رَسمِ دارٍ وَقَفتُ في طَلَلِه

رَسمِ دارٍ وَقَفتُ في طَلَلِه

كُدتُ أَقضي الغَداةَ مِن جَلَلِه

كُدتُ أَقضي الغَداةَ مِن جَلَلِه

At a dwelling's traces I stood amid its ruins;

I stood amidst the ruins of an abode,

I nearly perished that morning from the grief it brought.

I almost spent the morning lost in its grandeur.

موحِشاً ما تَرى بِهِ أَحَداً

موحِشاً ما تَرى بِهِ أَحَداً

تَنتَسِجُ الريحُ تُربَ مُعتَدِلِه

تَنتَسِجُ الريحُ تُربَ مُعتَدِلِه

Desolate—you see no one there;

Desolate, with no one to be seen,

The wind weaves the dust of its level ground.

The wind softly blows on its leveled soil.

وَصَريعاً مِنَ الثُمامِ تَرى

وَصَريعاً مِنَ الثُمامِ تَرى

عارِماتِ المَدَبِّ في أَسَلِه

عارِماتِ المَدَبِّ في أَسَلِه

And you see fallen thumam grass,

And on the ground a dead ostrich lies,

With restless crawlers among its reedlike stalks.

Prey of a prowling beast in its lair.

بَينَ عَلياءِ وابِشٍ فَبُلِيٍّ

بَينَ عَلياءِ وابِشٍ فَبُلِيٍّ

فَالغَميمِ الَّذي إِلى جَبَلِه

فَالغَميمِ الَّذي إِلى جَبَلِه

Between the heights of Wabish and Buliyy,

Between Alia and Wabish then Buliyy,

And al-Ghamim, which lies toward its mountain;

And the clouds moving toward its mountain.

واقِفاً في دِيارِ أُمُّ حُسَينٍ

واقِفاً في دِيارِ أُمُّ حُسَينٍ

مِن ضُحى يَومِهِ إِلى أُصُلِه

مِن ضُحى يَومِهِ إِلى أُصُلِه

Standing in the dwellings of Umm Husayn,

Standing in the land of Umm Husain’s abode,

From that day's forenoon until its late afternoon.

From the dawn of her day to its sunset.

يا خَليلَيَّ إِنَّ أُمَّ حُسَينٍ

يا خَليلَيَّ إِنَّ أُمَّ حُسَينٍ

حينَ يَدنو الضَجيعُ مِن عَلَلِه

حينَ يَدنو الضَجيعُ مِن عَلَلِه

O my two friends, truly Umm Husayn,

O my friend, verily Umm Husain’s abode,

When her bedfellow draws near for another draught,

When the ailing draws near his demise,

رَوضَةٌ ذاتُ حَنوَةٍ وَخُزامى

رَوضَةٌ ذاتُ حَنوَةٍ وَخُزامى

جادَ فيها الرَبيعُ مِن سَبَلِه

جادَ فيها الرَبيعُ مِن سَبَلِه

Is a meadow of hanwa flowers and lavender,

Is a garden, aromatic and flowering,

Upon which spring has lavished its rain.

Where spring has poured forth from its veins.

بَينَما هُنَّ بِالأَراكِ مَعاً

بَينَما هُنَّ بِالأَراكِ مَعاً

إِذ بَدا راكِبٌ عَلى جَمَلِه

إِذ بَدا راكِبٌ عَلى جَمَلِه

While they were together by the arak trees,

While they were together under the canopies,

Suddenly a rider appeared upon his camel.

A rider on his camel appeared.

فَتَأَطَّرنَ ثُمَّ قُلنَ لَها

فَتَأَطَّرنَ ثُمَّ قُلنَ لَها

أَكرِميهِ حُيِّيتِ في نُزُلِه

أَكرِميهِ حُيِّيتِ في نُزُلِه

So they leaned forward, then said to her:

So they veiled themselves, and said to her,

Honor him—may you be blessed—in your hospitality to him.

“Be generous, greet him in your dwellings.”

فَظَلِلنا بِنِعمَةٍ وَاِتَّكَأنا

فَظَلِلنا بِنِعمَةٍ وَاِتَّكَأنا

وَشَرِبنا الحَلالَ مِن قُلَلِه

وَشَرِبنا الحَلالَ مِن قُلَلِه

So we passed the day in comfort and reclined,

We took shade and comfort there,

And drank the lawful drink from its jars.

And drank the halal water from its riverbeds.

قَد أَصونُ الحَديثَ دونَ أَخٍ

قَد أَصونُ الحَديثَ دونَ أَخٍ

لا أَخافُ الأَذاةَ مِن قِبَلِه

لا أَخافُ الأَذاةَ مِن قِبَلِه

I sometimes keep a confidence even from a friend,

I conceal this story from a brother,

From whom I fear no harm,

Fearing no harm would come his way from it.

غَيرَ ما بِغضَةٍ وَلا لِاِجتِنابٍ

غَيرَ ما بِغضَةٍ وَلا لِاِجتِنابٍ

غَيرَ أَنّي أَلَحتُ مِن وَجَلِه

غَيرَ أَنّي أَلَحتُ مِن وَجَلِه

Not out of hatred, nor to avoid him,

Not out of hatred nor avoidance,

Only that I grew wary because of his fear.

Only that I grew weary of his anxiety.

وَخَليلٍ صافَيتُ مُرضيّاً

وَخَليلٍ صافَيتُ مُرضيّاً

وَخَليلٍ فارَقتُ مِن مَلَلِه

وَخَليلٍ فارَقتُ مِن مَلَلِه

And a friend I cherished, finding him agreeable,

One friend's company I enjoyed,

And a friend I parted from, weary of him.

Another's I left, tired of his tedium.