أَسَألتَ مَغنَى دِمنَةٍ وَطُلولاَ

أَسَألتَ مَغنَى دِمنَةٍ وَطُلولاَ

جَرَّت بها عُصُفُ الرِّياحِ ذُيولا

جَرَّت بها عُصُفُ الرِّياحِ ذُيولا

Have you questioned the site of an abandoned camp and its ruins,

You asked about a singing slave girl whose trailing gowns

where fierce gusts of wind dragged their skirts,

The winds had swept along in long trains,

قِطَعاً تَمُوجُ عَلَى المِتانِ بحاصِبٍ

قِطَعاً تَمُوجُ عَلَى المِتانِ بحاصِبٍ

مَوجَ الحَبَابِ وَعاصِفاً مَنخُولا

مَوجَ الحَبَابِ وَعاصِفاً مَنخُولا

in shreds billowing over hard ridges with a grit-laden blast,

Breakers surging up over a smooth expanse of sand

like waves of foam, with a gale of sifted dust?

With the swell of seas and a towering wave.

فَثَنَى عَلىّ صَبابةً عِرفَانُها

فَثَنَى عَلىّ صَبابةً عِرفَانُها

مِن بَعدِ ما هَمَّ الفُؤَادُ ذُهولا

مِن بَعدِ ما هَمَّ الفُؤَادُ ذُهولا

Then recognizing it rekindled my yearning,

She paid me thanks with a graceful inclination

after my heart had almost slipped into forgetfulness.

After my heart had nearly swooned from fear.

وَلَقد رَأيتُ بِها أَوَانِسَ كالدُّمَى

وَلَقد رَأيتُ بِها أَوَانِسَ كالدُّمَى

يَرفُلنَ فى سَرَقِ الحرير فُضُولا

يَرفُلنَ فى سَرَقِ الحرير فُضُولا

And there I had indeed seen maidens like statues,

I saw damsels around her like shy gazelles,

trailing silken lengths, with no outer wraps.

Prance in silk raiment of varied hues.

ثُمَّ انتَحَينَ وَلَم يَقُلنَ ولو بنا

ثُمَّ انتَحَينَ وَلَم يَقُلنَ ولو بنا

أَخلَينَ إِلاّ جَائزاً وَجَمِيلا

أَخلَينَ إِلاّ جَائزاً وَجَمِيلا

Then they drew aside and said nothing, even when with us

Then they turned away without saying, by my life,

alone, except what was proper and fair.

Anything but “farewell” and words of kindness,

ظَلَّ الحَدِيثُ كما تَسَاقى رُفقَةٌ

ظَلَّ الحَدِيثُ كما تَسَاقى رُفقَةٌ

صِرفاً مُشَعشَعضةَ الزُّجَاجِ شَمولا

صِرفاً مُشَعشَعضةَ الزُّجَاجِ شَمولا

The conversation flowed as companions shared

The conversation flowed on smoothly like the passing round of a drinking bowl

unmixed wine, setting the glasses aglow.

With glittering facets in ever-changing hands,

شُمُساً يَدَعنَ ذَوِى الجَلادَةِ كُلُّهم

شُمُساً يَدَعنَ ذَوِى الجَلادَةِ كُلُّهم

ذَرِفُ الفُؤادِ وما يَدِينَ قَتيلا

ذَرِفُ الفُؤادِ وما يَدِينَ قَتيلا

Aloof, they leave men of fortitude, every one,

A sun others shunned, whose coldness left all hearts frozen,

weeping at heart, yet pay no blood-money for the slain.

My own heart melting without loss of life,

وَيرَينَ قَتلَ المُسلِمينَ بلا دَمٍ

وَيرَينَ قَتلَ المُسلِمينَ بلا دَمٍ

حِلاًّ لَهُنَّ وَمَا طَلَبنض ذُحُولا

حِلاًّ لَهُنَّ وَمَا طَلَبنض ذُحُولا

And they deem the bloodless killing of Muslims

And seeing the killing of Muslims as lawful to them,

lawful for them, though they sought no blood-revenge.

Seeking no blood-price or weregild.

طَرَقَت أُمَيمَةُ هائماً لَعِبَت بهِ

طَرَقَت أُمَيمَةُ هائماً لَعِبَت بهِ

قُلُصٌ تَحَسَّفُ سَبسَباً مَجهولا

قُلُصٌ تَحَسَّفُ سَبسَباً مَجهولا

Umayma came by night to a lovesick wanderer, tossed about by

Umaymah strayed bewildered, toying with her,

young she-camels scouring an unknown desert plain.

An intriguing riddle, an obscure conundrum.

فَأرِقتُ لِلسَّارِى إِلىَّ وَلَم أَكُن

فَأرِقتُ لِلسَّارِى إِلىَّ وَلَم أَكُن

أَرِقاً وَلَم أَكُ لِلهُمومِ رَحيلا

أَرِقاً وَلَم أَكُ لِلهُمومِ رَحيلا

Then I lay awake for the night-visitor coming to me, though I had not been

So I was wakeful on her account though I had not been

sleepless, nor a sturdy mount for cares.

Wakeful or inclined to long vigils before.

أَنّى اهتَدَيتِ وَلَم يَدَع نَأىُ الهَوَى

أَنّى اهتَدَيتِ وَلَم يَدَع نَأىُ الهَوَى

والكاشحونَ إِلى اللِّقَاءِ سَبِيلا

والكاشحونَ إِلى اللِّقَاءِ سَبِيلا

How did you find your way, when love's distance left—

How did you find your way to me when desire's remoteness

and the ill-wishers too—no path to meeting?

Allowed no means for the eager to meet?

بَيضَاءُ قَلَّدَها النَّعيمُ شَبَابَهَا

بَيضَاءُ قَلَّدَها النَّعيمُ شَبَابَهَا

رُوداً تَرَى فِى خَلقِهَا تَبتيلا

رُوداً تَرَى فِى خَلقِهَا تَبتيلا

Fair-skinned, whom ease has adorned with youth,

A fair one whose necklace of bliss hath conferred on her youth,

soft and supple; you see fine proportions in her form.

A neckring of pearl you would think was silver mixed with gold.

وكأَنَّ رَيّا مِن خُزامَى خالطت

وكأَنَّ رَيّا مِن خُزامَى خالطت

رَيحَانَ رَوضِ قرَارةٍ مَوبولا

رَيحَانَ رَوضِ قرَارةٍ مَوبولا

And it is as though the scent of lavender, mingled with

As if the morning air from Khuzam's valley had mingled

rain-drenched sweet herbs from a meadow in a hollow,

With the fragrance of a meadow filled with basil.

رَيّا أُمَيمَةً كُلَّما أَهدى لنا

رَيّا أُمَيمَةً كُلَّما أَهدى لنا

نَسمُ الرِّياحِ مِنَ الجنوبِ أَصِيلا

نَسمُ الرِّياحِ مِنَ الجنوبِ أَصِيلا

were Umayma's fragrance, whenever it is brought to us

Whenever the south wind brought us a scent from Umaymah

by the breath of winds from the south at evening,

It was as if musk were mingled with cooling camphor.

عَن باردٍ عَذبِ اللِّثاتِ رُضابُهُ

عَن باردٍ عَذبِ اللِّثاتِ رُضابُهُ

كالعَذبِ خالطَ بارداً مَعسولا

كالعَذبِ خالطَ بارداً مَعسولا

from a cool mouth with sweet gums, whose saliva

With lips whose delicious wetness was like that of a cup

is like fresh water mixed with a cool, honeyed draught.

Where the pure liquid is tempered with chilled wine.