مررت بنجدٍ والحمائم تهتفُ

مررت بنجدٍ والحمائم تهتفُ

فاذريت دمعي والركائب وقَّفُ

فاذريت دمعي والركائب وقَّفُ

I passed through Najd while the doves were calling,

I passed by Najd while the doves were calling out,

So I shed my tears while the riding camels stood still.

So I shed my tears while the mounts were halted.

تذَّكرتُ اياماً سلفن بسفحه

تذَّكرتُ اياماً سلفن بسفحه

عشية عاطاني المدامة اهيف

عشية عاطاني المدامة اهيف

I remembered days gone by at its foot,

I remembered days gone by on its plains,

An evening when a slender-waisted youth shared wine with me,

When wine was poured for me in the evening by a gazelle.

رئيق قوامٍ افتديه باسرتي

رئيق قوامٍ افتديه باسرتي

وان لامني فيه الوشاة وعنَّفوا

وان لامني فيه الوشاة وعنَّفوا

Graceful of stature, whom I would ransom with my family,

A delicate, slender one I ransomed with my family,

Even if the talebearers blamed me for him and rebuked me.

Though the slanderers berated me for it and became harsh.

فما الورد الا من خدودك يجتني

فما الورد الا من خدودك يجتني

وما الخمر الا من رضابك يرشفُ

وما الخمر الا من رضابك يرشفُ

For roses are plucked only from your cheeks,

Roses are only plucked from your cheeks,

And wine is sipped only from the moisture of your lips.

And wine is only sipped from your lips.

سلوا رامة عن ناظريّ فكم غدت

سلوا رامة عن ناظريّ فكم غدت

برامة عيناي المدامع تذرفُ

برامة عيناي المدامع تذرفُ

Ask Rāmah about my eyes—how often

Ask Ramah about my eyes - how much

My eyes at Rāmah went on shedding tears!

Have my tearful eyes become like Ramah's eyes that shed tears.

لحا اللَه هاتيك المعاهد كم بها

لحا اللَه هاتيك المعاهد كم بها

ابيت ولي قلبٌ يذوب فينطفُ

ابيت ولي قلبٌ يذوب فينطفُ

May God curse those haunts—how often there

May God protect those covenants - how much

I spent the night with a heart that melted and dripped.

Have I spent the night while my heart melts and drips.

وللَه ما بين الغوير وثهمد

وللَه ما بين الغوير وثهمد

واكناف نجد والابيرق موقف

واكناف نجد والابيرق موقف

And, by God, between al-Ghuwayr and Thahmad,

By God, what is between Ghawir and Thahmad,

And Najd's environs and al-Ubayriq—what a halting place!

And the environs of Najd and Abiriq are halting places.

وقفت به والغيد حولي تخالها

وقفت به والغيد حولي تخالها

بدور دجىً يشرقن والليل مسدف

بدور دجىً يشرقن والليل مسدف

I stood there, slender beauties around me, whom you would take

I stood there while the darkness surrounded me,

For full moons in darkness, shining while the night lay dark.

As if it were houses lit up at dusk and the night eclipsed.

اسفت على تلك المعاهد والربى

اسفت على تلك المعاهد والربى

وهيهات يجدي المستهام التأسفُ

وهيهات يجدي المستهام التأسفُ

I grieved over those haunts and hills,

I regretted those covenants and dwellings,

But alas, regret cannot help the love-stricken.

But alas, the remorse of one who yearns is of no use.

يحنُّ لها القلب الشجي بلهفةٍ

يحنُّ لها القلب الشجي بلهفةٍ

لك اللَه هل يجدي الشجيَّ التلهفُ

لك اللَه هل يجدي الشجيَّ التلهفُ

The sorrowful heart yearns for them with anguished longing.

My ardent heart longs for them,

God help you! Does yearning avail the sorrowful?

But does the yearning of the ardent heart avail?

دع اللوم عني يا هذيم فلم يكن

دع اللوم عني يا هذيم فلم يكن

معاذ الهوى يصغى الى اللوم مدنفُ

معاذ الهوى يصغى الى اللوم مدنفُ

Spare me reproach, Hudhaym, for never

Leave off blaming me, O Hazim, for passion

—Love forbid!—would one sick with love heed reproach.

Does not heed the blame of the critic.

علمت بأني يوم ادلج ركبهم

علمت بأني يوم ادلج ركبهم

انادي وراء الركب ساعة اعنفوا

انادي وراء الركب ساعة اعنفوا

You knew that, when their caravan set out by night,

I knew the day I rode with them,

I called behind the caravan as they drove on hard.

I called out behind the traveling band when they departed.

انادي وراء الظاعنين بعولةٍ

انادي وراء الظاعنين بعولةٍ

وكفِّيَ للدمع الهتون وهي تهتفُ

وكفِّيَ للدمع الهتون وهي تهتفُ

I called after the departing travelers with a wail,

I called out behind those who walked away haughtily,

And my palm was for the streaming tears while she cooed.

While my tears flowed and they called out.

تطارحني بالشجو طوراً وتارةً

تطارحني بالشجو طوراً وتارةً

ابث لها وجداً له الدمع موطفُ

ابث لها وجداً له الدمع موطفُ

At times she traded laments with me, and at others

At times it casts me down in longing,

I confided to her a longing for which tears flowed abundantly.

And at times I confide in it, while the tears flow.