دعِ العيسَ تَرْفُلُ في الفَدْفَدِ

دعِ العيسَ تَرْفُلُ في الفَدْفَدِ

عِجالاً إلى بُرْقَتَي تَهْمَدِ

عِجالاً إلى بُرْقَتَي تَهْمَدِ

Let the camels stride proudly through the open waste,

Let the pale camels stride across the open waste,

Hurrying to the two bright tracts of Tahmad—

hastening toward the two rocky tracts of Tahmad.

أيانِقُ تقطعُ عَرْضَ الفلا

أيانِقُ تقطعُ عَرْضَ الفلا

صَوادٍ إلى الأمدِ الأبعدِ

صَوادٍ إلى الأمدِ الأبعدِ

Noble she-camels crossing the desert’s breadth,

She-camels crossing the breadth of the wilderness,

Thirsting toward the farthest goal.

thirsty, toward the farthest goal;

سِواهمِ تهدي إلى حاجرٍ

سِواهمِ تهدي إلى حاجرٍ

اِذا ضلَّتِ الاِبْلُ عن مَقْصَدِ

اِذا ضلَّتِ الاِبْلُ عن مَقْصَدِ

Their sure course guides them toward Hājir

lean, guiding the way to Hajir,

Whenever the camels stray from their destination.

when the camels stray from their destination.

فكم بازلٍ حينَ لاحَ السرابُ

فكم بازلٍ حينَ لاحَ السرابُ

وحنَّ إلى بحرِه المُزْبِدِ

وحنَّ إلى بحرِه المُزْبِدِ

How many a full-grown camel, when the mirage appeared,

For many a full-grown camel, when the mirage appeared,

Yearned for its foaming sea

and he yearned for its foaming sea,

وأعمَلَ يأتمُّهُ كالظليمِ

وأعمَلَ يأتمُّهُ كالظليمِ

حثيثاً فعادَ بِلا مَوْرِدِ

حثيثاً فعادَ بِلا مَوْرِدِ

And raced after it, taking it for a guide, like an ostrich—

and pressed onward, following it like a male ostrich,

Only to return swiftly, without reaching water.

swiftly—returned without a watering place.

اِذا لمعَ البرقُ مِن أرضِها

اِذا لمعَ البرقُ مِن أرضِها

وأومضَ كالقَبَسِ المُوقَدِ

وأومضَ كالقَبَسِ المُوقَدِ

Whenever lightning flashed from her land

When lightning flashes from her land,

And gleamed like a kindled brand,

and glimmers like a kindled firebrand,

طربتُ كأنّي نزيفٌ سَقَوْهُ

طربتُ كأنّي نزيفٌ سَقَوْهُ

سُلافَةَ غُمدانَ أو صَرْخَدِ

سُلافَةَ غُمدانَ أو صَرْخَدِ

I thrilled as though, already drained by wine, I were given

I thrill, like a drunken man they have given

The pure vintage of Ghumdān or Ṣarkhad.

the choicest wine of Ghumdan or Sarkhad.

فللّهِ قلبيَ قبلَ الهوى

فللّهِ قلبيَ قبلَ الهوى

لقد كانَ كالصخرةِ الجَلْمَدِ

لقد كانَ كالصخرةِ الجَلْمَدِ

By God, my heart before love—

My heart before love—God bless it!

It was as hard as a massive rock.

It was indeed like a hard, solid rock.

ولكنَّه الوجدُ ما للقلوبِ

ولكنَّه الوجدُ ما للقلوبِ

بهِ مِن قَبيلٍ ولا مِن يَدِ

بهِ مِن قَبيلٍ ولا مِن يَدِ

But passion! Against it, hearts possess

But it is passion: hearts have

Neither champion nor power.

neither resistance against it nor strength.

سلامٌ على بانةِ المازِمَيْنِ

سلامٌ على بانةِ المازِمَيْنِ

سَلامُ شَجٍ بالجوَى مُفْرَدِ

سَلامُ شَجٍ بالجوَى مُفْرَدِ

Peace upon the ben-tree of al-Māzimayn—

Peace upon the ban tree of al-Mazimayn,

The greeting of one grief-stricken, alone in anguish.

the greeting of a grieving man, alone in love's anguish.

فهاتيكَ أوَّلُ أرضٍ بها

فهاتيكَ أوَّلُ أرضٍ بها

عَرَفْتُ هوى العُرُبِ النُّهَّدِ

عَرَفْتُ هوى العُرُبِ النُّهَّدِ

For that was the first land where

For that is the first land where

I learned the love of full-breasted Arab beauties:

I learned to love amorous, full-breasted women.

منازلُ غيدٍ حِسانِ الوجوهِ

منازلُ غيدٍ حِسانِ الوجوهِ

عَقائلَ شِبْه الدُّمى خُرَّدِ

عَقائلَ شِبْه الدُّمى خُرَّدِ

The dwellings of graceful women, fair of face,

Dwellings of graceful women, lovely of face,

Noble maidens, secluded and doll-like.

noble, bashful maidens, like sculpted figures.

فلا زالَ يسقي ثراها العِهادُ

فلا زالَ يسقي ثراها العِهادُ

دِراكاً على ذلكَ المعهدِ

دِراكاً على ذلكَ المعهدِ

May the returning rains never cease to water its soil,

And may recurring rains never cease to water its soil,

Downpour after downpour upon that remembered place.

falling in succession upon that familiar abode.

واِنْ أنفدَ القطرُ تَسكابَهُ

واِنْ أنفدَ القطرُ تَسكابَهُ

فدِيمةُ جفنيَّ لم تَنْفَدِ

فدِيمةُ جفنيَّ لم تَنْفَدِ

And though the clouds exhaust their showers,

And if the rain exhausts its downpour,

The raincloud of my eyelids will never be exhausted.

the steady rain of my eyelids has not run dry.

سأسفحُها أربَعاً لا تغيضُ

سأسفحُها أربَعاً لا تغيضُ

على سُفْعِ أحجارِها الركَّدِ

على سُفْعِ أحجارِها الركَّدِ

I shall pour my tears fourfold, never ebbing,

I shall pour it out [unclear: 'four'], never dwindling,

Upon its dark, motionless stones.

upon its dark, unmoving stones.

كأنَّ دموعيَ في تُربِها

كأنَّ دموعيَ في تُربِها

تَحَدَّرُ مِن ناظرٍ أَرْمَدِ

تَحَدَّرُ مِن ناظرٍ أَرْمَدِ

It is as though my tears, upon its soil,

As though my tears in its dust

Streamed from an inflamed eye.

were streaming from an inflamed eye.

أما وهوًى بِتُّ مِن حَرَّه

أما وهوًى بِتُّ مِن حَرَّه

أُراعي غراماً سنا الفَرْقَدِ

أُراعي غراماً سنا الفَرْقَدِ

By a love whose heat I spent the night enduring,

Ah, by a love in whose heat I spent the night,

Keeping watch in longing by al-Farqad’s gleam;

watching, in longing, the glow of Farqad,

وزفرةِ صدرٍ غداةَ النوى

وزفرةِ صدرٍ غداةَ النوى

وقد قوَّضَ الحيُّ لم تَبْرُدِ

وقد قوَّضَ الحيُّ لم تَبْرُدِ

And a sigh from my breast on separation’s morning,

and by a breast's sigh on the morning of parting,

When the encampment was struck, has still not cooled.

when the clan had struck camp—a sigh that never cooled—

لقد حلَّ بي مِن نواهنَّ ما

لقد حلَّ بي مِن نواهنَّ ما

يَهُدُّ الشوامخَ مِن ضَرْغَدِ

يَهُدُّ الشوامخَ مِن ضَرْغَدِ

Their distance has brought upon me anguish

there befell me through their departure what

That could topple the lofty peaks of Ḍarghad.

would shatter the towering heights of Darghad.

ومذْ بانَ عن حاجرٍ حُورُه

ومذْ بانَ عن حاجرٍ حُورُه

خَفِيتُ سقاماً عنِ العوَّدِ

خَفِيتُ سقاماً عنِ العوَّدِ

Since Hājir’s dark-eyed beauties departed,

And since its fair, wide-eyed women departed Hajir,

I have hidden my wasting illness from those who visit the sick.

I have wasted with sickness beyond my visitors' sight.

فيا عينُ كم تألفينَ السُّهادَ

فيا عينُ كم تألفينَ السُّهادَ

أحتماً على الوجدِ أن تسهدي

أحتماً على الوجدِ أن تسهدي

O eye, how long will you remain accustomed to sleeplessness?

O my eye, how much you cherish sleeplessness!

Is it decreed by passion that you must keep vigil?

Must longing doom you to stay awake?

ويا طَيْفَهُنًّ إذا ما هَجَعْتُ

ويا طَيْفَهُنًّ إذا ما هَجَعْتُ

بحقَّكَ زُرني بِلا موعدِ

بحقَّكَ زُرني بِلا موعدِ

O phantom of those women, whenever I fall asleep,

And, vision of those women, whenever I fall asleep,

By your honor, visit me without an appointed hour.

by your own right, visit me without an appointment.

فليتَ الحبائبَ لما ظَعَنَّ

فليتَ الحبائبَ لما ظَعَنَّ

ودّعتني بالبنانِ النَّدي

ودّعتني بالبنانِ النَّدي

Would that, when the beloved women journeyed away,

If only the beloved women, when they departed,

They had bid me farewell with dewy fingertips.

had bidden me farewell with dewy fingertips.

خليليَّ لولا الهوى والنوى

خليليَّ لولا الهوى والنوى

لما قلتُهل ليَ مِن مُنْجِدِ

لما قلتُهل ليَ مِن مُنْجِدِ

My two companions, but for love and separation,

My two companions, were it not for love and separation,

I would never have asked, “Is there anyone to aid me?”

I would not have said, 'Is there anyone to help me?'

ولا كنتُ لولاهما ضَلَّةًً

ولا كنتُ لولاهما ضَلَّةًً

أديمُ سَنا البارقِ المنجدِ

أديمُ سَنا البارقِ المنجدِ

Nor, but for those two, would I be a lost wanderer,

Nor, but for those two, would I foolishly

Forever watching the highland lightning’s gleam.

keep watching the glow of lightning over Najd.

ولولا ولوعي بِسكّانها

ولولا ولوعي بِسكّانها

وهبتُ التغزُّلَ للمجتدي

وهبتُ التغزُّلَ للمجتدي

Were it not for my passion for those who dwell there,

And were it not for my devotion to its inhabitants,

I would give love-song away to any petitioner.

I would have left love verse to the seeker of gifts.

فما أنا مِمَّنْ يرى صوغَهُ

فما أنا مِمَّنْ يرى صوغَهُ

عطاءً مِنَ الزمنِ الأنكَدِ

عطاءً مِنَ الزمنِ الأنكَدِ

Yet I am not one who regards its wild strangeness

For I am not one who regards his crafted verse

As a gift from bitter time,

as a gift from wretched Time.

ولا أشتهيِهِ إذا حكتُهُ

ولا أشتهيِهِ إذا حكتُهُ

يمرُّ على شفةِ المنشدِ

يمرُّ على شفةِ المنشدِ

Nor do I desire it if, when I fashion it,

Nor do I wish it, once I have woven it,

It merely passes over the singer’s lip.

to pass across a reciter's lip,

واِنْ كانَ يَعْبَقُ مِن حسنِه

واِنْ كانَ يَعْبَقُ مِن حسنِه

دلالاً بجيدِ الطَّلا الأجْيَدِ

دلالاً بجيدِ الطَّلا الأجْيَدِ

Though from its beauty it may breathe fragrance,

even if, through its beauty, it clings like fragrance,

Like dalliance along the neck of the fairest fawn.

a graceful charm upon the long-necked fawn's neck.

اِذا ما القريضُ مشى في

اِذا ما القريضُ مشى في

الحضيضِ تطلَّعَ مِن شاهقٍ أقوَدِ

الحضيضِ تطلَّعَ مِن شاهقٍ أقوَدِ

Whenever verse walks through the lowlands,

When poetry walks in

It looks forth from a lofty, long-necked height.

the lowlands, mine looks out from a lofty, towering peak.