حتَّى متى بَينَ اللوى فالأجْرَعِ

حتَّى متى بَينَ اللوى فالأجْرَعِ

لَوْماً فما أَمَرَّهُ في مَسمَعي

لَوْماً فما أَمَرَّهُ في مَسمَعي

How long, between al-Liwā and al-Ajraʿ,

How long between the folds and rugged terrain

will this reproach go on? How bitter it sounds to me!

Have I been blamed, though it sounded not in my hearing?

وَيحَكَ لو كنتَ وفيّاً لم تَقلْ

وَيحَكَ لو كنتَ وفيّاً لم تَقلْ

ويحكَ لا تبكِ برَسْمٍ بلقعِ

ويحكَ لا تبكِ برَسْمٍ بلقعِ

Woe to you! Had you been faithful, you would not have said,

Woe unto you! Had you been true, you'd not have said,

“Woe to you! Do not weep over a desolate ruin.”

Woe unto you! Weep not with a tattooed face.

وهوَ الحمى سَقياً لأيّامِ الحِمى

وهوَ الحمى سَقياً لأيّامِ الحِمى

فإنّها ولَّتْ ولمّا تَرْجعِ

فإنّها ولَّتْ ولمّا تَرْجعِ

Yet this is the sanctuary—may rain bless the sanctuary’s days!

While fever was giving drink during the days of fever

For they have passed and have not yet returned.

For indeed it has passed and will not return.

ما لك لا تَبكي بُكاءً بالأسى

ما لك لا تَبكي بُكاءً بالأسى

بين رسومٍ وَبَوَالي أربُعِ

بين رسومٍ وَبَوَالي أربُعِ

What ails you that you do not weep in sorrow

Why do you not weep a tearful weeping

among ruined traces and timeworn dwellings,

Among ruins and sands all around?

بأدمعٍ بين الجفونِ حُوَّمٍ

بأدمعٍ بين الجفونِ حُوَّمٍ

وأدمعٍ على الخدود وُقّعِ

وأدمعٍ على الخدود وُقّعِ

with tears hovering between the eyelids,

With tears among the eyelids, bent over,

and tears alighting on the cheeks,

And tears on the cheeks, poured down,

وزفرةٍ موصولةٍ بزفرةٍ

وزفرةٍ موصولةٍ بزفرةٍ

تَصْعَدُ عن نارِ حشىً مُلَذَّعِ

تَصْعَدُ عن نارِ حشىً مُلَذَّعِ

and sigh joined to sigh,

And sighs joined by sighs

rising from the fire of a seared heart?

Rising from the fire of an innards seared through,

وقفتَ في الدار بعينٍ لا ترى

وقفتَ في الدار بعينٍ لا ترى

تَغَيُّرَ الرّبْعِ وأذنٍ لا تعي

تَغَيُّرَ الرّبْعِ وأذنٍ لا تعي

You stood in the dwelling with an eye that does not see

You stood in this abode with an eye that sees not

the dwelling’s change, and an ear that does not heed,

The change of the seasons, nor an ear that hears,

ولَوعةٍ بالشوقِ غيرِ لوعتي

ولَوعةٍ بالشوقِ غيرِ لوعتي

وأضلعٍ في الوجد غير أضلُعي

وأضلعٍ في الوجد غير أضلُعي

and anguish of longing unlike my anguish,

And yearning not like my yearning,

and ribs in love’s anguish unlike my ribs.

And ribs not like my ribs in passion.

وإنّما يبكي بكائي شجناً

وإنّما يبكي بكائي شجناً

وَوَجِعٌ يعرف فيه وجَعي

وَوَجِعٌ يعرف فيه وجَعي

Only in sorrow can one weep as I weep,

But only my lamentation weeps for me in longing,

and one in pain recognizes my pain in it.

And a pain that knows my pain.

لو أنطَقَ المربَعَ وهو أخرسٌ

لو أنطَقَ المربَعَ وهو أخرسٌ

تَضَرُّعٌ أنْطَقَهُ تضرُّعي

تَضَرُّعٌ أنْطَقَهُ تضرُّعي

If the campsite, mute though it is, could be made to speak

If the ruins could speak, voiceless as they are,

by supplication, my supplication would have made it speak.

My fervent plea gave them voice.

ووقعةٍ رَدّتْ قيانَ وُرْقِهِ

ووقعةٍ رَدّتْ قيانَ وُرْقِهِ

نَوائِحاً بِالحزنِ يَبكينَ مَعي

نَوائِحاً بِالحزنِ يَبكينَ مَعي

And a calamity turned its gray-dove songstresses

And a downpour that returned the leaves of the palms

into mourners, weeping with me in sorrow.

Wailing in sorrow, weeping with me,

كَأَنَّها وما لها من أدمُعٍ

كَأَنَّها وما لها من أدمُعٍ

أعارها القطر سجالَ أَدمُعي

أعارها القطر سجالَ أَدمُعي

As though, although they have no tears,

As though, without tears as they are,

the rain had lent them brimming buckets of my tears.

The rain had lent them my flowing tears.

يا منزلاً تَنْشُرُه يدُ البلى

يا منزلاً تَنْشُرُه يدُ البلى

نَشْرَ يمان خَلَقٍ لم يُرْقعِ

نَشْرَ يمان خَلَقٍ لم يُرْقعِ

O dwelling, which the hand of decay shreds

O dwelling spread by the hand of decay

like a threadbare Yemeni cloth left unpatched,

Like the spreading of Yeman, never mended!

بِاللَّه خَبِّرني أَأَنتَ رَبْعُهُمْ

بِاللَّه خَبِّرني أَأَنتَ رَبْعُهُمْ

أم أنْتَ مَرْعىً لِلظباءِ الرتَّعِ

أم أنْتَ مَرْعىً لِلظباءِ الرتَّعِ

by God, tell me: are you their dwelling,

By God, tell me, are you their encampment,

or a pasture for gazelles grazing at ease?

Or are you a pasture for the browsing gazelles?

فَقالَ بَل ربعُهُمُ وَإِنَّما

فَقالَ بَل ربعُهُمُ وَإِنَّما

تَحَمّلَتْ عَنّي شموسُ مَطلَعي

تَحَمّلَتْ عَنّي شموسُ مَطلَعي

It said, “Rather, I am their dwelling; it is only that

So it said: “Nay, I am their encampment, though

the suns of my horizon have departed from me.”

The suns of my east have borne it from me,

أَدرئِةَ الغَوْطِ سَتَرنَ ظَبيَةً

أَدرئِةَ الغَوْطِ سَتَرنَ ظَبيَةً

تدير عَيْنَيْ فتنةٍ في البُرقعِ

تدير عَيْنَيْ فتنةٍ في البُرقعِ

The screens of the wooded hollows concealed a gazelle

Veiling gazelles safe from the calamities of time,

who turns two bewitching eyes behind her veil.

Turning the eyes of temptation in the face screens.

سَيفٌ وسَهمٌ لَحظُها وَلَهذَمٌ

سَيفٌ وسَهمٌ لَحظُها وَلَهذَمٌ

يا عجباً لفتكها المُنَوَّع

يا عجباً لفتكها المُنَوَّع

Her glance is a sword, an arrow, and a keen spear.

Sword, arrows—their glances—and deadly blows!

How wondrous her varied ways of slaying!

Strange is their deadly enchantment.

كَأنّما تبسمُ إن مازحتها

كَأنّما تبسمُ إن مازحتها

عن بَرَدٍ بين بروقٍ لُمّعِ

عن بَرَدٍ بين بروقٍ لُمّعِ

When you jest with her, she seems to smile

As though smiling, if jesting with them,

revealing hailstones amid gleaming flashes of lightning,

Of coolness amid shining lightnings.”

كَأُقحُوانِ روضَةٍ يَصْقُلهُ

كَأُقحُوانِ روضَةٍ يَصْقُلهُ

مِدْوَسُ شمسٍ في النّدى المميَّعِ

مِدْوَسُ شمسٍ في النّدى المميَّعِ

like daisies in a meadow, burnished

Like the berries of a garden burnished

by the sun’s polishing file in melting dew.

By a tread of suns in the dripping dew,

كأنّ في فيها سلافَ قهوةٍ

كأنّ في فيها سلافَ قهوةٍ

صرفٍ بماءِ ظَلْمها مُشَعْشَعِ

صرفٍ بماءِ ظَلْمها مُشَعْشَعِ

As though her mouth held the choicest wine,

As though in their mouths a draft of coffee

pure, diluted with the glistening moisture of her teeth.

Pure, with the water of their darkness lucid.

إذا رضيعُ الكاس أصغى سَحَراً

إذا رضيعُ الكاس أصغى سَحَراً

إلى صفيرِ الطّائرِ المُرجِّعِ

إلى صفيرِ الطّائرِ المُرجِّعِ

When the cup’s nursling listens before dawn

When the suckling of the goblet listens at dawn

to the whistle of the trilling bird,

To the whistling of the bird leading back.

خُصَّتْ مِنَ الصوتِ بمعنى مؤيسٍ

خُصَّتْ مِنَ الصوتِ بمعنى مؤيسٍ

من لغة الوصل ولفظٍ مُطْمِعِ

من لغة الوصل ولفظٍ مُطْمِعِ

its song carries a meaning that makes one despair

Specialized for them in voice with despondent meaning

in the language of union, yet words that kindle hope.

From the language of union and words of hope.

وَمَهمَهٍ مُتَّصِلٍ بِمَهمَهٍ

وَمَهمَهٍ مُتَّصِلٍ بِمَهمَهٍ

مَرْتٍ بِموَّاجِ السراب مُتْرعِ

مَرْتٍ بِموَّاجِ السراب مُتْرعِ

And a wilderness stretching into another wilderness,

And drone succeeding drone

barren, brimming with billowing mirage,

Passing with the mirage of the desert.

كَأَنَّ مَنشورَ المُلاءِ فَوقَهُ

كَأَنَّ مَنشورَ المُلاءِ فَوقَهُ

متى تَمِلْ ذكاءُ عنها تُرْفَعِ

متى تَمِلْ ذكاءُ عنها تُرْفَعِ

as though sheets were unfurled above it,

As though the projection of the firmament above it

lifted whenever Dhukāʾ, the sun, leans away from them.

When will cleverness ever cease regarding it?

كأنّما جُنْدُبهُ مُرَجِّعٌ

كأنّما جُنْدُبهُ مُرَجِّعٌ

نغمةَ شادٍ ذي لحون مُسْمعِ

نغمةَ شادٍ ذي لحون مُسْمعِ

As though its grasshopper were trilling

As though its hoopoe were a returning

the tune of a melodious, resounding singer.

Melody of a lover with melodies heard.

يذيب صمَّ الصخر حرٌّ لاذعٌ

يذيب صمَّ الصخر حرٌّ لاذعٌ

يقبضُ فيه روحَ كلِّ زعزعِ

يقبضُ فيه روحَ كلِّ زعزعِ

A scorching heat melts the solid rock;

It melts the deafness of rock, scorching hot,

it seizes there the soul of every gale.

In which expires the spirit of all wavering.

لكلّ غارٍ فيه ماء وشَوَى

لكلّ غارٍ فيه ماء وشَوَى

فيه أُوَارُ الشمس كلّ ضفدعِ

فيه أُوَارُ الشمس كلّ ضفدعِ

Each hollow there holds water; and roasted

Every cave in it has water, and morning brightness,

within it by the sun’s blaze is every frog.

In it the suns of every frog flash.

لا نار تُذْكَى في الدجى لسَفْرِهِ

لا نار تُذْكَى في الدجى لسَفْرِهِ

إلا بريقُ مُقلَةِ السمعمعِ

إلا بريقُ مُقلَةِ السمعمعِ

No fire is kindled in the darkness for its travelers

No fire is kindled in the darkness of its journey

except the gleam of the nimble wolf’s eye.

Save the glittering of the flint-steel.

تَعْسِلُ منه جانباه إنْ عَدا

تَعْسِلُ منه جانباه إنْ عَدا

مثلَ اضطِرابِ السمهَرِيِّ المشرَعِ

مثلَ اضطِرابِ السمهَرِيِّ المشرَعِ

Its two flanks sway when it runs,

Its sides flow with honey if it passes by

like the quivering of a leveled Samhari spear.

Like the confusion of Sammah seeking diversion.

يَقْفُو رَذايا جُنَّحاً في السير لا

يَقْفُو رَذايا جُنَّحاً في السير لا

تُوضَعُ عَنهُنَّ سِياطُ المُزْمعِ

تُوضَعُ عَنهُنَّ سِياطُ المُزْمعِ

It trails spent camels, drooping as they travel; never

It overtakes gazelles galloping in travel with wings that

are the resolute driver’s whips lifted from them.

Cannot be lowered from them, the driven.

يَصُكّ مِنها دأياتٍ دُمِلَت

يَصُكّ مِنها دأياتٍ دُمِلَت

فهيَ بِشمّ الأَنفِ فيها تَرتَعي

فهيَ بِشمّ الأَنفِ فيها تَرتَعي

It strikes at their scarred backbone joints,

From them pound fugitives made breathless.

then grazes in them, sniffing with its nose.

So with the scent in them they pasture.

وذاتِ أَخفافٍ سَرَت أَربُعها

وذاتِ أَخفافٍ سَرَت أَربُعها

مُنتَعِلاتٍ بِالرياحِ الأربعِ

مُنتَعِلاتٍ بِالرياحِ الأربعِ

And a she-camel whose four padded feet traveled by night,

And a smooth one traveled, her four footsteps

shod with the four winds,

Walking delicately with the four winds.

كَأنَّها وللنجاةِ ما نَجَت

كَأنَّها وللنجاةِ ما نَجَت

منهوشةٌ بين أفاعٍ لُسَّعِ

منهوشةٌ بين أفاعٍ لُسَّعِ

as though—and it was for escape that she raced—

As though having escaped to safety she

she were bitten among stinging vipers.

Had eluded being torn by sharp teeth.

تُحْدَى بسحرِ ساهرٍ في نِغْضَةٍ

تُحْدَى بسحرِ ساهرٍ في نِغْضَةٍ

شهمِ الجنَانِ لَوذَعِيٍّ أَلمَعي

شهمِ الجنَانِ لَوذَعِيٍّ أَلمَعي

She is urged on by the spell of a sleepless, swaying man,

She challenges with magic ever wakeful in the wrath

bold of heart, quick-witted, discerning.

Of the crazed heavens, a piercing flame of mine.

والشهبُ كالشهبِ لسبْقٍ أُرسلتْ

والشهبُ كالشهبِ لسبْقٍ أُرسلتْ

لمغربٍ فيه أفُولُ المطلَعِ

لمغربٍ فيه أفُولُ المطلَعِ

And the stars, like gray horses, are loosed to race

And the meteors like meteors unleashed for a race

toward a west where rising gives way to setting,

To a horizon where rises my rising light.

كَأَنَّها واضِعةٌ خُدُودَها

كَأَنَّها واضِعةٌ خُدُودَها

لهجعةٍ فيه وإن لم تَهْجَعِ

لهجعةٍ فيه وإن لم تَهْجَعِ

as though they were laying down their cheeks

As though setting her cheeks down

for a slumber there, though they do not sleep.

For a slumber wherein she does not sleep.