لَم أَلقَ عمرَةَ بعد إِذ هيَ ناشِيءٌ

لَم أَلقَ عمرَةَ بعد إِذ هيَ ناشِيءٌ

خَرَجَت مُعَطَّفةً عَليها مِئزَرُ

خَرَجَت مُعَطَّفةً عَليها مِئزَرُ

I have not met Amra since she was a young maiden.

I have not met a maiden since she was a child

She came out wrapped, with a waistcloth upon her.

She went out cloaked, wearing a waist wrapper

بَرَزَت عَقيلةَ أَربَعٍ هادَينَها

بَرَزَت عَقيلةَ أَربَعٍ هادَينَها

بيضَ الوجوهِ كأَنَّهنَّ العُنقُرُ

بيضَ الوجوهِ كأَنَّهنَّ العُنقُرُ

She appeared, a cherished noblewoman escorted by four women,

Aqila came out, led by four white-faced ones

fair of face, as though they were white reed-roots.

With faces like young ostriches

ذهبت بعقلِكَ رَيطَةٌ مَطويَّةٌ

ذهبت بعقلِكَ رَيطَةٌ مَطويَّةٌ

وَهيَ التي تُهدى بِها لَو تَشعُرُ

وَهيَ التي تُهدى بِها لَو تَشعُرُ

A folded fine wrap has stolen your wits,

With your mind went a curled lock of hair

and she is the one by whom you are guided, if you but knew.

Which would be gifted if you were aware

فَهَمَمتُ أَن أَغشى إِلَيها مَحجِراً

فَهَمَمتُ أَن أَغشى إِلَيها مَحجِراً

وَلِمثلها يُغشى إِلَيهِ المَحجِرُ

وَلِمثلها يُغشى إِلَيهِ المَحجِرُ

So I thought to venture into her guarded enclosure;

So I intended to approach her unveiled

and for one like her, one ventures into the guarded enclosure.

And the unveiled approach maidens like her

أَنتُم بِجابيةِ المُلوكِ وأَهلُنا

أَنتُم بِجابيةِ المُلوكِ وأَهلُنا

بِالجَوفِ جيرتنا صُداءُ وَحميرُ

بِالجَوفِ جيرتنا صُداءُ وَحميرُ

You are at the kings’ Jabiya, and our people

You are in the abode of kings while our people

are in al-Jawf; our neighbors are Suda’ and Himyar.

Are neighbors to us in the valley, echoes and donkeys

فَلَئن بَلَغتُ لأَبلغن مُتَكَلِّفاً

فَلَئن بَلَغتُ لأَبلغن مُتَكَلِّفاً

وَلَئن قَصَرتُ لَكارِهاً ما أَقصُرُ

وَلَئن قَصَرتُ لَكارِهاً ما أَقصُرُ

So if I arrive, I shall surely arrive through toil;

So if I come to you I will come pretending

and if I fall short, it is unwillingly that I fall short.

And if I fall short, how forced my falling short is

يَهوي بأَشعَثَ قَد وَهى سِربالُهُ

يَهوي بأَشعَثَ قَد وَهى سِربالُهُ

بَعثٍ تؤرِّقُه الهمومُ فَيَسهَرُ

بَعثٍ تؤرِّقُه الهمومُ فَيَسهَرُ

It speeds along with a disheveled man whose tunic has worn thin,

He swoops down, disheveled, his garment worn out

restless, whom cares keep awake, so he stays sleepless.

Anxiety keeps him awake through the night

وإِذا احزأَلا في المُناخِ رأَيتَهُ

وإِذا احزأَلا في المُناخِ رأَيتَهُ

كالطَّودِ أَفردهُ العَماء المُمطِرُ

كالطَّودِ أَفردهُ العَماء المُمطِرُ

And when it stands tall at the halting-place, you see it

And when the camels bellow, you see him

like a mountain singled out by rain-bearing cloud,

Like a solitary mountain the rainy clouds pour on

بِسواءِ مَجمعة كأَنَّ أَمارةً

بِسواءِ مَجمعة كأَنَّ أَمارةً

مِنها إِذا بَرَزَت فَنيقٌ يَخطرُ

مِنها إِذا بَرَزَت فَنيقٌ يَخطرُ

in the midst of Majma‘a, as though a landmark

With smooth flat ground, as if emblems

from it, when it comes into view, were a strutting bull-camel.

Would leap forth if they emerged from it

وَتَرى الصَّباحَ كأَنَّ فيهِ مُصلِتاً

وَتَرى الصَّباحَ كأَنَّ فيهِ مُصلِتاً

بِالسَّيفِ يَحمِلُهُ حِصانٌ أَشقَر

بِالسَّيفِ يَحمِلُهُ حِصانٌ أَشقَر

And you see the dawn as though within it were a man brandishing

And you see the morning as if a prayer niche in it

a sword, borne by a chestnut stallion.

A bay horse carrying a sword-bearing man

أُجُدٌ مداخلةٌ وآدَمُ مُصلِقٌ

أُجُدٌ مداخلةٌ وآدَمُ مُصلِقٌ

كَبداءُ لاحِقةِ الرَّحا وَشَميذَرُ

كَبداءُ لاحِقةِ الرَّحا وَشَميذَرُ

A sturdy, compact she-camel, and a dusky, loud-crying male;

Generous, a shelter; and Adam, an arbiter

broad-bellied, with a tucked-up chest-pad, and a swift, strong male.

Like following rain and thunder showers