سُحَيراً أَناخوا بِوادي العَقيقِ

سُحَيراً أَناخوا بِوادي العَقيقِ

وَقَد قَطَعوا كُلَّ فَجٍّ عَميقِ

وَقَد قَطَعوا كُلَّ فَجٍّ عَميقِ

Just before dawn, they made their camels kneel in the valley of al-ʿAqīq,

They camped in Wadi al-Aqeeq at nightfall

having crossed every deep mountain pass.

And crossed every deep ravine

فَما طَلَعَ الفَجرُ إِلّا وَقَد

فَما طَلَعَ الفَجرُ إِلّا وَقَد

رَأَوا عَلَماً لا يَخافونَ نيقِ

رَأَوا عَلَماً لا يَخافونَ نيقِ

Dawn had scarcely risen when they had already

When dawn broke they saw a flag that they do not fear to lower

seen a landmark, fearing no mountain peak.

When the eagle swooped down on it, it could not prevail

إِذا رامَهُ النِسرُ لَم يَستَطِع

إِذا رامَهُ النِسرُ لَم يَستَطِع

فَمِن دونِهِ كانَ بَيضُ الأَنوقِ

فَمِن دونِهِ كانَ بَيضُ الأَنوقِ

If the vulture sought to reach it, it could not,

So its eggs were below it, prey for the falcons

for beneath it lay the female vulture's eggs.

On it were engraved ornaments

عَلَيهِ زَخارِفُ مَنقوشَةٌ

عَلَيهِ زَخارِفُ مَنقوشَةٌ

رَفيعُ القَواعِدِ مِثلُ العَقوقِ

رَفيعُ القَواعِدِ مِثلُ العَقوقِ

On it were engraved ornaments,

With lofty foundations like an unassailable fortress

its foundations lofty, like a pregnant mare (reading uncertain).

And they had composed verses which they deposited

وَقَد كَتَبوا أَسطُراً أَودَعوها

وَقَد كَتَبوا أَسطُراً أَودَعوها

أَلا مَن لَصَبَّ غَريبٍ مَشوقِ

أَلا مَن لَصَبَّ غَريبٍ مَشوقِ

And they had written lines, setting down in them:

Lo! Who will quench the yearning of a strange passionate one

Ah, who will aid a lovesick stranger, filled with longing?

Whose ambition surpasses this firmament

لَهُ هِمَّةٌ فَوقَ هذا السَماكِ

لَهُ هِمَّةٌ فَوقَ هذا السَماكِ

وَيوطَأُ بِالخُفِّ وَطءَ الحَريقِ

وَيوطَأُ بِالخُفِّ وَطءَ الحَريقِ

His aspiration is above this star, al-Simāk,

And who treads with slipper the tread of the burning sands

yet he is trampled by the camel's foot like burning embers.

Whose dwelling is near this cliff

وَمَسكِنُهُ عِندَ هذا العُقابِ

وَمَسكِنُهُ عِندَ هذا العُقابِ

وَقَد ماتَ في الدَمعِ مَوتَ الغَريقِ

وَقَد ماتَ في الدَمعِ مَوتَ الغَريقِ

And his dwelling is beside this eagle,

Who perished in tears, perishing like one who is drowned

and in tears he died the death of one drowned.

Passion delivered him to misfortunes

قَد اِسلَمَهُ الحُبُّ لِلحادِثاتِ

قَد اِسلَمَهُ الحُبُّ لِلحادِثاتِ

بِهذا المَكانِ بِغَيرِ شَفيقِ

بِهذا المَكانِ بِغَيرِ شَفيقِ

Love has surrendered him to calamities

In this place, without any sympathizer

in this place, with none to show him compassion.

So O you who come to water your camels at Qalib

فَيا وارِدينَ مِياهَ القَليبِ

فَيا وارِدينَ مِياهَ القَليبِ

وَيا ساكِنينَ بِوادي العَقيقِ

وَيا ساكِنينَ بِوادي العَقيقِ

So, O you who come to the waters of the well,

And O you who reside in Wadi al-Aqeeq

and O you who dwell in the valley of al-ʿAqīq,

And O you who seek Taybah as a visitor

وَيا طالِباً طَيبَةً زائِراً

وَيا طالِباً طَيبَةً زائِراً

وَيا سالِكينَ بِهذا الطَريقِ

وَيا سالِكينَ بِهذا الطَريقِ

and O you who seek Ṭayba as a visitor,

And O you who travel on this road

and O you who travel along this road:

Awaken us for we were broken

أَفيقوا عَلَينا فَإِنّا رُزِئنا

أَفيقوا عَلَينا فَإِنّا رُزِئنا

بُعَيدَ السُحَيرِ قُبَيلَ الشُروقِ

بُعَيدَ السُحَيرِ قُبَيلَ الشُروقِ

Awaken to our plight, for we have been bereaved,

Near dawn after night has camped

shortly after the predawn hour, just before sunrise,

With a white, radiant, alluring one

بِبَيضاءَ غَيداءَ بَهتانَةً

بِبَيضاءَ غَيداءَ بَهتانَةً

تُضَوَّعُ نَشراً كَمِسكٍ فَتيقِ

تُضَوَّعُ نَشراً كَمِسكٍ فَتيقِ

of a fair-skinned, graceful, dazed woman,

Scented with musk, so very chaste

who gives off fragrance like unsealed musk.

Swaying drunkenly like branches

تَمايَلُ سَكرى كَمِثلِ الغُصونِ

تَمايَلُ سَكرى كَمِثلِ الغُصونِ

ثَنَتها الرِياحُ كَمِثلِ الشَقيقِ

ثَنَتها الرِياحُ كَمِثلِ الشَقيقِ

She sways drunkenly, like branches

Blown by the winds, like anemones

bent by the winds, like anemones,

With a formidable buttock like the hump of a she-camel

بِرِدفٍ مَهولٍ كَدِعصِ النَقا

بِرِدفٍ مَهولٍ كَدِعصِ النَقا

تَرَجرَجَ مِثلَ سَنامِ الفَنيقِ

تَرَجرَجَ مِثلَ سَنامِ الفَنيقِ

with imposing buttocks, like a mound of dune-sand,

Swaying like the crest of a wave

quivering like the hump of a pampered camel stallion.

So my passion in her love is not refused

فَما لا مَني في هَواها عَذولٌ

فَما لا مَني في هَواها عَذولٌ

وَلا لامَني في هَواها صَديقي

وَلا لامَني في هَواها صَديقي

So no reproacher blamed me for loving her,

Nor is my friendship in her love rejected

nor did my friend blame me for loving her.

And if my passion in her love were refused

وَلَو لامَني في هَواها عَذولٌ

وَلَو لامَني في هَواها عَذولٌ

لَكانَ جَوابي إِلَيهِ شَهيقي

لَكانَ جَوابي إِلَيهِ شَهيقي

And even if a reproacher were to blame me for loving her,

My only response would be my death rattle

my reply to him would be my sobbing.

So my fervent love is my mount, my sorrow my garb

فَشَوقي رِكابي وَحُزني لِباسي

فَشَوقي رِكابي وَحُزني لِباسي

وَوَجدي صَبوحي وَدَمعي غَبوقي

وَوَجدي صَبوحي وَدَمعي غَبوقي

So my longing is my riding camels, and my grief my garment,

My anguish my wakeup call and my tears my downpour

and my passion my morning draught, and my tears my evening draught.