رَأَيتُ وَقَد أَتى نَجرانُ دوني

رَأَيتُ وَقَد أَتى نَجرانُ دوني

وَلَيلى دونَ أَرحُلِها السَديرُ

وَلَيلى دونَ أَرحُلِها السَديرُ

I saw—with Najran already lying before me,

I saw Najran coming towards me

and al-Sadir before Layla's dwellings—

While Layla stayed behind at her abode in Sadir

لِلَيلى بِالغُمَيِّمِ ضَوءَ نارٍ

لِلَيلى بِالغُمَيِّمِ ضَوءَ نارٍ

يَلوحُ كَأَنَّهُ الشِعرى العَبورُ

يَلوحُ كَأَنَّهُ الشِعرى العَبورُ

the light of Layla's fire at al-Ghumayyim,

For Layla, in the darkness, there was the light of a fire

gleaming like Sirius, the Crossing Star.

Gleaming as if it were the Shira star

إِذا ما قُلتُ خابِيَةٌ زَهاهاً

إِذا ما قُلتُ خابِيَةٌ زَهاهاً

سَوادُ اللَيلِ وَالريحُ الدَبورُ

سَوادُ اللَيلِ وَالريحُ الدَبورُ

Whenever I said, 'It is dying down,' its glow was heightened by

When I said it was a dark night

the darkness of night and the west wind.

The blackness of night and the cold north wind

فَما كادَت وَلَو رَفَعوا سَناها

فَما كادَت وَلَو رَفَعوا سَناها

لِيُبصِرَ ضَوءَها إِلّا البَصيرُ

لِيُبصِرَ ضَوءَها إِلّا البَصيرُ

Yet scarcely—even if they raised its blaze—

She could barely raise her gaze, if they did raise it

could anyone but the keen-sighted see its light.

None could see her light except the keen-sighted

فَبِتُّ كَأَنَّني سافَهتُ خَمراً

فَبِتُّ كَأَنَّني سافَهتُ خَمراً

مُعَتَّقَةً حُمَيّاها تَدورُ

مُعَتَّقَةً حُمَيّاها تَدورُ

So I spent the night as though I had drunk wine to excess,

So I remained as if I had drunk old wine

well-aged, its heady heat swirling.

Matured, as it spins into fervor

فَقُلتُ لِصُحبَتي هَل يُبلِغَنّي

فَقُلتُ لِصُحبَتي هَل يُبلِغَنّي

إِلى لَيلى التَهَجُّرُ وَالبُكورُ

إِلى لَيلى التَهَجُّرُ وَالبُكورُ

I said to my companions: Will there bring me

I said to my companions - will the dawn and morn

to Layla my midday travel and early starts,

Take me to Layla after this estrangement?

وَإِدلاجي إِذا الظَلماءُ أَلقَت

وَإِدلاجي إِذا الظَلماءُ أَلقَت

مَراسِيَها وَهادٍ لا يَجورُ

مَراسِيَها وَهادٍ لا يَجورُ

and my night journey, when darkness has cast

And my travels, when the darknesses cast

its anchors, and a guide who never strays,

Their tents, and the resting places do not wander

وَقولي كُلَّما جاوَزتُ خَرقاً

وَقولي كُلَّما جاوَزتُ خَرقاً

إِلى خَرقٍ لِأُخرى القَومِ سيروا

إِلى خَرقٍ لِأُخرى القَومِ سيروا

and my call, whenever I cross a wasteland

And my saying, whenever I passed a camp,

into another, to the company's rear: 'Press on!'—

"To another camp, O people, let's move on"

بِناجِيَةٍ كَأَنَّ الرَحلَ مِنها

بِناجِيَةٍ كَأَنَّ الرَحلَ مِنها

وَقَد قَلِقَت مِنَ الضُمرِ الضُفورُ

وَقَد قَلِقَت مِنَ الضُمرِ الضُفورُ

on a swift she-camel whose saddle seems,

With a camel litter, as if the litter poles

with her braided girths slackened by leanness,

Were shaken by her shy, aloof character

عَلى أَصلابِ جَأبٍ أَخدَرِيٍّ

عَلى أَصلابِ جَأبٍ أَخدَرِيٍّ

مِنَ اللائي تَضَمَّنَهُنَّ إيرُ

مِنَ اللائي تَضَمَّنَهُنَّ إيرُ

to rest on the loins of a sturdy Akhdari wild ass,

On the backs of strong camels, enduring,

one of those that Ir has sheltered?

From those that Er encamps in shadows

رَعى بُهمى الدَكادِكِ مِن أَريكٍ

رَعى بُهمى الدَكادِكِ مِن أَريكٍ

إِلى أُبلى مُناصيهِ حَفيرُ

إِلى أُبلى مُناصيهِ حَفيرُ

He grazed the buhma grass of the level sands, from Arik

It grazed on the edges of pastures

to Ubla, with Hafir lying beside him.

From luxurious places to worn, dug up ones

فَلَمّا أَن رَأى القُريانَ هاجَت

فَلَمّا أَن رَأى القُريانَ هاجَت

ظَواهِرُها وَلاحَتهُ الحَرورُ

ظَواهِرُها وَلاحَتهُ الحَرورُ

Then, when he saw the watercourses dried out

So when it saw the villages become animated

on their exposed reaches, and the hot wind had scorched him,

Their surfaces glistening and glowing

وَأَحنَقَ صُلبُهُ وَطَوى مِعاهُ

وَأَحنَقَ صُلبُهُ وَطَوى مِعاهُ

وَكَشحَيهِ كَما طُوِيَ الحَصيرُ

وَكَشحَيهِ كَما طُوِيَ الحَصيرُ

and his back drew tight, drawing in his gut

Its muscles tensed up, and it curled its tail

and his flanks, as a mat is folded,

And hunched its withers, like a folded mat

دَعاهُ مَشرَبٌ مِن ذي أَبانٍ

دَعاهُ مَشرَبٌ مِن ذي أَبانٍ

حِساءٌ بِالأَباطِحِ أَو غَديرُ

حِساءٌ بِالأَباطِحِ أَو غَديرُ

a watering place in Dhu Aban called him:

A drink summoned it, made by one of high pedigree

seepage wells in the gravelly streambeds, or a pool.

A broth with truffles or a creek

فَظَلَّ بِهِنَّ يَحدوهُنَّ قَصداً

فَظَلَّ بِهِنَّ يَحدوهُنَّ قَصداً

كَما يَحدو قَلائِصَهُ الأَجيرُ

كَما يَحدو قَلائِصَهُ الأَجيرُ

So he went on with them, steadily driving them,

So it trotted alongside them with determination

as a hired man drives his young she-camels.

As the worker trots alongside his she-camels

أَقَبُّ كَأَنَّ مَنخِرَهُ إِذا ما

أَقَبُّ كَأَنَّ مَنخِرَهُ إِذا ما

أَرَنَّ عَلى تَواليهِنَّ كيرُ

أَرَنَّ عَلى تَواليهِنَّ كيرُ

Slender-bellied, his nostril seemed, whenever

I feel it in my chest when its nostrils

he brayed at their heels, to be a bellows.

Sniffed their sequence, it brays a lot

لَهُ زَجَلٌ تَقولُ أَصَوتُ حادٍ

لَهُ زَجَلٌ تَقولُ أَصَوتُ حادٍ

إِذا طَلَبَ الوَسيقَةَ أَو زَميرُ

إِذا طَلَبَ الوَسيقَةَ أَو زَميرُ

His cry rings out; you ask: Is it a camel-driver's voice,

It produces sounds, you'd think the voice was of one who yells

as he pursues a driven-off herd, or a pipe's note?

When seeking the flute or lyre to play

مُدِلٌّ شَرَّدَ الأَقرانَ عَنهُ

مُدِلٌّ شَرَّدَ الأَقرانَ عَنهُ

عِراكٌ ما تَعارَكَهُ الحَميرُ

عِراكٌ ما تَعارَكَهُ الحَميرُ

Self-assured, he has driven his rivals away:

Taming them, it fought off peers

fierce in combat; no asses challenge him.

A fight not even donkeys fought

وَأَصبَحَ في الفَلاةِ يُديرُ طَرفاً

وَأَصبَحَ في الفَلاةِ يُديرُ طَرفاً

عَلى حَذَرٍ تَوَجُّسُهُ كَثيرُ

عَلى حَذَرٍ تَوَجُّسُهُ كَثيرُ

And in the wilderness he began casting his gaze about,

And it spent the morn in the wilderness, turning

on his guard, his apprehension great.

Its gaze cautiously, so very alert

لَهُ زَجَلٌ كَأَنَّ الرِجلَ مِنهُ

لَهُ زَجَلٌ كَأَنَّ الرِجلَ مِنهُ

إِذا ما قامَ مُعتَمِداً كَسيرُ

إِذا ما قامَ مُعتَمِداً كَسيرُ

He has a ringing cry, as though his leg,

It produces sounds, you'd think its legs when

when he stands bracing himself, were broken.

It stood up rested, were feeble

فَأَورَدَهُنَّ تَقريباً وَشَدّاً

فَأَورَدَهُنَّ تَقريباً وَشَدّاً

شَرائِعَ لَم يُكَدِّرها الوَقيرُ

شَرائِعَ لَم يُكَدِّرها الوَقيرُ

So, cantering and galloping, he brought them

So it brought them closer, trotting hard

to watering places no sheep-flock had muddied.

To pastures not muddied by many

فَخاضَ أَمامَهُنَّ الماءَ حَتّى

فَخاضَ أَمامَهُنَّ الماءَ حَتّى

تَبَيَّنَ أَنَّ ساحَتَهُ قَفيرُ

تَبَيَّنَ أَنَّ ساحَتَهُ قَفيرُ

He waded into the water ahead of them, until

It waded through the water ahead of them

he knew its surroundings were deserted.

Until it was clear its valley was barren

فَلَمّا أَن تَغَمَّرَ صاحَ فيها

فَلَمّا أَن تَغَمَّرَ صاحَ فيها

وَلَمّا يَعلُهُ الصُبحُ المُنيرُ

وَلَمّا يَعلُهُ الصُبحُ المُنيرُ

Then, when he had drunk a little, he brayed among them,

When it submerged, it cried out among them

and the radiant dawn had not yet risen above him.

And the brilliant dawn did not know him