أَلَمَّت وَقَد قامَ المُشِيحُ وَهَوّما

أَلَمَّت وَقَد قامَ المُشِيحُ وَهَوّما

وَأَسرَت إِلى وادي العَقيقِ مِن الحِمى

وَأَسرَت إِلى وادي العَقيقِ مِن الحِمى

She came to visit when the watchful one had risen and dozed,

She set out when the guide arose, made haste

And journeyed by night from al-Hima to the valley of al-Aqiq.

Toward Wadi al-‘Uqayq from al-Himâ;

وَراحَت عَلى نَجدٍ فَراحَ منجّداً

وَراحَت عَلى نَجدٍ فَراحَ منجّداً

وَمَرّت بِنُعمانٍ فَأَضحى مُنَعِّما

وَمَرّت بِنُعمانٍ فَأَضحى مُنَعِّما

And she passed over Najd, and it became adorned,

She traveled through Najd, and it turned brilliant,

And passed by Nu'man, and it became a source of bliss.

Passed by Nu‘mân, who gained blessings galore.

وَجَرَّت عَلى تُرب المُحصَّبِ ذِيلَها

وَجَرَّت عَلى تُرب المُحصَّبِ ذِيلَها

فَأَصبَحَ ذاكَ التُربُ نَهباً مُقَسَّما

فَأَصبَحَ ذاكَ التُربُ نَهباً مُقَسَّما

And she trailed her hem over the soil of al-Muhassab,

She dragged her train o’er Al-Muhassab’s soil,

So that soil became plunder, divided up.

And that soil turned to scattered booty;

تَقسَّمُهُ أَيدي التِجارِ لَطيمةً

تَقسَّمُهُ أَيدي التِجارِ لَطيمةً

وَيحمِلُهُ الدرايّ أَيّانَ يَمَّما

وَيحمِلُهُ الدرايّ أَيّانَ يَمَّما

Merchants' hands share it out as a cargo of perfume,

Merchants’ hands share it, bit by tiny bit,

And the perfumer carries it whenever he sets out.

Cameleers carry it off, time after time.

وَلَمّا رَأَت أن لا ظَلامَ يُكِنُّها

وَلَمّا رَأَت أن لا ظَلامَ يُكِنُّها

وَأَنّ سُراها فيهِ لَن يُتَكَتَّما

وَأَنّ سُراها فيهِ لَن يُتَكَتَّما

And when she saw that no darkness could conceal her,

When she saw no darkness could conceal her

And that her night journey within it would not stay hidden,

And her secret therein would not latent be,

سَرَت عذبات الريط عَن نُور وجهِها

سَرَت عذبات الريط عَن نُور وجهِها

وَأَبدَت مُحَيّاً يُدهِش المُتوسِّما

وَأَبدَت مُحَيّاً يُدهِش المُتوسِّما

She drew the fine cloth's fringes away from her face's radiance,

She bared her radiant cheeks from veil’s confinement

And revealed a face that bewildered the discerning onlooker.

And displayed a face that dazzles all who see.

فكان تَجلّيها حجابَ جَمالِها

فكان تَجلّيها حجابَ جَمالِها

كَشَمسِ الضُحى يَعشى بِها الطَرفُ كُلّما

كَشَمسِ الضُحى يَعشى بِها الطَرفُ كُلّما

So her unveiling was itself the veil of her beauty,

So her unveiling was her beauty’s veil,

Like the forenoon sun, which dazzles the eye each time.

Like dawn’s sun that bedazzles every eye.

ولمّا التَقَينا بَعدَ طُولِتَجَنّب

ولمّا التَقَينا بَعدَ طُولِتَجَنّب

وَقد كادَ حبلُ الوصلِ أَن يَتصَرَّما

وَقد كادَ حبلُ الوصلِ أَن يَتصَرَّما

And when we met after long estrangement,

When we met after long estrangement,

And the cord of union had nearly snapped,

Our bond nigh severed and torn apart,

جَلَت عَن ثَناياها وأَومَضَ بارِقٌ

جَلَت عَن ثَناياها وأَومَضَ بارِقٌ

فَلَم أَدرِ وَجداً أَيَّنا كانَ أَسجَما

فَلَم أَدرِ وَجداً أَيَّنا كانَ أَسجَما

She bared her front teeth, and a lightning flash gleamed,

She revealed her countenance’s folds, and there flashed

So, in my longing, I knew not which of us shed more tears.

A gleam—but which of us felt greater joy?

وَقالَت وَقَد رَقَّ الحَديثُ وَسَرّحت

وَقالَت وَقَد رَقَّ الحَديثُ وَسَرّحت

قَرائِنَ أَحوالٍ أَذعنَ المُكَتَّما

قَرائِنَ أَحوالٍ أَذعنَ المُكَتَّما

And she said, as the talk grew tender and she let loose

She spoke, our talk turned intimate, things once

Signs of feeling that revealed what had been concealed:

Hidden were freed: “I adjure you, let not passion

نَشَدتُكَ لا يَذهَب بِكَ الشَوقُ مَذهَباً

نَشَدتُكَ لا يَذهَب بِكَ الشَوقُ مَذهَباً

يُهَوِّنُ صَعباً أَو يُرَخّصُ مَأثَما

يُهَوِّنُ صَعباً أَو يُرَخّصُ مَأثَما

“I implore you: let longing not lead you down a path

Sway you to make easy what is difficult

That makes a hard thing easy or makes light of a sin.”

Or make venial what should meet doom.”

فَأَمسَكتُ لا مُستَغنِياً عَن نَوالِها

فَأَمسَكتُ لا مُستَغنِياً عَن نَوالِها

وَلَكِن رَأيتُ الصَبرَ أَولى وَأَكرَما

وَلَكِن رَأيتُ الصَبرَ أَولى وَأَكرَما

So I held back, not because I could do without her favors,

I kept her gift, not independent of her largesse,

But I deemed patience more fitting and nobler.

But I deemed patience better and nobler.