ما لَها أولِعَت بِقَطعِ الوِدادِ

ما لَها أولِعَت بِقَطعِ الوِدادِ

كُلَّ يَومٍ تَروعُني بِالبِعادِ

كُلَّ يَومٍ تَروعُني بِالبِعادِ

Why is she so intent on severing affection?

Why is she so inclined to severing affection?

Every day she frightens me with separation.

Each day she startles me with separation.

ما عَلِمتُ النَوى وَلا الشَوقَ حَتّى

ما عَلِمتُ النَوى وَلا الشَوقَ حَتّى

أَشرَقَت لي الخُدورُ فَوقَ النِجادِ

أَشرَقَت لي الخُدورُ فَوقَ النِجادِ

I knew neither parting nor longing until

I knew not yearning nor longing until

the curtained litters shone before me above the uplands.

The chambers shone for me over the carpets.

فَوَقَفنا عَلى الطُلولِ يَفيضُ ال

فَوَقَفنا عَلى الطُلولِ يَفيضُ ال

لُؤلُؤُ الرَطبُ مِن عُيونٍ صَوادِ

لُؤلُؤُ الرَطبُ مِن عُيونٍ صَوادِ

So we stood at the ruins, as there flowed

So we stood atop the hills as pearls

the moist pearls from thirsty eyes,

Dripped from laughing eyes in the gardens.

في رِياضٍ قَدِ اِستَعارَ لَها الوَب

في رِياضٍ قَدِ اِستَعارَ لَها الوَب

لُ رِداراً مِنِ اِبتِسامِ سُعادِ

لُ رِداراً مِنِ اِبتِسامِ سُعادِ

in gardens for which the downpour had borrowed

In meadows that borrowed for her sake

a cloak from Su'ad's smile.

Raiment of smiles and joy’s cheer.

وَسُعادٌ غَرّاءُ فَرعاءُ تَسقي

وَسُعادٌ غَرّاءُ فَرعاءُ تَسقي

كَ عُقاراً مِنَ الثَنايا البُرادِ

كَ عُقاراً مِنَ الثَنايا البُرادِ

And Su'ad, radiant and long-haired, gives

Joy is a frisky doe giving to drink

you wine to drink from her cool front teeth.

Draughts from the folds, the coolness of breasts.

نَكَرتِني فَقُلتُ لا تَنكِريني

نَكَرتِني فَقُلتُ لا تَنكِريني

لَم أَحُل عَن خَلائِقي وَإِعتِيادي

لَم أَحُل عَن خَلائِقي وَإِعتِيادي

You did not recognize me; I said, "Do not take me for a stranger—

She did not recognize me, so I said do not deny me -

I have not changed my character or my ways."

I have not changed my nature nor habit.

إِن تَرَيني تَرَي حُساماً صَقيلاً

إِن تَرَيني تَرَي حُساماً صَقيلاً

مَشرِفِيّاً مِنَ السُيوفِ الحِدادِ

مَشرِفِيّاً مِنَ السُيوفِ الحِدادِ

If you see me, you see a polished sword,

If you look upon me, you look upon a polished sword

a Mashrafi among the sharp-edged swords;

Gleaming from the smiths’ anvils.

ثانِيَ اللَيلِ ثالِثَ البيدِ وَالسَي

ثانِيَ اللَيلِ ثالِثَ البيدِ وَالسَي

رِ نَديمَ النُجومِ تِربَ السُهادِ

رِ نَديمَ النُجومِ تِربَ السُهادِ

the night's second, third beside the wastes and

Second to the night, third to the ruinous darkness,

travel, companion of the stars, peer of sleeplessness.

Boon companion to the stars, weaned on vigilance.

كُلِّمَ الخِضرُ لي فَصَيَّرَني بَع

كُلِّمَ الخِضرُ لي فَصَيَّرَني بَع

دَكِ عَيناً عَلى عِيارِ البِلادِ

دَكِ عَيناً عَلى عِيارِ البِلادِ

Al-Khidr was addressed for my sake, and made me, after

The verdure spoke to me, making me after you

you, an eye to gauge the lands.

An eye upon the worth of the lands.

لَيلَةٌ بِالشَآمِ ثُمَّت بِالأَه

لَيلَةٌ بِالشَآمِ ثُمَّت بِالأَه

وَزِ يَومَن وَلَيلَةً بِالسَوادِ

وَزِ يَومَن وَلَيلَةً بِالسَوادِ

A night in al-Sham, then in

A night in Syria, then a day in Al-Ahwaz

al-Ahwaz a day, and a night in al-Sawad.

And a night in the blackness.

وَطَني حَيثُ حَطَّتِ العيسُ رَحلي

وَطَني حَيثُ حَطَّتِ العيسُ رَحلي

وَذِراعي الوِسادُ وَهُوَ مِهادي

وَذِراعي الوِسادُ وَهُوَ مِهادي

My homeland is wherever the pale camels set down my saddle;

My homeland is where my camel knelt,

my arm is my pillow, and it is my bed.

My arm the pillow and it the bed.

لي مِنَ الشِعرِ نَخوَةٌ وَاِعتِزازٌ

لي مِنَ الشِعرِ نَخوَةٌ وَاِعتِزازٌ

وَهُجومٌ عَلى الأُمورِ الشِدادِ

وَهُجومٌ عَلى الأُمورِ الشِدادِ

From poetry I have pride and self-esteem,

I have from poetry dignity and pride

and a bold charge against daunting affairs.

And an assault upon harsh matters.

فَإِذا ما بَنَيتُ بَيتاً تَبَختَر

فَإِذا ما بَنَيتُ بَيتاً تَبَختَر

تُ كَأَنّي بَنَيتُ ذاتَ العِمادِ

تُ كَأَنّي بَنَيتُ ذاتَ العِمادِ

Then, whenever I build a verse, I swagger

So if I build a house priding itself

as though I had built the city of pillars;

It is as if I built Dhat al-Imad.

أَو كَأَنّي أَحوكُ حَوكَ زِيادِ

أَو كَأَنّي أَحوكُ حَوكَ زِيادِ

أَو كَأَنّي أَبي دُؤادِ الإِيادي

أَو كَأَنّي أَبي دُؤادِ الإِيادي

or as though I wove as Ziyad wove,

Or as if I wove the weave of Ziyad,

or as though I were Abu Du'ad al-Iyadi.

Or as if I were Abu Du'ad al-Iyadi.

لي مُعينانِ هِمَّةٌ وَاِعتِزازمٌ

لي مُعينانِ هِمَّةٌ وَاِعتِزازمٌ

تِلكَ مِن طارِفي وَذا مِن تِلادي

تِلكَ مِن طارِفي وَذا مِن تِلادي

I have two helpers: ambition and resolve;

I have two helpers: aspiration and my pride -

the former is my new gain, the latter my old inheritance.

That is of my pedigree and this of my upbringing.

لي نَديمانِ كَوكَبٌ وَظَلامٌ

لي نَديمانِ كَوكَبٌ وَظَلامٌ

لا يَخونانِ صُحبَتي وَوِدادي

لا يَخونانِ صُحبَتي وَوِدادي

I have two boon companions: a star and darkness;

I have two companions: a star and darkness -

they do not betray my companionship or my affection.

They do not betray my company and affection.

لي مِنَ الدَهرِ كُلَّ يَومٍ عَناءٌ

لي مِنَ الدَهرِ كُلَّ يَومٍ عَناءٌ

فُرقَتي مَعشَري وَقِلَّةُ زادي

فُرقَتي مَعشَري وَقِلَّةُ زادي

Every day, time brings me hardship:

I have from fate every day a hardship -

separation from my people, and scant provisions.

My separation from my fellow tribesmen and the scarcity of my provision.

ما حَديثي إِلّا حَديثُ كُلَيبٍ

ما حَديثي إِلّا حَديثُ كُلَيبٍ

وَبُجَيرٍ وَالحارِثُ إِبنِ عُبادِ

وَبُجَيرٍ وَالحارِثُ إِبنِ عُبادِ

My tale is nothing but the tale of Kulayb,

I speak of nothing but the speech of Kulayb,

and Bujayr, and al-Harith ibn Abbad.

Bujayr, and Al-Harith ibn Ubad.