تَذَكَّرَ هَذا القَلبُ هِندَ بَني سَعدِ

تَذَكَّرَ هَذا القَلبُ هِندَ بَني سَعدِ

سَفاهاً وَجَهلاً ما تَذَكَّرَ مِن هِندِ

سَفاهاً وَجَهلاً ما تَذَكَّرَ مِن هِندِ

This heart remembered Hind of Banu Sa'd.

This heart remembered the tribe of Bani Sa'd

Whatever it recalled of Hind was folly and ignorance.

With foolishness and ignorance, not remembering any from India

أَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ أَنتَ موفٍ فَناظِرٌ

أَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ أَنتَ موفٍ فَناظِرٌ

إِلى آلِ هِندٍ نَظرَةً قَلَّما تُجدي

إِلى آلِ هِندٍ نَظرَةً قَلَّما تُجدي

Do you climb to a height each day, then gaze

Do you every day turn aside, looking

toward Hind’s family—a glance that seldom avails?

At the family of India with a glance that seldom avails?

تَذَكَّرتُ عَهداً كانَ بَيني وَبَينَها

تَذَكَّرتُ عَهداً كانَ بَيني وَبَينَها

قَديماً وَهَل أَبقَت لَنا الحَربُ مِن عَهدِ

قَديماً وَهَل أَبقَت لَنا الحَربُ مِن عَهدِ

I recalled a bond that was between me and her

I remembered a pact that was between me and her

long ago—and has war left us any bond?

Long ago - did the war leave any pact between us?

فَما مُغزِلٌ أَدماءُ ريعَت فَأَقبَلَت

فَما مُغزِلٌ أَدماءُ ريعَت فَأَقبَلَت

بِسالِفَةٍ كَالسَيفِ سُلَّ مِنَ الغِمدِ

بِسالِفَةٍ كَالسَيفِ سُلَّ مِنَ الغِمدِ

For no white gazelle with a fawn, startled and coming forward,

So neither spindle bloodied the meadow and approached

with a neck like a sword drawn from its sheath,

With a naked sword, drawn from the scabbard

بِأَحسَنَ مِن هِندٍ وَلا ضَوءُ مُزنَةٍ

بِأَحسَنَ مِن هِندٍ وَلا ضَوءُ مُزنَةٍ

جَلا البَرقُ عَنها في مُكَلَّلَةٍ فَردِ

جَلا البَرقُ عَنها في مُكَلَّلَةٍ فَردِ

is fairer than Hind, nor is a raincloud’s gleam,

With better than India and no radiance of adornment

unveiled by lightning in a lone, wreathed cloud.

Did lightning flash over her, wreathed in abandonment and rejection

تَضُمُّ عَلى مَضنونَةٍ فارِسِيَّةٍ

تَضُمُّ عَلى مَضنونَةٍ فارِسِيَّةٍ

ضَفائِرَ لا ضاحي القُرونَ وَلا جَعدِ

ضَفائِرَ لا ضاحي القُرونَ وَلا جَعدِ

She gathers, over a prized Persian perfume,

She clasps an embroidered Persian gown

braids of hair, neither scanty nor tightly curled.

With braids - no flowing hair or curled locks

وَتُضحي وَما ضَمَّت فُضولَ ثِيابِها

وَتُضحي وَما ضَمَّت فُضولَ ثِيابِها

إِلى كَتِفَيها بِاِئتِزارٍ وَلا عَقدِ

إِلى كَتِفَيها بِاِئتِزارٍ وَلا عَقدِ

And she spends the morning without gathering her garments’ loose folds

And she prays but has not folded the edges of her garment

to her shoulders by girding or tying.

To her shoulders with a belt or clasp

كَأَنَّ الخُزامى خالَطَت في ثِيابِها

كَأَنَّ الخُزامى خالَطَت في ثِيابِها

جَنِيّاً مِنَ الرَيحانِ أَو قُضُبِ الرَندِ

جَنِيّاً مِنَ الرَيحانِ أَو قُضُبِ الرَندِ

As though lavender had mingled in her clothes

As though aromatic plants were mixed in her clothes

with freshly gathered basil, or sprigs of laurel.

With a jinni from basil plants or stalks of nadd

وَساقَ النِعاجَ الخُنسَ بَيني وَبَينَها

وَساقَ النِعاجَ الخُنسَ بَيني وَبَينَها

بِرَعنِ إِشاءٍ كُلُّ ذي جُدَدٍ قَهدِ

بِرَعنِ إِشاءٍ كُلُّ ذي جُدَدٍ قَهدِ

And between me and her the snub-nosed wild cows were driven,

And the docile sheep led between me and her

at the spur of Isha', by every white, striped bull.

With the calling of a shepherd, all those with new offspring awake

غَدَت بِرِعالٍ في قَطاً في حُلوقِهِ

غَدَت بِرِعالٍ في قَطاً في حُلوقِهِ

أَداوى لِطافُ الطَيِّ موثَقَةُ العَقدِ

أَداوى لِطافُ الطَيِّ موثَقَةُ العَقدِ

She set out at dawn with bands amid sandgrouse, whose throats

She appeared in the evening wearing a coat with slits in it

held little waterskins, finely folded and tightly tied.

Through which peeped the delicacy of her wrists clasped with bracelets

فَلَمّا عَلا وَجهُ النَهارِ وَرَفَّعَت

فَلَمّا عَلا وَجهُ النَهارِ وَرَفَّعَت

بِهِ الطَيرُ أَصواتاً كَواعِيَةِ الجُندِ

بِهِ الطَيرُ أَصواتاً كَواعِيَةِ الجُندِ

Then, when the face of day rose high, and up rang

So when the face of day arose and the birds

the birds’ voices within it, like an army’s clamour.

Raised voices like the wailing of soldiers over it