أَجِدَّكَ لَم تَعرِف أَثافِيَّ دِمنَةٍ

أَجِدَّكَ لَم تَعرِف أَثافِيَّ دِمنَةٍ

مَرَرتَ عَلى أَطلالِها لا تُعَرِّجُ

مَرَرتَ عَلى أَطلالِها لا تُعَرِّجُ

Truly, did you not recognize an abandoned camp's hearthstones,

I found you knew not of the ruined abodes of Dimna,

passing by its ruins without turning aside?

You passed by their ruins, not turning aside.

بَلى فَتَداعى الدَمعُ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

بَلى فَتَداعى الدَمعُ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

جُفونُكَ سِمطٌ خانَهُ السِلكُ مُمرَجُ

جُفونُكَ سِمطٌ خانَهُ السِلكُ مُمرَجُ

Indeed you did—and tears cascaded until it seemed

Yes, tears flowed copiously as though

your eyelids were a scattered necklace whose thread had betrayed it.

Your eyelids were a fence the wire of which was intertwined.

لَيالِيَ لَيلى لا تَزالُ كَأَنَّها

لَيالِيَ لَيلى لا تَزالُ كَأَنَّها

هَميجٌ بِذي الدَثَّينِ غَرّاءُ عَوهَجُ

هَميجٌ بِذي الدَثَّينِ غَرّاءُ عَوهَجُ

In those nights, Layla was ever like

The nights of Layla are still as though they

a white-faced, long-necked gazelle at Dhu al-Daththayn;

Were a confused noise in Thi al-Dathayn, vociferous and boiling.

رَبيبَةُ خِدرٍ لَم تُكَشَّف سُجوفُهُ

رَبيبَةُ خِدرٍ لَم تُكَشَّف سُجوفُهُ

وَفارَةُ مِسكٍ آخِرَ اللَيلِ مارَجُ

وَفارَةُ مِسكٍ آخِرَ اللَيلِ مارَجُ

a girl reared in a secluded chamber whose curtains were never lifted,

A well-guarded virgin girl who has not had her veil removed,

and a musk-pod diffusing its fragrance at night's end.

And an overflowing musk-pod at the end of night saturated.

كَأَنَّ ثَناياها وَبَردَ رُضابِها

كَأَنَّ ثَناياها وَبَردَ رُضابِها

هُدُوّاً نِطافٌ بِالمَسيلَةِ حَشرَجُ

هُدُوّاً نِطافٌ بِالمَسيلَةِ حَشرَجُ

Her front teeth and the coolness of her saliva seem,

As though her sides and the coolness of her resting place

in night's stillness, like water drops and white pebbles in a streambed.

Were gently whispering canes in the torrent wildly murmuring.

تَشَجُّ بِهِ رَقراقَةٌ صَرخَدِيَّةٌ

تَشَجُّ بِهِ رَقراقَةٌ صَرخَدِيَّةٌ

عَقيلَةُ مَحذوفٍ يَغَصُّ وَيَنشِجُ

عَقيلَةُ مَحذوفٍ يَغَصُّ وَيَنشِجُ

A shimmering wine of Sarkhad is diluted with it,

She sings gently with a melodious trilling

the prized contents of a trimmed wineskin that chokes and sobs.

Of a bereft nightingale, moaning and complaining.

تَذَكَّرتُها مِن بَعدِ ما حالَ دونَها

تَذَكَّرتُها مِن بَعدِ ما حالَ دونَها

مِنَ النَأيِ طَلعٌ بِالحِجازِ وَعَوسَجُ

مِنَ النَأيِ طَلعٌ بِالحِجازِ وَعَوسَجُ

I remembered her after my way to her was barred

I remembered her after distance had come between us,

by far-off Talʿ in the Hijaz and ʿAwsaj.

Which was a rising of the Pleiades in the Hijaz and was veiled.

فَأَنّي بِلَيلى مِن بَعدِ ما حالَ دونَها

فَأَنّي بِلَيلى مِن بَعدِ ما حالَ دونَها

مِنَ دونِها غَولُ البِطاحِ فَمَنعِجُ

مِنَ دونِها غَولُ البِطاحِ فَمَنعِجُ

How, then, can I reach Layla, after the way to her was barred

So I am with Layla after distance has come between us,

by Ghawl of the broad valleys and then Manʿij?

Beyond her is the darkness of night, so I am prevented.

فَدَع ذا وَلَكِن هَل تَرى رَأيَ كاشِحٍ

فَدَع ذا وَلَكِن هَل تَرى رَأيَ كاشِحٍ

يَخُبُّ إِلَينا بِالوَعيدِ وَيَهدِجُ

يَخُبُّ إِلَينا بِالوَعيدِ وَيَهدِجُ

Leave that, then; but do you see the designs of a foe

Leave this, but do you see the opinion of an aggressive assailant

who trots toward us with threats and lurches along?

Who fails against us with threats and makes a hullabaloo?

كَذَبتُم وَبَيتِ اللَهِ لا تَأخُذونَها

كَذَبتُم وَبَيتِ اللَهِ لا تَأخُذونَها

بَني عانِسٍ حَتّى تَروحوا وَتُدلِجوا

بَني عانِسٍ حَتّى تَروحوا وَتُدلِجوا

You lie! By God's House, you shall not take it,

You have lied, and by God's house, you will not take it

sons of ʿAnis, until you go out at evening and travel by night;

O sons of an obstinate woman, until you depart and travel by night.

وَحَتّى تَرى الحَوَّ الطِوالَ مُتونُها

وَحَتّى تَرى الحَوَّ الطِوالَ مُتونُها

عَلى ضَوءِ نارٍ أَو مَعَ الصُبحِ تُسرَجُ

عَلى ضَوءِ نارٍ أَو مَعَ الصُبحِ تُسرَجُ

and until you see the dark-bay horses, long-backed,

Until you see the tall, fully armed camels

being saddled by firelight or at dawn;

By the light of a fire or in the morning adorned.

وَحَتّى تَرى النَجدَ البَسيلَ كَأَنَّما

وَحَتّى تَرى النَجدَ البَسيلَ كَأَنَّما

يُصَرِّجُهُ بِالزَعفَرانِ مُضَرِّجُ

يُصَرِّجُهُ بِالزَعفَرانِ مُضَرِّجُ

and until you see the fierce, valiant warrior, as though

Until you see the spotted camel-litters as though

a dyer were daubing him with saffron;

An embroiderer had embroidered them with saffron.

وَحَتّى تَرى اللِّيسَ الكُماةُ كَأَنَّما

وَحَتّى تَرى اللِّيسَ الكُماةُ كَأَنَّما

تَصَلَّوا ذَكاً يَلوي القُلوبَ فَيُهرِجُ

تَصَلَّوا ذَكاً يَلوي القُلوبَ فَيُهرِجُ

and until you see the steadfast armored champions, as though

Until you see the horsemen in mail-coats as though

they had endured a blaze that wrings hearts and maddens them.

They had prayed the dawn prayer which turns hearts.

كَبَت كَرَّةُ الأَبدانِ فَوقَ جُلودِهِم

كَبَت كَرَّةُ الأَبدانِ فَوقَ جُلودِهِم

إِذا لَبِسوا ما كانَ داوودَ يَنسِجُ

إِذا لَبِسوا ما كانَ داوودَ يَنسِجُ

The mailshirts' rounded bulk sagged upon their skins,

Suppressed rage showed upon their bodies

as they put on what David used to weave.

When they donned what David used to weave.

هُنالِكَ إِنْ تَغلِبْ تَكُن أَنتَ رَبَّها

هُنالِكَ إِنْ تَغلِبْ تَكُن أَنتَ رَبَّها

وَإِن تَنهَكُم عَنها الحَواجِزُ تَعنَجوا

وَإِن تَنهَكُم عَنها الحَواجِزُ تَعنَجوا

Then, if you conquer, you shall be its master;

There, if you overcome, you will be its lord,

and if barriers keep you from it, you will turn aside:

And if the obstacles wear you down, you will become bent.

حَواجِزُ رَحمٍ أَو قِتالُ عَشيرَةٍ

حَواجِزُ رَحمٍ أَو قِتالُ عَشيرَةٍ

وَعادَةُ بَعضِ الظُلمِ بِالظُلمِ تُلهَجُ

وَعادَةُ بَعضِ الظُلمِ بِالظُلمِ تُلهَجُ

the restraints of kinship, or fighting a clan,

Obstacles of kinship or fighting a tribe

and the custom of repaying some wrong with wrong is upheld.

And the custom of some of wronging with wrong, enraged.

وَما خِلتُ أَنّي نِلتُ مالَ عَشيرَةٍ

وَما خِلتُ أَنّي نِلتُ مالَ عَشيرَةٍ

وَلا حِيبَةً إِنَّ الأُمورَ تُفَرَّجُ

وَلا حِيبَةً إِنَّ الأُمورَ تُفَرَّجُ

I never thought I had taken a clan's wealth,

And I have not been devoid of gaining a tribe's wealth

nor incurred guilt; matters are made clear.

Or a beloved, surely matters become relieved.

فَلَستُ بِمَولى باطِلٍ إن طَلَبتَهُ

فَلَستُ بِمَولى باطِلٍ إن طَلَبتَهُ

وَمالَكَ عِندي بِالظُّلامَةِ مَدلَجُ

وَمالَكَ عِندي بِالظُّلامَةِ مَدلَجُ

So I am no ally of a false claim, should you pursue it,

So I am not the protector of falsehood if you seek it,

and you have no night-road to me on a claim of wrong.

And your property with me is enveloped in darkness.

مَتى تَلقَني لا تَلقَ شِكَّةَ واحِدٍ

مَتى تَلقَني لا تَلقَ شِكَّةَ واحِدٍ

إِذا اِفتَرَّ يَوماً عَن لَظىً يَتَأجَّجُ

إِذا اِفتَرَّ يَوماً عَن لَظىً يَتَأجَّجُ

Whenever you meet me, you will not find a lone man's arms,

When you meet me, do not meet with a single doubt

when battle one day bares its teeth in raging flame.

If one fabricates lies one day, blazing hot.

مَعي مَشرَفِيٍّ كَالعَقيقَةِ صارِمٌ

مَعي مَشرَفِيٍّ كَالعَقيقَةِ صارِمٌ

بِهِ أَثَرٌ بِالمُتنَتَينِ مُدَرَّجُ

بِهِ أَثَرٌ بِالمُتنَتَينِ مُدَرَّجُ

With me is a keen Mashrafi sword, like a flash of lightning;

With me are well-aimed swords like carnelian,

it bears a banded pattern on both its flats.

With them are traces on the two quarrelers impressed.

وَأَسمَرُ خَطِيٌّ كَأَنَّ اِهتِزازَهُ

وَأَسمَرُ خَطِيٌّ كَأَنَّ اِهتِزازَهُ

مِقاطُ قَليبٍ مَسَّهُ الماءُ مُدمَجُ

مِقاطُ قَليبٍ مَسَّهُ الماءُ مُدمَجُ

And a brown Khatti spear, its quivering like

And a dark, straight sword as though its brandishing

a tightly twisted well-rope touched by water;

Were the strokes of a sturdy, water-polished club,

وَأَبيَضُ فَضفاضٌ كَنِهيٍ تَبَسَّمَت

وَأَبيَضُ فَضفاضٌ كَنِهيٍ تَبَسَّمَت

لَهُ تَحتَ ذَيلِ الصُبحِ في القاعِ نَيرَجُ

لَهُ تَحتَ ذَيلِ الصُبحِ في القاعِ نَيرَجُ

and a silvery, ample mailcoat, like a pool smiled upon

And a white, broad sword smiling

by a breeze on the plain beneath dawn's trailing hem.

For it beneath the train of dawn in the meadow flashed.

فَيالَكَ مِن بَزِّ اِمرِئٍ ذي حَفيظَةٍ

فَيالَكَ مِن بَزِّ اِمرِئٍ ذي حَفيظَةٍ

يَخُبُّ بِهِ عَبلُ المَعاقِمِ مِهرَجُ

يَخُبُّ بِهِ عَبلُ المَعاقِمِ مِهرَجُ

What fine gear for a man fierce for his honor,

So woe to you, from an excellent man of quick temper

whom a swift, thick-jointed horse bears at a trot!

With whom the camels of Ma'aqil wildly stampede.

وَقَد عَلِمَتْ أَنّي وَأَنَّكَ في الوَغى

وَقَد عَلِمَتْ أَنّي وَأَنَّكَ في الوَغى

إِذ اِعتَكَرَت أَصغى إِلى السِلمِ مَذحِجُ

إِذ اِعتَكَرَت أَصغى إِلى السِلمِ مَذحِجُ

And she has learned that I and you were amid battle,

And she knew that you and I in battle

when it grew tangled; Madhhij inclined toward peace.

When the dust clouds gathered, listened to reconciliation being rejected.

وَقَد لَفَّ شَخصَينا سُرادِقُ هَبوَةٍ

وَقَد لَفَّ شَخصَينا سُرادِقُ هَبوَةٍ

فَخانَكَ صَبرٌ يَومَ ذَلِكَ مُخدَجُ

فَخانَكَ صَبرٌ يَومَ ذَلِكَ مُخدَجُ

And a canopy of dust had wrapped our two figures,

And a canopy of dust enveloped our two forms

so your half-formed courage betrayed you that day.

While your patience on that day failed you.

فَحاذِر هُدَيّاها فَإِنّي زَعيمُها

فَحاذِر هُدَيّاها فَإِنّي زَعيمُها

وَأَشنَعُ ما يُنثى الكَلامُ المُلَجلَجُ

وَأَشنَعُ ما يُنثى الكَلامُ المُلَجلَجُ

So beware its calamity, for I am its guarantor;

So beware her gifts for I am their protector

and most shameful of what is told is faltering speech.

And the most hideous of what is added to speech is stuttering prattle.