بي مِن جوى التبريحِ اشِفاقُ

بي مِن جوى التبريحِ اشِفاقُ

فهل لدائي منه اِفراقُ

فهل لدائي منه اِفراقُ

I am filled with dread by torment's burning anguish.

The ache of parting tortures me,

Is there, then, any relief from it for my ailment?

so is there a cure for my malady?

ولي فؤادٌ مِن حذارِ النوى

ولي فؤادٌ مِن حذارِ النوى

ورحلةِ الأحبابِ خَفّاقُ

ورحلةِ الأحبابِ خَفّاقُ

And I have a heart that, fearing separation

My heart fears the turn of fate,

and the loved ones' departure, beats wildly.

and the departure of loved ones agitates me.

ومقلةٌ جادتْ بأمواهِها

ومقلةٌ جادتْ بأمواهِها

على الطلولِ الخُرْسِ آماقُ

على الطلولِ الخُرْسِ آماقُ

And an eye that poured out its waters

My eyelids have wept copious tears

over the mute ruins from its inner corners.

upon my pale, sleepless cheeks.

لا نومُها عادَ ولا طيفُهمْ

لا نومُها عادَ ولا طيفُهمْ

بعدَ النوى والبينِ طرّاقُ

بعدَ النوى والبينِ طرّاقُ

Its sleep has not returned, nor has their dream-vision

Neither sleep returns, nor their specters,

visited by night after separation and parting.

after separation and distance have torn us apart.

منازلٌ مذ بانَ سكّانُها

منازلٌ مذ بانَ سكّانُها

عاودَني هَمٌّ واِيراقُ

عاودَني هَمٌّ واِيراقُ

Dwelling places—since their inhabitants departed,

The dwellings where they once lived

sorrow and sleeplessness have returned to me.

now renew my sorrow and agony.

ذِكْرٌ ووجدٌ بهما تلتظي

ذِكْرٌ ووجدٌ بهما تلتظي

أضالِعٌ تَفْنَى وأشواقُ

أضالِعٌ تَفْنَى وأشواقُ

Remembrance and love's anguish—both set ablaze

Remembrance and longing burn my ribs,

my wasting ribs and my longings.

weakening them, and stir my passions.

وأربعٌ يشقى بها مغرمٌ

وأربعٌ يشقى بها مغرمٌ

تُقلِقُه الذكرى ومشتاقُ

تُقلِقُه الذكرى ومشتاقُ

And dwelling sites where a lovesick man suffers,

And four miseries torture the lovesick one:

troubled by remembrance—as does one who yearns.

memories disturb him, and he yearns.

ووقفةٌ فيها واِنْ أرمضتْ

ووقفةٌ فيها واِنْ أرمضتْ

بِسُّمِ يومِ البينِ درياقُ

بِسُّمِ يومِ البينِ درياقُ

And a halt there, though it scorches me

And a standstill, though it inflames

with parting-day's poison, is an antidote.

the lethal poison of the days of separation.

ما أنسَ لا أنسَ وقد ثوَّرَ ال

ما أنسَ لا أنسَ وقد ثوَّرَ ال

حادونَ عن نجدٍ وقد ساقوا

حادونَ عن نجدٍ وقد ساقوا

Whatever I forget, I will not forget how the beasts were roused by the

Those who have left can never be forgotten,

camel-drivers away from Najd, and how they drove them on.

after they marched off from Nejd, departing.

وراعني لا راعني بعدها

وراعني لا راعني بعدها

للبين اِرعادٌ واِبراقَ

للبين اِرعادٌ واِبراقَ

And I was frightened—may I never be so frightened again—

No more do they care for me after they

by the thunder and lightning of parting.

unleashed for separation claps and flashes of lightning.

واندفعتْ كلُّ بجاويَّةٍ

واندفعتْ كلُّ بجاويَّةٍ

اِعمالُها نصٌّ واِعناقُ

اِعمالُها نصٌّ واِعناقُ

And every Beja she-camel surged ahead,

And they raced off, every one

driven at a hard pace and a swift stride.

with her belongings, text, and she-camel.

وكلُّ وخادٍ رمينا بهِ

وكلُّ وخادٍ رمينا بهِ

غُبرَ الموامي فهو سبّاقُ

غُبرَ الموامي فهو سبّاقُ

And every swift-striding mount we launched across

And each departed friend we pelted

the dust-gray wastes was one to outstrip the rest.

with the dust of the dunes―he took the lead!

له وراءَ القومِ أن غلَّلُوا

له وراءَ القومِ أن غلَّلُوا

في البيدِ اِشآمٌ واِعراقُ

في البيدِ اِشآمٌ واِعراقُ

It follows behind the company, when they plunge

For him, behind the tribe, the

into the deserts, toward Syria and toward Iraq.

young camels sauntered easily with swaying lithe necks.

فهل يُرجَّى لفؤادي وقد

فهل يُرجَّى لفؤادي وقد

سارَ مع الأظعانِ اِطلاقُ

سارَ مع الأظعانِ اِطلاقُ

Can my heart hope, now that it has

Can my heart hope, when

gone with the camel-litters, for release?

it has marched off with the emaciated camels?

ظعائنٌ قامَ لأشواقِنا

ظعائنٌ قامَ لأشواقِنا

بعد تنائيهنَّ أسواقُ

بعد تنائيهنَّ أسواقُ

Women in litters—for our longings there arose,

Emaciated camels rose to our passions

after they had gone far away, markets.

after their remoteness brought them to market.

وأنفسُ العُشّاقِ بعدَ النوى

وأنفسُ العُشّاقِ بعدَ النوى

قد بقيتْ منهنَّ أَرْماقُ

قد بقيتْ منهنَّ أَرْماقُ

And the lovers' souls, after separation,

And the souls of lovers after their leave-taking

had only faint remnants of life left.

were the remnants left among them.

ذاقوا مِنَ الوجدِ وأسبابِه

ذاقوا مِنَ الوجدِ وأسبابِه

بعدَ نوى الجيرةِ ما ذاقوا

بعدَ نوى الجيرةِ ما ذاقوا

They tasted of love's anguish and its causes,

They tasted of lovesickness and its causes

after their neighbors' departure—what they tasted!

after the parting of neighbors like none before.

حواجبُ الغيدِ قِسيٌّ لها

حواجبُ الغيدِ قِسيٌّ لها

في الحُسنِ قبلَ اليومِ اِغراقُ

في الحُسنِ قبلَ اليومِ اِغراقُ

The graceful women's brows are bows,

The brows of the gazelles were unkind

drawn to the utmost in beauty before today.

in beauty before the day of flooding.

كم فتكتْ يوُماً بعُشّاقِها

كم فتكتْ يوُماً بعُشّاقِها

منهنَّ أهابٌ وأحداقُ

منهنَّ أهابٌ وأحداقُ

How often, on a day, have they slain their lovers—

How often they wreaked havoc on their lovers,

those women's skin and eyes!

from them: perdition and downcast eyes!

والحبُّ داءٌ راحَ مِن قبلِنا

والحبُّ داءٌ راحَ مِن قبلِنا

عليه أحبابٌ وعُشّاقُ

عليه أحبابٌ وعُشّاقُ

And love is a sickness; before us there perished

And love is an illness which once

from it beloveds and lovers.

afflicted lovers and the passionate.

أحبَّةٌ قد كان ناديهمُ

أحبَّةٌ قد كان ناديهمُ

له بنورِ القومِ اِشراقُ

له بنورِ القومِ اِشراقُ

Beloved ones, whose gathering place once

Sweethearts whose society

shone with the light of the company.

once illuminated it with the light of the tribe.

فوابلُ الدمع وقد أزمعوا

فوابلُ الدمع وقد أزمعوا

عن الحمى في الدارِ غَيداقُ

عن الحمى في الدارِ غَيداقُ

So the downpour of tears, when they resolved to depart

Downpours of tears, when they intended

from the protected grounds, fell abundantly in the dwelling.

to depart from the abode, weeping parted.

هم نقضوا عهدي ومَنْ ذا الذي

هم نقضوا عهدي ومَنْ ذا الذي

ما خانَهُ عهدٌ وميثاقُ

ما خانَهُ عهدٌ وميثاقُ

They broke their covenant with me—and who is there

They broke their vow to me―but who

whom no pledge or covenant has betrayed?

has a vow or pact not betrayed?

وما حماماتٌ بوادي الغَضا

وما حماماتٌ بوادي الغَضا

مِن لحنها يَخْجَلُ اسحاقُ

مِن لحنها يَخْجَلُ اسحاقُ

Nor have doves in the valley of ghada trees—

Like doves in the valley of Ghada

whose melody puts Ishaq to shame,

whose song would shame even the clearest voice.

لنوحِها في كبدي كلَّما

لنوحِها في كبدي كلَّما

ناحتْ على الأغصانِ اِحراقُ

ناحتْ على الأغصانِ اِحراقُ

whose lament, within my liver, whenever

Their lamenting sets my liver aflame

they mourn upon the branches, sets a fire;

whenever they coo upon the branches.

كأنَّها فيها قيانٌ غدتْ

كأنَّها فيها قيانٌ غدتْ

يستُرها منهنَّ أوراقُ

يستُرها منهنَّ أوراقُ

as though they had become singing girls among the boughs,

As if they were lovesick creatures veiled

whom leaves from those boughs conceal—

among the leaves by the foliage.

يوماً كَنَوحي عندما كظَّني

يوماً كَنَوحي عندما كظَّني

مِن ألمِ التبريحِ اِرهاقُ

مِن ألمِ التبريحِ اِرهاقُ

ever matched my lament when I was weighed down

One day when the pain of parting

by exhaustion from the pain of torment.

overwhelmed me with unbearable exhaustion.

ولا سحيقُ المسكِ قد حبَّه

ولا سحيقُ المسكِ قد حبَّه

في الحيَّ عطارٌ وسحّاقُ

في الحيَّ عطارٌ وسحّاقُ

Nor has powdered musk, already ground

Not even pure musk, which perfumers

in the encampment by a perfumer and a grinder,

and scent-merchants love,

ينفحُ بالطيبِ فيستافُه

ينفحُ بالطيبِ فيستافُه

مِن نسماتِ الريحِ نشّاقُ

مِن نسماتِ الريحِ نشّاقُ

wafting fragrance, which is inhaled

Exhales its perfume, which the

from the wind's breezes by one eager to smell it—

flirtatious breeze then conveys.

يوماً كأشعاري وقد عُطَّرَتْ

يوماً كأشعاري وقد عُطَّرَتْ

منهنَّ أمصارٌ وآفاقُ

منهنَّ أمصارٌ وآفاقُ

ever matched my poems, which have perfumed

One day like my poems, which were scented

cities and horizons with their fragrance.

and spread through lands and horizons.

لنظمهِ في طبقاتِ النُّهى

لنظمهِ في طبقاتِ النُّهى

يدٌ وفي الاِعرابِ اِعراقُ

يدٌ وفي الاِعرابِ اِعراقُ

Its versification has, among the ranks of intellect,

With his composition in the layers of melody,

a skilled hand, and deep roots in eloquent expression.

a hand, and in prosody, well-constructed.