أَرِقتُ فَلَم تَخدَع بِعَينَيَّ وَسنَةٌ

أَرِقتُ فَلَم تَخدَع بِعَينَيَّ وَسنَةٌ

وَمَن يَلقَ ما لاقَيتُ لا بُدَّ يَأرَقِ

وَمَن يَلقَ ما لاقَيتُ لا بُدَّ يَأرَقِ

I lay sleepless; no drowsiness lulled my eyes.

I was sleepless but my eyes did not betray me, though a year has passed,

Whoever encounters what I encountered must lie awake.

And whoever faces what I faced, he must suffer sleeplessness,

تَبيتُ الهُمومُ الطَّارِقاتُ يَعُدنَني

تَبيتُ الهُمومُ الطَّارِقاتُ يَعُدنَني

كَما تَعتَرِي الأَهوالُ رَأسَ المُطَلَّقِ

كَما تَعتَرِي الأَهوالُ رَأسَ المُطَلَّقِ

Night-visiting cares spend the night returning to me,

Worries besiege me at night like misfortunes besieging the outcast,

as terrors assail the head of a captive set free.

I counted the stars from Maqid till a single one separated from the rest,

وَناجِيَةٍ عَدَّيتُ مِن عِندِ ماجِد

وَناجِيَةٍ عَدَّيتُ مِن عِندِ ماجِد

إِلى واحِدٍ مِن غَيرِ سُخطٍ مُفَرَّقِ

إِلى واحِدٍ مِن غَيرِ سُخطٍ مُفَرَّقِ

And a swift she-camel I drove from a noble lord

You see or imagine at the knot of its thread,

to a peerless one, without estranging resentment.

Phantoms of beasts dangling from torn skins,

تَرى أَو تَراءى عِندَ مَعقِدِ غَرْزِها

تَرى أَو تَراءى عِندَ مَعقِدِ غَرْزِها

تَهاويلَ مِن أَجلادِ هِرٍّ مُعَلَّقِ

تَهاويلَ مِن أَجلادِ هِرٍّ مُعَلَّقِ

She sees—or seems to see—by her stirrup's fastening

As if pebbles at its opening,

frightening shapes made from a hanging cat's hides.

Were valleys of soft flour not yet poured,

كَأَنَّ حَصَى المَعزَاءِ عِندَ فُروجِها

كَأَنَّ حَصَى المَعزَاءِ عِندَ فُروجِها

نَوَادِي رَحىً رَضَّاخَةٍ لَم تُدَفِّقِ

نَوَادِي رَحىً رَضَّاخَةٍ لَم تُدَفِّقِ

The pebbles of the stony ground between her legs seem

As if the urine splash before its sides,

like flying fragments from a crushing millstone that has not ground fine.

Were the gown of a bride or blue tattoo,

كَأَنَّ نَضِيحَ البَولِ مِن قُبْلِ حاذِها

كَأَنَّ نَضِيحَ البَولِ مِن قُبْلِ حاذِها

مَلابُ عَروسٍ أَو مَلادِغُ أَزرَقِ

مَلابُ عَروسٍ أَو مَلادِغُ أَزرَقِ

The spray of urine from before her haunches seems

It has shriveled until the links of its opening has joined

like a bride's saffron perfume, or a blue serpent's bite-marks.

The ribs of a three year old calf that did not join before,

وَقَد ضَمُرَت حَتَّى التَقى مِن نُسوعِها

وَقَد ضَمُرَت حَتَّى التَقى مِن نُسوعِها

عُرى ذِي ثَلاثٍ لَم تَكُن قَبلُ تَلتَقي

عُرى ذِي ثَلاثٍ لَم تَكُن قَبلُ تَلتَقي

And she had grown so lean that among her girth-straps there met

It has made my legs by the side of its knot,

the loops of a threefold strap, which had not met before.

A blade like blades of pierced camel skin waterskins,

وَقَد تَخِذَت رِجْلِي لَدَى جَنبِ غَرزِها

وَقَد تَخِذَت رِجْلِي لَدَى جَنبِ غَرزِها

نَسِيفاً كَأُفحُوصِ القَطاةِ المُطَرَّقِ

نَسِيفاً كَأُفحُوصِ القَطاةِ المُطَرَّقِ

And my foot, beside her stirrup, had made

It lies down in hot weather when cocks crow near it

a bare patch like the sandgrouse's flattened nesting hollow.

And spends the night in a place with smooth short plants,

أُنِيخَت بِجَوٍّ يَصرُخُ الدِّيكُ عِندَها

أُنِيخَت بِجَوٍّ يَصرُخُ الدِّيكُ عِندَها

وَباتَت بِقَاعٍ كادِئِ النَّبتِ سَملَقِ

وَباتَت بِقَاعٍ كادِئِ النَّبتِ سَملَقِ

She was made to kneel in a valley where a rooster crowed beside her,

It lies down bursting, disregarding any rising swell

and spent the night on a bare plain of scant vegetation.

Even if its genie remains erect and climbs,

تُناخُ طَلِيحاً ما تُراعُ مِنَ الشَّذا

تُناخُ طَلِيحاً ما تُراعُ مِنَ الشَّذا

وَلو ظَلَّ في أَوصالِها العَلُّ يَرتَقي

وَلو ظَلَّ في أَوصالِها العَلُّ يَرتَقي

She is made to kneel exhausted, unstartled by biting flies,

It goes and returns with its belly dissolved towards you,

even if a large tick keeps climbing among her joints.

O son of Muzn's water and son of Muharreq's,

تَروحُ وَتَغدو ما يُحَلُّ وَضِينُها

تَروحُ وَتَغدو ما يُحَلُّ وَضِينُها

إِلَيكَ اِبنَ ماءِ المُزنِ وَاِبنَ مُحَرِّقِ

إِلَيكَ اِبنَ ماءِ المُزنِ وَاِبنَ مُحَرِّقِ

She travels at evening and morning, her woven girth never loosened,

You have surpassed the kings of people in glory and piety

toward you, son of Ma' al-Muzn and son of Muharriq.

And quenched with the morning dew of the handle of power,

عَلَوتُم مُلوكَ النَّاسِ في المَجدِ وَالتُّقى

عَلَوتُم مُلوكَ النَّاسِ في المَجدِ وَالتُّقى

وَغَربِ نَدىً مِن عُروَةِ العِزِّ يَستَقي

وَغَربِ نَدىً مِن عُروَةِ العِزِّ يَستَقي

You have surpassed the kings of mankind in glory and piety,

You are the pillar of religion whatever you lessen is lessened

and in a bucket of bounty drawing from honor's handhold.

And whatever falsehood you destroy is destroyed,

وَأَنتَ عَمودُ الدِّينِ مَهما تَقُل يُقَل

وَأَنتَ عَمودُ الدِّينِ مَهما تَقُل يُقَل

وَمَهما تَضَع مِن باطِلٍ لا يُلَحَّقِ

وَمَهما تَضَع مِن باطِلٍ لا يُلَحَّقِ

And you are the pillar of faith: whatever you say is repeated,

And if they show cowardice you show courage

and whatever falsehood you put down is not restored.

And if they are miserly you give generously and differentiate,

وَإِن يَجبُنُوا تَشجُعْ وَإِن يَبخَلوا تَجُدْ

وَإِن يَجبُنُوا تَشجُعْ وَإِن يَبخَلوا تَجُدْ

وَإِن يَخرُقوا بِالأَمرِ تَفصِل وَتَفرُقِ

وَإِن يَخرُقوا بِالأَمرِ تَفصِل وَتَفرُقِ

And if they are cowardly, you are brave; if they are miserly, you give generously.

How true have you refused the curse that the son of our parted woman has cursed me

And if they blunder in a matter, you decide and distinguish.

Without any crime with my flowing saliva,

أَحَقّاً أَبَيتَ اللَّعنَ أَنَّ اِبنَ فَرتَنا

أَحَقّاً أَبَيتَ اللَّعنَ أَنَّ اِبنَ فَرتَنا

عَلى غَيرِ إِجرامٍ بِرِيقِي مُشَرِّقي

عَلى غَيرِ إِجرامٍ بِرِيقِي مُشَرِّقي

Is it true—may you be spared curses—that Fartana's son,

If I am to be eaten then be the best eater,

though I have done no wrong, makes me choke on my own saliva?

Otherwise catch me before I am torn,

فَإِن كُنتُ مَأْكولاً فَكُن خَيرَ آكِلٍ

فَإِن كُنتُ مَأْكولاً فَكُن خَيرَ آكِلٍ

وَإِلَّا فَأَدرِكني وَلَمّا أُمَزِّقِ

وَإِلَّا فَأَدرِكني وَلَمّا أُمَزِّقِ

If I must be devoured, then be the best of devourers;

You have burdened me with the troubles of a people I left,

otherwise, rescue me before I am torn apart.

Unless you save me from the sea I will drown,

أَكَلَّفتَنِي أَدواءَ قَومٍ تَرَكتُهُمْ

أَكَلَّفتَنِي أَدواءَ قَومٍ تَرَكتُهُمْ

وَإِلَّا تَدارَكْنِي مِنَ البَحرِ أَغرَقِ

وَإِلَّا تَدارَكْنِي مِنَ البَحرِ أَغرَقِ

Have you burdened me with the ills of a people I abandoned?

If they accuse me, help me against them,

Unless you rescue me from the sea, I shall drown.

And if they hide malice towards me, I will pour war upon them,

فَإِن يُتهِمُوا أُنجِدْ خِلافاً عَلَيهِمُ

فَإِن يُتهِمُوا أُنجِدْ خِلافاً عَلَيهِمُ

وَإِن يُعْمِنُوا مُستَحقِبي الحَربِ أُعرِقِ

وَإِن يُعْمِنُوا مُستَحقِبي الحَربِ أُعرِقِ

If they go to Tihama, I shall go to Najd, opposing them;

I am neither their master nor in any pact,

and if they go to Oman carrying war on their backs, I shall go to Iraq.

Have I guaranteed anything for them as guarantee necessitates fulfillment,

فَلا أَنا مَولاهُمْ وَلا في صَحيفَةٍ

فَلا أَنا مَولاهُمْ وَلا في صَحيفَةٍ

كَفَلتُ عَلَيهِم وَالكَفالَةُ تَعتَقي

كَفَلتُ عَلَيهِم وَالكَفالَةُ تَعتَقي

For I am not their ally, nor in any document

And my opinion of him is that he will not disturb a favour,

have I stood surety for them—and surety binds one fast.

Nor turn enemies into him with a fleeing coward,

وَظَنّي بِهِ أَن لا يُكَدِّرَ نِعمَةً

وَظَنّي بِهِ أَن لا يُكَدِّرَ نِعمَةً

وَلا يَقلِبَ الأَعداءَ مِنهُ بِمَعبَقِ

وَلا يَقلِبَ الأَعداءَ مِنهُ بِمَعبَقِ

And I expect of him that he will not mar a favor,

nor send enemies back from him with anything to seize upon.