نوقٌ براهنَّ السُّرى

نوقٌ براهنَّ السُّرى

طِرْنَ بنا لولا البُرى

طِرْنَ بنا لولا البُرى

She-camels worn thin by night journeys

A camel left subtle traces,

would have flown with us, but for their nose-rings.

Keeping us company when no humans did.

حنَّتْ وقد لاحَ لها

حنَّتْ وقد لاحَ لها

البرقُ على وادي القُرى

البرقُ على وادي القُرى

They yearned when there appeared to them

She moaned as lightning flashed for her

lightning above Wadi al-Qura.

Across the valleys' breadth.

فأرقلتْ تؤمُّ مِن

فأرقلتْ تؤمُّ مِن

فرطِ الحنينِ الأجفُرا

فرطِ الحنينِ الأجفُرا

Then they sped, heading—out of

So she tossed, restless with yearning,

intense yearning—for al-Ajfar.

Oppressed by grievous longing.

روازحٌ يأمرُها

روازحٌ يأمرُها

حنينُها أن تَصْبِرا

حنينُها أن تَصْبِرا

Weary beasts, commanded

Poor beast who obeys

by their yearning to endure.

Her longing's command to show patience.

كم يسَّرَتْ مِن مطلبٍ

كم يسَّرَتْ مِن مطلبٍ

قد طالما تَعَسَّرا

قد طالما تَعَسَّرا

How many a quest they made easy

How often she's eased a goal

that had long proved difficult,

That long seemed too hard!

وسهَّلَتْ لي أرَباً

وسهَّلَتْ لي أرَباً

مِن قبلِها تعذَّرا

مِن قبلِها تعذَّرا

and eased for me a wish

And smoothed a path that

unattainable before them.

Before was rough with hardship.

هل تُبْلِغَنَّي الريحُ عن

هل تُبْلِغَنَّي الريحُ عن

أحبابِ قلبي خَبَرا

أحبابِ قلبي خَبَرا

Will the wind bring me, from

Can the wind convey, from those

my heart's beloved ones, some news,

My heart loves, any news?

يسرى اليَّ نشرُه

يسرى اليَّ نشرُه

في طيِّها معطَّرا

في طيِّها معطَّرا

its fragrance drifting toward me,

Wafting perfumed in its folds

perfumed within her folds?

Things gladness would diffuse?

بانوا كأنِّي ما

بانوا كأنِّي ما

قضيتُ من لقاءٍ وَطَرا

قضيتُ من لقاءٍ وَطَرا

They departed, as though I had never

As though we'd never shared

satisfied a longing by meeting them.

A visit, or known joy.

وأظهرتْ في بُعدِهم

وأظهرتْ في بُعدِهم

لنا الليالي عِبَرا

لنا الليالي عِبَرا

And in their absence, the nights revealed

And in their absence showed

lessons to us.

Our nights a woeful ploy.

يا مربعاً راعَ الفِرا

يا مربعاً راعَ الفِرا

ق ظبيه والجؤذرا

ق ظبيه والجؤذرا

O spring abode where separation startled

O square enclosure, where gazelles

its gazelle and the antelope calf,

Grazed, does it yet endure?

ومنزلاً سقيتُهُ

ومنزلاً سقيتُهُ

دمعاً يُحاكي المَطَرا

دمعاً يُحاكي المَطَرا

and O dwelling that I watered

A camp I watered with the tears

with tears resembling rain!

That rain could not outpour.

ما بَخِلَ المزنُ

ما بَخِلَ المزنُ

على الأطلالِ اِلاّهَمَرا

على الأطلالِ اِلاّهَمَرا

The rainclouds were never stingy

Scarce did the abandoned camp

toward the ruins, but poured down,

Withhold its torrents, in my pain.

وجادَ تربَ أرضِه

وجادَ تربَ أرضِه

مغْلَنْطِفاً مُتْعَنْجِرا

مغْلَنْطِفاً مُتْعَنْجِرا

and generously drenched its soil

Its soil was fertile ground that gave

in thick, gushing torrents.

Rich pasture, once again.

يا ملعباً كانَ بهِا

يا ملعباً كانَ بهِا

الوصالُ غَضّاً نَضِرا

الوصالُ غَضّاً نَضِرا

O playground where once

O playground where union was

union was tender and fresh!

Still fresh, still green in hope!

كم قد شَمَمْتُ مِن

كم قد شَمَمْتُ مِن

ثراكَ مَنْدَلاً وعَنْبَرا

ثراكَ مَنْدَلاً وعَنْبَرا

How often I have inhaled from

How often I plucked from you

your soil aloeswood and ambergris,

A sweet herb, a tender rope!

أحيانَ جرَّتْ ذيلَها

أحيانَ جرَّتْ ذيلَها

فيكَ النُّعامى سَحَرا

فيكَ النُّعامى سَحَرا

at times when she trailed her hem—

Sometimes ostriches would trail

the south wind—through you before dawn,

Their wings across your floor.

وأودَعَتْها زينبٌ

وأودَعَتْها زينبٌ

طيبَ شذاها الاذْغَرا

طيبَ شذاها الاذْغَرا

and Zaynab entrusted her with

And Zainab left the scent

the sweetness of her potent fragrance.

Of sweetest perfumes, evermore.

فكادَ أن يُسكرَني

فكادَ أن يُسكرَني

نسيمُها لمّا سَرى

نسيمُها لمّا سَرى

So I was almost intoxicated

Her soft breeze made me drunk

by her breeze when it passed by night.

Whene’er it gently blew.

للّهِ كم غازلتُ في

للّهِ كم غازلتُ في

الربعِ غزالاً أحْوَرا

الربعِ غزالاً أحْوَرا

By God, how often I wooed, in

By God, how many gazelles I courted

the abode, a dark-eyed gazelle!

In that place - docile, tame!

يرنو اليَّ لظُهُ

يرنو اليَّ لظُهُ

فيستَبيني نَظَرا

فيستَبيني نَظَرا

His gaze turns toward me,

They’d glance at me, their eyes brimming

and takes me captive with a look.

With love, without the least shame.

بدرٌ تبدَّىفأهنْ

بدرٌ تبدَّىفأهنْ

ت في هواهُ البِدَرا

ت في هواهُ البِدَرا

A full moon appeared, and I scorned

A full moon she appeared, so my heart

the full moons in my love for him.

Melted in her lunar flame,

وأخجلَ الشمسَ بها

وأخجلَ الشمسَ بها

ءُ نُوُّرِه والقمرا

ءُ نُوُّرِه والقمرا

And the sun was put to shame by the radiance

Outshining sun and moon in her brilliance

of his light, and so was the moon.

And radiant acclaim.

ما مالَ مِن سُكرِ الصَّبا

ما مالَ مِن سُكرِ الصَّبا

وتيههِ أو خَطَرا

وتيههِ أو خَطَرا

He never swayed, drunk with the east wind

Never escaping love's madness

and his pride, or sauntered,

Or losing all his wits.

الا رَكْبتث في هواهُ

الا رَكْبتث في هواهُ

مِن غرامي خَطَرا

مِن غرامي خَطَرا

without my braving, in love for him,

But plunging headlong into passion

danger through my passion.

Beyond what reason permits.

والحبُّ ما أورثَني

والحبُّ ما أورثَني

بعدَ الخليطِ السَّهرا

بعدَ الخليطِ السَّهرا

And love did not bequeath me

And love has left me, after sweet union,

sleeplessness after my companions left;

Nothing but long wakeful nights.

بُعْدُ الدِّيار والمَزارِ

بُعْدُ الدِّيار والمَزارِ

مَنَعا جفني الكَرى

مَنَعا جفني الكَرى

the remoteness of their homes and meeting-place

Faraway land and tombs forbid

denied my eyelids sleep,

My eyes their wonted rites.

وشرَّداهُعن طروقِ

وشرَّداهُعن طروقِ

مضجعي ونفَّرا

مضجعي ونفَّرا

and banished it from coming by night to

Banishing them from the familiarity

my bed, and put it to flight,

Of my bed, and causing frights.

حتى بقيتُ شَبَحَاً

حتى بقيتُ شَبَحَاً

للعائدينَ لا أُرى

للعائدينَ لا أُرى

until I remained only a shadow,

So I remain a specter, unseen

invisible to those who came to visit.

By those returning to reunite.

مَنْ لي بعودِ الوصلِ لو

مَنْ لي بعودِ الوصلِ لو

عادَ رطيباً أخْضَرا

عادَ رطيباً أخْضَرا

Who will restore union to me? If only

Who will bring me the union I crave,

it returned, fresh and green,

Green and fresh again?

رَياّنّ قد أينعَ لي

رَياّنّ قد أينعَ لي

بقربهَ وأثمرا

بقربهَ وأثمرا

well-watered, having ripened for me

A garden that flourished for me

through his nearness and borne fruit,

In the nearness I knew then.

يَرِفُّ أويميلُ

يَرِفُّ أويميلُ

كالنَّزيفِ عُلَّ المَسْكِرا

كالنَّزيفِ عُلَّ المَسْكِرا

quivering or swaying

Swaying like the drinker lost

like a drunkard given another draught of strong drink,

In wine's heady terrain.

أسحبُ تحتَ ظِلِّهِ

أسحبُ تحتَ ظِلِّهِ

مِنَ السُّرورِ الاُزرا

مِنَ السُّرورِ الاُزرا

I would trail beneath its shade

I'd linger blissful beneath its shade,

the garments of joy.

Well content to remain.