عَفا بَعدَ سَلمى حاجِرٌ فَذُنابُ

عَفا بَعدَ سَلمى حاجِرٌ فَذُنابُ

فَأَحمادُ حَوضى نُؤيُهُنَّ يَبابُ

فَأَحمادُ حَوضى نُؤيُهُنَّ يَبابُ

Hajir has faded since Salma left, and Dhunab,

After Salma's departure an abandoned encampment, with the tents' flaps blowing,

and Ahmad of Hawda—their encircling trench lies desolate.

The pools of my courtyard they would visit, their gates now locked.

دِيارٌ خَلَت مِن آبِداتٍ وَلَم يَكُن

دِيارٌ خَلَت مِن آبِداتٍ وَلَم يَكُن

بِها الوَحشُ إِلّا جامِلٌ وَقِبابُ

بِها الوَحشُ إِلّا جامِلٌ وَقِبابُ

Dwellings empty of wild beasts; there were no

A land now empty of all its dwellers,

wild beasts there, only a camel herd and domed tents.

With no life but the wild beasts and some tents.

كَأَنَّ بَقايا عَهدِهِنَّ بِحاجِرٍ

كَأَنَّ بَقايا عَهدِهِنَّ بِحاجِرٍ

فَبُرقَةِ حَوضى قَد دَرَسنَ كِتابُ

فَبُرقَةِ حَوضى قَد دَرَسنَ كِتابُ

As though the remnants of their former days at Hajir

As if the relics of their time here embroidered on the encampment's sands

and at Burqat Hawda, now effaced, were writing.

Were archives washed away by my courtyard's rains.

وَيَومَ صَفَحتُ الرَكبَ بَعدَ لَجاجِهِ

وَيَومَ صَفَحتُ الرَكبَ بَعدَ لَجاجِهِ

وَقَفتُ بِها قَصراً وَهُنَّ خَرابُ

وَقَفتُ بِها قَصراً وَهُنَّ خَرابُ

And the day I turned the caravan aside after its insistence,

And the day the caravan traveled on after its sojourn,

I stopped there briefly, though they were ruins.

I stood by the manor, now fallen in ruins.

ذَهَبتُ وَخَلَّيتُ المَنازِلَ بِاللِوى

ذَهَبتُ وَخَلَّيتُ المَنازِلَ بِاللِوى

وَما بِيَ يَوماً إِن ذَهَبنَ ذَهابُ

وَما بِيَ يَوماً إِن ذَهَبنَ ذَهابُ

I departed and left the dwellings at al-Liwa,

I went away, leaving the dwellings to the twisting sands,

yet I never lose my reason, even if they vanish.

Never once, if they vanished, would I go after them.

وَقائِلَةٍ طالَبتَ سَلمى حَزَوَّراً

وَقائِلَةٍ طالَبتَ سَلمى حَزَوَّراً

إِلى أَن خَلَت سِنٌّ وَزالَ طِلابُ

إِلى أَن خَلَت سِنٌّ وَزالَ طِلابُ

And a woman said: You pursued Salma as a strapping youth,

A woman seeking the love of Salma asked insistently

until years had passed and pursuit had ceased.

Until with age, all wooing was done.

تَصَبُّ إِذا شَطَّت وَتَصبو إِذا دَنَت

تَصَبُّ إِذا شَطَّت وَتَصبو إِذا دَنَت

كَأَنَّكَ لَم تَعلَم لِداتِكَ شابوا

كَأَنَّكَ لَم تَعلَم لِداتِكَ شابوا

You pine when she is far, and yearn when she comes near,

She pours herself out when she draws near, and is poured out when distant,

as though you did not know your age-mates have turned gray.

As if, my dear, you never knew your suitor grows old.

فَهَل أَنتَ سالٍ عَن سُلَيمى وَلَم يَزَل

فَهَل أَنتَ سالٍ عَن سُلَيمى وَلَم يَزَل

حِجاكَ يُغالُ تارَةً وَسِقابُ

حِجاكَ يُغالُ تارَةً وَسِقابُ

So have you forgotten Sulayma, while still

Are you asking about Sulayma? Always has she

your reason is assailed at times—and by nearness?

Declined my love, at times roughly, at times gently.

فَقُلتُ لَها لا تَجعَليني كَمَن بِهِ

فَقُلتُ لَها لا تَجعَليني كَمَن بِهِ

إِذا ما دَنا عُرضِيَّةٌ وَخِلابُ

إِذا ما دَنا عُرضِيَّةٌ وَخِلابُ

I said to her: Do not make me like someone afflicted,

I said to her, "Do not make me like those men

whenever he draws near, with obstinacy and guile.

Who fawn before every marry glance and slender waist."

وَإِنَّ سُلَيمى في اللِقاءِ لَحُرَّةٌ

وَإِنَّ سُلَيمى في اللِقاءِ لَحُرَّةٌ

وَإِنّي بَغِيٍّ عِندَها لَمُصابُ

وَإِنّي بَغِيٍّ عِندَها لَمُصابُ

And Sulayma, when we meet, is truly noble,

"Sulayma is shy when we meet,

and I am surely stricken with wayward passion in her presence.

And to her I am an unwanted suitor."

أَطالَت عِناني يَومَ قالَت لِأُختِها

أَطالَت عِناني يَومَ قالَت لِأُختِها

وَما حُبُّ مَشغوفَينِ بُثَّ هَواهُما

وَما حُبُّ مَشغوفَينِ بُثَّ هَواهُما

She lengthened my rein the day she spoke to her sister.

She gave me free rein the day she said to her sister,

And what is the love of two besotted lovers, their passion made known,

"No ardent lovers' passion, if in it are no sighs or quarreling or reproach-"

إِذا لَم يَكُن فيهِ نَثاً وَعِتابُ

إِذا لَم يَكُن فيهِ نَثاً وَعِتابُ

وَلَم تَرَ عَيني مِثلَ سُعدى مُباعِداً

وَلَم تَرَ عَيني مِثلَ سُعدى مُباعِداً

if it contains no talk and no reproach?

Never have my eyes seen anyone turn away like Sa'd,

And my eye has never seen anyone keeping so far away as Su'da,

Or bear what your brother is blamed for.

وَلا مِثلَ ما يَلقى أَخوكَ يُعابُ

وَلا مِثلَ ما يَلقى أَخوكَ يُعابُ

بَدا طَمَعٌ مِنها لَنا فَتَبِعتُهُ

بَدا طَمَعٌ مِنها لَنا فَتَبِعتُهُ

nor is the like of what your brother endures to be blamed.

When she hinted at hope for us, I pursued it-

Hope appeared to us from her, so I followed it;

For hopes once stirred, necks are humbled.

وَلِلطَّمَعِ البادي تَذِلُّ رِقابُ

وَلِلطَّمَعِ البادي تَذِلُّ رِقابُ

and necks bow low before hope once it appears.