أَنَخنَا قَلُوصَينا وَأَرسَلتُ صاحِبى

أَنَخنَا قَلُوصَينا وَأَرسَلتُ صاحِبى

عَلَى الهَولِ يَخفَى مَرَّةً وَيَزولُ

عَلَى الهَولِ يَخفَى مَرَّةً وَيَزولُ

We made our two young she-camels kneel, and I sent my companion

We two saddled our riding-beasts, and I sent my friend

into danger, now hiding, now moving on.

Across the awful waste, now hid, now seen.

فَلَمّا أَتاهَا قَالَ وَيحَكِ نَوِّلِى

فَلَمّا أَتاهَا قَالَ وَيحَكِ نَوِّلِى

أخا سَقَمٍ مِن حُبِّكُم وَغَليلُ

أخا سَقَمٍ مِن حُبِّكُم وَغَليلُ

Then, when he reached her, he said, “Alas for you! Grant relief to

When she beheld him, "Woe is me!" she cried. "Return!

one sick with love of you and burning longing.”

A sick man through your love is like to die."

فقالت وَحقِّ اللهِ لَو أَنَّ نَفسَهُ

فقالت وَحقِّ اللهِ لَو أَنَّ نَفسَهُ

عَلَى الكَفِّ مِن وَجدٍ عَلىَّ تَسيلُ

عَلَى الكَفِّ مِن وَجدٍ عَلىَّ تَسيلُ

She said, “By God's sanctity, even if his soul

"By God," she swore, "if but his life-blood streamed

were flowing onto the palm from yearning for me,

Upon my palm from his love-wasted frame,

لأَنفعَهُ شَلَّت إِذا ما نَفَعَتُه

لأَنفعَهُ شَلَّت إِذا ما نَفَعَتُه

بِشَيءٍ وَقَد حُدِّثتُ حَيثُ يَميلُ

بِشَيءٍ وَقَد حُدِّثتُ حَيثُ يَميلُ

I would [not] help him—may my hand be paralyzed if I helped him

It would avail him nothing if I stanched the flow,

in any way; and I have been told where his affections turn.”

When told the tale of how his fancy strayed."

ولمّا بَدَالى مِنكِ مَيلٌ مَعَ العِدَى

ولمّا بَدَالى مِنكِ مَيلٌ مَعَ العِدَى

عَلىَّ وَلَم يَحدُث سِوَاكِ خَليلُ

عَلىَّ وَلَم يَحدُث سِوَاكِ خَليلُ

And when I discerned in you a leaning toward the enemies

And when she turned from me, and leagues of hate

against me, though no beloved other than you had appeared,

'Twixt me and her were fixed, no friend beside,

صَدَتُ كما صَدَّ الرَّمِيُّ تطاولت

صَدَتُ كما صَدَّ الرَّمِيُّ تطاولت

به مُدَّةُ الأَيّامِ وَهوَ قَتيلُ

به مُدَّةُ الأَيّامِ وَهوَ قَتيلُ

I turned away as the arrow-struck beast did, while

I barred her, as the Crooked Rib his foe,

the span of days stretched over it, though it lay slain.

Whose life for days was death assured and doomed.

وَعَزَّيتُ نَفساً عضن نَوَارَ كَرِيمةً

وَعَزَّيتُ نَفساً عضن نَوَارَ كَرِيمةً

عَلَى ما بها مِن لَوعَةٍ وَغَلِيلُ

عَلَى ما بها مِن لَوعَةٍ وَغَلِيلُ

And I consoled a noble soul over Nawar,

My soul I schooled to bear the loss of her—

despite the anguish and burning longing within it.

That pearl, whose beauty was with grief distilled—

بكت شَجوَهَا جَهدَ البُكاءِ وَراجعت

بكت شَجوَهَا جَهدَ البُكاءِ وَراجعت

لعِرفَانِ هَجرٍ مِن نَوَارَ يَطولُ

لعِرفَانِ هَجرٍ مِن نَوَارَ يَطولُ

It wept its grief to the utmost, and turned back,

She wept till weeping was of no avail,

knowing that estrangement from Nawar would last long.

Then turned in relentlessness away from me.

إِذَا القَولُ لَم يُقبَل ورُدَّ جَوَابُهُ

إِذَا القَولُ لَم يُقبَل ورُدَّ جَوَابُهُ

عَلَى ذِى الهَوَى لم يَدرِ كيفَ يَقولُ

عَلَى ذِى الهَوَى لم يَدرِ كيفَ يَقولُ

When words are not accepted and their reply is sent back

When words are spurned, and answering words repelled,

to a lover, he does not know how to speak.

Where shall the hapless lover turn, and say?—

خَليلىَّ القولُ لَم يُقبَل وَرُدَّ جَوَابُهُ

خَليلىَّ القولُ لَم يُقبَل وَرُدَّ جَوَابُهُ

وَمِيلا لوادى السَّفحِ حَيثُ تَميلُ

وَمِيلا لوادى السَّفحِ حَيثُ تَميلُ

My two friends, the words were not accepted, and their reply was sent back.

"My friend, words profit not, nor answers given;

And turn, both of you, to the valley of the foothill, where she turns.

Down to Love's valley 'neath the hill she bends."

فإِنَّكما إِن تَأتياها سُقيتما

فإِنَّكما إِن تَأتياها سُقيتما

يمانيةً رَيّا المَهَبِّ هَطولُ

يمانيةً رَيّا المَهَبِّ هَطولُ

For if you two come to her, you will be watered

Go to her, give her drink poured from the right,

by a Yemeni raincloud, moisture-laden in its breeze, pouring rain.

Floods from the spring whose living waters flow.

وَقُولاَ لها ماذا تَرَينَ بِعاشِقٍ

وَقُولاَ لها ماذا تَرَينَ بِعاشِقٍ

لَهُ بَعدَ نَوماتِ العَشِىِّ عَويلُ

لَهُ بَعدَ نَوماتِ العَشِىِّ عَويلُ

And say to her, both of you: “What do you think of a lover

And say, "What thinkest thou of one whose tear-drops' tale

whose evening slumbers are followed by wailing?”

Is long when shadows after sunset fall?"