تَذَكَّرَ هَذا القَلبُ مِن شَوقِهِ ذِكرا

تَذَكَّرَ هَذا القَلبُ مِن شَوقِهِ ذِكرا

تَذَكَّرَ شَوقاً لَيسَ ناسِيَهُ عَصرا

تَذَكَّرَ شَوقاً لَيسَ ناسِيَهُ عَصرا

This heart, out of its longing, recalled a memory.

This heart recalled in longing a remembrance

It recalled a longing it will never forget.

It recalled a yearning it doesn't forget any time

تَذَكَّرَ ظَمياءَ الَّتي لَيسَ ناسِياً

تَذَكَّرَ ظَمياءَ الَّتي لَيسَ ناسِياً

وَإِن كانَ أَدنى عَهدِها حِجَجاً عَشرا

وَإِن كانَ أَدنى عَهدِها حِجَجاً عَشرا

It remembered Ẓamyāʾ, whom it does not forget,

It recalled Zamiyya whom it doesn't forget

Though its last meeting with her was ten years ago.

Even if the least of its association with her was ten years

وَما مُغزِلٌ بِالغَورِ غَورِ تِهامَةٍ

وَما مُغزِلٌ بِالغَورِ غَورِ تِهامَةٍ

تَرَعّى أَراكاً مِن مَخارِمِها نَضرا

تَرَعّى أَراكاً مِن مَخارِمِها نَضرا

And no doe with a fawn in the lowland—the lowland of Tihāmah—

No spindle in the valley, the valley of Tihama

Grazing fresh arak in its mountain passes,

Grazes lambs from its precipices, fresh

مِنَ العوجِ حَوّاءَ المَدامِعِ تَرعَوي

مِنَ العوجِ حَوّاءَ المَدامِعِ تَرعَوي

إِلى رَشَإٍ طِفلٍ تَخالُ بِهِ فَترا

إِلى رَشَإٍ طِفلٍ تَخالُ بِهِ فَترا

One of the curved-horned gazelles, dark at the tear ducts, turning back

From twisted rain the tears graze

Toward a tender fawn you think is weak,

To the chin of a child it imagines idle

أَصابَت بِأَعلى الوَلوَلانِ حِبالَةً

أَصابَت بِأَعلى الوَلوَلانِ حِبالَةً

فَما اِستَمسَكَت حَتّى حَسِبنَ بِها نَفرا

فَما اِستَمسَكَت حَتّى حَسِبنَ بِها نَفرا

Having encountered a snare high in al-Walwalān,

It attained at the top of passion, crazed

And unable to keep still, till they thought men were near her,

So it didn't hold back until they thought it mad

بِأَحسَنَ مِن ظَمياءَ يَومَ لَقيتُها

بِأَحسَنَ مِن ظَمياءَ يَومَ لَقيتُها

وَلا مُزنَةٌ راحَت غَمامَتَها قَصرا

وَلا مُزنَةٌ راحَت غَمامَتَها قَصرا

Is lovelier than Ẓamyāʾ on the day I met her,

Better than Zamiyya the day I met her

Nor a rain cloud whose cloud-bank drifted late in the day.

No cares went away, their clouds sparse

وَكَم دونَها مِن عَطِفٍ في صَريمَةٍ

وَكَم دونَها مِن عَطِفٍ في صَريمَةٍ

وَأَعداءِ قَومٍ يَنذُرونَ دَمي نَذرا

وَأَعداءِ قَومٍ يَنذُرونَ دَمي نَذرا

And many a bend through an isolated sand ridge lies between us,

And how many turns in Sraima are below her

And hostile tribesmen who vow to spill my blood!

And enemies of a people who vow my blood a vow

إِذا أَوعَدوني عِندَ ظَمياءَ ساءَها

إِذا أَوعَدوني عِندَ ظَمياءَ ساءَها

وَعيدي وَقالَت لا تَقولوا لَهُ هُجرا

وَعيدي وَقالَت لا تَقولوا لَهُ هُجرا

Whenever they threatened me in Ẓamyāʾ's presence, she was distressed

When they threaten me at Zamiyya it saddened her

By the threat against me, and said, 'Do not speak abusively to him.'

And my threat, and she said don't say to him estrangement

دَعاني زِيادٌ لِلعَطاءِ وَلَم أَكُن

دَعاني زِيادٌ لِلعَطاءِ وَلَم أَكُن

لِأَقرَبَهُ ما ساقَ ذو حَسَبٍ وَفرا

لِأَقرَبَهُ ما ساقَ ذو حَسَبٍ وَفرا

Ziyād summoned me for a grant, but I would not

Ziyad called me for a gift but I wasn't

Approach him so long as a man of honor drives a plentiful herd.

For his closest what a man of repute brought, and ample

وَعِندَ زِيادٍ لَو يُريدُ عَطاءَهُم

وَعِندَ زِيادٍ لَو يُريدُ عَطاءَهُم

رِجالٌ كَثيرٌ قَد يَرى بِهِمُ فَقرا

رِجالٌ كَثيرٌ قَد يَرى بِهِمُ فَقرا

And with Ziyād, if he wishes to give to them,

And in Ziyad's presence if they want their gift

Are many men in whom he may see poverty,

Many men who see in them poverty

قُعودٌ لَدى الأَبوابِ طُلّابُ حاجَةٍ

قُعودٌ لَدى الأَبوابِ طُلّابُ حاجَةٍ

عَوانٍ مِنَ الحاجاتِ أَو حاجَةٍ بِكرا

عَوانٍ مِنَ الحاجاتِ أَو حاجَةٍ بِكرا

Sitting at the doors, petitioners with a need:

Sitting at the doors seekers of need

A longstanding need among their needs, or a virgin need.

Support from needs or an unspoiled need

فَلَمّا خَشيتُ أَن يَكونَ عَطاؤُهُ

فَلَمّا خَشيتُ أَن يَكونَ عَطاؤُهُ

أَداهِمَ سوداً أَو مُحَدرَجَةً سُمرا

أَداهِمَ سوداً أَو مُحَدرَجَةً سُمرا

So when I feared that his gift would be

So when I feared that his gift would be

Black fetters or rounded brown whips,

Rushing darkness or a descending brown

فَزِعتَ إِلى حَرفٍ أَضَرَّ بَنِيَّها

فَزِعتَ إِلى حَرفٍ أَضَرَّ بَنِيَّها

سُرى اللَيلِ وَاِستِعراضُها البَلَدَ القَفرا

سُرى اللَيلِ وَاِستِعراضُها البَلَدَ القَفرا

You then turned for help to a lean she-camel whose fat had been wasted

I fled to a craft that harmed its builder

By night travel and her crossing of the barren land.

The nights' wakefulness and its roaming the barren land

تَنَفَّسُ مِن بَهوٍ مِنَ الجَوفِ واسِعٍ

تَنَفَّسُ مِن بَهوٍ مِنَ الجَوفِ واسِعٍ

إِذا مَدَّ حَيزوماً شَراسيفَها الضَفرا

إِذا مَدَّ حَيزوماً شَراسيفَها الضَفرا

She breathes from a spacious chamber within her belly,

It breathes from an expansive cavity in the chest

When her stout rib-tips spread her chest.

When it extends its stubbled jaws