خَلِيلىَّ لَيسَ الشَّوقُ أَن تَشحَطَ النَّوَى

خَلِيلىَّ لَيسَ الشَّوقُ أَن تَشحَطَ النَّوَى

بإِلفَينِ دَهراً ثُمَّ يَلتَقِيانِ

بإِلفَينِ دَهراً ثُمَّ يَلتَقِيانِ

My two friends, longing is not when distance parts

My friend, longing is not that the grit should grind

two lovers for an age, and then they meet.

for two thousand years, then meet again,

ولَكنَّما الهِجرانُ أَن تَجمَعَ النَّوَى

ولَكنَّما الهِجرانُ أَن تَجمَعَ النَّوَى

وتُمنَعَ مِنّى أَن أَرَى وتَرَانِى

وتُمنَعَ مِنّى أَن أَرَى وتَرَانِى

But estrangement is when distance brings us together,

But separation is that the grit should collect

yet you are kept from me: I cannot see you, nor you me.

and I be prevented from seeing and you from seeing me.

وَكُنّا كَرِيمَى مَعشَرٍ حُمَّ بَينَنَا

وَكُنّا كَرِيمَى مَعشَرٍ حُمَّ بَينَنَا

هَوىً فَحَفِظناهُ بِحُسنِ صِيَانِ

هَوىً فَحَفِظناهُ بِحُسنِ صِيَانِ

We were two noble members of a clan; between us was ordained

We were generous friends, a group whose love

a love that we guarded with careful protection.

was lodged between us which we preserved with fair propriety.

وَقالَ زَمِيلِى يَومض سالِفَةِ النَّقا

وَقالَ زَمِيلِى يَومض سالِفَةِ النَّقا

وَعَيناىَ مِن فَرطِ الهَوَى تَكِكفَانِ

وَعَيناىَ مِن فَرطِ الهَوَى تَكِكفَانِ

And my companion said, that day at al-Naqa's sandy slope,

My companion said one day when we recalled the former love

while my eyes streamed from overwhelming love:

while my eyes were weeping from the excess of passion:

أَمِن أَجلِ دارٍ بَينَ لُوذانَ والنَّقَا

أَمِن أَجلِ دارٍ بَينَ لُوذانَ والنَّقَا

غَداةَ اللِّوَى عَيناكَ تَبتَدِرانِ

غَداةَ اللِّوَى عَيناكَ تَبتَدِرانِ

"Is it for a dwelling between Ludhan and al-Naqa

"Is it because of a house between Lawdhān and Naqā’

that, that morning at al-Liwa, your eyes race to weep?"

that tomorrow your eyes will rove?”

فَقُلتُ أَلاَ لا بَل قُذِيتُ وَإِنَّما

فَقُلتُ أَلاَ لا بَل قُذِيتُ وَإِنَّما

قَذَى العَينِ مِمّا هَيَّجَ الطَّلَلانِ

قَذَى العَينِ مِمّا هَيَّجَ الطَّلَلانِ

I replied, "No indeed; rather, my eye has grit—and it is only

So I said: “No! Rather I am sick, though

from what the two ruins stirred that the grit has come."

the sickness of the eye is from what stirred the traces.”

فَيا طَلحَتَى لُوذانَ لا زالَ فِيكُما

فَيا طَلحَتَى لُوذانَ لا زالَ فِيكُما

لِمَن يَبتَغِى ظِلَّيكُما فَنَنَانِ

لِمَن يَبتَغِى ظِلَّيكُما فَنَنَانِ

O two acacias of Ludhan, may there always remain upon you

O Talehatain, Lawdhān does not cease to be in you both

two boughs for whoever seeks your shade.

a refuge for him who seeks your shade.

وَإِن كُنتُما قَد هِجتُما بارِحَ الهَوَى

وَإِن كُنتُما قَد هِجتُما بارِحَ الهَوَى

وَدَنَّيتُما ما لَيسَ بالمُتَدَانِى

وَدَنَّيتُما ما لَيسَ بالمُتَدَانِى

Though you two have stirred love's fierce torment,

If you have turned away from love today

and brought close what is not near at hand.

and come near to what is not to be approached,

خَلِيلَىَّ إِنِّى قَد أَرِقتُ ونِمتُما

خَلِيلَىَّ إِنِّى قَد أَرِقتُ ونِمتُما

فَهَل أَنتُما بالمُتَدَانِى

فَهَل أَنتُما بالمُتَدَانِى

My two friends, I have lain sleepless, while you two slept;

My friend, I have longed and you two have slept.

are you two, then, close at hand?

Are you then to be approached?

فَقالا أَنِمتَ اللَّيلَ ثُمَّ دَعَوتَنا

فَقالا أَنِمتَ اللَّيلَ ثُمَّ دَعَوتَنا

ونَحنُ غُلاما شُقَّةٍ رَجِفَانِ

ونَحنُ غُلاما شُقَّةٍ رَجِفَانِ

They said, "Did you sleep through the night, then call us,

They said: “You have slept the night, then called us

while we are two lads on a distant journey, trembling?

while we are fearful, quaking boys.”

فَقُم حَيثُ تَهوَى إِنَّنا حَيثُ نَشتَهِى

فَقُم حَيثُ تَهوَى إِنَّنا حَيثُ نَشتَهِى

وَإِن رُمتَ تَعرِيساً بنا غَرِضَانِ

وَإِن رُمتَ تَعرِيساً بنا غَرِضَانِ

Then take your stand where you wish; we are where we please.

Rise wherever you wish, we are wherever we desire.

And if you seek a night's halt with us, we are both restless."

If you shoot at us for a tryst, we will flee.

خَلِيلَىَّ لَيسَ الرَّأىُ فِى صَدرِ واحدٍ

خَلِيلَىَّ لَيسَ الرَّأىُ فِى صَدرِ واحدٍ

أَشِيرا عَلَىَّ اليَومَ ما تَرَيَانِ

أَشِيرا عَلَىَّ اليَومَ ما تَرَيَانِ

My two friends, judgment does not lie in one person's breast.

My friend, there is no counsel in one breast.

Advise me today: what do you both think?

Advise me today what you two see.

أََأَركَبُ صَعبَ الأَمرِ إِنَّ ذَلُولَهُ

أََأَركَبُ صَعبَ الأَمرِ إِنَّ ذَلُولَهُ

بِنَجرَانَ قَد أَعيا بِكلِّ مَكانِ

بِنَجرَانَ قَد أَعيا بِكلِّ مَكانِ

Shall I ride the unruly course? Indeed, its tame one

Shall I embark on a difficult matter? Its smoothness

in Najran has proved intractable everywhere.

is with Najrān but everyplace tires me out.

خَلِيلَىَّ مِن أَهلِ اليَفاعِ شُفِيتُما

خَلِيلَىَّ مِن أَهلِ اليَفاعِ شُفِيتُما

وَعُوفِيتُما مِن سَيِّىءِ الحَدَثَانِ

وَعُوفِيتُما مِن سَيِّىءِ الحَدَثَانِ

My two friends from the uplands, may you both be healed

My friends, I am cured of the jaundiced folk,

and kept safe from the evil turns of time.

and cured of evil suspicions.

أَلا يا احمِلانِى بارَك اللهُ فِيكُمَا

أَلا يا احمِلانِى بارَك اللهُ فِيكُمَا

إِلَى حاضِرِ القَرعاءِ ثُمَّ ذَرَانِى

إِلَى حاضِرِ القَرعاءِ ثُمَّ ذَرَانِى

Come, carry me—may God bless you both—

Come! Carry me, may God bless you two,

to the settlement of al-Qar'a, then leave me.

to Hadir al-Qur’ā’, then leave me.

أَحَقّاً عِبادَ اللهِ أَن لَستُ ماشِياً

أَحَقّاً عِبادَ اللهِ أَن لَستُ ماشِياً

بِذِى الأَثلِ حَتَّى يُحشَرَ الثَّقَلانِ

بِذِى الأَثلِ حَتَّى يُحشَرَ الثَّقَلانِ

Is it true, servants of God, that I shall not walk

In truth, servants of God, I do not walk

in Dhu al-Athl until humankind and jinn are gathered?

along the crooked road until the two assemblages are mustered.

ولا لاهِياً يَوماً إِلَى اللّيلِ كُلِّهِ

ولا لاهِياً يَوماً إِلَى اللّيلِ كُلِّهِ

بِبِيضٍ لَطِيفَاتِ الخُصُورِ غَوانِى

بِبِيضٍ لَطِيفَاتِ الخُصُورِ غَوانِى

Nor spend a day in dalliance, on through the whole night,

Nor a day given over to sport with slender waisted fair ones,

with fair-skinned, slender-waisted beauties?

who seduce us until our minds go astray,

يُمَنِّينَنا حَتَّى تَزِيغَ عُقُولُنا

يُمَنِّينَنا حَتَّى تَزِيغَ عُقُولُنا

وَيَخلِطنَ نمَطلاً ظاهِراً بِلَيانِ

وَيَخلِطنَ نمَطلاً ظاهِراً بِلَيانِ

They feed us hopes until our minds reel,

and who mix clear lies with thoughtful utterance,

and mingle open delay with tenderness.

until our minds go astray and who mix clear lies with thoughtful utterance.

مِنَ النَّاسِ حَتَّى تَزِيغَ عقُولُنا

مِنَ النَّاسِ حَتَّى تَزِيغَ عقُولُنا

وَيَخلِطنَ مَطلاً ظاهراً بِلَيانِ

وَيَخلِطنَ مَطلاً ظاهراً بِلَيانِ

From among the people, until our minds reel,

My friend, as for Umm ‘Amr, she is one of them,

and mingle open delay with tenderness.

and do not ask me about the other, they do not treat me fairly,

خَلَيلَىَّ أَمَّا أُمُّ عَمرٍو فَمِنهُما

خَلَيلَىَّ أَمَّا أُمُّ عَمرٍو فَمِنهُما

وَأَمَّما عَنِ الأُخرى فَلا تَسَلانِى

وَأَمَّما عَنِ الأُخرى فَلا تَسَلانِى

My two friends, as for Umm Amr, she is one of the two;

They forbid me, they are unjust, they do not do me justice

and as for the other, do not ask me.

for their two sakes while they have tricked me.

مَنُوعانِ ظَلاّمانِ لا يُنصِفانِنِى

مَنُوعانِ ظَلاّمانِ لا يُنصِفانِنِى

بِدَلَّيهما والطَّرفُ قَد خَلَبانِى

بِدَلَّيهما والطَّرفُ قَد خَلَبانِى

Both withhold, both wrong me; they do me no justice.

Must you roam her lands each day

With their coy charms and their gaze, they have both bewitched me.

with two eyes that drowned a man?

أَفِى كُلِّ يَومٍ أَنتَ رامٍ بِلادها

أَفِى كُلِّ يَومٍ أَنتَ رامٍ بِلادها

بِعَينَينِإِنساناهُما غَرِقا

بِعَينَينِإِنساناهُما غَرِقا

Do you aim your gaze toward her land every day,

Love saw my body other than my frame -

with two eyes whose pupils are both drowned?

tender, though I speak with my tongue!

بَرَى الحُبِّ جِسمِى غَيرَ جُثمانِ أَعظُمِى

بَرَى الحُبِّ جِسمِى غَيرَ جُثمانِ أَعظُمِى

بَلِينَ وَإِنِّى ناطِقٌ بِلِسانِي

بَلِينَ وَإِنِّى ناطِقٌ بِلِسانِي

Love has wasted my body, save the frame of my bones;

they have worn thin, yet I speak with my tongue.