لَقَدَ سَبَقَتكَ اليَومَ عَيناكَ سَبقَةً

لَقَدَ سَبَقَتكَ اليَومَ عَيناكَ سَبقَةً

وَأَبكاكَ مِن عَهدِ الشَبابِ مَلاعِبُه

وَأَبكاكَ مِن عَهدِ الشَبابِ مَلاعِبُه

Indeed, your eyes have raced ahead of you today,

Your eyes have preceded you today in weeping

And the playgrounds of your youthful days have made you weep,

And made you cry over the playfulness of your youth

وَتُذكارُ عَيشٍ قَد مَضى لَيسَ راجِعاً

وَتُذكارُ عَيشٍ قَد مَضى لَيسَ راجِعاً

لَنا أَبَداً أَو يَرجِعَ الدَرَّ حالِبهُ

لَنا أَبَداً أَو يَرجِعَ الدَرَّ حالِبهُ

And the memory of a life now past, never to return

And the recollection of a life now gone, never to return

To us, ever—unless the milker can put the milk back.

To us again, until the brimming cup runs dry

وَبالزَورِ زَورِ الرَقمَتَينِ لَنا شَجاً

وَبالزَورِ زَورِ الرَقمَتَينِ لَنا شَجاً

إِذا نَدِيَت قيعانُهُ وَمَذاهِبُه

إِذا نَدِيَت قيعانُهُ وَمَذاهِبُه

And at al-Zawr, the Zawr of al-Raqmatayn, we feel heartache,

The drawing of the two sandalwoods brought us heartache

Whenever its lowlands and pathways grow moist.

When their valleys and slopes were called

بِلادٌ مَتى تُشرِف طَويلُ جِبالِها

بِلادٌ مَتى تُشرِف طَويلُ جِبالِها

عَلى تَرَفٍ يَجلِب لَكَ الشَوقَ جالِبُه

عَلى تَرَفٍ يَجلِب لَكَ الشَوقَ جالِبُه

A land—whenever its lofty mountains look out

A land, when will its towering mountains overlook

Over Taraf, what awakens longing brings it to you.

Luxury that makes yearning rush to you

كَأَنَّ فُؤادي في يَدٍ ضَبَثَت بِهِ

كَأَنَّ فُؤادي في يَدٍ ضَبَثَت بِهِ

مُحاذِرَةً أَن يَقضِبَ الحَبلَ قاضِبُه

مُحاذِرَةً أَن يَقضِبَ الحَبلَ قاضِبُه

As though my heart were in a hand that clutched it,

It's as if my heart is in a hand that handles it

Fearing that the cord's cutter might sever it.

Cautiously, lest the rope snap under its puller

وَأَشفِقُ مِن وَشكِ الفِراقِ وَإِنَّني

وَأَشفِقُ مِن وَشكِ الفِراقِ وَإِنَّني

أَظُنُّ لَمَحمولٌ عَلَيهِ فَراكِبُه

أَظُنُّ لَمَحمولٌ عَلَيهِ فَراكِبُه

And I fear the nearness of parting; indeed, I am—

And I fear the imminence of parting, and I

I think—surely to be carried onto it, then to ride it.

Suppose the one carried on it is its rider

نَظَرتُ وَدوني السُحقُ مِن نَخلِ بارِقٍ

نَظَرتُ وَدوني السُحقُ مِن نَخلِ بارِقٍ

بِنَظرَةِ سامي الطَرَفِ حُجنٌ مَخالِبُه

بِنَظرَةِ سامي الطَرَفِ حُجنٌ مَخالِبُه

I gazed, with Bariq's towering palms before me,

I looked down, under me palm trees with shining fronds

With the gaze of a bird that looks on high, its talons hooked,

With a lofty gaze, their claws are digging

لِأُبصِرَ ناراً بِالجَواءِ وَدونَها

لِأُبصِرَ ناراً بِالجَواءِ وَدونَها

مَسيرَةُ شَهرٍ لا يُعَرِّسُ راكِبُه

مَسيرَةُ شَهرٍ لا يُعَرِّسُ راكِبُه

To glimpse a fire at al-Jawa', while between me and it lay

To see a fire in the atmosphere, and below it

A month's journey, its rider never halting for night-rest.

A month's journey no rider could complete

أُحِبُّكُم يا مَيُّ حُبَّينِ مِنهُما

أُحِبُّكُم يا مَيُّ حُبَّينِ مِنهُما

قَديمٌ وَحُبٌّ حينَ شَبَّت شَبائِبُه

قَديمٌ وَحُبٌّ حينَ شَبَّت شَبائِبُه

I love you, O Mayy, with two loves, of which

I love you, O Mayy, two loves, one

One is old, and one arose when its fires flared.

Old, one when its youthfulness was in bloom

إِذا إِجتَمَعا قالَ القَديمُ غَلَبتُهُ

إِذا إِجتَمَعا قالَ القَديمُ غَلَبتُهُ

وَقالَ الَّذي مِن بَعدِهِ أَنا غالِبُه

وَقالَ الَّذي مِن بَعدِهِ أَنا غالِبُه

When they meet, the old one says, 'I have defeated it,'

When they come together, the old one said: I prevailed over it

And the one that followed it says, 'I am its conqueror.'

And the latter one said: I am its conqueror

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل تَغَيَّرَ بَعدَنا

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل تَغَيَّرَ بَعدَنا

صَرائِمُ جَنبَي مِخيَطٍ وَجَنائِبُه

صَرائِمُ جَنبَي مِخيَطٍ وَجَنائِبُه

Ah, would that I knew: have they changed since we left—

Oh, I wish I knew, will our encampment change after us

The sand tracts on either side of Mikhyat, and its flanks?

And the pegs and ropes of our tent

وَهَل تَرَكَ الحَومانُ بَعدي مَكانَهُ

وَهَل تَرَكَ الحَومانُ بَعدي مَكانَهُ

وَهَل زالَ مِن بَطنِ الجُوَيِّ تَناضُبُه

وَهَل زالَ مِن بَطنِ الجُوَيِّ تَناضُبُه

And has al-Hawman left its place since my departure?

Will the doves abandon their place after me

And have its tandub trees vanished from al-Juwayy's valley floor?

And will the warbling in the valley cease

فَوَاللَهِ ما أَدري أَيَغلُِبُني الهَوى

فَوَاللَهِ ما أَدري أَيَغلُِبُني الهَوى

إِذا جَدَّ جِدُّ البَينِ أَم أَنا غالِبُه

إِذا جَدَّ جِدُّ البَينِ أَم أَنا غالِبُه

For, by God, I do not know whether passion will overcome me

By God, I don't know if passion will overwhelm me

When parting becomes truly serious, or whether I shall conquer it.

When the pain of separation is severe, or if I will be its conqueror

فَإِن أَسَتَطِع أَغلِب وَإِن يَغلِبِ الهَوى

فَإِن أَسَتَطِع أَغلِب وَإِن يَغلِبِ الهَوى

فَمِثلُ الَّذي لاقَيتُ يُغلَبُ صاحِبُه

فَمِثلُ الَّذي لاقَيتُ يُغلَبُ صاحِبُه

So if I can, I shall prevail; and if passion prevails,

If I can, I will overcome, and if passion overwhelms

Then one who meets the like of what I have met is overcome.

One like me who is overwhelmed, his companion is overwhelmed

لَقَد طالَ هَبسُ الوَفدِ وَفدِ مُحارِبٍ

لَقَد طالَ هَبسُ الوَفدِ وَفدِ مُحارِبٍ

عَنِ المَجدِ لَم يَأذَن لَهُم بَعدَ حاجِبُه

عَنِ المَجدِ لَم يَأذَن لَهُم بَعدَ حاجِبُه

Indeed, the delegation—Muharib's delegation—has long been held back

Prolonged has been the petitioning of the envoys, envoys of warriors

From glory; its gatekeeper has not yet admitted them.

Seeking glory, their guard has not permitted them after

وَقالَ لَهُم كُرّوا فَلَستُ بِآذِنٍ

وَقالَ لَهُم كُرّوا فَلَستُ بِآذِنٍ

لَكُم أَبَداً أَو يَحصِيَ التُربَ حاسِبُه

لَكُم أَبَداً أَو يَحصِيَ التُربَ حاسِبُه

And he said to them, 'Turn back, for I will not admit

And he said to them, turn back, for I will never permit you

You, ever, unless a reckoner can count the dust.'

Or until the dust counts the dust