ألا حيّ سلمى في الخليط المُفارق

ألا حيّ سلمى في الخليط المُفارق

وألمم بها أن جدَّ بين الحزائِق

وألمم بها أن جدَّ بين الحزائِق

Ah, greet Salma among the departing company,

Oh! The living Salma in the mixed departing,

and visit her, for the companies' parting has become pressing.

I gestured to her as the partitions were installed between gardens,

وما خفت منها البين حتى رأيتها

وما خفت منها البين حتى رأيتها

علا غيرها في الصبح أصوات سائِق

علا غيرها في الصبح أصوات سائِق

I did not fear separation from her until I saw her;

I did not fear separation from her until I saw her,

at dawn, a driver's cries rose above the others.

Above others in the morning voices of drivers,

تجنبن خروبا وهن جوازع

تجنبن خروبا وهن جوازع

على طيه يعدلن رمل الصعافِق

على طيه يعدلن رمل الصعافِق

They skirted Khurub as they crossed,

Avoiding the ruin while they are vital (young women),

along his course, turning toward the sands of al-Sa'afiq.

On the plateau they straighten like the sands of lightning,

سنلقاك يوماً والركاب ذواقن

سنلقاك يوماً والركاب ذواقن

بنعمان أو يلقاك يوم التحالِق

بنعمان أو يلقاك يوم التحالِق

We shall meet you one day, with the mounts bowing their heads,

We will meet you one day and the riders are desirous,

at Nu'man—or the day of head-shaving will meet you.

In Nu'man or meet you on the day of conflict,

وتشفي فؤادي نظرة من لقائها

وتشفي فؤادي نظرة من لقائها

وقلّت متاعاً من لُبانة عاشِق

وقلّت متاعاً من لُبانة عاشِق

And a glance on meeting her heals my heart,

And my heart is healed by a look from meeting her,

though it offers scant enjoyment for a lover's longing.

And lessened my belongings from an ardent lover of Labana,

ألا إن سلمى قد رمتك بسهمها

ألا إن سلمى قد رمتك بسهمها

وكيف استباء القلب من لم يناطِق

وكيف استباء القلب من لم يناطِق

Ah, Salma has indeed shot you with her arrow;

Lo! Salma has hit you with her arrow,

how did one who never conversed take the heart captive?

And how can the heart recover from one who does not speak,

تراءت لنا في جيد آدم شادنٍ

تراءت لنا في جيد آدم شادنٍ

ومنسرح وحفٍ أثيث المفارِق

ومنسرح وحفٍ أثيث المفارِق

She appeared to us with the neck of a tawny young gazelle,

She appeared to us on the neck of a well-built Adam,

and loose-flowing, luxuriant hair, thick at the partings.

With loose hair and smooth furnishings of the departing,

وتبسم عن غُرِّ الثنايا مفلج

وتبسم عن غُرِّ الثنايا مفلج

كنور الأقاحي في دماث الشقائِق

كنور الأقاحي في دماث الشقائِق

She smiles, revealing gleaming white front teeth, spaced apart,

Smiling from the intense simper like the light of poppies in the dew of anemones,

like daisy blossoms in the soft ground between dunes.

Not a blossoming garden of April is her adornment,

وما روضة وسمية رجَبيّة

وما روضة وسمية رجَبيّة

ولتها غيوث المدجنات البوارِق

ولتها غيوث المدجنات البوارِق

No meadow watered by autumn rains and Rajab's showers,

Protected by the spears of war until the flowers shook,

tended by the rains of dark clouds flashing lightning,

With the blossoming light like the flowers of pomegranates,

حمتها رماح الحرب حتى تهولت

حمتها رماح الحرب حتى تهولت

بزاهر نور مثل وشي النمارِق

بزاهر نور مثل وشي النمارِق

guarded by war's spears until it grew splendid

Better than Salma when I met her in the morning,

with radiant blossoms like the embroidery on cushions,

At the harbor’s outpouring from the garden of sweetness,

بأحسن من سلمى غداة لقيتها

بأحسن من سلمى غداة لقيتها

بمندفع الميناء من روض مأذِق

بمندفع الميناء من روض مأذِق

is lovelier than Salma on the morning I met her

As if her dimples woke up intoxicated,

at the outlet of al-Mina', in the meadows of Ma'dhiq.

From wine whose water flowed over it glittering,

كأن ثناياها اصطبحن مدامة

كأن ثناياها اصطبحن مدامة

من الخمر شنا فوقها ماء بارِق

من الخمر شنا فوقها ماء بارِق

It was as though her front teeth had drunk aged wine at dawn,

If you asked about us, Salima would tell you,

wine over which gleaming water had been poured.

When the rooms were adorned with locks,

ولو سألت عنا سليمى لخبرت

ولو سألت عنا سليمى لخبرت

إذا الحجرات زينت بالمغالِق

إذا الحجرات زينت بالمغالِق

If Sulayma asked about us, she would be told,

That we help the seeking help against the dew,

when the tent-quarters were adorned with gaming arrows,

And guard the mouth of the strained incoming,

بأنا نعين المستعين على الندى

بأنا نعين المستعين على الندى

ونحفظ ثغر المقدم المتضايِق

ونحفظ ثغر المقدم المتضايِق

that we help those seeking aid in acts of generosity,

A strange neighbor settled among us, we had not,

and guard the narrow opening at the battlefront.

But rain that grows vegetables and chicory,

وجار غريب حل فينا فلم نكن

وجار غريب حل فينا فلم نكن

له غير غيث ينبت البقل وادِق

له غير غيث ينبت البقل وادِق

For a stranger who settled among us as a protected neighbor, we were never

We were around and behind him,

anything to him but pouring rain that makes herbage grow.

And keep him safe from the calamities of disasters,

نكون له من حوله وورائه

نكون له من حوله وورائه

ونؤمنه من طارقات البوايِق

ونؤمنه من طارقات البوايِق

We stand by him, around him and behind him,

A discharged speared by our spears,

and keep him safe from calamities that strike by night.

And he thought he could not be reached,

ومستلحم قد أنفذته رماحنا

ومستلحم قد أنفذته رماحنا

وكان يظن أنه غير لاحِق

وكان يظن أنه غير لاحِق

Many a man surrounded by foes—our spears brought him through,

We blessed him but did not oblige him with our food,

though he had thought he would never rejoin his people.

When the truthful relatives failed him,

هنأنا فلم نمنن عليه طعامنا

هنأنا فلم نمنن عليه طعامنا

إذا ما نبا عنه قريب الأصادِق

إذا ما نبا عنه قريب الأصادِق

We fed him, never holding our food over him as a favor,

He remained competing with the shade of a boiling pot,

when even his nearest friend drew away from him.

The locust tree supported the flowers of the gardens,

فظل يباري ظل رأس مرجل

فظل يباري ظل رأس مرجل

وقد آزر الجرجار زهر الحدايِق

وقد آزر الجرجار زهر الحدايِق

So he spent the day keeping pace with the shadow of a cauldron's rim,

Helping a prisoner whom we unfettered,

while jarjar plants grew alongside the gardens' blossoms.

And he mixed nobly between a cheek and a shoulder,

وعانٍ كبيل قد فككنا قيوده

وعانٍ كبيل قد فككنا قيوده

وغلا نبيلا بين خدٍّ وعاتِق

وغلا نبيلا بين خدٍّ وعاتِق

Many a fettered captive—we have undone his bonds,

And oh Salm, do you know that the Lord of chaste youth,

and a massive neck-shackle between cheek and shoulder.

With good manners among the righteous creatures,

ويا سَلمُ ما أدراك أن رب فتية

ويا سَلمُ ما أدراك أن رب فتية

ذوي نيقةٍ في صالحات الخلائِق

ذوي نيقةٍ في صالحات الخلائِق

And O Salm, how could you know that many a band of youths,

When the red camels (caravans) alighted they visited each other happily,

discerning in virtuous qualities,

And they went out with the young men of the late evening walk,

إذا نزلت حمر التجار تباشروا

إذا نزلت حمر التجار تباشروا

وراحوا بفتيان العشي المخارِق

وراحوا بفتيان العشي المخارِق

rejoiced when the merchants' donkeys arrived,

They then walked the alley joking,

and went off with the evening's openhanded young men?

Dragging the cords and compatible vessels,

فأَمسوا يجرون الزقاق وبزها

فأَمسوا يجرون الزقاق وبزها

بشفع القِلاص والمخاض النوافِق

بشفع القِلاص والمخاض النوافِق

By evening they were dragging the wineskins and their cloth goods,

The sons of Khandaf knew that we,

in exchange for pairs of young she-camels and prized pregnant camels.

Were shepherds of its plains and protectors of truths,

وقد علمت أبناء خندف أننا

وقد علمت أبناء خندف أننا

رعاة قواصيها وحامو الحقائِق

رعاة قواصيها وحامو الحقائِق

The sons of Khindif know that we are

We implement its rulings and the prohibitors,

shepherds of her far-flung people, defenders of what must be protected,

And knights of dawn raids of drawn swords,

وأنا أولو أحكامها وذوو النهى

وأنا أولو أحكامها وذوو النهى

وفرسان غارات الصباح الذوالِق

وفرسان غارات الصباح الذوالِق

and that we hold her judgments and possess sound reason,

When we praise the ruins in villages,

and are horsemen of the swift dawn raids.

With the remnants of the fats of the departing beasts,

وإنا لنقري حين نحمد بالقرى

وإنا لنقري حين نحمد بالقرى

بقايا شحوم الآبيات المفارِق

بقايا شحوم الآبيات المفارِق

We indeed feed guests, when praised for hospitality,

And strike the head of the ram in the turmoil of war,

the remaining fat of stubborn she-camels that leave the herd.

Our partisans praise us in the east,

ونضرب رأس الكبش في حومة الوغى

ونضرب رأس الكبش في حومة الوغى

وتحمدنا أشياعنا في المشارِق

وتحمدنا أشياعنا في المشارِق

We strike the ram's head in the thick of battle,

And a contented two-horned ram,

and our followers praise us in the sunlit meeting places.

Whose ties were cut years ago by shearing,

ومستهنئ ذي قروتين مدفّع

ومستهنئ ذي قروتين مدفّع

برته بوارٍ من سنين عوارِق

برته بوارٍ من سنين عوارِق

And many a seeker of gifts, carrying two bowls, repeatedly rebuffed,

was worn thin by calamities from years that strip flesh from bone.