أَمُنتذرٌ قَتلي إنِ العينُ آنَست

أَمُنتذرٌ قَتلي إنِ العينُ آنَست

سَنا بارقٍ بِالغورِ تهامِ

سَنا بارقٍ بِالغورِ تهامِ

Is someone vowing to kill me if my eye has glimpsed

Shall I be blamed if I killed, for the eyes allured me

Is my death foretold if the eye perceives the lightning's flash in the Tihama vale?

The gleam of Tihaman lightning in al-Ghawr?

With lightning flashing in the deep darkness

May a pouring rain from the clouds never cease, led to the folk of al-Ghada by a rein,

فَلا زالَ مُنهلٌّ مِنَ الغيثَ رائحٌ

فَلا زالَ مُنهلٌّ مِنَ الغيثَ رائحٌ

يُقادُ إِلى أهلِ القضا بزمامِ

يُقادُ إِلى أهلِ القضا بزمامِ

So may an evening downpour of rain forever

So a torrent of rain kept pouring

That Juhush may drink from it and scent it, with the gaze of a noble Syrian hawk.

Be led by a rein to the people of al-Qada,

Led to the tribe of judgement with a bridle

My soul and kin be ransomed for Juhush and his words, and teeth he polished bright with Basham wood.

لِيشربَ منهُ جحوشٌ ويشمّهُ

لِيشربَ منهُ جحوشٌ ويشمّهُ

بِعيني قطاميّ أغرّ شآمي

بِعيني قطاميّ أغرّ شآمي

So Jahush may drink from it and smell it,

That the savage may drink from it and smell it

Alas, my passion for the Khafaji, Juhush, has whittled my frame into a skeleton of sickness.

With the eyes of a white-browed Syrian falcon.

With the eyes of a cat, the most cunning and treacherous

I swear I have borne a love for Juhush, like the love found by 'Afra for Ibn Hizam,

بِنَفسي وَأَهلي جحوشٌ وكلامهُ

بِنَفسي وَأَهلي جحوشٌ وكلامهُ

وَأَنيابُه اللّائي جَلا ببشامِ

وَأَنيابُه اللّائي جَلا ببشامِ

My life and family be ransom for Jahush and his words,

By my soul and family, the savage and his words

And I am exactly like her, except that my soul is postponed until the moment of death.

And his canine teeth, which he polished with balsam.

And his fangs that shone brightly in the dark

أَلا إنّ وَجدي بِالخفاجيّ جحوشٍ

أَلا إنّ وَجدي بِالخفاجيّ جحوشٍ

بَرى الجسمَ منّي فَهو نضو سقامِ

بَرى الجسمَ منّي فَهو نضو سقامِ

Ah, truly, my passion for Jahush the Khafaji

Alas, my passion for the stealthy savage

Has worn my body thin, so it is a wreck of sickness.

Considers my body to be feeble and sick

وَأُقسمُ إنّي قَد وجدتُ بجحوشٍ

وَأُقسمُ إنّي قَد وجدتُ بجحوشٍ

كَما وَجدت عفراءُ بِاِبن حزامِ

كَما وَجدت عفراءُ بِاِبن حزامِ

And I swear that I have loved Jahush passionately,

And I swear I found in the savage

As Afra loved Ibn Hizam.

What Afara found in the son of Hazam

وَما أَنا إلّا مِثلها غيرَ أنّني

وَما أَنا إلّا مِثلها غيرَ أنّني

مُؤجّلة نَفسي لوقت حمامِ

مُؤجّلة نَفسي لوقت حمامِ

And I am just like her, except that

And I am just like her, except that

My soul is granted respite until the hour of death.

I delayed myself for the time of passion