عَفا مِن سُلَيمى ذو سَديرٍ فَغابِرُ

عَفا مِن سُلَيمى ذو سَديرٍ فَغابِرُ

فَحَرسٌ فأَعلامُ الدَّخولِ الصوادِرُ

فَحَرسٌ فأَعلامُ الدَّخولِ الصوادِرُ

Sulayma's traces have faded from Dhu Sadir, then Ghabir,

The one from Sulaima with lofty dignity has forgiven, so the gloom departed,

then Haras, then the jutting heights of al-Dakhul.

And so the guards withdrew, and the signs of entry were removed,

نَظَرتُ بِوادي الغَمر واللَّيلُ مُقبِلٌ

نَظَرتُ بِوادي الغَمر واللَّيلُ مُقبِلٌ

يَرِفُّ رَفيفَ النَّسر والشَّوقُ طائِرُ

يَرِفُّ رَفيفَ النَّسر والشَّوقُ طائِرُ

I gazed in the valley of al-Ghamr as night approached,

I looked towards Wadi al-Ghamr as night was approaching,

fluttering like a vulture, while longing took wing.

The breeze fluttering with the cry of the eagle and yearning soaring high.

قَضى اللَّهُ في بَعضِ المَكارِهِ لِلفَتى

قَضى اللَّهُ في بَعضِ المَكارِهِ لِلفَتى

بِرُشدٍ وَفي بَعضِ الهَوى ما يُحاذِرُ

بِرُشدٍ وَفي بَعضِ الهَوى ما يُحاذِرُ

God has ordained for a young man, in some hardships,

God has decreed for the youth in some troubles,

right guidance—and in some desires, what he fears.

Guidance, and in some desires that which must be avoided.

أَلَم تَعلَمي أَني إِذا الإلفُ قادَني

أَلَم تَعلَمي أَني إِذا الإلفُ قادَني

سوى القَصدِ لا أَنقادُ والإِلفُ جائِرُ

سوى القَصدِ لا أَنقادُ والإِلفُ جائِرُ

Did you not know that, when my beloved leads me

Do you not know that when intimacy leads me,

away from the right course, I will not yield while my beloved strays?

I follow nothing but the right path, and intimacy is misleading?

شَرِبنا بِثُعبانٍ مِن الطَّود بَردَها

شَرِبنا بِثُعبانٍ مِن الطَّود بَردَها

شِفاءً لِغَمٍّ وَهيَ داءٌ مُخامِرُ

شِفاءً لِغَمٍّ وَهيَ داءٌ مُخامِرُ

We drank her coolness at Thuʿban in the mountain,

We drank from a serpent in Mount Tawd, its coldness

a cure for grief, though she is a sickness that takes hold,

A cure for sorrow, though it is a lingering affliction.

لَياليَ دُنيانا عَلينا رَحيبَةٌ

لَياليَ دُنيانا عَلينا رَحيبَةٌ

وإِذ عامِرٌ في أَولِ الدَّهرِ عامِرُ

وإِذ عامِرٌ في أَولِ الدَّهرِ عامِرُ

in the nights when our world lay wide before us,

Our nights reproached us, once flourishing, now desolate,

and when ʿAmir was thriving in the early days.

Though in the beginning of time it was inhabited and flourishing.

وَقَد كُنتُ في بَعضِ الصّباوَةِ أَتَّقي

وَقَد كُنتُ في بَعضِ الصّباوَةِ أَتَّقي

أُموراً وأَخشى أَن تَدورَ الدَّوائِرُ

أُموراً وأَخشى أَن تَدورَ الدَّوائِرُ

And in some of my youthful passions I used to guard against

In my rash youth I used to fear

certain things, and fear that fortune might turn.

Things that might happen and the turning of fate.

وأَعلَمُ أَني إِن تغطّيتَ مرَّةً

وأَعلَمُ أَني إِن تغطّيتَ مرَّةً

مِنَ الدَّهرِ مَكشوفٌ غِطائي فَناظِرُ

مِنَ الدَّهرِ مَكشوفٌ غِطائي فَناظِرُ

And I know that, if you cover yourself once

And I know that if you cover me once,

in life's course, my covering will be laid bare, and I will look on.

From fate I am exposed, my covering stripped away.

وَما خِلتُنا إِذ لَيسَ يَحجزُ بَينَنا

وَما خِلتُنا إِذ لَيسَ يَحجزُ بَينَنا

وَبينَ العِدى إِلا القُنيّ الخَواطِرُ

وَبينَ العِدى إِلا القُنيّ الخَواطِرُ

And I never imagined us so, when nothing stood between us

We were not without protection, for naught stood between us

and the enemy except the quivering lances,

And harm but the shields of thought.

وَوَصلُ الخُطا بالسَّيفِ والسَّيفُ بالخُطا

وَوَصلُ الخُطا بالسَّيفِ والسَّيفُ بالخُطا

إِذا ظَنّ أَنَّ السَّيفَ ذو السَّيفِ قاصِرُ

إِذا ظَنّ أَنَّ السَّيفَ ذو السَّيفِ قاصِرُ

and joining strides to sword, and sword to strides,

The sword is linked to tyranny, and tyranny to the sword

when the swordsman thought his sword fell short.

When the sword believes the sword’s holder falls short.

وَقَد يَركبُ الأَمرَ الذي لَيسَ حالُهُ

وَقَد يَركبُ الأَمرَ الذي لَيسَ حالُهُ

إِذا ما أَضافَتهُ إِليهِ الضَّرائِرُ

إِذا ما أَضافَتهُ إِليهِ الضَّرائِرُ

And he may undertake what is not his usual way,

And an affair one is not equipped for

when hardships force him into it,

May be taken on if disasters drive one to it.

إِلى أَن نَزلنا بِالفَضاء وَما لَنا

إِلى أَن نَزلنا بِالفَضاء وَما لَنا

بِهِ مَعقِلٌ إِلا الرِّماحُ الشَّواجِرُ

بِهِ مَعقِلٌ إِلا الرِّماحُ الشَّواجِرُ

until we alighted in the open, with no

Until we arrived at the open plain, our only refuge

refuge there but the interlacing spears.

The tall spears, naked blades.

أَتانِيَ عَن كَعبٍ مَقالٌ وَلَم يَزل

أَتانِيَ عَن كَعبٍ مَقالٌ وَلَم يَزل

لِكَعبٍ يَمينٌ مِن يَديّ وَناصِرُ

لِكَعبٍ يَمينٌ مِن يَديّ وَناصِرُ

Word reached me from Kaʿb, though there has always been

News came to me from Ka’b, who has never ceased

for Kaʿb a right hand of mine and a helper.

To be my right hand and my champion.

لأَعتَرضن بِالسَّهلِ ثُمَ لأَحدُوَن

لأَعتَرضن بِالسَّهلِ ثُمَ لأَحدُوَن

قَصائِدَ فيها لِلمَعاذيرِ زاجِرُ

قَصائِدَ فيها لِلمَعاذيرِ زاجِرُ

I shall surely cross the plain, then chant

I will waylay on the plain, then rush

poems containing a rebuke to excuses,

Odes in which blame's deterrent thunders loud,

قَصائِدَ تَستَحلي الرواةُ نَشيدَها

قَصائِدَ تَستَحلي الرواةُ نَشيدَها

وَيَلهو بِها مِن لاعبِ الحي سامِرُ

وَيَلهو بِها مِن لاعبِ الحي سامِرُ

poems whose chanting the reciters find sweet,

Odes which reciters will proudly chant

and a nighttime companion among the clan's merrymakers enjoys them.

And which the playful gallant will delight in.

يَعَضُّ عَليها الشَّيخُ إِبهام كفِّهِ

يَعَضُّ عَليها الشَّيخُ إِبهام كفِّهِ

وَتخزَى بِها أَحياؤُكُم والمقابِرُ

وَتخزَى بِها أَحياؤُكُم والمقابِرُ

The old man bites the thumb of his hand over them,

The elder bites his thumb at them in censure

and by them your living folk and the graves are shamed.

And your livelihoods and tombs are shamed by them.