شَجتْهُ مغَانٍ مِن سُلَيْمى وأَدْؤرُ

شَجتْهُ مغَانٍ مِن سُلَيْمى وأَدْؤرُ

وأُخْرى اعْتَلَقْنَا دُونَهُنَّ ودُونَها

وأُخْرى اعْتَلَقْنَا دُونَهُنَّ ودُونَها

Sulayma’s dwelling places and houses stirred his sorrow.

Her charms enticed me from Suleima and Adwar,

And another we loved—between us and them, and us and her,

And others I left behind those two.

قُصُورٌ وحُجّاب ووالٍ ومعْشَرُ

قُصُورٌ وحُجّاب ووالٍ ومعْشَرُ

يُزَيِّنُها ماءُ النَّعيمِ وحفَّها

يُزَيِّنُها ماءُ النَّعيمِ وحفَّها

Stand palaces, gatekeepers, a governor, and a company.

Palaces and curtains, rulers and tribes -

The water of bliss adorns her, and she is encircled by

The water of bliss adorns them and surrounds them.

مِن العيْشِ فَيْنَانُ الأَراكَةِ أَخْضَرُ

مِن العيْشِ فَيْنَانُ الأَراكَةِ أَخْضَرُ

إِذا رامهَا ذُو حاجة صدَّ وجْهَهُ

إِذا رامهَا ذُو حاجة صدَّ وجْهَهُ

Life’s green, lush-branched arak tree.

The most verdant of dwellings, the most blissful life,

When one in need seeks her, his face is turned back by

When the needy man heads for it, he is turned away.

ظُبا الباتِراتِ والوشِيجُ المُكَسَّرُ

ظُبا الباتِراتِ والوشِيجُ المُكَسَّرُ

ومِن قُبّةٍ لا يُدْرِكُ الطَّرْفُ رأَسها

ومِن قُبّةٍ لا يُدْرِكُ الطَّرْفُ رأَسها

The edges of cleaving swords and splintered spear-shafts.

The shy, wild cows, and the broken, twisted trees,

And a dome whose summit the eye cannot reach—

And from a dome that no eye can see the top of,

تَزِلُّ بها رِيحُ الصَّبا فَتَحدَّرُ

تَزِلُّ بها رِيحُ الصَّبا فَتَحدَّرُ

إِذا زاحمتْ منها المخَارِم صوَّبتْ

إِذا زاحمتْ منها المخَارِم صوَّبتْ

The east wind slips upon it and tumbles down;

The wind makes it sway, so it slides down,

When it presses against its clefts, it plunges

When the winds contend with it, it directs

هُويّا على بُعْدِ المدى وهْي تَجْأَرُ

هُويّا على بُعْدِ المدى وهْي تَجْأَرُ

تَكَلَّفْتُهَا واللَّيْلُ قد جاشَ بحْرُهُ

تَكَلَّفْتُهَا واللَّيْلُ قد جاشَ بحْرُهُ

Down over the long distance, roaring.

Them far into the distance, while it snarls loudly.

I braved it while night’s sea had surged,

I indulged myself while the night surged with its seas,

وقد جعلَتْ أَمْواجُهُ تَتَكَسَّرُ

وقد جعلَتْ أَمْواجُهُ تَتَكَسَّرُ

ومِن تَحْتِ حِضْني أَبْيضٌ ذُو سَفَاسِقٍ

ومِن تَحْتِ حِضْني أَبْيضٌ ذُو سَفَاسِقٍ

And its waves had begun to break.

And its waves were crashing.

And beneath my side, a white blade with streaked markings,

Beneath my bosom is a smooth white branch,

وفي الكَفِّ مِن عسّالةِ الخَطِّ أَسْمرُ

وفي الكَفِّ مِن عسّالةِ الخَطِّ أَسْمرُ

هُما صاحِباي مِن لَدُن كُنْتُ يافِعاً

هُما صاحِباي مِن لَدُن كُنْتُ يافِعاً

And in my palm, a brown spear, one of al-Khatt’s supple shafts.

And in my palm a dark one from a slender willow.

They have been my two companions since I was a youth,

They are my two companions since my youth,

مُقِيلانِ مِن جدِّ الفَتَى حين يَعْثُرُ

مُقِيلانِ مِن جدِّ الفَتَى حين يَعْثُرُ

فذا جَدْوَلٌ في الغِمْدِ تُسْقَى به المُنَى

فذا جَدْوَلٌ في الغِمْدِ تُسْقَى به المُنَى

Two rescuers, part of a young man’s good fortune when he stumbles.

Supporting the vigor of the young man when he stumbles.

So this is a stream in its sheath, by which wishes are watered,

This is a brook in a scabbard from which wishes are watered,

وذا غُصُنٌ في الكَفِّ يُجْنَى فيُثْمِرُ

وذا غُصُنٌ في الكَفِّ يُجْنَى فيُثْمِرُ

إِلى بَيْتِ لَيْلى وهو فَرْد بذي الغَضا

إِلى بَيْتِ لَيْلى وهو فَرْد بذي الغَضا

And this a branch in the palm, plucked, then bearing fruit.

And this is a bough in the palm which fruits and blooms.

To Layla’s house, solitary at Dhu al-Ghada:

To the abode of Layla, still alone at Dhu Gaddah,

يضِيءُ لعَيْنِ المُسْتَهَامِ ويزْهرُ

يضِيءُ لعَيْنِ المُسْتَهَامِ ويزْهرُ

فبتْنَا على ضمٍّ لفَرْطِ اشْتِياقِنَا

فبتْنَا على ضمٍّ لفَرْطِ اشْتِياقِنَا

It shines for the eye of the lovesick and gleams.

It lights the way for the lost and blossoms.

So we spent the night embracing, such was our longing

We stayed pressed together in our intense longing,

تكادُ له أَكْبَادُنَا تَتَفَطَّرُ

تكادُ له أَكْبَادُنَا تَتَفَطَّرُ

ودَوِّيّةٌ مِن فِتْنَةٍ مُدْلَهِمّةٍ

ودَوِّيّةٌ مِن فِتْنَةٍ مُدْلَهِمّةٍ

That our livers nearly split apart from it.

Our livers almost cracked from it.

And a wilderness of pitch-dark strife,

An expert charmer of the tents, notorious

دَرِيسِ الصَّوَى مَعْرُوفُهَا مُتَنَكِّرُ

دَرِيسِ الصَّوَى مَعْرُوفُهَا مُتَنَكِّرُ

إِذا جابَها الخِرِّيت في طُرُقَاتِهَا

إِذا جابَها الخِرِّيت في طُرُقَاتِهَا

Its waymarks worn away, its familiar features unrecognizable.

For her devastating, reckless magic,

When the expert guide crosses it along its paths,

When she encountered the muleteers on their paths

يَظَلُّ بها أَعْمَى وإِنْ كانَ يُبْصِرُ

يَظَلُّ بها أَعْمَى وإِنْ كانَ يُبْصِرُ

تَرى ثابِتاتِ الحُكْمِ عِنْدَ اعْتِسافِها

تَرى ثابِتاتِ الحُكْمِ عِنْدَ اعْتِسافِها

He remains blind in it, even though he can see.

They are blinded by her even if they can see.

You see those firm in judgment, as they cross it blindly,

You see the rational minds in their drunkenness

تَزلُّ على أَدْفافِها فَتَهَوَّرُ

تَزلُّ على أَدْفافِها فَتَهَوَّرُ

وإِنْ سَلَكَتْ أَضْوَاجَهَا عَييَتْ بها

وإِنْ سَلَكَتْ أَضْوَاجَهَا عَييَتْ بها

Slip upon its flanks and tumble down;

Sliding down their supports and plunging down.

And if they follow its bends, they are baffled there—

And if she took the reins of her husbands, she confuses them,

عَوارِبَ من ذِي مُطْرياتٍ تَزَجَّرُ

عَوارِبَ من ذِي مُطْرياتٍ تَزَجَّرُ

وسِرْنَا نَجُوزُ النَّهْجَ حتَّى بَدا لنا

وسِرْنَا نَجُوزُ النَّهْجَ حتَّى بَدا لنا

Eloquent Arabic verses from a maker of praise, shrinking back.

Startling the pacing camels so they shuffle along.

And we went on along the path until there appeared to us

We walked the road until Yahya's hill appeared to us,

بغُرّةِ يَحْيى ساطِعُ اللَّوْنِ أَزْهَرُ

بغُرّةِ يَحْيى ساطِعُ اللَّوْنِ أَزْهَرُ

In Yahya’s brow, a bright-hued, radiant light.

Radiant and most verdant.