قالَت سُلَيمى أَتَنوي اليَومَ أَم تَغِلُ

قالَت سُلَيمى أَتَنوي اليَومَ أَم تَغِلُ

وَقَد يُنَسّيكَ بَعضَ الحاجَةِ العَجَلُ

وَقَد يُنَسّيكَ بَعضَ الحاجَةِ العَجَلُ

Sulayma said, “Will you stay today, or press onward?”

Sulayma said, "Do you intend to come today, or will you delay

And haste may make you forget part of your errand.

And some urgent need makes you forget?

فَقُلتُ ما أَنا مِمَّن لا يُواصِلُني

فَقُلتُ ما أَنا مِمَّن لا يُواصِلُني

وَلا ثَوائِيَ إِلّا رَيثَ أَرتَحِلُ

وَلا ثَوائِيَ إِلّا رَيثَ أَرتَحِلُ

I said: I am not for those who keep no ties with me,

I said, 'I'm not one who doesn't keep in touch,

And my stay is only until I depart.

My mounts walk only at a leisurely pace.'

أَمَّلتُ خَيرَكِ هَل تَأتي مَواعِدُهُ

أَمَّلتُ خَيرَكِ هَل تَأتي مَواعِدُهُ

فَاليَومَ قَصَّرَ عَن تِلقائِكِ الأَمَلُ

فَاليَومَ قَصَّرَ عَن تِلقائِكِ الأَمَلُ

I hoped for your kindness—will its promises come to pass?

I hoped for your goodness - would its trysts come?

So today hope has fallen short of meeting you.

Today, hope of seeing you was cut short.

وَما صَرَمتُكِ حَتّى قُلتِ مُعلَنَةً

وَما صَرَمتُكِ حَتّى قُلتِ مُعلَنَةً

لا ناقَةٌ لِيَ في هَذا وَلا جَمَلُ

لا ناقَةٌ لِيَ في هَذا وَلا جَمَلُ

And I did not break with you until you said openly,

I didn't blame you until you openly said,

“I have no she-camel in this, nor any he-camel.”

'I have no she-camel or camel for this.'

خُبِّرتُ أَنَّ الفَتى مَروانَ يوعِدُني

خُبِّرتُ أَنَّ الفَتى مَروانَ يوعِدُني

فَاِستَبقِ بَعضَ وَعيدي أَيُّها الرَجُلُ

فَاِستَبقِ بَعضَ وَعيدي أَيُّها الرَجُلُ

I was told that the young man Marwan threatens me.

I was told Marwan was threatening me,

So keep some of your threats against me in reserve, O man.

So forestall some of my threats, O man!

وَفي يَدومَ إِذا اِغبَرَّت مَناكِبُهُ

وَفي يَدومَ إِذا اِغبَرَّت مَناكِبُهُ

وَذِروَةِ الكورِ عَن مَروانَ مُعتَزَلُ

وَذِروَةِ الكورِ عَن مَروانَ مُعتَزَلُ

And in Yadum, when its shoulders grow dust-gray,

By his hands when the shoulders of his camel hunch

And on al-Kawr’s summit, there is a refuge from Marwan.

And the summit of the sand-hill, far from Marwan, slopes down,

فَكِتلَةٌ فَرُؤامٌ مِن مَساكِنِها

فَكِتلَةٌ فَرُؤامٌ مِن مَساكِنِها

فَمُنتَهى السَيلِ مِن بَنيانَ فَالحُبَلُ

فَمُنتَهى السَيلِ مِن بَنيانَ فَالحُبَلُ

Then Kitla, then Ru’am, are among her dwelling places,

A block of dwellings, vacant and crudely built

Then where the torrent from Banyan ends, then al-Hubal.

Where the torrent's end marks buildings gone to ruin.

إِنّي تَأَلَّيتُ ما يَنفَكُّ ما بَقِيَت

إِنّي تَأَلَّيتُ ما يَنفَكُّ ما بَقِيَت

مِنها عَواسِرُ في الأَقرانِ أَو عُجُلُ

مِنها عَواسِرُ في الأَقرانِ أَو عُجُلُ

Indeed, I have sworn: he shall not break away while there remain

I devised ceaselessly what will not cease

Of them unruly camels in coupling-ropes, or bereaved ones,

Of hostile clans or quick [fighters] among them.

تَأوي إِلى بَيتِها دُهمٌ مُعَوَّدَةٌ

تَأوي إِلى بَيتِها دُهمٌ مُعَوَّدَةٌ

أَن لا تَرَوَّحَ إِن لَم تَغشَها الحِلَلُ

أَن لا تَرَوَّحَ إِن لَم تَغشَها الحِلَلُ

Dark camels seeking shelter in their home, accustomed

They shelter in her abode, accustomed

Not to return at dusk unless the camp-folk throng them—

Not to pasture out unless the new moon rises.

مُغَمَّرُ العَيشِ يَأفوفٌ شَمائِلُهُ

مُغَمَّرُ العَيشِ يَأفوفٌ شَمائِلُهُ

تَأبى المَوَدَّةَ لا يُعطي وَلا يَسَلُ

تَأبى المَوَدَّةَ لا يُعطي وَلا يَسَلُ

A man of scant livelihood, a fool whose ways

Gloomy of livelihood, of forbidding mien,

Reject affection: he neither gives nor asks.

Refusing affection, neither giving nor asking.

تَدارَكَ الغَصُّ مِنها وَالعَتيقُ فَقَد

تَدارَكَ الغَصُّ مِنها وَالعَتيقُ فَقَد

لاقى المَفارِقَ مِنها وارِدٌ دَبِلُ

لاقى المَفارِقَ مِنها وارِدٌ دَبِلُ

Their fresh and old hair overlapped; for

Preserving herself from him is hardship, while abstinence

Long, matted hair had reached their crowns.

Meets rejection from her, and a suitor in distress.

صُهبٌ مَهاريسُ أَشباهٌ مُذَكَّرَةٌ

صُهبٌ مَهاريسُ أَشباهٌ مُذَكَّرَةٌ

فاتَ العَزيبَ بِها تَرعِيَّةٌ أَبِلُ

فاتَ العَزيبَ بِها تَرعِيَّةٌ أَبِلُ

Tawny, massive, alike, built like males,

Young ladies, spinsters, masculine in voice,

A skilled, camel-wise herdsman outstripped the far-roaming grazier with them.

Whose guardian, a bachelor, herds thin sheep.

فَلَستُ إِن نابَني حَقٌّ بِمُنتَكِرٍ

فَلَستُ إِن نابَني حَقٌّ بِمُنتَكِرٍ

فيهِ وَلا بَرَمٌ يَعيى بِهِ السُبُلُ

فيهِ وَلا بَرَمٌ يَعيى بِهِ السُبُلُ

So, if a rightful duty befalls me, I do not balk

So if a right of mine has evaded me regarding it

At it, nor am I a fretful man for whom the paths fail.

I am no denier nor weary of journeys.

لَسنا بِإِخوانِ أُلّافٍ يُزيلُهُمُ

لَسنا بِإِخوانِ أُلّافٍ يُزيلُهُمُ

قَولُ العَدُوِّ وَلا ذو النَملَةِ المَحِلُ

قَولُ العَدُوِّ وَلا ذو النَملَةِ المَحِلُ

We are not such loving brothers as can be driven apart

We are not brethren brought together then parted

By an enemy’s words, nor by a scheming talebearer.

By a foe's word, nor the delusions of a madman."