهُ لَيتٌ لَهُ أَمَدُ

وَكُلُّ ما دونَهُ لَيتٌ لَهُ أَمَدُ

Rather, would that I knew! Yet 'would that' attains nothing,

If only I knew—but alas, I know not,

and whatever has a 'would that' before it has its term.

And all else pales, if only it could last.

هَل تُبلِغَنّي بَني مَروانَ إِن شَحَطَت

هَل تُبلِغَنّي بَني مَروانَ إِن شَحَطَت

عَنّي ديارُهُمُ عَيرانةٌ أُجُدُ

عَنّي ديارُهُمُ عَيرانةٌ أُجُدُ

Will she bring me to the sons of Marwan, if far

Will the Banu Marwan relay, if their lands

from me their dwellings lie—a she-camel strong as a wild ass and firmly built?

Become too remote, that I pine and yearn?

عيديَّةٌ عُلِفَت حَتّى إِذا عَقَدَت

عيديَّةٌ عُلِفَت حَتّى إِذا عَقَدَت

نَيّاً وَتَمَّ عَلَيها تامِكٌ قَرِدُ

نَيّاً وَتَمَّ عَلَيها تامِكٌ قَرِدُ

Of 'Id stock, she was fed until, once she had laid on

A she-camel, ‘Eidiyya, I trained until

fat and a towering, matted-haired hump had grown full upon her,

Her gait grew smooth and she turned perfectly docile.

قَرَّبتُها لِقُتودي وَهيَ عافيَةٌ

قَرَّبتُها لِقُتودي وَهيَ عافيَةٌ

كالبُرجِ لَم يَعرُها مِن رِحلَةٍ عَمَدُ

كالبُرجِ لَم يَعرُها مِن رِحلَةٍ عَمَدُ

I brought her forward for my saddle-frame, in full health,

I readied her for travel though unaccustomed,

like a tower, untouched by saddle-soreness from travel.

Like a tower unshaken by the journey ahead.

يَسعى الغُلامُ بِها تَمشي مُشَنّعَةً

يَسعى الغُلامُ بِها تَمشي مُشَنّعَةً

مَشيَ البَغيِّ رأَت خُطّابَها شَهِدوا

مَشيَ البَغيِّ رأَت خُطّابَها شَهِدوا

The lad hurries with her; she walks with a swagger,

The boy leads and she walks with swaying saddle,

like a courtesan who sees her suitors assembled.

Amidst onlookers, with a lover’s sauntering gait.

تُرعَدُ وَهيَ تُصاديهِ خَصائِلُها

تُرعَدُ وَهيَ تُصاديهِ خَصائِلُها

كَأَنَّما مَسَّها مِن قِرَّةٍ صَرَدُ

كَأَنَّما مَسَّها مِن قِرَّةٍ صَرَدُ

Her muscles quiver while she coaxes him,

She quivers and shakes her braids as if

as though a chill from the cold had touched her.

Smitten by ecstasy—such smoothness in her tread!

حَتّى شَدَدتُ عَلَيها الرَحلَ فانجَرَدَت

حَتّى شَدَدتُ عَلَيها الرَحلَ فانجَرَدَت

مَرَّ الظَليمِ شأَتهُ الأُبَّدُ الشُرُدُ

مَرَّ الظَليمِ شأَتهُ الأُبَّدُ الشُرُدُ

Until I fastened the saddle upon her, and she shot away,

Until I cinched the saddle firm and she bolted

with the rush of a male ostrich outstripped by wild, fleeing creatures.

Swift as lightning’s gleam, a blur at full speed.

وَشواشَةٌ سَوطُها النَقرُ الخَفيُّ بِها

وَشواشَةٌ سَوطُها النَقرُ الخَفيُّ بِها

وَوَقعُها الأَرضَ تَحليلٌ إِذا تَخِدُ

وَوَقعُها الأَرضَ تَحليلٌ إِذا تَخِدُ

Nimble, her whip is only a light tap upon her,

Her whip—a faint rap—and her hooves beat

and her tread upon the earth is a mere touch when she strides.

The earth with the sound of melting metal rods.

كَأَنَّ بَوّاً أَمامَ الرَكبِ تَتبَعُهُ

كَأَنَّ بَوّاً أَمامَ الرَكبِ تَتبَعُهُ

لَها نَقولُ هَواها أَينَما عَمَدوا

لَها نَقولُ هَواها أَينَما عَمَدوا

As though a stuffed camel-calf skin she follows were ahead of the riders,

As if a howling wolf pursued the caravan,

her own; swift-stepping, she longs to go wherever they head.

We follow her lead wherever the road takes us.

تَنسَلُّ بِالأَمعَزِ المَرهوبِ لاهيَةً

تَنسَلُّ بِالأَمعَزِ المَرهوبِ لاهيَةً

عَنهُ إِذا جَزِعَ الرُكبانُ أَو جَلُدوا

عَنهُ إِذا جَزِعَ الرُكبانُ أَو جَلُدوا

She slips over dreaded stony ground, heedless

Playing with the flock, aloof from the riders

of it, whether the riders panic or stand firm.

When they show fear or act with haste.

كَأَنَّ أَوبَ يَدَيها بِالفَلاةِ إِذا

كَأَنَّ أَوبَ يَدَيها بِالفَلاةِ إِذا

لاحَت أَماعِزُها والآلُ يَطَّرِدُ

لاحَت أَماعِزُها والآلُ يَطَّرِدُ

As though the swing of her forelegs in the wilderness, when

As if a torrent lay before her in the wasteland,

its stony tracts appear and the mirage streams on,

When her goats appeared and the clan marched on.

أَوبُ يَدَي سابِحٍ في الآلِ مُجتَهِدٍ

أَوبُ يَدَي سابِحٍ في الآلِ مُجتَهِدٍ

يَهوى يُقَحِّمُهُ ذو لُجَّةٍ زَبِدُ

يَهوى يُقَحِّمُهُ ذو لُجَّةٍ زَبِدُ

were the arm-strokes of a swimmer striving in the mirage,

A torrent before a swimmer midst his tribe

plunging as deep, foaming water thrusts him headlong.

Plunging in headfirst though the eddies raged.

قَومٌ وِلادَتُهُم مَجدٌ يُنالُ بِها

قَومٌ وِلادَتُهُم مَجدٌ يُنالُ بِها

مِن مَعشَرٍ ذُكِروا في مَجدِ مَن وَلَدوا

مِن مَعشَرٍ ذُكِروا في مَجدِ مَن وَلَدوا

A people whose birth is glory, attained through it

A people whose birth was glory, attained hereby

from a clan remembered in the glory of those they begot.

From a people famed for the glory of their sires.