عَفا ذو حُمامٍ بَعدَنا وَحَفيرُ

عَفا ذو حُمامٍ بَعدَنا وَحَفيرُ

وَبِالسِرِّ مَبدىً مِنهُمُ وَحُضورُ

وَبِالسِرِّ مَبدىً مِنهُمُ وَحُضورُ

Dhu Humam and Hafir have faded since we left,

The dove cooed after we left, and the grouse,

and at al-Sirr, their desert camp and settled dwellings.

And the secret was openly declared by them and attended.

تَكَلَّفتَها لا دانِياً مِنكَ وَصلُها

تَكَلَّفتَها لا دانِياً مِنكَ وَصلُها

وَلا صَرمُها شَيءٌ عَلَيكَ يَسيرُ

وَلا صَرمُها شَيءٌ عَلَيكَ يَسيرُ

You burdened yourself with her: union with her is not near at hand,

You took the trouble not because you knew them,

nor is breaking with her an easy thing for you.

Nor did joining them cost you much effort.

لَئِن يُسلِمِ اللَهُ المَراسيلَ بِالضُحى

لَئِن يُسلِمِ اللَهُ المَراسيلَ بِالضُحى

وَمَرُّ القَوافي يَهتَدي وَيَجورُ

وَمَرُّ القَوافي يَهتَدي وَيَجورُ

If God keeps the swift camels safe at forenoon,

If God safely delivers the messengers at dawn,

while the course of rhymes finds its way and wanders,

And the rhymes flow guided and wander,

تُبَلِّغ بَني نَبهانَ مِنّي قَصائِداً

تُبَلِّغ بَني نَبهانَ مِنّي قَصائِداً

تَطالَعُ مِن سَلمى وَهُنَّ وُعورُ

تَطالَعُ مِن سَلمى وَهُنَّ وُعورُ

they will carry poems from me to Banu Nabhan,

You will convey to the Bani Nabhan my poems

looming from Salma, rugged as they are.

That overlook Salmah while they moan and croon,

وَأَعوَرَ مِن نَبهانَ يَعوي وَدونَهُ

وَأَعوَرَ مِن نَبهانَ يَعوي وَدونَهُ

مِنَ اللَيلِ بابا ظُلمَةٍ وَسُتورِ

مِنَ اللَيلِ بابا ظُلمَةٍ وَسُتورِ

And a one-eyed man of Nabhan howls; between us

And the one-eyed poet of Nabhan howls, while below him

stand night's two gates of darkness and veils.

Is a dark, obscure night.

دَعا وَهوَ حَيٌّ مِثلَ مَيتٍ وَإِن يَمُت

دَعا وَهوَ حَيٌّ مِثلَ مَيتٍ وَإِن يَمُت

فَهَذا لَهُ بَعدَ المَماتِ نُشورُ

فَهَذا لَهُ بَعدَ المَماتِ نُشورُ

He cried out, alive yet like one dead; and if he dies,

He called out while alive as if dead, and if he dies,

then this will be his resurrection after death.

After death this will be his resurrection.

رَفَعتُ لَهُ مَشبوبَةً يُهتَدى بِها

رَفَعتُ لَهُ مَشبوبَةً يُهتَدى بِها

يَكادُ سَناها في السَماءِ يَطيرُ

يَكادُ سَناها في السَماءِ يَطيرُ

I raised for him a blazing fire to guide the way;

I raised for him a flaming fire to give him light,

its radiance all but soars into the sky.

Its spark nearly flew up to the sky.

فَلَمّا اِستَوى جَنباهُ ضاحَكَ نارَنا

فَلَمّا اِستَوى جَنباهُ ضاحَكَ نارَنا

عَظيمُ أَفاعي الحالِبَينِ ضَريرُ

عَظيمُ أَفاعي الحالِبَينِ ضَريرُ

Then, when his flanks had straightened, he grinned at our fire—

When his sides were set alight, our fire laughed,

a stricken wretch with great snaking veins about his loins.

The loud hissing of the writhing snakes.

أَخو البُؤسِ أَمّا لَحمُهُ عَن عِظامِهِ

أَخو البُؤسِ أَمّا لَحمُهُ عَن عِظامِهِ

فَعارٍ وَأَمّا مُخُّهُنَّ فَريرُ

فَعارٍ وَأَمّا مُخُّهُنَّ فَريرُ

A brother to misery: as for the flesh on his bones,

The brother of misery ‒ his flesh separate from his bones ‒

it is stripped away; as for their marrow, it has melted.

Is disgraceful, while their brains bubble.

فَقُلتُ لِعَبدَينا أَديرا رَحاكُما

فَقُلتُ لِعَبدَينا أَديرا رَحاكُما

فَقَد جاءَ زَحّافُ العَشِيِّ جَرورُ

فَقَد جاءَ زَحّافُ العَشِيِّ جَرورُ

So I told our two slaves: Turn your millstone,

So I said to our two servants, “Turn it,”

for the evening crawler has come, dragging himself along.

For the kindler of the night fire has arrived snarling.

أَبو مَنزِلِ الأَضيافِ يَغشَونَ نارَهُ

أَبو مَنزِلِ الأَضيافِ يَغشَونَ نارَهُ

وَيَعرِفُ حَقَّ النازِلينَ جَريرُ

وَيَعرِفُ حَقَّ النازِلينَ جَريرُ

Master of the guest-house, whose fire they seek,

The host, whose house the guests enter,

Jarir knows, too, what is owed to those who alight.

And the generous knows the rights of the lodgers.

إِذا لَم يُدِرّوا عاتِماً عَطَفَت لَهُم

إِذا لَم يُدِرّوا عاتِماً عَطَفَت لَهُم

سَريعَةُ إِبشارِ اللِقاحِ دَرورُ

سَريعَةُ إِبشارِ اللِقاحِ دَرورُ

When they cannot coax out tardy milk, there turns toward them

When they do not recognize the gloom, she quickly smiles for them,

a blade swift to skin the milch-camels, streaming blood.

The swift glad tiding of conception comes trotting.

وَجَدنا بَني نَبهانَ أَذنابَ طَيِّئٍ

وَجَدنا بَني نَبهانَ أَذنابَ طَيِّئٍ

وَلِلناسِ أَذنابٌ تُرى وَصُدورُ

وَلِلناسِ أَذنابٌ تُرى وَصُدورُ

We found Banu Nabhan to be the tails of Tayy;

We found the Bani Nabhan to be the tails of Tayy,

and people, as you see, have their tails and their front ranks.

And people have tails, as you can see.

تَرى شَرَطَ المِعزى مُهورَ نِسائِهِم

تَرى شَرَطَ المِعزى مُهورَ نِسائِهِم

وَفي قَزَمِ المِعزى لَهُنَّ مُهورُ

وَفي قَزَمِ المِعزى لَهُنَّ مُهورُ

You see the poorest goats as bridal gifts for their women;

You can see the dowry condition of their she-goats,

among the runt goats lie their bridal gifts.

And for their she-goats they have dowries.

إِذا حَلَّ مِن نَبهانَ أَذنابُ ثَلَّةٍ

إِذا حَلَّ مِن نَبهانَ أَذنابُ ثَلَّةٍ

بِأَوشالِ سَلمى دِقَّةٌ وَفُجورُ

بِأَوشالِ سَلمى دِقَّةٌ وَفُجورُ

When the tails of a Nabhan flock encamp

When the worthless tails of the Bani Thalabah

at Salma's trickling springs—baseness and vice!

Arrive with the ponies of Salmah, fine and corrupt,

وَأَعوَرَ مِن نَبهانَ أَمّا نَهارُهُ

وَأَعوَرَ مِن نَبهانَ أَمّا نَهارُهُ

فَأَعمى وَأَمّا لَيلُهُ فَبَصيرُ

فَأَعمى وَأَمّا لَيلُهُ فَبَصيرُ

And a one-eyed man of Nabhan—by day

As for the one-eyed poet of Nabhan, his day

he is blind, but by night he sees.

Is blind, while his night has sight.