يا رَيط هَل لي عِندَكُم نائِل

يا رَيط هَل لي عِندَكُم نائِل

أَم لا فَإِنّي مِن غَدٍ راحِلُ

أَم لا فَإِنّي مِن غَدٍ راحِلُ

O Rayt, is there any favor for me with you?

O tribe, is there a friend for me amongst you

Or not? For tomorrow I depart.

Or not, for tomorrow I shall be departing

لا يَكُ ما مَنَّيتِنا باطِلاً

لا يَكُ ما مَنَّيتِنا باطِلاً

وَشَرُّ ما عيشَ بِهِ الباطِلُ

وَشَرُّ ما عيشَ بِهِ الباطِلُ

Do not let what you promised us prove false;

Never should our wishes be in vain

and falsehood is the worst thing one lives by.

And how evil is the life of futility

أَفي لودّي فاِصرُمي أَو صِلي

أَفي لودّي فاِصرُمي أَو صِلي

أَو لِتلادي لَكمُ باذِلُ

أَو لِتلادي لَكمُ باذِلُ

Be true to my love; sever the bond or maintain it,

Shall I sever ties or keep them connected

or I freely give you of my ancestral wealth.

Or to my beloveds, how much shall I give

يا رَيط يا أُختَ بَني مالِكٍ

يا رَيط يا أُختَ بَني مالِكٍ

أَنتِ لِقَلبي شُغلٌ شاغِلُ

أَنتِ لِقَلبي شُغلٌ شاغِلُ

O Rayt, O sister of the sons of Malik,

O tribe, O sister of the sons of Malik

you are an all-consuming concern for my heart.

You are in my heart an ever-present preoccupation

إِنَّ مِلاكَ الوَصلِ أَن تَفعَلي

إِنَّ مِلاكَ الوَصلِ أَن تَفعَلي

ما قُلتِ إِنَّ المُوفيَ الفاعِلُ

ما قُلتِ إِنَّ المُوفيَ الفاعِلُ

The essence of union is that you do

To fulfill the promise of union you must do

what you said: the one who fulfills is the one who acts.

What you said, for the faithful one is the doer

دومِي عَلى الوُدِّ الَّذي بَينَنا

دومِي عَلى الوُدِّ الَّذي بَينَنا

لا يَقُلِ الهُجرَ لَنا قائِلُ

لا يَقُلِ الهُجرَ لَنا قائِلُ

Remain constant in the affection between us;

Remain constant in the love between us

let no speaker address us with foul words.

Let no sayer of separation speak to us

بِوَحي لا أَو بنعم إِنَّما

بِوَحي لا أَو بنعم إِنَّما

مَطلُكِ هَذا خَبَلٌ خابِلُ

مَطلُكِ هَذا خَبَلٌ خابِلُ

Reply swiftly, 'no' or 'yes'; for

Not by revelation or blessing, but rather

this stalling of yours is maddening confusion.

This expectation of you is a delusion

أَو أَيئِسينا إِنَّ من دونِكُم

أَو أَيئِسينا إِنَّ من دونِكُم

وَحشاً يَرى غرَّتَها الخاتِلُ

وَحشاً يَرى غرَّتَها الخاتِلُ

Or give us no hope: this side of you

Or have you despaired, for besides you

is wild game whose unguarded moment the stalker spies.

Is a wilderness that the lost one wanders

فَإِنَّ في لا أَو نعم راحَةً

فَإِنَّ في لا أَو نعم راحَةً

إِنّي لما اِستَودعتِني حامِلُ

إِنّي لما اِستَودعتِني حامِلُ

For in 'no' or 'yes' there is relief;

For in no or yes there is comfort

I bear what you have entrusted to me.

Since I entrusted it to you, expectant

لَم يَبقَ من رَيطَةَ إِلا المُنى

لَم يَبقَ من رَيطَةَ إِلا المُنى

عاجِلُها مستأخِراً آجِلُ

عاجِلُها مستأخِراً آجِلُ

Nothing remains of Rayta but hopes,

Of Rayta there remains only wishes

their soonest fulfillment delayed and far off.

That soon or late shall be fulfilled

لَيتَ الَّذي أَضمَرتُ مِن حُبِّها

لَيتَ الَّذي أَضمَرتُ مِن حُبِّها

يَنحَلُّ أَو يَنقُلُه ناقِلُ

يَنحَلُّ أَو يَنقُلُه ناقِلُ

If only the love for her that I conceal

Would that this love I harbored for her

would dissolve, or someone would carry it away.

Would dissolve or be removed by a conveyor

كُلِّفها قَلبي وَعُلِّقتُها

كُلِّفها قَلبي وَعُلِّقتُها

وَلا يُرى مِن وُدِّها طائِلُ

وَلا يُرى مِن وُدِّها طائِلُ

My heart was made to love her, and I was bound to her,

I devoted my heart and was devoted to her

yet no benefit is seen from her affection.

Yet no sign of her love can be perceived

يا أسمَ كوني حَكَماً بَينَنا

يا أسمَ كوني حَكَماً بَينَنا

عَدلاً فَإِنَّ الحَكَمَ العادِلُ

عَدلاً فَإِنَّ الحَكَمَ العادِلُ

O Asm, be an arbiter between us,

O most cherished one, be the judge between us

just—for the arbiter is the just person

With justice, for the just judge is best

مَن هوَ لا مُفشي الَّذي بَينَنا

مَن هوَ لا مُفشي الَّذي بَينَنا

يَوماً مِن الدَّهرِ وَلا باخِلُ

يَوماً مِن الدَّهرِ وَلا باخِلُ

who does not divulge what lies between us

Who is this revealer amongst us

at any time, and is not grudging.

One day in life, neither miserly nor withholding

فَلم تُثِب أُختُ بَني مالِكٍ

فَلم تُثِب أُختُ بَني مالِكٍ

وَلَم تَجُد لي بِالَّذي آمُلُ

وَلَم تَجُد لي بِالَّذي آمُلُ

Yet the sister of the sons of Malik gave no reward,

So Rayta the sister of Malik's sons

nor did she grant me what I hope for.

Did not reward me as I had hoped

لا هيَ تَجزيني بِوُدّي لَها

لا هيَ تَجزيني بِوُدّي لَها

وَلا امرؤٌ عَن ذِكرِها ذاهِلُ

وَلا امرؤٌ عَن ذِكرِها ذاهِلُ

She does not requite my love for her,

Nor did any man forget to mention her

nor is a man heedless of her memory.

His tongue is sweet and his favors well-known

لِسانُها حُلوٌ وَمعروفُها

لِسانُها حُلوٌ وَمعروفُها

حَيثُ يَحُلُّ الأَعصَمُ العاقِلُ

حَيثُ يَحُلُّ الأَعصَمُ العاقِلُ

Her tongue is sweet, but her kindness

Wherever the sensible wise man settles

lies where the white-legged ibex takes refuge.

O Rayta do you have one who is constant

يا رَيطَ هَل عِندَكُم دائِمٌ

يا رَيطَ هَل عِندَكُم دائِمٌ

إِنّي لمن واصلَني واصِلُ

إِنّي لمن واصلَني واصِلُ

O Rayt, is there anything lasting with you?

For I am faithful to those who are faithful to me

I keep my bond with whoever keeps theirs with me.

How many blamed me, O Rayta, of companion

كَم لامَني يا رَيطَ مِن صاحِبٍ

كَم لامَني يا رَيطَ مِن صاحِبٍ

فيك وَبَعضُ القَومِ لي قائِلُ

فيك وَبَعضُ القَومِ لي قائِلُ

How many friends have blamed me, O Rayt,

And some of the tribe spoke against me

over you! And some of the people speak to me.

I said to the critic, advising:

وَعاذِلٍ قُلتُ له ناصِحٍ

وَعاذِلٍ قُلتُ له ناصِحٍ

نَفسَكَ أرشد أَيُّها العاذِلُ

نَفسَكَ أرشد أَيُّها العاذِلُ

And to an advising reprover I said:

Guide your own soul first, O you who find fault

'Guide yourself aright, O reprover.'

He said to me, how can you desire a man

فَقالَ لي كَيفَ تصابي امرئٍ

فَقالَ لي كَيفَ تصابي امرئٍ

وَالشَّيبُ في مَفرِقِهِ شامِلُ

وَالشَّيبُ في مَفرِقِهِ شامِلُ

He said to me, 'How can a man behave like a lovestruck youth

When grey hair covers his temples

when gray hair covers the parting of his head?'

If you had known Rayta intimately

رَيطَةُ لَو كُنتَ بِها خابِراً

رَيطَةُ لَو كُنتَ بِها خابِراً

آنِسَةٌ مجلِسُها آهِلُ

آنِسَةٌ مجلِسُها آهِلُ

Rayta—if you knew her—

Her company's gathering would be lively

is a sociable woman, her gathering well attended.

Like the light of al-Washsha none shot at her

مِثلُ نوارِ الوَحشِ لَم يَرمِها

مِثلُ نوارِ الوَحشِ لَم يَرمِها

رامٍ مِن الناسِ وَلا حابِلُ

رامٍ مِن الناسِ وَلا حابِلُ

Like shy wild game that neither

Of men nor did any rope pull her

a human archer nor a trapper has struck;

Like the fleeing Maha of the sands in confusion

مِثلُ مَهاةِ الرَّملِ في رَبرَبٍ

مِثلُ مَهاةِ الرَّملِ في رَبرَبٍ

يَتبَعُها ذو جُدَّةٍ خاذِلُ

يَتبَعُها ذو جُدَّةٍ خاذِلُ

like an oryx cow of the sands amid a herd,

Pursued by the noble and glorious

followed by a striped one keeping apart from the herd.

A free woman whom the protector befriends

أَصيلَةٌ يألفُها ذو الحِجى

أَصيلَةٌ يألفُها ذو الحِجى

وَيَتَّقيها البَرَمُ الجاهِلُ

وَيَتَّقيها البَرَمُ الجاهِلُ

She is noble-born; the discerning find her company congenial,

And the ignorant fool avoids

while the ignorant miser avoids her.

Every evening they have a visitor

في كُلِّ مُمسى منهم زائِرٌ

في كُلِّ مُمسى منهم زائِرٌ

لا شَنأُ الوَجهِ وَلا عاطِلُ

لا شَنأُ الوَجهِ وَلا عاطِلُ

Each evening a visitor from among them is there,

No cheerless face nor inactive one

neither ugly-faced nor unadorned.

The half-blind Aṣram roams about her

يَعتَسِفُ الأَصرَمُ مِن دونِها

يَعتَسِفُ الأَصرَمُ مِن دونِها

أَغبرَ مَرهوبَ الرَّدى ماحِلُ

أَغبرَ مَرهوبَ الرَّدى ماحِلُ

The destitute traveler crosses, before reaching her,

More dusty, banned, and disgraced

a dust-gray, barren waste where death is feared.

What if Rayta eluded you

هَل أَنتَ إِن رَيطَةُ شَطَّت بِها

هَل أَنتَ إِن رَيطَةُ شَطَّت بِها

عَنكَ النَّوى مِن سَقَمٍ وائِلُ

عَنكَ النَّوى مِن سَقَمٍ وائِلُ

Will you, if Rayta is borne far away

And the settled love for her failed you

from you by separation, find escape from sickness?

More desolate than Rayta I would become

أَقفرَ مِن رَيطَةَ جَنبا مِنّي

أَقفرَ مِن رَيطَةَ جَنبا مِنّي

فالجِزعُ مِن مَكَّةَ فالساحِلُ

فالجِزعُ مِن مَكَّةَ فالساحِلُ

Both sides of Mina have become deserted of Rayta,

Then my passion lost after her absence

then Mecca's valley bend, then the coast,

And all worldly joys she has

إلا رُسوماً قَد عَفا آيُها

إلا رُسوماً قَد عَفا آيُها

مَعروفُها مُلتَبِدٌ ناحِلُ

مَعروفُها مُلتَبِدٌ ناحِلُ

save for traces whose signs have faded,

Are exposed to their people and fleeting

their familiar marks flattened and worn thin.

No - by Him whom longingly goes to His house

كَأَنَّ دارَ الحَيِّ لَمّا خَلَت

كَأَنَّ دارَ الحَيِّ لَمّا خَلَت

غَربَل أَعلى تُربِها ناخِلُ

غَربَل أَعلى تُربِها ناخِلُ

As though, when the tribe's dwelling fell empty,

From every steep path, forbidden, descending

a sifter had sieved the top of its soil.

I have no inner knowledge of her

من نَسجِ ريحٍ درجَت فوقَها

من نَسجِ ريحٍ درجَت فوقَها

جالَ عليها تُربُها الجائِلُ

جالَ عليها تُربُها الجائِلُ

From the weaving of a wind that passed above it,

Though her love has entered and filled me

its drifting dust swirled across it.

Can her abode be reached if we come

بَينَ جَنوبٍ وَصَباً تَغتَدي

بَينَ جَنوبٍ وَصَباً تَغتَدي

طاوَعَها ذو لَجبٍ هاطِلُ

طاوَعَها ذو لَجبٍ هاطِلُ

Between a south wind and an east wind rising at dawn,

Led by the guessers of secrets who roam

a thunderous raincloud poured down in concert with it.

A white oryx you can see its elbow

كَأَنَّما الوَحشُ بِها خِلفَةً

كَأَنَّما الوَحشُ بِها خِلفَةً

بَعدَ الأَنيسِ النعَمُ الهامِلُ

بَعدَ الأَنيسِ النعَمُ الهامِلُ

As though the wild beasts there, taking their turn

As if a butcher is slaughtering and skinning it

after human company, were livestock left untended.

O Rayta, O Rayta, have you not been told of us

وَقَد أراها وَبِها سامِرٌ

وَقَد أراها وَبِها سامِرٌ

منهُم وَجُردُ الخَيلِ وَالجامِلُ

منهُم وَجُردُ الخَيلِ وَالجامِلُ

I once saw it with an evening gathering

While the asker praises us

of their people, sleek horses, and a herd of camels.

The neighbor, the confidante, the loyal

تَغَيَّرَت رَيطَةُ عَن عَهدِنا

تَغَيَّرَت رَيطَةُ عَن عَهدِنا

وَغالَ وُدّي بَعدَها غائِلُ

وَغالَ وُدّي بَعدَها غائِلُ

Rayta has changed since our old acquaintance,

Our favors and the other settling

and a destroyer assailed my love after her departure.

If you ask about us, you'll be told leaders

وَكُلُّ دُنيا وَنَعيمٍ لَها

وَكُلُّ دُنيا وَنَعيمٍ لَها

مُنكَشِفٌ عَن أَهلِهِ زائِلُ

مُنكَشِفٌ عَن أَهلِهِ زائِلُ

All worldly life and its pleasures

Among whom are the sweet and the excellent

are withdrawn from their possessors and pass away.

We prepare for the guests the fat of ostriches

لا وَالَّذي يَهوى إِلى بَيتِهِ

لا وَالَّذي يَهوى إِلى بَيتِهِ

مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ محرِمٌ ناحِلُ

مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ محرِمٌ ناحِلُ

No—by Him toward whose House hastens

For some come and some take

from every pass a lean, consecrated pilgrim,

We are the Beni Shaddad, none can reproach them

ما ليَ مِن عِلمٍ بِها باطِنٍ

ما ليَ مِن عِلمٍ بِها باطِنٍ

وَقَد بَراني حُبُّها الداخِلُ

وَقَد بَراني حُبُّها الداخِلُ

I have no intimate knowledge of her,

Neither horseman nor foot soldier

though love for her within has worn me away.

The enemies warned each other of our onslaught

هَل يُبلِغَنّي دارَها إِن نأَت

هَل يُبلِغَنّي دارَها إِن نأَت

أَغلَبُ خَطّارُ السُّرى ذائِلُ

أَغلَبُ خَطّارُ السُّرى ذائِلُ

Will I be carried to her home, if it lies far away,

Their horseman and their footman

by a thick-necked, long-tailed camel striding through the night,

Our horses in the valley are combed

ناجٍ تَرى المِرفَقَ عَن زَورِه

ناجٍ تَرى المِرفَقَ عَن زَورِه

كَأَنَّما يَفتِلُه فاتِلُ

كَأَنَّما يَفتِلُه فاتِلُ

a swift one, whose elbow you see held away from its chest,

Like the Sa'alik and the emaciated Qana

as though someone were twisting it away?

We ready them if a group attacks us

يا رَيطَ يا رَيطَ أَلَم تُخبَري

يا رَيطَ يا رَيطَ أَلَم تُخبَري

عَنّا وَقَد يَحمِدُنا السائِلُ

عَنّا وَقَد يَحمِدُنا السائِلُ

O Rayt, O Rayt, have you not been told

Or war befalls us with its afflictions

about us? The petitioner indeed praises us,

In each assembled troop of its horsemen

وَالجارُ وَالمختَبِطُ المُعتَفي

وَالجارُ وَالمختَبِطُ المُعتَفي

مَعروفَنا وَالآخَرُ النازِلُ

مَعروفَنا وَالآخَرُ النازِلُ

and the neighbor, and the supplicant seeking

Are warriors and heroes inclined

our bounty, and the other guest who alights.

They race with the brave towards the fray

إِن تَسألي عَنّا يَقُل سادَةٌ

إِن تَسألي عَنّا يَقُل سادَةٌ

فيهِم حلومٌ وَندىً فاضِلُ

فيهِم حلومٌ وَندىً فاضِلُ

If you ask about us, one will say: 'Lords

Their ambition honor which accepts all

with sound judgment and surpassing generosity.'

Bent-necked, they challenge the battlefield

نُهينُ لِلضِّيفانِ شَحمَ الذُّرى

نُهينُ لِلضِّيفانِ شَحمَ الذُّرى

فَمِنهُمُ الوارِدُ وَالناهِلُ

فَمِنهُمُ الوارِدُ وَالناهِلُ

For guests we freely expend the fat of camel humps;

Their meat emaciated like the Maghali

among them are those coming to drink and those who have drunk.

They emerge from Akdur's valley

نَحنُ بَنو الشَّدَّاخِ لَم يَعلُهم

نَحنُ بَنو الشَّدَّاخِ لَم يَعلُهم

حافٍ مِن الناسِ وَلا ناعِلُ

حافٍ مِن الناسِ وَلا ناعِلُ

We are the sons of al-Shaddakh, never surpassed

Driven by the rain to Wadi Qatta

by any man, barefoot or shod.

With each elder and young champion

تَناذَرَ الأَعداءُ إِيقاعَنا

تَناذَرَ الأَعداءُ إِيقاعَنا

فارِسُهُم وَالآخرُ الرَّاجِلُ

فارِسُهُم وَالآخرُ الرَّاجِلُ

Enemies warn each other of our onslaught,

The hero wards him off with courage

their horseman and their other man on foot.

With his palms he irrigates the next morn the fray

خُيولُنا بالسَّهلِ مَشطونَةً

خُيولُنا بالسَّهلِ مَشطونَةً

مِثلُ السَّعالي وَالقَنا الذابِلُ

مِثلُ السَّعالي وَالقَنا الذابِلُ

Our horses are tethered on the plain,

The chest of the spearpoint and its worker

like she-ghouls and slender spear-shafts.

Most stunning is the warrior with spear thrice bent

نُعِدُّها إِن كادَنا مَعشَرٌ

نُعِدُّها إِن كادَنا مَعشَرٌ

أَو نزلت حَربٌ بِنا حائِلُ

أَو نزلت حَربٌ بِنا حائِلُ

We ready them if a tribe plots against us,

With it the coats of mail are ripped and torn

or a fierce war descends upon us.

في كُلِّ ملتَفّ لفرسانِها

في كُلِّ ملتَفّ لفرسانِها

مِنهم عَقيرٌ وَفَتىً مائِلُ

مِنهم عَقيرٌ وَفَتىً مائِلُ

In every close-packed clash of their riders,

one of them is cut down, and a young man topples.

يَعدونَ بالأَبطالِ نَحوَ الوَغى

يَعدونَ بالأَبطالِ نَحوَ الوَغى

وَهَمُّهُنَّ الشَّرَفُ القابِلُ

وَهَمُّهُنَّ الشَّرَفُ القابِلُ

They gallop, bearing champions toward the battle din,

their goal the high ground ahead.

عوجٌ عناجِيجُ تُباري الوَغى

عوجٌ عناجِيجُ تُباري الوَغى

مِثلُ المَغالي لَحمُها ذابِلُ

مِثلُ المَغالي لَحمُها ذابِلُ

Curved-ribbed, fleet steeds that vie with battle's din,

like far-shot arrows, their flesh lean.

يَخرُجنَ من أَكدَرَ مُعصَوصِبٍ

يَخرُجنَ من أَكدَرَ مُعصَوصِبٍ

وردَ القَطا يَحفِزُها الوابِلُ

وردَ القَطا يَحفِزُها الوابِلُ

They emerge from a dark, tightly packed mass,

like sandgrouse coming to water, driven by heavy rain,

بِكُلِّ كَهلٍ وَفَتىً نَجدَةٍ

بِكُلِّ كَهلٍ وَفَتىً نَجدَةٍ

يَصُدُّ عَنهُ البَطَلُ الباسِلُ

يَصُدُّ عَنهُ البَطَلُ الباسِلُ

bearing every seasoned man and courageous youth,

from whom the fierce champion recoils.

يُروي بكفيهِ غَداةَ الوَغى

يُروي بكفيهِ غَداةَ الوَغى

صَدرَ سِنانِ الرُّمحِ وَالعامِلِ

صَدرَ سِنانِ الرُّمحِ وَالعامِلِ

With both hands, on the morning of battle, he drenches

the spearhead's point and its upper shaft.

أَروَعُ واري الزَّندِ ذو مِرَّةٍ

أَروَعُ واري الزَّندِ ذو مِرَّةٍ

تَشقَى بِهِ المُتليَةُ البازِلُ

تَشقَى بِهِ المُتليَةُ البازِلُ

Awe-inspiring, with a spark-giving fire-stick, possessed of strength,

the mature she-camel with a following calf suffers at his hands.