بِحَيثُ اِنعَقَدَ الرَملُ

بِحَيثُ اِنعَقَدَ الرَملُ

غَزالٌ دَأبُهُ المَطَلُ

غَزالٌ دَأبُهُ المَطَلُ

Where the sand lies heaped,

Where the sands have gathered

is a gazelle whose habit is delay.

A gazelle whose habit is yearning

جَرورٌ لِلمَواعيدِ

جَرورٌ لِلمَواعيدِ

فَلا مَنعٌ وَلا بَذلُ

فَلا مَنعٌ وَلا بَذلُ

He drags out his promises,

Moving on to the trysts

neither refusing nor granting.

With no refusal or stinginess

وَلَو صَرَّحَ بِاليَأسِ

وَلَو صَرَّحَ بِاليَأسِ

أَبى وَجدِيَ أَن أَسلو

أَبى وَجدِيَ أَن أَسلو

Even if he declared there was no hope,

And if he confesses to despair

my passion would not let me forget.

My resolve refuses to submit

لَئِن آيَسَني الصَدُّ

لَئِن آيَسَني الصَدُّ

لَقَد أَطمَعَني الدَلُّ

لَقَد أَطمَعَني الدَلُّ

Though rejection has made me despair,

If rejection has made me despair

coquetry has surely given me hope.

Expectation has made me covet

لَهُ عَينانِ تُبرى بِمَن

لَهُ عَينانِ تُبرى بِمَن

هُما لِلأَعيُنِ النَبلُ

هُما لِلأَعيُنِ النَبلُ

He has two eyes sharpened against those

He has two eyes that gaze kindly on one

to whose eyes they are arrows.

Whose eyes to others are aloof

سَواءٌ بِهِما الإِحيا

سَواءٌ بِهِما الإِحيا

ءُ لِلواجِدِ وَالقَتلُ

ءُ لِلواجِدِ وَالقَتلُ

Through them, bringing to life is the same

To him they bestow life

as killing, for the love-stricken.

Or administer death

أَمِنكَ الظُعُنُ الغادو

أَمِنكَ الظُعُنُ الغادو

نَ زُمَّت لَهُمُ الإِبِلُ

نَ زُمَّت لَهُمُ الإِبِلُ

Are those travelers departing at dawn yours,

Are you safe from those who slander

for whom the camels have been bridled?

To whom the camels are hobbled?

كَما أَشرَقَتِ الدَومُ

كَما أَشرَقَتِ الدَومُ

ضُحىً أَو طَلَعَ الرَقلُ

ضُحىً أَو طَلَعَ الرَقلُ

Like doum palms shining

As the dusk spread its glow

in the forenoon, or tall date palms rising,

Or the early dawn gleamed

جَلا عَنها طِراقُ اللَي

جَلا عَنها طِراقُ اللَي

لِ وَاِقلَولى بِها الهَجلُ

لِ وَاِقلَولى بِها الهَجلُ

the layers of night lifted from them,

The darkness of night departed from it

and the broad hollow rose high with them.

And the stars twinkled around it

وَفيها القُضُبُ الرَيّان الن

وَفيها القُضُبُ الرَيّان الن

نَدى وَالقُضُبُ الجَذلُ

نَدى وَالقُضُبُ الجَذلُ

And among them are boughs lush with

In it are the moist, dewy branches

dew, and joyous boughs.

And the dry, withered branches

أَلا لِلَّهِ كَم تَرشُ

أَلا لِلَّهِ كَم تَرشُ

قُ فينا الأَعيُنُ النُجلُ

قُ فينا الأَعيُنُ النُجلُ

Ah, by God, how often

Oh how many glances shine upon us

those wide eyes shoot at us!

The bright eyes of the young men

وَتُصبينا دِيارُ الحَي

وَتُصبينا دِيارُ الحَي

يِ إِن ساروا وَإِن حَلّوا

يِ إِن ساروا وَإِن حَلّوا

And the tribe's dwellings enthrall us,

And the abodes of love make us dizzy

whether they travel on or settle.

Whether they journey or settle

فَذي الدارُ إِذا تَغنى

فَذي الدارُ إِذا تَغنى

وَذي الدارُ إِذا تَخلو

وَذي الدارُ إِذا تَخلو

So this is the dwelling when inhabited,

The neighbor, when he is sung to

and this the dwelling when empty.

The neighbor, when he is abandoned

خَلَعنا طاعَةَ الحُبِّ

خَلَعنا طاعَةَ الحُبِّ

فَلا عَهدٌ وَلا إِلُّ

فَلا عَهدٌ وَلا إِلُّ

We have cast off obedience to love:

We have cast off the obedience of love

no pledge remains, no bond.

No pact, no intimate friend

إِذا ما نَفَعَ الجَهلُ

إِذا ما نَفَعَ الجَهلُ

فَإِنَّ الضائِرَ العَقلُ

فَإِنَّ الضائِرَ العَقلُ

When folly is useful,

When ignorance is of no use

it is reason that does harm.

It is reason that harms

فَإِمّا تَرَيَنّي اليَو

فَإِمّا تَرَيَنّي اليَو

مَ يَبلوني الَّذي يَبلو

مَ يَبلوني الَّذي يَبلو

So if you should see me today,

So you will see me one day

tried by the one who tries me,

Tested by what tests

صِراعاً لِلزَمانِ العَو

صِراعاً لِلزَمانِ العَو

دِ أَغلوهُ كَما يَغلو

دِ أَغلوهُ كَما يَغلو

wrestling with aged Time,

Wrestling with fate

I outstrip it as it outstrips me.

Overpowering it as it overpowers

تَقَيتُ الشَوكَ بِالنَعلِ

تَقَيتُ الشَوكَ بِالنَعلِ

فَشاكَت قَدَمي النَعلُ

فَشاكَت قَدَمي النَعلُ

I guarded against thorns with a sandal,

I avoided the thorns with my shoes

but the sandal pricked my foot.

But the shoes lacerated my feet

فَقَد أُنهَزُ بِالثِقلِ

فَقَد أُنهَزُ بِالثِقلِ

إِذا ما عَظُمَ الثِقلُ

إِذا ما عَظُمَ الثِقلُ

For at times a burden spurs me on

I am weighed down by burdens

when the burden grows great,

When the load grows heavy

وَأَنزو نَزوَةَ البازِ

وَأَنزو نَزوَةَ البازِ

لِ لا يُبرِكُهُ الحَملُ

لِ لا يُبرِكُهُ الحَملُ

and I leap like a full-grown camel

And I pace the gait of the insolent

that no load can make kneel.

So the load does not burden him

فَقَد يَنهَتِكُ الحَيُّ

فَقَد يَنهَتِكُ الحَيُّ

وَفيهِ البيضُ وَالذُبلُ

وَفيهِ البيضُ وَالذُبلُ

For a tribe may be overrun,

The living can be brought to ruin

though it has bright swords and supple spears;

Though there is eggs and chicks

وَقَد يَنتَصِرُ الواحِدُ

وَقَد يَنتَصِرُ الواحِدُ

لا مالٌ وَلا أَهلُ

لا مالٌ وَلا أَهلُ

and a lone man may prevail

And the lone man can be victorious

with neither wealth nor kin.

With neither money nor family

يُضامُ العَدَدُ الكُثرُ

يُضامُ العَدَدُ الكُثرُ

وَيَأبى العَدَدُ القُلُّ

وَيَأبى العَدَدُ القُلُّ

The many suffer oppression,

The large numbers are defeated

while the few refuse submission.

And the few refuse

أَخِلّائي بِبَغدادَ

أَخِلّائي بِبَغدادَ

جَنى دونَكُمُ الرَملُ

جَنى دونَكُمُ الرَملُ

My dear friends in Baghdad,

My friends in Baghdad

the sands have wronged me, keeping me from you.

The sands have reaped your bounty

وَحالَت دونَ لُقياكُم

وَحالَت دونَ لُقياكُم

زَحاليفُ القَنا الزُلِّ

زَحاليفُ القَنا الزُلِّ

And between me and meeting you stood

And the stagnant swamps have prevented

the gliding thrusts of smooth lances.

Our meeting

لَقَد كُنتُ شَديدَ الضَن

لَقَد كُنتُ شَديدَ الضَن

نِ أَن يَنقَطِعَ الحَبلُ

نِ أَن يَنقَطِعَ الحَبلُ

I had been deeply loath

I was so afraid our bond would break

to see the cord severed,

And our kinship would crack

وَأَن يَنصَدِعَ الشَعبُ ال

وَأَن يَنصَدِعَ الشَعبُ ال

لَذي لوئِمَ وَالشَملُ

لَذي لوئِمَ وَالشَملُ

or the rift to split again—

But I shepherded the land

the one once mended—and our union too.

When the greens were good for me

وَلَكِنّي رَعَيتُ الأَر

وَلَكِنّي رَعَيتُ الأَر

ضَ ما طابَ لِيَ البَقلُ

ضَ ما طابَ لِيَ البَقلُ

But I grazed upon the earth

And I hurried the moving

as long as its herbage pleased me.

When the blight and sterility spread

وَعَجَّلتُ النَوى لَمّا

وَعَجَّلتُ النَوى لَمّا

فَشا اللَأواءُ وَالأَزلُ

فَشا اللَأواءُ وَالأَزلُ

And I hastened departure when

He whom a verdant place made comfortable

hardship and want grew rife.

A barren place made desolate

وَمَن أَنزَلَهُ خِصبُ الرُ

وَمَن أَنزَلَهُ خِصبُ الرُ

بى أَظعَنَهُ المَحلُ

بى أَظعَنَهُ المَحلُ

And whoever the fertile hills make settle,

No shame to the defeated

drought drives him away.

That registers have vanquished him

وَلا عارٌ عَلى الماتِ

وَلا عارٌ عَلى الماتِ

حِ أَن يَغلِبَهُ السَجلُ

حِ أَن يَغلِبَهُ السَجلُ

And there is no shame for the water-drawer

My regret over the worries

if the water-filled bucket overcomes him.

That watered your desert

نَدامايَ عَلى الهَمِّ

نَدامايَ عَلى الهَمِّ

سَقى عَهدَكُمُ الوَبلُ

سَقى عَهدَكُمُ الوَبلُ

My drinking companions in sorrow,

I greet you with its fresh radiance

may downpours water the days we shared.

Newly green, lush

وَحَيّاكُم بِرَيّاهُ

وَحَيّاكُم بِرَيّاهُ

جَديدُ النورِ مُخضَلُّ

جَديدُ النورِ مُخضَلُّ

And may there greet you, with its fragrance,

I remembered you while the tears

fresh, moisture-laden blossom.

Neither flowed nor ceased

تَذَكَّرتُكُمُ وَالدَم

تَذَكَّرتُكُمُ وَالدَم

عُ لا وَبلٌ وَلا طَلُّ

عُ لا وَبلٌ وَلا طَلُّ

I remembered you, and the tears were

No neighbor of yours has reneged

neither downpour nor drizzle.

Of those who share your settlement

فَما أَخلَفَكُم جارٌ

فَما أَخلَفَكُم جارٌ

مِنَ الماقينَ مُنهَلُّ

مِنَ الماقينَ مُنهَلُّ

For no flowing stream has failed you,

There are things in life that console

pouring from both inner corners of my eyes.

But where is that which consoles?

وَفي الأَيّامِ ما يُسلي

وَفي الأَيّامِ ما يُسلي

وَلَكِن أَينَ ما يَسلو

وَلَكِن أَينَ ما يَسلو

And in the passing days is what consoles,

The shining heart and the sharp sword

yet where is the heart that can forget?

Refused obedience to oppression

أَبى لي طاعَةَ الضَيمِ

أَبى لي طاعَةَ الضَيمِ

مُضاءُ القَلبِ وَالنَصلُ

مُضاءُ القَلبِ وَالنَصلُ

They would not let me bow to oppression—

And I am from a people

my heart's resolve and my blade.

Too proud when subdued

وَإِنّي مِن مَناجيبٍ

وَإِنّي مِن مَناجيبٍ

لَهُم أَنَفٌ إِذا ذُلّوا

لَهُم أَنَفٌ إِذا ذُلّوا

And I come from men of noble stock,

If I return to oppression

whose pride revolts when they are humbled.

There is no breadth or plain

لَئِن عُدتُ إِلى الضَيمِ

لَئِن عُدتُ إِلى الضَيمِ

فَلا رَحبٌ وَلا سَهلُ

فَلا رَحبٌ وَلا سَهلُ

If ever I return to oppression,

And if I avoid glory

may there be no welcome, no ease for me!

Humility will not diminish me

وَإِن جُزتُ عَنِ العِزِّ

وَإِن جُزتُ عَنِ العِزِّ

فَلا جاوَزَني الذُلُّ

فَلا جاوَزَني الذُلُّ

And if I turn aside from honor,

It is the wilderness, the darkness

may humiliation not pass me by.

The she-camel and the saddlebags

هِيَ البَيداءُ وَالظَلما

هِيَ البَيداءُ وَالظَلما

ءُ وَالناقَةُ وَالرَحلُ

ءُ وَالناقَةُ وَالرَحلُ

It is the desert and the darkness,

Buying death through glory

and the she-camel and the saddle.

By selling oppression is no injustice

شَراءُ المَوتِ لِلعِزِّ

شَراءُ المَوتِ لِلعِزِّ

بِبَيعِ الضَيمِ لا يَغلو

بِبَيعِ الضَيمِ لا يَغلو

Buying death for honor

And surely the rugged side

by selling oppression is not too dear.

Is smoother for me than the easy side

وَإِنَّ الجانِبَ الوَعرَ

وَإِنَّ الجانِبَ الوَعرَ

عَلَيَّ الجانِبُ السَهلُ

عَلَيَّ الجانِبُ السَهلُ

And indeed, the rugged side

is the easy side for me.