يا قَلبِ جَدَّد كَمَدا

يا قَلبِ جَدَّد كَمَدا

فَمَوعِدُ البينِ غَدا

فَمَوعِدُ البينِ غَدا

O heart, renew your grief;

O heart, renew your resolve,

for parting is appointed for tomorrow.

For the tryst with the beloved is tomorrow.

لَم أَرَ فَرقاً بَعدَهُم

لَم أَرَ فَرقاً بَعدَهُم

بَينَ الفِراقِ وَالرَدى

بَينَ الفِراقِ وَالرَدى

After them, I have seen no difference

Since they left, I see no difference

between separation and death.

Between parting and perdition.

يا زَفرَةً هَيَّجَها

يا زَفرَةً هَيَّجَها

حادٍ مِنَ الغَورِ حَدا

حادٍ مِنَ الغَورِ حَدا

O sigh, stirred up

O sigh, stirred up

by a chanting camel-driver from al-Ghawr!

By one who called from the depths!

أَغنى زَفيرُ العاشِقَي

أَغنى زَفيرُ العاشِقَي

نَ عيسَهُ عَنِ الحُدا

نَ عيسَهُ عَنِ الحُدا

The lovers' sighs spared

The lover's sighing avails him

his pale camels the driver's chant.

More than Jesus revived the dead.

أَرعى الحُمولَ ناظِراً

أَرعى الحُمولَ ناظِراً

وَأُلزِمُ القَلبَ يَدا

وَأُلزِمُ القَلبَ يَدا

I watch the laden camels with my gaze,

I shepherd the anxieties while compelling my heart to comply,

and hold a hand against my heart.

And chase after their traces though they cannot be chased.

وَأَطرُدُ الطَرفَ عَلى

وَأَطرُدُ الطَرفَ عَلى

آثارِهِم ما اِنطَرَدا

آثارِهِم ما اِنطَرَدا

I send my gaze onward along

Since they lit in my ribs

their tracks, as far as it will go.

The embers of passion, those embers have not died down.

مُذ أَوقَدوا بِأَضلُعي

مُذ أَوقَدوا بِأَضلُعي

جَمرَ الغَضا ما خَمَدا

جَمرَ الغَضا ما خَمَدا

Since they kindled within my ribs

And since they melted the water of my eyes with sorrow,

ghada embers, they have never died.

That water has not frozen over.

وَمُذ أَذابوا ماءَ عَي

وَمُذ أَذابوا ماءَ عَي

ني بِالأَسى ما جَمَدا

ني بِالأَسى ما جَمَدا

And since they melted the water of my

O would that I see a need

eye with sorrow, it has never congealed.

That stiffens resolution and determination!

يا هَل أَرى مِن حاجَةٍ

يا هَل أَرى مِن حاجَةٍ

حَقِفَ النَقا وَالجَمُدا

حَقِفَ النَقا وَالجَمُدا

Ah, shall I ever have cause to see

And where the sands have flowed

al-Naqa's curved dune and al-Jamud,

From their water-bags and solidified!

وَحَيثُ سالَ الرَملُ عَن

وَحَيثُ سالَ الرَملُ عَن

جَرعائِهِ وَاِنعَقَدا

جَرعائِهِ وَاِنعَقَدا

and where the sand flowed from

Shall I return, following a caravan of salvation,

its sandy plain and gathered into heaps?

Walking the swaying gait of the camel,

وَهَل أُعيدُ ناظِراً

وَهَل أُعيدُ ناظِراً

يَتبَعُ سِرباً مُنجِدا

يَتبَعُ سِرباً مُنجِدا

And shall I again turn a gaze

Whether loaded or unloaded?

following a herd bound for Najd?

Shall some caller call out to me

يَمشينَ هَزّاتِ القَنا

يَمشينَ هَزّاتِ القَنا

مالَ وَما تَحَصَّدا

مالَ وَما تَحَصَّدا

They walk with the sway of spear-shafts,

Of that graceful gazelle?

bending, yet never cut down.

He has not strayed from me―rather,

هَل ناشِدٌ يَنشُدُ لي

هَل ناشِدٌ يَنشُدُ لي

ذاكَ الغَزالَ الأَغيَدا

ذاكَ الغَزالَ الأَغيَدا

Is there a seeker to search out for me

My heart has strayed after him.

that graceful gazelle?

I pledged my heart to him, and whoever

ما ضَلَّ عَنّي إِنَّما

ما ضَلَّ عَنّي إِنَّما

ضَلَّ بِقَلبي كَمَدا

ضَلَّ بِقَلبي كَمَدا

He has not strayed from me; rather,

Pledges his heart never regains it.

he has strayed off with my heart in grief.

O you who fulfil your promise

رَهَنتُهُ قَلبي وَمَن

رَهَنتُهُ قَلبي وَمَن

يَرهُنُ قَلباً أَبَدا

يَرهُنُ قَلباً أَبَدا

I pledged him my heart—and who

And whose long absence fulfils no promise!

would ever pledge a heart?

I see you closer to me

يا مُنجِزاً وَعيدَهُ

يا مُنجِزاً وَعيدَهُ

وَما طِلاً ما وَعَدا

وَما طِلاً ما وَعَدا

O you who fulfills his threat,

Though you are further away.

yet delays what he promised!

You have tortured my heart beyond endurance,

أَراكَ مِنّي أَقرَباً

أَراكَ مِنّي أَقرَباً

وَإِن غَدَوتَ أَبعَدا

وَإِن غَدَوتَ أَبعَدا

I see you closer to me,

Yet the eyes, not the heart, betrayed me.

though you have grown more distant.

How often has an intimacy grown cold

عَذَّبتَ قَلبي عَنَتاً

عَذَّبتَ قَلبي عَنَتاً

وَالطَرفُ لا القَلبُ بَدا

وَالطَرفُ لا القَلبُ بَدا

You tormented my heart cruelly,

For one whose intimacy did not grow cold!

yet the eye, not the heart, began it.

O burn my heart, for it was watered

رُبَّ ثَنايا بَرَدَت

رُبَّ ثَنايا بَرَدَت

لِذي جَوىً ما بَرَدا

لِذي جَوىً ما بَرَدا

Many a set of front teeth has been cool

By their coldest acts of disapproval!

to a lover whose ardor never cooled.

It does not know if it has tasted thereby

يا حَرَّ قَلبي مَن سُقي

يا حَرَّ قَلبي مَن سُقي

رُضابَهُنَّ الأَبرَدا

رُضابَهُنَّ الأَبرَدا

Ah, my heart's heat! Whoever is given

Hot embers or icy cold.

their ice-cold saliva to drink

O my liver, be patient

لَم يَدرِ هَل ذاقَ بِها

لَم يَدرِ هَل ذاقَ بِها

جَمرَ غَضاً أَو بَرَدا

جَمرَ غَضاً أَو بَرَدا

cannot tell whether through them he tasted

For I cannot endure patience.

ghada embers or hail.

May a heart shepherd me that has found

يا كَبِدي تَجَلُّداً

يا كَبِدي تَجَلُّداً

فَما أُطيقُ الجَلَدا

فَما أُطيقُ الجَلَدا

O my liver, endure,

Many stumblers and strugglers astray.

for I have no strength to endure.

And who has loaded the unguided pilgrim

عَسى فُؤادٌ يَرعَوي

عَسى فُؤادٌ يَرعَوي

رُبَّ مُضِلٍّ وَجَدا

رُبَّ مُضِلٍّ وَجَدا

Perhaps a heart will come to its senses;

With burdens but not provisions.

many a man who lost something found it,

If I do not find anything but

وَحَمَّلَ الحاجَ الرَما

وَحَمَّلَ الحاجَ الرَما

حَ لا الأَمونَ الجَلعَدا

حَ لا الأَمونَ الجَلعَدا

and entrusted his needs to spears,

Humiliation wherever I alight,

not to a trusty, sturdy she-camel.

I would doctor my liver

إِنّي إِذا ما لَم أَجِد

إِنّي إِذا ما لَم أَجِد

إِلّا الهَوانَ مَورِدا

إِلّا الهَوانَ مَورِدا

Indeed, when I find

If only they had left me a liver!

no watering place but humiliation,

Leave old age its due from me―

كُنتُ أُداوي كَبِدي

كُنتُ أُداوي كَبِدي

لَو غادَروا لي كَبِدا

لَو غادَروا لي كَبِدا

I would soothe my liver,

For in my eyes, it has a helping hand―

if they had left me a liver.

Having freed itself from the shackles of passion

دَع لِلمَشيبِ ذِمَّةً

دَع لِلمَشيبِ ذِمَّةً

إِنَّ لَهُ عِندي يَدا

إِنَّ لَهُ عِندي يَدا

Grant gray hair its due respect;

Abased and worshipped.

for it has done me a kindness.

Yet my passion is but to see

أَعتَقَ مِن رِقِّ الهَوى

أَعتَقَ مِن رِقِّ الهَوى

مُذَلَّلاً مُعَبَّدا

مُذَلَّلاً مُعَبَّدا

It freed from the bondage of love

The color of my reproachers turned black,

one humbled and enslaved.

After whiteness and pallor have passed

لَكِن هَوىً لي أَن أَرى

لَكِن هَوىً لي أَن أَرى

لَونَ عِذاري أَسوَدا

لَونَ عِذاري أَسوَدا

Yet I still long to see

Over them, motley and faded.

the color of my cheek-hair black.

The cold has not withered me, else

مَرَّ البَياضانِ عَلي

مَرَّ البَياضانِ عَلي

هِ شائِباً وَأَمرَدا

هِ شائِباً وَأَمرَدا

The two whitenesses passed over it,

It would have changed and renewed me!

in gray-haired age and beardless youth.

Were it not for your charges, I would not

ما أَشلَقَ البُردَ فَلَم

ما أَشلَقَ البُردَ فَلَم

بَدَّلَ لي وَجَدَّدا

بَدَّلَ لي وَجَدَّدا

The cloak had not worn out—why, then,

Give the times my halter.

was it replaced for me and renewed?

Nor incline my neck

لَولا تَكاليفُكَ لَم

لَولا تَكاليفُكَ لَم

أُعطِ الزَمانَ مِقوَدا

أُعطِ الزَمانَ مِقوَدا

Were it not for the burdens you impose,

To the nights as game.

I would not have given Time a rein,

An innate disposition, from a hero

وَلا ثَنَيتُ عُنقي

وَلا ثَنَيتُ عُنقي

إِلى اللَيالي صَيدا

إِلى اللَيالي صَيدا

nor bent my neck

Who kept to what he was wont.

to the nights as prey.

He swore allegiance to the horizons of the spear

سَجِيَّةٌ مِن بَطَلٍ

سَجِيَّةٌ مِن بَطَلٍ

لازَمَ ما تَعَوَّدا

لازَمَ ما تَعَوَّدا

Such is the nature of a hero

And knotted the lote-tree.

who holds fast to his accustomed ways.

I took counsel with a stubborn heart,

بايَعَ أَطرافَ القَنا

بايَعَ أَطرافَ القَنا

وَعاقَدَ المُهَنَّدا

وَعاقَدَ المُهَنَّدا

He swore allegiance to the spear-points

And it said to me: “Do not yield!”

and made a pact with the Indian blade.

For I am of a folk who have surpassed

شاوَرتُ قَلباً آبِياً

شاوَرتُ قَلباً آبِياً

فَقالَ لي لا تَرِدا

فَقالَ لي لا تَرِدا

I consulted a defiant heart,

In glory and bounty the farthest end;

and it told me, 'Do not drink there.'

Valiant, when the transgressor transgresses,

إِنّي لِقَومٍ بَعُدوا

إِنّي لِقَومٍ بَعُدوا

في المَجدِ وَالجودِ مَدى

في المَجدِ وَالجودِ مَدى

I belong to a people who have reached

Noble, when the generous gives.

far in glory and generosity:

They branched out the lofty peak

شَوسٍ إِذا الباغي بَغى

شَوسٍ إِذا الباغي بَغى

سُمحٍ إِذا الجادي جَدا

سُمحٍ إِذا الجادي جَدا

fierce when an aggressor oversteps,

And the craggy mountain.

generous when a petitioner asks.

Their glory is more ancient

تَفَرَّعوا طَودَ العُلى

تَفَرَّعوا طَودَ العُلى

وَالجَبَلَ العَطَوَّدا

وَالجَبَلَ العَطَوَّدا

They scaled the mountain of high honor

Than the ridge of Qinan as a place of birth.

and the massive, towering peak.

True of speech for the sword

مَجدُهُمُ أَقدَمُ مِن

مَجدُهُمُ أَقدَمُ مِن

هَضبِ القِنانِ مَولِدا

هَضبِ القِنانِ مَولِدا

Their glory is more ancient than

And provision when called upon.

the hills of al-Qinan in its birth.

When the night prowler is guided by their fire,

أَصادِقٌ في الخَطبِ لِل

أَصادِقٌ في الخَطبِ لِل

سَيفِ وَلِلمالِ عِدا

سَيفِ وَلِلمالِ عِدا

True friends in adversity to the

An unguided prowler is not guided.

sword, and foes to wealth.

They warred over the encampments

إِذا اِهتَدى بِنارِهِم

إِذا اِهتَدى بِنارِهِم

طارِقُ لَيلٍ ما اِهتَدى

طارِقُ لَيلٍ ما اِهتَدى

If their fire guides

And cast lots over the spoils.

a visitor by night, he has not found his way.

With a raid in the litter

تَقارَعوا عَلى القِرى

تَقارَعوا عَلى القِرى

وَاِقتَرَعوا عَلى الجَدا

وَاِقتَرَعوا عَلى الجَدا

They vied over hospitality

That awakens the living who were asleep,

and cast lots over the giving of gifts.

Which sets ablaze ripe herbage

وَغارَةٍ في سُدفَةٍ

وَغارَةٍ في سُدفَةٍ

توقِظُ حَيّاً رَقَدا

توقِظُ حَيّاً رَقَدا

And many a raid in the twilight,

Or plunders a lofty sanctuary,

rousing a tribe that slept,

As though I launch it against them

بِضُمَّرٍ أَسقَطَها

بِضُمَّرٍ أَسقَطَها

عَليهِمُ مَعَ النَدى

عَليهِمُ مَعَ النَدى

with lean steeds I let fall

Now dual, now singular.

upon them together with the dew,

An invader who hurls into the fray of battle

تُلهِبُ نَضّاً زَعزَعاً

تُلهِبُ نَضّاً زَعزَعاً

أَو قَرَباً عَمَرَّدا

أَو قَرَباً عَمَرَّدا

spurring a fleet, nimble steed,

Pebbles, helter-skelter.

or a taut-flanked, mighty one.

The youth’s spear-shaft

كَأَنَّني أَبعَثُها

كَأَنَّني أَبعَثُها

فيهِم ثَنى وَمَوحِدا

فيهِم ثَنى وَمَوحِدا

It is as if, when I send them

Suffices him instead of his whip when he charges.

against them two by two and singly,

As though his horseman

مُزاحِمٌ يَقذِفُ في

مُزاحِمٌ يَقذِفُ في

يَومِ الحِصابِ جَلمَدا

يَومِ الحِصابِ جَلمَدا

I am one jostling in a crowd, hurling

Were felling a yellow wolf.

a boulder on the day of pebble-casting.

I strip off from its page

مِن كُلِّ مَحبوكٍ كَما

مِن كُلِّ مَحبوكٍ كَما

أَمَرَّ لاوٍ مَسَدا

أَمَرَّ لاوٍ مَسَدا

Each a tightly built steed, as

The thorns of the spear, deliberately.

a rope-maker firmly plies a fiber cord.

Had you but smelled it when it lightened

يُغني الفَتى عِنانُهُ

يُغني الفَتى عِنانُهُ

عَن سَوطِهِ إِذا عَدا

عَن سَوطِهِ إِذا عَدا

Its reins spare the young rider

The water of the dogs, it would have reddened it.

the need for his whip when it gallops.

And every long-necked stallion

كَأَنَّما فارِسُهُ

كَأَنَّما فارِسُهُ

يَقدَعُ ذِئباً أَصرَدا

يَقدَعُ ذِئباً أَصرَدا

It is as though its rider

Seeking wide plains for his echo.

restrains a lean, ravenous wolf.

More enduring than his tusks

أَنزَعُ عَن صَفحَتِهِ

أَنزَعُ عَن صَفحَتِهِ

شَوكَ القَنا مُقَصَّدا

شَوكَ القَنا مُقَصَّدا

I pluck from its flank

When the coward takes fright.

the thorns of spears that riddled it.

Going forth, so if he catches wind

لَو شِمتَهُ بِبارِقٍ

لَو شِمتَهُ بِبارِقٍ

ماءَ الكُلابِ أَورَدا

ماءَ الكُلابِ أَورَدا

If you sighted it at Bariq,

Of the scent of injustice, he is distracted.

it would bring you to al-Kulab's waters.

He meets the pursued in panic

وَكُلُّ صِلٍّ لامِظٍ

وَكُلُّ صِلٍّ لامِظٍ

يَطلُبُ رَيّاً لِلصَدى

يَطلُبُ رَيّاً لِلصَدى

And every viper licking his lips,

As the pursued meets pursuit.

seeking a draught to quench his thirst,

أَقدَمَ مِن سِنانِهِ

أَقدَمَ مِن سِنانِهِ

إِذا الجَبانُ عَرَّدا

إِذا الجَبانُ عَرَّدا

bolder than his spearpoint

I am the Qurashi lad

when the coward turns to flee;

Who brought forth praise though not begotten of it.

ماضٍ فَإِن شَمَّ طُرو

ماضٍ فَإِن شَمَّ طُرو

قَ الضَيمِ زاغَ حَيَدا

قَ الضَيمِ زاغَ حَيَدا

resolute—but if he scents the onset

I drew my bucket before you

of humiliation, he swerves aside.

To Iraq in vessels.

يَلقى الطَرادَ جَذِلاً

يَلقى الطَرادَ جَذِلاً

كَما يُلاقي الطَردا

كَما يُلاقي الطَردا

He meets mounted combat joyfully,

My resolve has not ceased keeping me

as he meets the hunt.

Far from the abode of disgrace.

أَنا الغُلامُ القُرَشي

أَنا الغُلامُ القُرَشي

يُ مُنجِباً ما وَلَدا

يُ مُنجِباً ما وَلَدا

I am the Qurashi youth,

Banishing me from a land

whose every offspring is noble.

And a land pelting me with clods!

أَنزَعتُ دَلوي قَبلَكُم

أَنزَعتُ دَلوي قَبلَكُم

إِلى العِراقِ سُؤدُدا

إِلى العِراقِ سُؤدُدا

I cast my bucket before you

If attaining what you wish is not possible,

toward Iraq, seeking eminence.

Then seek, when you reach the watering-place, to turn away.

ما زالَ عَزمي لِيَ عَن

ما زالَ عَزمي لِيَ عَن

دارِ الهَوانِ مُبعِدا

دارِ الهَوانِ مُبعِدا

My resolve has always kept me far

from the abode of humiliation,

مُرَحِّلي عَن بَلَدٍ

مُرَحِّلي عَن بَلَدٍ

وَراجِماً بي بَلَدا

وَراجِماً بي بَلَدا

making me depart from one land

and flinging me into another.

إِن لَم يَكُن نَيلُ مُنىً

إِن لَم يَكُن نَيلُ مُنىً

فَاِبغِ إِذاً وِردَ رَدى

فَاِبغِ إِذاً وِردَ رَدى

If wishes cannot be attained,

then seek a draught of death.