يا سَلمَ هَل قَيِّمُكُم ماكِثُ

يا سَلمَ هَل قَيِّمُكُم ماكِثُ

وَهَل لِغادٍ مِن غَدٍ رائِثُ

وَهَل لِغادٍ مِن غَدٍ رائِثُ

O Salm, is your guardian staying?

O Salma, do your elders still reside there,

And is there any delay for one departing tomorrow?

And does Ghada still have a home?

قَد بَلَغَت نَفسي مَدى حُبِّها

قَد بَلَغَت نَفسي مَدى حُبِّها

وَزادَني وَجداً بِكِ الحادِثُ

وَزادَني وَجداً بِكِ الحادِثُ

My soul has reached the utmost bounds of loving her,

My soul has reached the extent of her love,

and what has happened has deepened my longing for you.

And your happening has further kindled my passion.

يا سَلمَ إِنّي مِن مَلالِ الهَوى

يا سَلمَ إِنّي مِن مَلالِ الهَوى

في نَصَبٍ يَفري وَيَستانِثُ

في نَصَبٍ يَفري وَيَستانِثُ

O Salm, from the weariness of passion I am

O Salma, I suffer the weariness of love,

in a suffering that rends and relents.

Amidst toil from which I find no escape.

كَيدٌ مِنَ الخُرطومِ يُضحي بِهِ

كَيدٌ مِنَ الخُرطومِ يُضحي بِهِ

كَأَنَّما يَبعَثُهُ باعِثُ

كَأَنَّما يَبعَثُهُ باعِثُ

A torment from pure wine one bears through the morning,

A scheme from Khartoum they sacrifice for,

as though someone were rousing it.

As if a callous one dispatches it.

يا سَلمَ رُجعاكِ بِمَيتِ الهَوى

يا سَلمَ رُجعاكِ بِمَيتِ الهَوى

كَما تُميتُ الحَيَّةُ النافِثُ

كَما تُميتُ الحَيَّةُ النافِثُ

O Salm, turn back to one whom passion has slain,

O Salma, your return for the slain beloved,

as a snake kills the charmer who blows spells.

Is like a serpent killing the spitter.

أَقولُ لِلنايِ وَقَد مَثَّهُ

أَقولُ لِلنايِ وَقَد مَثَّهُ

أَصغِن بِما ضَنَّ بِهِ المائِثُ

أَصغِن بِما ضَنَّ بِهِ المائِثُ

I say to the flute, after he has rubbed it:

I say to the flute, when it resembled her,

"Listen to what the softener has withheld."

Play what saddened the nightly weeper!

يا حُسنَ سَلمى حينَ يَحدو بِها

يا حُسنَ سَلمى حينَ يَحدو بِها

لا عَجِلُ السَوقِ وَلا رائِثُ

لا عَجِلُ السَوقِ وَلا رائِثُ

Oh, the beauty of Salma when she is urged along,

O, beautiful Salma, when she saunters about,

by one neither hasty in driving nor slow.

Neither hasty vendors nor night guards notice her.

بَيضاءُ صَفراءُ قُضافِيَّةٌ

بَيضاءُ صَفراءُ قُضافِيَّةٌ

ما نالَها بَرٌّ وَلا حانِثُ

ما نالَها بَرٌّ وَلا حانِثُ

White, golden-hued, slender,

White, yellow, cloaked in a gown,

neither an upright man nor an oath-breaker has attained her.

Untouched by virtue or sin.

تُميلُ شِقَّيها إِذا ما مَشَت

تُميلُ شِقَّيها إِذا ما مَشَت

كَأَنَّما يَخنُثُها خانِثُ

كَأَنَّما يَخنُثُها خانِثُ

She sways both sides of her body when she walks,

Her hips sway when she walks,

as though an effeminate man were making her sway.

As if a deviant makes them dance.

تِلكَ الَّتي لَو نِلتُها وَالهَوى

تِلكَ الَّتي لَو نِلتُها وَالهَوى

وَالسُقمُ بَينَ الأَضلُعِ الآرِثُ

وَالسُقمُ بَينَ الأَضلُعِ الآرِثُ

She is the one: if I attained her, while passion

She’s the one - if I gained her and love

and burning sickness lodge between my ribs,

While the illness dwelled in my sickly ribs,

كَأَنَّما في كَبِدي قُرحَةٌ

كَأَنَّما في كَبِدي قُرحَةٌ

مِن حُبِّها يَفرِثُها فارِثُ

مِن حُبِّها يَفرِثُها فارِثُ

as though an ulcer lay in my liver,

It’s as if an ulcer festered my liver,

from loving her, torn open by a lacerator—

From passion, ruptured by one who harvests.

لَو ذُقتُها يَقظانَ أَو نائِماً

لَو ذُقتُها يَقظانَ أَو نائِماً

عِشتُ وَلَم يَكرِثني الكارِثُ

عِشتُ وَلَم يَكرِثني الكارِثُ

if I tasted her, awake or asleep,

If I tasted her awake or asleep,

I would live, and calamity would not oppress me.

I’d live and no affliction would ruin me.

وَصاحِبٍ كَالسَيفِ جَرَّدتُهُ

وَصاحِبٍ كَالسَيفِ جَرَّدتُهُ

لا ماذِقٌ وُدّاً وَلا ناكِثُ

لا ماذِقٌ وُدّاً وَلا ناكِثُ

And a friend, like a sword that I unsheathed,

And a companion like an unsheathed sword,

neither watering down affection nor breaking his pledge,

Neither affectionate nor betraying.

مِنَ المُميتينَ هُمومَ الفَتى

مِنَ المُميتينَ هُمومَ الفَتى

يَعبَثُ في مَعروفِهِ عابِثُ

يَعبَثُ في مَعروفِهِ عابِثُ

one of those who kill a young man's cares;

Of lethal woes for the young man

a trifler toys with his generosity.

Whose virtues a wanton spoils.

لا يَعبُدُ المالَ وَيُبكي العِدى

لا يَعبُدُ المالَ وَيُبكي العِدى

بِالخَيلِ لا وانٍ وَلا لائِثُ

بِالخَيلِ لا وانٍ وَلا لائِثُ

He does not worship wealth, and makes his foes weep,

He worships no money and bewails no injustice,

with cavalry, neither flagging nor hesitating.

With horses - no fleer and no mocker.

صَحِبتُهُ في المُلكِ أَو سوقَةٍ

صَحِبتُهُ في المُلكِ أَو سوقَةٍ

في مُذهَبٍ حَدّادُهُ باحِثُ

في مُذهَبٍ حَدّادُهُ باحِثُ

I accompanied him, whether in kingship or among commoners,

I accompanied him whether in rule or market

in a gilded work whose smith is a seeker.

In doctrine - its practitioner an avid investigator.

لَمّا رَآني جِئتُهُ زائِراً

لَمّا رَآني جِئتُهُ زائِراً

بِالمَحضِ لا يَغلِثُهُ غالِثُ

بِالمَحضِ لا يَغلِثُهُ غالِثُ

When he saw me, having come to visit him,

When he saw me come purely visiting,

with pure sincerity that no adulterator taints,

With no adulterator to soil the unmixed wine,

كَسا وَأَعطى مِن ذُرى مالِهِ

كَسا وَأَعطى مِن ذُرى مالِهِ

بَعثاً وَلا يُبقي لَكَ الباعِثُ

بَعثاً وَلا يُبقي لَكَ الباعِثُ

he clothed and endowed, from the choicest of his wealth,

He gave generously from his wealth

a troop—and the dispatcher leaves nothing for you.

Without leaving the sender anything to give.

وَعَجرَدٌ يَنزو عَلى أُمِّهِ

وَعَجرَدٌ يَنزو عَلى أُمِّهِ

خِنزيرَةٌ يَرغِثُها راغِثُ

خِنزيرَةٌ يَرغِثُها راغِثُ

And ʿAjrad mounts his mother,

Like a young crow alighting by its mother,

a sow at whose teats a suckler sucks.

A little pig - its squeals alert a responder.

كَأَنَّهُ حينَ تَصَدّى لَهُ

كَأَنَّهُ حينَ تَصَدّى لَهُ

طالِبُ عُرفٍ أَسَدٌ شارِثُ

طالِبُ عُرفٍ أَسَدٌ شارِثُ

He seems, whenever there approaches him

As if when the suitor confronted him,

a seeker of kindness, a ferocious lion.

He was a voracious lion on the prowl.

وَكَيفَ يُؤديكَ عَلى طائِلٍ

وَكَيفَ يُؤديكَ عَلى طائِلٍ

مَن لا يُصَلّي إِنَّهُ طامِثُ

مَن لا يُصَلّي إِنَّهُ طامِثُ

And how can you be repaid with anything worthwhile

And how can one without prayers fulfill you

by one who does not pray? He menstruates.

When you request virtuous deeds of him?

يا بنَ شَبيرى أَنتَ عِلجُ القَفا

يا بنَ شَبيرى أَنتَ عِلجُ القَفا

طيرِ وَمِنكَ الخَبَثُ الخابِثُ

طيرِ وَمِنكَ الخَبَثُ الخابِثُ

O son of Shabīrā, you are a brute of the Qafā-

O son of Shabib! You cure the winged ones of mange!

-ṭīr; from you comes the foulest filth.

But from you comes the most wicked villainy.

لَمّا تَعَبَّثتَ تَعَبَّثتَ بي

لَمّا تَعَبَّثتَ تَعَبَّثتَ بي

وَاللَيثُ لا يَلهو بِهِ العابِثُ

وَاللَيثُ لا يَلهو بِهِ العابِثُ

When you trifled, you trifled with me,

When you played your tricks, you toyed with me,

and no trifler toys with the lion.

Yet the lion is not toyed with by the player!

وَكُنتَ كَالباحِثِ عَن مُديَةٍ

وَكُنتَ كَالباحِثِ عَن مُديَةٍ

وَإِنَّما يَشقى بِها الباحِثُ

وَإِنَّما يَشقى بِها الباحِثُ

You were like someone searching for a knife,

You were like one seeking praise

but it is the searcher who suffers by it.

Though the seeker is the one who suffers for it!

أَصبَحتَ مِن كَأسٍ تَغَبَّقتَها

أَصبَحتَ مِن كَأسٍ تَغَبَّقتَها

بَعدَ كِئاسٍ مَرُّها دالِثُ

بَعدَ كِئاسٍ مَرُّها دالِثُ

You awoke from a cup you had drunk at night,

You have become of a cup whose bitterness

after cups whose passage is insidious.

Followed cups - bitter is its taste!

كَأَنَّ في رَأسِكَ ذا آمَةٍ

كَأَنَّ في رَأسِكَ ذا آمَةٍ

أَو دَبَّ فيهِ شَبَثٌ شابِثُ

أَو دَبَّ فيهِ شَبَثٌ شابِثُ

as though someone with a deep skull wound were in your head,

As if your head contained a swelling

or a clinging spider had crawled into it.

Or pus crept into it and corrupted it!

هَلّا عَلى أُمِّكَ يَومَ الرَحا

هَلّا عَلى أُمِّكَ يَومَ الرَحا

حامَيتَ وَالجونُ بِها لاهِثُ

حامَيتَ وَالجونُ بِها لاهِثُ

Why did you not, for your mother, on the day of the mill,

Why didn’t you, on the day your mother wedded,

stand guard, while the dark one panted over her?

Defend her while the trailing gown dragged behind her?

سامى بِرِجلَيها وَطابَت لَهُ

سامى بِرِجلَيها وَطابَت لَهُ

عَجزاءَ مِنها الأَنَثُ الآنِثُ

عَجزاءَ مِنها الأَنَثُ الآنِثُ

He raised her legs high, and she pleased him,

She walked tall on her feet, and her disability was good for him;

big-rumped, with soft and yielding womanliness.

The crippled, older woman.

كَأَنَّ أَيراً في اِستِها في اِستِهِ

كَأَنَّ أَيراً في اِستِها في اِستِهِ

يَخفى وَيَبدو أَجرَدٌ نابِثُ

يَخفى وَيَبدو أَجرَدٌ نابِثُ

As though a penis in her arse were in his,

As if a one-eyed creature hid in her womb, in her womb,

vanishing and reappearing, hairless and burrowing.

Now visible, now hidden - a tall, spotted snake.

وَوالِثٍ عَهداً لَنا عِندَهُ

وَوالِثٍ عَهداً لَنا عِندَهُ

ثُمَّ اِنثَنى عَن عَهدِهِ الوالِثُ

ثُمَّ اِنثَنى عَن عَهدِهِ الوالِثُ

And one who bound himself to us with a flimsy pledge:

One who vowed to us and then reneged his vow -

then that half-hearted pledger turned away from his pledge.

The successor went back on his promise.

كَأَنَّما لَم يَكُ وُدّي لَهُ

كَأَنَّما لَم يَكُ وُدّي لَهُ

وَالنُصحُ لا عَرٌّ وَلا واعِثُ

وَالنُصحُ لا عَرٌّ وَلا واعِثُ

As though my affection for him had never existed,

As though he had never loved me,

nor my counsel, free from blight and roughness.

While sincere advice is no shame and no fault.

ضَيَّعَ حَرثي رَجُلٌ هالِكٌ

ضَيَّعَ حَرثي رَجُلٌ هالِكٌ

موقاً وَنِعمَ الحَرثُ وَالحارِثُ

موقاً وَنِعمَ الحَرثُ وَالحارِثُ

A doomed man wasted my sowing,

A doomed man ruined my livelihood

through folly—and fine were the crop and the cultivator!

Though excellent is the ploughed field and its tiller!

يا حارِثُ المَهرِيُّ أَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ

يا حارِثُ المَهرِيُّ أَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ

شَبعانُ لا يَحمَدُكَ الغارِثُ

شَبعانُ لا يَحمَدُكَ الغارِثُ

O Ḥārith al-Mahrī, you are a man

O Harith of Mahra! You are a man

well-fed, whom the hungry man does not praise.

Sated - the hungry envy you not.

كَأَنَّ مَن يُعنى بِتَضبيعِهِ

كَأَنَّ مَن يُعنى بِتَضبيعِهِ

رَأسُ يَتيمٍ قَمِلٌ شاعِثُ

رَأسُ يَتيمٍ قَمِلٌ شاعِثُ

As though one concerned with his arm-stretching

You were as one assigned to bankrupt

were an orphan's head, lice-ridden and unkempt.

An orphan’s head - filthy and unkempt!

أَنكَرتَني حينَ عَرَفتَ الغِنى

أَنكَرتَني حينَ عَرَفتَ الغِنى

أُفٍّ وَتُفٍّ لَكَ يا حارِثُ

أُفٍّ وَتُفٍّ لَكَ يا حارِثُ

You disowned me when you came to know wealth.

You denied knowing me when you gained wealth;

Fie and spit upon you, O Ḥārith!

Uff to you! Uff to you, O Harith!

فَاِشرَب بِكَأسَيكَ وَلا تَسقِني

فَاِشرَب بِكَأسَيكَ وَلا تَسقِني

عَمّا قَليلٍ يورَثُ الوارِثُ

عَمّا قَليلٍ يورَثُ الوارِثُ

So drink from both your cups, and do not give me drink;

So drink from your two cups and do not allow me

before long, the heir himself will be inherited from.

A little that the heir inherits.

آلَيتُ أَرضى بِالَّذي سُمتَني

آلَيتُ أَرضى بِالَّذي سُمتَني

أَو يَبعَثَ المَوتى لَنا باعِثُ

أَو يَبعَثَ المَوتى لَنا باعِثُ

I swore not to accept what you inflicted on me,

I have resigned to accept what you called me,

until a resurrector raises the dead for us.

Or for death to send us a sender!