عُج المَطايا بِرَقمَتَينِ

عُج المَطايا بِرَقمَتَينِ

وَحَيِّ باناتِ رامَتَينِ

وَحَيِّ باناتِ رامَتَينِ

Turn the mounts aside at Raqmatayn,

The camels were adorned with two ankle bracelets,

and greet the ban trees of Ramatayn.

greeting the tents of two high-placed poles,

وَسائِلِ الرَّبعَ عَن رَبابٍ

وَسائِلِ الرَّبعَ عَن رَبابٍ

وَمَن بِلُبنانَ عَن لُبَينِ

وَمَن بِلُبنانَ عَن لُبَينِ

And ask the campsite about Rabab,

asking the quarter about a doe,

and those in Lebanon about Lubayn.

and who in Lebanon about two gazelles.

يا وَحشَتي لِلخَليطِ حَلُّوا

يا وَحشَتي لِلخَليطِ حَلُّوا

ما بَينَ نَجدٍ وَأَبطَحَينِ

ما بَينَ نَجدٍ وَأَبطَحَينِ

Ah, my loneliness for the companions who settled

O my friends journeying the plain, halt awhile

between Najd and Abtahayn!

between Al-Naǧd and Abṭaḥ.

طَوَت بِهِم عَرضَ كُلِّ قَفرٍ

طَوَت بِهِم عَرضَ كُلِّ قَفرٍ

بُدنٌ طَواهُنَّ مَسُّ أَينِ

بُدنٌ طَواهُنَّ مَسُّ أَينِ

They carried them across the breadth of every wilderness—

With them the expanse of every barren land was crossed,

stout camels, thinned by the touch of weariness.

bodies which the touch of love wasted away.

وَفي قِبابِ الخَليطِ خودٌ

وَفي قِبابِ الخَليطِ خودٌ

تُديرُ لِلسِّحرِ مُقلَتَينِ

تُديرُ لِلسِّحرِ مُقلَتَينِ

And in the companions' domed tents is a tender maiden,

And in the tents of the plain enclosure

turning two eyes to bewitch.

which for the magic turns two spindle whorls

تَحكِي ظُبى لَحظِها المَواضِي

تَحكِي ظُبى لَحظِها المَواضِي

وَيَدعِي عَطفَها الرُّدَيني

وَيَدعِي عَطفَها الرُّدَيني

The blades of her glance resemble keen swords,

relating the tale of her glances’ pasturelands

and the Rudayni spear lays claim to her supple form.

and claiming the tenderness of the black doe,

وَما خَذولٌ بِبَطنِ وادٍ

وَما خَذولٌ بِبَطنِ وادٍ

مَرُوعَةٌ أُمُّ شادِنَينِ

مَرُوعَةٌ أُمُّ شادِنَينِ

And no solitary doe in a valley's hollow,

No coward in the belly of a valley

frightened, the mother of two fawns,

a terrified mother of two little fawns,

تَكرَعُ في بَردِهِ وَتَأوي

تَكرَعُ في بَردِهِ وَتَأوي

إِلى خَصيفَينِ مُشرِقَينِ

إِلى خَصيفَينِ مُشرِقَينِ

drinking its cool water and taking shelter

drinking in his coolness and repairing

with two bright, dappled fawns,

to two daybreaks, shining,

كَمِثلِ لَمياءَ يَومَ تَبدو

كَمِثلِ لَمياءَ يَومَ تَبدو

إِشرافَ جيدٍ لَحظَ عَينِ

إِشرافَ جيدٍ لَحظَ عَينِ

can match the dark-lipped beauty when she appears,

Like the shimmer of water when it shows

in the lift of her neck, the glance of her eye.

the fine rim of an eye on the day it appears,

إِذا الحُجَيلا وَرَدتُماهُ

إِذا الحُجَيلا وَرَدتُماهُ

وَمِرتَماً بَعدَ سُرَّتَينِ

وَمِرتَماً بَعدَ سُرَّتَينِ

When you two reach al-Hujayla,

When the two sand grouse alight there

and Mirtam, beyond Surratayn,

and after being downcast, wander two by two,

وَجِئتُما الحَيَّ بَعدَ وَهنٍ

وَجِئتُما الحَيَّ بَعدَ وَهنٍ

فَاِستَدعِياها لِبانَتَينِ

فَاِستَدعِياها لِبانَتَينِ

and reach the encampment well into the night,

And after weakness come to the tribe,

then summon her to two ban trees,

summon her for the two of them

وَبَلِّغاها السَّلامَ منِّي

وَبَلِّغاها السَّلامَ منِّي

رِفقاً وَقُولا لَها بِلَينِ

رِفقاً وَقُولا لَها بِلَينِ

and convey to her greetings of peace from me,

And convey regards from me

gently, and say to her softly:

gently and say to her with subtlety,

تَرَكتِ بِالغَورِ مُستَهاماً

تَرَكتِ بِالغَورِ مُستَهاماً

يُمسِكُ قَلباً بِراحَتَينِ

يُمسِكُ قَلباً بِراحَتَينِ

You have left in al-Ghawr a man crazed with love,

“In the basin you left behind, anguished,

holding his heart in both palms,

a heart holding to two hands –

حَليفَ وَجدٍ أَليفَ سُهدٍ

حَليفَ وَجدٍ أَليفَ سُهدٍ

يُنازِعُ المَوتَ مِن هذَينِ

يُنازِعُ المَوتَ مِن هذَينِ

a sworn ally of longing, an intimate of sleeplessness,

Loyal friend of passion, intimate companion of dreams

wrestling with death because of these two.

who contends against death with these two...”