فَيا لَيتَ أَنا قَد تَعَشَّقت المَلا

فَيا لَيتَ أَنا قَد تَعَشَّقت المَلا

بِنا قلص يَلحينَ وَالفَجرُ ساطِعُ

بِنا قلص يَلحينَ وَالفَجرُ ساطِعُ

Oh, would that I had fallen in love with al-Mala,

Oh, if only I had fallen in love with the night

young she-camels carrying us [verb unclear], while dawn shines,

When dawn was shining and the stars were still twinkling

موارِقُ مِن أَعناقِ لَيلٍ كَأَنَّها

موارِقُ مِن أَعناقِ لَيلٍ كَأَنَّها

قَطاً قَاربٌ ماءَ النميرَةِ ساطِعُ

قَطاً قَاربٌ ماءَ النميرَةِ ساطِعُ

darting from the necks of night, as though they were

Beams from the necks of a night as if they were

sandgrouse soaring toward al-Numayra's water.

Cats lapping water from a bright pond

طَوَينَ أداوِي أَحكَم اللَه صُنعَها

طَوَينَ أداوِي أَحكَم اللَه صُنعَها

إِذا لَم تُعالج خَرزَهُنَّ الصَّوانِعُ

إِذا لَم تُعالج خَرزَهُنَّ الصَّوانِعُ

They folded away water-flasks whose making God perfected,

I take medicine to heal what God has perfectly crafted

when no craftswomen had worked their seams.

When not treating the beads their makers have strung

بفَتوِي نُحورٍ مَا يُكَلِّفن مُمسكاً

بفَتوِي نُحورٍ مَا يُكَلِّفن مُمسكاً

حناجِرها لَما استَقَينَ المَقامِعُ

حناجِرها لَما استَقَينَ المَقامِعُ

With [unclear term] at their breasts, they require no one holding

With the throats of slender waists that do not burden a lover

their throats to use rods when they draw water.

When their collarbones have donned necklaces

يُغِثنَ بِها زُغباً بِرَأسِ مَفازَةٍ

يُغِثنَ بِها زُغباً بِرَأسِ مَفازَةٍ

تَضَمنها مِنها رُبىً وَأَجارِعُ

تَضَمنها مِنها رُبىً وَأَجارِعُ

With it they succor downy chicks at the edge of a trackless desert,

They help a lost one at the edge of the desert

whose knolls and sandy flats shelter them,

Sheltering them, giving them family and homes

مُلَبدَةً غُبراً جُثوماً كَأَنَّها

مُلَبدَةً غُبراً جُثوماً كَأَنَّها

أَفانِئُ لَولا رُوسُها وَالأَكارِعُ

أَفانِئُ لَولا رُوسُها وَالأَكارِعُ

huddled low, dust-gray, crouching, as though they were

Cloaked in dust, squat, as if they were

desert shrubs, but for their heads and shanks.

Tent pegs without their ropes and poles

تَبَوَّأنَ بيضاً فِي أَفاحِيص قَفرةٍ

تَبَوَّأنَ بيضاً فِي أَفاحِيص قَفرةٍ

فَهُنَّ بِفَيفاءِ الفلاةِ وَدائِعُ

فَهُنَّ بِفَيفاءِ الفلاةِ وَدائِعُ

They had nestled as eggs in nest-scrapes on barren ground;

They took up residence in the empty quarters of barren lands

so they are charges left in trust on the desert's wide plain.

Thus they are protected by the expanse of the wilderness

وَإِنّا عَدانا عَن بِلادٍ نُحِبُّها

وَإِنّا عَدانا عَن بِلادٍ نُحِبُّها

إِمامٌ دَعانا نَفعُهُ المُتَتابِعُ

إِمامٌ دَعانا نَفعُهُ المُتَتابِعُ

And we were drawn away from lands we love

Yet we were led away from a land we love

by a ruler whose recurring bounty called us,

By an imam whose legacy continues

أَغَرُّ لِمَروانٍ وَلَيلى كَأَنَّهُ

أَغَرُّ لِمَروانٍ وَلَيلى كَأَنَّهُ

حُسَامٌ جَلَت عَنهُ الصَياقِلُ قاطِعُ

حُسَامٌ جَلَت عَنهُ الصَياقِلُ قاطِعُ

radiant offspring of Marwan and Layla, as though he were

More treacherous than Marwan and Layla, as if he were

a keen-edged sword burnished by the sword-polishers.

A sharpened sword with polished edges cutting

هُوَ الفَرعُ مِن عَبدَي مَنافٍ كِلَيهِما

هُوَ الفَرعُ مِن عَبدَي مَنافٍ كِلَيهِما

إِلَيهِ انتَهَت أَحسابُها وَالدَسائِعُ

إِلَيهِ انتَهَت أَحسابُها وَالدَسائِعُ

He is the scion of both men named Abd Manaf;

He is the branch from Abd Manaf, both of them

in him their ancestral honors and great gifts culminate.

Ending with him, their glory and friendship

إِذا مَا بَدا لِلنَّاظِرينَ كَأَنَّهُ

إِذا مَا بَدا لِلنَّاظِرينَ كَأَنَّهُ

هِلالٌ بَدا فِي ظُلمَةِ الليلِ طَالِعُ

هِلالٌ بَدا فِي ظُلمَةِ الليلِ طَالِعُ

When he appears to the onlookers, he is like

When he appears to onlookers it is as if

a crescent rising into view in the darkness of night.

A crescent has risen in the darkness of night

وَكُلُّ غَنيٍّ قانِعٌ بِفَعالِهِ

وَكُلُّ غَنيٍّ قانِعٌ بِفَعالِهِ

وَكُلُّ عَزيزٍ عِندَهُ مُتواضِعُ

وَكُلُّ عَزيزٍ عِندَهُ مُتواضِعُ

And every wealthy man is satisfied with his deeds,

Every wealthy man is content with his actions

and every mighty man is humble in his presence.

And every noble man is humble before him

هوَ المَوتُ أَحياناً يَكونُ وَإِنَّهُ

هوَ المَوتُ أَحياناً يَكونُ وَإِنَّهُ

لَغَيثُ حَياً يَحيى بِهِ الناسُ واسِعُ

لَغَيثُ حَياً يَحيى بِهِ الناسُ واسِعُ

Sometimes he is death, yet surely he is

He is death at times, and yet he

abundant, life-giving rain through which people live.

Is a life-giving rain that gives life to people far and wide

فَما أَحَدٌ يَبدُو لَه مِن حجابِهِ

فَما أَحَدٌ يَبدُو لَه مِن حجابِهِ

فَينظرُ إِلا وَهوَ بِالذُّلِّ خاشِعُ

فَينظرُ إِلا وَهوَ بِالذُّلِّ خاشِعُ

So no one to whom he appears from behind his curtain

No one appears before him from behind his veil

looks upon him without bowing low in abasement.

Except bowed in humility, in awe

فَنَحنُ نرجِّي نَفعَه وَنَخافَهُ

فَنَحنُ نرجِّي نَفعَه وَنَخافَهُ

وَكِلتَاهُما مِنهُ بِرفقٍ نُصانِعُ

وَكِلتَاهُما مِنهُ بِرفقٍ نُصانِعُ

So we hope for his bounty and fear him,

We hope for his grace and fear him

and we handle both from him with gentle diplomacy.

And treat both cautiously

لَهُ دِسَعٌ فِيها حَياة وَسورَة

لَهُ دِسَعٌ فِيها حَياة وَسورَة

تُميتُ وَحلم يَفضلُ الحُلوَ بارِعُ

تُميتُ وَحلم يَفضلُ الحُلوَ بارِعُ

He has great gifts that bring life, and a fury

He has a pouch containing both life and surahs

that kills, and splendid forbearance surpassing sweetness.

That can kill, and a forbearance sweeter than honey