رمى أدمعي نصُّ الركائبِ والوخدُ

رمى أدمعي نصُّ الركائبِ والوخدُ

فأبدتْ هَوَى مَنْ لم يكنْ سَقِماً يبدو

فأبدتْ هَوَى مَنْ لم يكنْ سَقِماً يبدو

The riding camels' hurried pace and swift stride sent my tears streaming;

My tears flowed down the cheeks of the camel litters,

thus they revealed the love of one who had not seemed ailing.

Revealing the passion of one who seemed not sick.

بعينيَّ هاتيك الحمولُ عشية

بعينيَّ هاتيك الحمولُ عشية

وقد عَلِقَتْ منْ دونِ آرامها الأسد

وقد عَلِقَتْ منْ دونِ آرامها الأسد

With my eyes I would ransom those laden camels at dusk,

With these eyes of mine, the caravan appeared in the evening,

while lions stood fast before their gazelles.

While the lions slept, detached from their tranquility.

أدارهمُ الأولى لبستِ من البلى

أدارهمُ الأولى لبستِ من البلى

مطارفَ لا تَبْلى وإن بَلِيَ العهد

مطارفَ لا تَبْلى وإن بَلِيَ العهد

O their former home, you have donned decay's

Time's vicissitudes clothed them in the garb of decay,

mantles that never wear out, though the past has worn away,

While their glances remained unchanged, though eras passed.

كأن لم تكوني للأحِبَّةِ منزلاً

كأن لم تكوني للأحِبَّةِ منزلاً

ولا عَبَثتْ فيك الرَّبابُ ولا هند

ولا عَبَثتْ فيك الرَّبابُ ولا هند

as though you had never been a dwelling for loved ones,

As if you were never a home to loved ones,

nor had al-Rabab or Hind frolicked within you.

Where lutes were strummed and wine was poured.

عفا جَسدي ممّا أَلَظَّ به الضَّنا

عفا جَسدي ممّا أَلَظَّ به الضَّنا

وأشْبَهْتِهِ مما استهلَّ بك العهد

وأشْبَهْتِهِ مما استهلَّ بك العهد

My body has wasted away from the sickness that clung to it,

My body recovered from the harshness it endured,

and you have come to resemble it through the rain that poured upon you.

And resembled what it was when the era began.

سقاكِ إلى أن قلتُ بينكما هوىً

سقاكِ إلى أن قلتُ بينكما هوىً

فلما تمادى قلتُ بينكما حقد

فلما تمادى قلتُ بينكما حقد

It watered you until I said, 'There is love between you two';

I professed my love between you two until,

but when it persisted, I said, 'There is rancor between you two.'

When it grew excessive, I professed my hatred between you two.

كفى حَزَناً أنَّ النَّوى أجنبيّة

كفى حَزَناً أنَّ النَّوى أجنبيّة

وأنَّ سُليمى حالَ من دونها البعد

وأنَّ سُليمى حالَ من دونها البعد

It is sorrow enough that the destination is foreign,

It is sorrow enough that the dwellings are stranger’s,

and that distance has come between me and Sulayma.

And that Sulayma is too far for me to reach.

بنجدٍ أناخوا العيسَ بعد تهامةٍ

بنجدٍ أناخوا العيسَ بعد تهامةٍ

ويا بُعْدَ ما بيني وبينك يا نجد

ويا بُعْدَ ما بيني وبينك يا نجد

In Najd they made the pale camels kneel, after Tihama;

In Nejd they rested the camel litters after Tihama,

and oh, how vast the distance between me and you, O Najd!

But, oh, how far is the distance between me and you, O Nejd!