أَلَمَّ بِصُحبَتي وَهُم هُجودٌ

أَلَمَّ بِصُحبَتي وَهُم هُجودٌ

خَيالٌ طارِق ٌ مِن أُمِّ حصن

خَيالٌ طارِق ٌ مِن أُمِّ حصن

There came upon my companions, while they slept,

My phantoms visited while my friends slept,

a night-visiting vision of Umm Hisn.

An apparition came from Umm al-Husn.

أَلَم تَرَها تُريكَ غَداةَ قامَت

أَلَم تَرَها تُريكَ غَداةَ قامَت

بِمِلءِ العَينِ مِن كَرَمٍ وَحُسنِ

بِمِلءِ العَينِ مِن كَرَمٍ وَحُسنِ

Did you not see her, showing you, the morning she rose,

Did you not see her appear to you at dawn

nobility and beauty that filled the eye?

With eyes full of generosity and beauty?

سُقَيّت بَينَ أَنهارٍ ووَدورٍ

سُقَيّت بَينَ أَنهارٍ ووَدورٍ

وَزَرعٍ ثابِتٍ وَكُرومَ جَفنِ

وَزَرعٍ ثابِتٍ وَكُرومَ جَفنِ

She was watered amid rivers and dwellings,

She was nourished among rivers and valleys,

and firmly rooted crops and grapevines.

And lasting crops and folded vineyards.

لَها ما تَشتَهي عَسَلٌ مُصَفّى

لَها ما تَشتَهي عَسَلٌ مُصَفّى

إِذا شاءَت وَحُوّاري بِسَمنِ

إِذا شاءَت وَحُوّاري بِسَمنِ

She has whatever she desires: strained honey,

She has whatever she desires, filtered honey

whenever she wishes, and white bread with clarified butter.

When she wants, and maidens with oils,

فَأَعطَت كُلَّما سُئِلَت شَباباً

فَأَعطَت كُلَّما سُئِلَت شَباباً

فَانبتها نَباتاً غَيرَ جَحنِ

فَانبتها نَباتاً غَيرَ جَحنِ

So in her youth she gave whenever she was asked,

She gave whenever asked, youth,

and was made to grow without being stunted.

Sprouting plants unlike any withered ones.

فَقُلتُ كَيفَ صادَتني سُلَيمى

فَقُلتُ كَيفَ صادَتني سُلَيمى

وَلَمّا أَرمِها حَتّى رَمَتني

وَلَمّا أَرمِها حَتّى رَمَتني

I said, 'How did Sulayma ensnare me,

So I said, how did Sulayma ensnare me,

when I had not shot at her before she shot me?'

Without my seeing her until she shot me?

كَنودٌ لا تَمُنُّ وَلا تُفادي

كَنودٌ لا تَمُنُّ وَلا تُفادي

إِذا عَلِقَت حَبائِلُها بِرَهنِ

إِذا عَلِقَت حَبائِلُها بِرَهنِ

Ungrateful, she neither grants release nor takes ransom

She is an idol that does not refuse or avoid,

once her snares have caught a hostage.

When her ropes are tied to the neck.

وَقُلتُ لِصحبَتي ماذا دَهاها

وَقُلتُ لِصحبَتي ماذا دَهاها

إِذا شَعثٍ وَاِنضاءِ يُمني

إِذا شَعثٍ وَاِنضاءِ يُمني

I said to my companions, 'What has befallen them,

I said to my friends, what made her crazed,

when dishevelment and exhaustion afflict them?'

Disheveled, with a right hand dyed red?

خَفِيّاتُ الشُخوصِ وَهُنَّ عيس

خَفِيّاتُ الشُخوصِ وَهُنَّ عيس

كَأَنَّ جُلودَهُنَّ ثِيابُ مَرنِ

كَأَنَّ جُلودَهُنَّ ثِيابُ مَرنِ

Their outlines scarcely visible, they are pale camels,

Mysterious in their attributes, yet they are docile,

as though their hides were garments of supple leather.

As if their skins are silken garments.

خَرَجنَ مِنَ الخُوارِ وَعُدنَ فيهِ

خَرَجنَ مِنَ الخُوارِ وَعُدنَ فيهِ

وَقَد وازَنَّ مِن أَجلي بَرَعنِ

وَقَد وازَنَّ مِن أَجلي بَرَعنِ

They left al-Khuwar and returned to it,

They left the monastery and returned to it,

having, for my sake, kept abreast of a mountain ridge.

After equating me to the highest monk.

أَلا يا لَيتَني حَجَرٌ بِوادٍ

أَلا يا لَيتَني حَجَرٌ بِوادٍ

أَقامَ وَلَيتَ أُمي لَم تَلِدني

أَقامَ وَلَيتَ أُمي لَم تَلِدني

Ah, would that I were a stone in a valley,

Oh, would that I were a rock in a valley

settled there; would that my mother had never borne me!

That stayed put! Would that my mother had not birthed me!

أَلا يا حادِ وَيحَكَ لا تَلُمني

أَلا يا حادِ وَيحَكَ لا تَلُمني

وَنَفسُكَ لا تُضَيِّعُها وَدَعني

وَنَفسُكَ لا تُضَيِّعُها وَدَعني

Ah, camel-driver, woe to you—do not blame me.

Oh guide, enough! Do not blame me!

Do not squander your own life, and leave me be.

And do not ruin yourself, leave me be!

فَإِنّي قَد لَبِستُ العيشَ حَتّى

فَإِنّي قَد لَبِستُ العيشَ حَتّى

مَلَلتُ مِنَ الحَياةِ فَقُلتُ قدني

مَلَلتُ مِنَ الحَياةِ فَقُلتُ قدني

For I have worn life until

For I have worn out life until

I tired of living and said, 'Enough for me!'

I grew weary of living, so I said, "Finish me!"

وَلاقَيتُ الخُيورَ وَأَخطَأَتني

وَلاقَيتُ الخُيورَ وَأَخطَأَتني

شُرورٌ جَمَّةٌ وَعَلَوتُ قِرني

شُرورٌ جَمَّةٌ وَعَلَوتُ قِرني

I have met with good fortune and escaped

I met disasters and they went wrong against me,

many evils, and have overcome my rival.

Accumulated evils that rose over my peak.

يَلومُ أَخي عَلى إِهلاكِ مالي

يَلومُ أَخي عَلى إِهلاكِ مالي

وَما إِن غالَهُ ظَهري وَبَطني

وَما إِن غالَهُ ظَهري وَبَطني

My brother blames me for consuming my wealth,

My brother blames me for wasting my money,

yet neither my back nor my belly consumed it.

But it did not go down my throat or into my belly.

وَلا ضَيَّعتُهُ فَألام فيها

وَلا ضَيَّعتُهُ فَألام فيها

فَإِنَّ ضَياعَ مالِكَ غَيرُ مَعنِ

فَإِنَّ ضَياعَ مالِكَ غَيرُ مَعنِ

Nor did I squander it, to deserve blame for that;

Nor did I squander it, so do not blame me,

for wasting your wealth is no trivial matter.

For wasting your money brings no benefit.

وَلَكِن كُلَّ مُختَبِطٍ فَقيرٍ

وَلَكِن كُلَّ مُختَبِطٍ فَقيرٍ

يَقولُ أَلا اِستَمِع أُنبِئكَ شَأني

يَقولُ أَلا اِستَمِع أُنبِئكَ شَأني

But every poor supplicant

Rather, every destitute leech will say,

says, 'Now listen; let me tell you my plight';

"Listen, let me tell you of my plight!"

وَمِسكنٌ وَأَعمى قالَ يوماً

وَمِسكنٌ وَأَعمى قالَ يوماً

أَغِثني لِلآلِهِ وَلا تَدَعَني

أَغِثني لِلآلِهِ وَلا تَدَعَني

and a destitute man and a blind man once said,

A blind beggar once said,

'Help me, for God's sake, and do not abandon me.'

"Help me, for God's sake, do not leave me!"

وَإِعطائي ذوي الأَرحامِ مِنهُ

وَإِعطائي ذوي الأَرحامِ مِنهُ

وَتَوسيعي لِذي عَجزٍ وَضَفنِ

وَتَوسيعي لِذي عَجزٍ وَضَفنِ

And my giving my kinsfolk a share of it,

Giving to relatives,

and my providing amply for one weak and burdened with dependents.

And being generous to the frail and poor,

أَقي حَسبي بِهِ وَيَعِزُّ عِرضي

أَقي حَسبي بِهِ وَيَعِزُّ عِرضي

عَلَيَّ إِذا الحَفيظَةُ أَدرَكَتني

عَلَيَّ إِذا الحَفيظَةُ أَدرَكَتني

With it I shield my good name; my honor is dear

I protect my reputation through this, and preserve my honor

to me when indignation overtakes me.

From me when the record keepers come for me.

وَأَعلَمُ أَن سَتُدرِكُني المَنايا

وَأَعلَمُ أَن سَتُدرِكُني المَنايا

فَإِن لا اِتَّبَعَها تَتَّبِعني

فَإِن لا اِتَّبَعَها تَتَّبِعني

And I know that death will overtake me:

And I know the Destroyer will come for me,

if I do not pursue it, it will pursue me.

For if I do not follow, it will pursue me.

رَأَيتُ المانِعينَ المالَ يَوماً

رَأَيتُ المانِعينَ المالَ يَوماً

مَصيرُهُم لالقاء فَدَفنِ

مَصيرُهُم لالقاء فَدَفنِ

I have seen those who withhold their wealth: one day

I saw those who hoard wealth one day,

their end is to be cast down, then buried.

Their fate is to meet burial.