لَوى اِبنُ أَبي الرَقراقِ عَينَيهِ بَعدَما

لَوى اِبنُ أَبي الرَقراقِ عَينَيهِ بَعدَما

دَنا مِن أَعالي إيلِياءَ وَغَوَّرا

دَنا مِن أَعالي إيلِياءَ وَغَوَّرا

The son of Abu al-Raqraq turned his eyes after

Ibn Abi al-Riqraq turned his eyes away after

He neared the heights of Iliya and descended to the lowlands.

He drew near the heights of Iliya and became downcast.

رَجا أَن يَرى ما أَهلُهُ يُبصِرونَهُ

رَجا أَن يَرى ما أَهلُهُ يُبصِرونَهُ

سُهَيلاً فَقَد واراهُ أَجبالُ أَعفَرا

سُهَيلاً فَقَد واراهُ أَجبالُ أَعفَرا

He hoped to see what his people saw:

He hoped to see what his tribe could see—

Suhayl—for the mountains of A'far had hidden it.

Suhayl. But he found the hills of ‘Afar blocking the view.

فَكُنّا نَرى النَجمَ اليَمانِيَّ عِندَنا

فَكُنّا نَرى النَجمَ اليَمانِيَّ عِندَنا

سُهَيلاً فَحالَت دونَهُ أَرضُ حِميَرا

سُهَيلاً فَحالَت دونَهُ أَرضُ حِميَرا

For we used to see the Yemeni star at home—

We used to see the star of the Yemen in our skies

Suhayl—but the land of Himyar stood between us and it.

As Suhayl, but now the land of Himyar concealed it.

وَكُنّا بِهِ مُستَأنِسينَ كَأَنَّهُ

وَكُنّا بِهِ مُستَأنِسينَ كَأَنَّهُ

أَخٌ أَو خَليطٌ عَن خَليطٍ تَغَيَّرا

أَخٌ أَو خَليطٌ عَن خَليطٍ تَغَيَّرا

And we took comfort in it, as though it were

We took comfort in it as though it were

A brother, or a companion estranged from his companion.

A brother or a comrade changed from what he was before.

بَكى أَن تَغَنَّت فَوقَ ساقٍ حَمامَةٌ

بَكى أَن تَغَنَّت فَوقَ ساقٍ حَمامَةٌ

شَآمِيَّةٌ هاجَت لَهُ فَتَذَكَّرا

شَآمِيَّةٌ هاجَت لَهُ فَتَذَكَّرا

He wept because a dove sang upon a branch,

He wept when above a column a dove sang—

A Syrian dove; it stirred him, and he remembered.

A Syrian who stirred his memory.

وَأَضحى الغَواني لا يُرِدنَ وِصالَهُ

وَأَضحى الغَواني لا يُرِدنَ وِصالَهُ

وَبَينا تَرى ظِلَّ الغِيايَةِ أَدبَرا

وَبَينا تَرى ظِلَّ الغِيايَةِ أَدبَرا

And now the lovely women no longer desire union with him,

The songster does not wish her lovers' trysts now,

And even as you behold the cloud's shade, it recedes.

And while you can see the shadow of evening grow dim.

مَخابِئَ حُبٍّ مِن حُمَيدَةَ لَم يَزَل

مَخابِئَ حُبٍّ مِن حُمَيدَةَ لَم يَزَل

بِهِ سَقَمٌ مِن حُبِّها إِذ تَأَزَّرا

بِهِ سَقَمٌ مِن حُبِّها إِذ تَأَزَّرا

Hidden recesses of love for Humayda—he had never ceased

In the dens of love in Humaydah he never ceased

To suffer sickness from loving her, since he girded himself.

To be ill from love of her when they moved camp.

فَلَو كانَ لي بِالشَأمِ مِثلُ الَّذي جَبَت

فَلَو كانَ لي بِالشَأمِ مِثلُ الَّذي جَبَت

ثَقيفٌ بِأَمصارِ العِراقِ وَأَكثَرا

ثَقيفٌ بِأَمصارِ العِراقِ وَأَكثَرا

For even if I had in Syria as much as was collected

If I had in Syria what Thaqif won

By Thaqif in the cities of Iraq, and more,

In the towns of Iraq and still more,

فَقيلَ أَتِهِ لَم أَتِهِ الدَهرَ ما دَعا

فَقيلَ أَتِهِ لَم أَتِهِ الدَهرَ ما دَعا

حَمامٌ عَلى ساقٍ هَديلاً فَقَرقَرا

حَمامٌ عَلى ساقٍ هَديلاً فَقَرقَرا

And were told, 'Go there,' I would never go there, so long as

It would be said to me, “Why have I not visited them,

Doves upon a branch coo and trill.

When a dove above a column sang out so plainly?”

تَرَكتُ بَني حَربٍ وَكانوا أئٍمَّةً

تَرَكتُ بَني حَربٍ وَكانوا أئٍمَّةً

وَمَروانَ لا آتيهِ وَالمُتَخَيَّرا

وَمَروانَ لا آتيهِ وَالمُتَخَيَّرا

I left the sons of Harb, though they were rulers,

I left Banu Harb though they were leaders

And Marwan—I would not visit him—and the chosen one,

And Marwan—I will not visit him, though able.

أَباكَ وَقَد كانَ الوَليدُ أَرادَني

أَباكَ وَقَد كانَ الوَليدُ أَرادَني

لِيَفعَلَ خَيراً أَو لِيُؤمِنَ أَوجَرا

لِيَفعَلَ خَيراً أَو لِيُؤمِنَ أَوجَرا

Your father; and al-Walid had indeed sought me

I left your father when al-Walid would have me

To do good, or grant a fearful man safety.

Do good or grant safety or pay more money.

فَما كُنتُ عَن نَفسي لِأَرحَلَ طائِعاً

فَما كُنتُ عَن نَفسي لِأَرحَلَ طائِعاً

إِلى الشَأمِ حَتّى كُنتَ أَنتَ المُؤَمَّرا

إِلى الشَأمِ حَتّى كُنتَ أَنتَ المُؤَمَّرا

So I would not, of my own accord, willingly journey

I was not willing to travel voluntarily

To Syria, until you yourself were appointed ruler.

To Syria until you were the one arranging it.

فَلَمّا أَتاني أَنَّها ثَبَتَت لَهُ

فَلَمّا أَتاني أَنَّها ثَبَتَت لَهُ

بِأَوتادِ قَرمٍ مِن أُمَيَّةَ أَزهَرا

بِأَوتادِ قَرمٍ مِن أُمَيَّةَ أَزهَرا

Then, when word reached me that it had been secured for him

When it came to me that it was firmly held

With the tent-pegs of a radiant chieftain of Umayya,

For him with tent pegs from Umayya,

نَهَضتُ بِأَكنافِ الجَناحَينِ نَهضَةً

نَهَضتُ بِأَكنافِ الجَناحَينِ نَهضَةً

إِلى خَيرِ أَهلِ الأَرضِ فِرعاً وَعُنصُرا

إِلى خَيرِ أَهلِ الأَرضِ فِرعاً وَعُنصُرا

I set forth from the environs of al-Janahayn in a surge,

I set forth with my wings’ pinions, rising up

To the best of earth's people in lineage and stock.

To the best of mankind, a branch and pillar.