تذكرت ودا للحبيب كأنه

تذكرت ودا للحبيب كأنه

لخولة أطلالٌ ببرقة ثهمد

لخولة أطلالٌ ببرقة ثهمد

I remembered love for the beloved, as though it were

I recalled the love for my beloved as if it were

I recalled a love for the beloved, as if it were

Khawla's ruins on the stony ground of Thahmad.

The ruins of Khola with faded lightning

Traces of Khawla's campsite on the stony plain of Thahmad,

وعهدي بعهدٍ كان لي منه ثابتٍ

وعهدي بعهدٍ كان لي منه ثابتٍ

يلوح كباقي الوشم في ظاهر اليد

يلوح كباقي الوشم في ظاهر اليد

And my memory of a steadfast pledge I once had from him

And my covenant with him which was firm for me

And my memory of a steadfast pact we once shared

Gleams like the remnants of a tattoo on the back of a hand.

Appears like the rest of a tattoo on the back of the hand

Gleams like the faint remains of a tattoo on the back of a hand.

وقفت به لا موقناً برجوعه

وقفت به لا موقناً برجوعه

ولا آيساً أبكي وأبكي إلى الغد

ولا آيساً أبكي وأبكي إلى الغد

I stood by it, neither certain of its return

I stood by it, neither certain of its return

I halted there, neither certain of his return

Nor despairing, weeping and making others weep until tomorrow.

Nor despairing, I cry and cry until tomorrow

Nor despairing entirely, weeping and weeping until tomorrow,

إلى أن أطال الناس عذلي وأكثروا

إلى أن أطال الناس عذلي وأكثروا

يقولون لا تهلك أسى وتجلد

يقولون لا تهلك أسى وتجلد

Until people prolonged their reproaches of me and multiplied them,

Until people prolonged my excuse and increased

Until the people lengthened their blame and multiplied their rebukes,

Saying, 'Do not perish of grief; be steadfast.'

Saying do not perish from grief and be patient

Saying, "Do not perish of sorrow, but endure with fortitude!"

كأن فنون السخط ممن أحبه

كأن فنون السخط ممن أحبه

خلايا سفينٍ بالنواصف من دد

خلايا سفينٍ بالنواصف من دد

As though the many kinds of displeasure from the one I love

As if the arts of anger from the one I loved

As though the myriad forms of wrath from the one I love

Were great ships at al-Nawasif in Dad.

Were lines of a ship with nails

Were massive ships upon the broad watercourses of Dad,

كأن انقلاب الهجر والوصل مركب

كأن انقلاب الهجر والوصل مركب

يجوز به الملاح طوراً ويهتدي

يجوز به الملاح طوراً ويهتدي

As though the alternation of estrangement and union were a vessel

As if the turning away and reunion were a vessel

As though the swinging between parting and union were a vessel

In which the sailor crosses at times and finds his way.

By which the sailor passes one time and is guided another

Steered by a mariner, now drifting onward, now finding the way.

فوقت رضي يتلوه وقت سخط

فوقت رضي يتلوه وقت سخط

كما قسم الترب المقابل باليد

كما قسم الترب المقابل باليد

So a time of favor is followed by a time of displeasure,

So there was a time of consent followed by a time of anger

For a moment of pleasure is followed by a moment of anger,

As the one opposite divided the dust by hand.

As the facing dunes divide with the hand

Just as dust is divided between facing hands,

ويبسم نحوي وهو غضبان معرضٌ

ويبسم نحوي وهو غضبان معرضٌ

مظاهر سمطي لؤلؤٍ وزبرجد

مظاهر سمطي لؤلؤٍ وزبرجد

And he smiles toward me, though angry and turning away,

And he smiles at me while turning away angrily

Yet he smiles towards me even while angered and turning away,

Wearing two layered necklaces of pearls and chrysolite.

Facades of pearls and gems

Displaying two radiant rows of pearls and peridot.