صَحا قَلبُهُ يا عَزَّ أَو كادَ يَذهَلُ

صَحا قَلبُهُ يا عَزَّ أَو كادَ يَذهَلُ

وَأَضحى يُريدُ الصَرمَ أَو يَتَبَدَّلُ

وَأَضحى يُريدُ الصَرمَ أَو يَتَبَدَّلُ

His heart has sobered, O ʿAzz—or has almost forgotten;

His heart was almost rent asunder, O nobility, or became confused,

and now it seeks to sever ties or take another love.

And he came to desire death or a change of circumstance.

أَيادي سَبا يا عَزُّ ما كُنتُ بَعدَكُم

أَيادي سَبا يا عَزُّ ما كُنتُ بَعدَكُم

فَلَم يَحلَ لِلعَينَينِ بَعدَكِ مَنزِلُ

فَلَم يَحلَ لِلعَينَينِ بَعدَكِ مَنزِلُ

Scattered like Saba's bands, O ʿAzz, have I been since our parting;

O hands of Saba, O nobles, after you I have not been

so no dwelling has seemed sweet to my eyes since parting from you.

My eyes thus have no resting place after you.

وَخَبَّرَها الواشونَ أَنّي صَرَمتُها

وَخَبَّرَها الواشونَ أَنّي صَرَمتُها

وَحَمَّلَها غَيظَاً عَلَيَّ المُحَمِّلُ

وَحَمَّلَها غَيظَاً عَلَيَّ المُحَمِّلُ

The tale-bearers told her that I had forsaken her,

And the slanderers told her I had rejected her,

and the instigator burdened her with anger against me.

And charged upon me rage - the vile informer.

وَإِنّي لَمُنقادٌ لَها اليَومَ بِالرِضى

وَإِنّي لَمُنقادٌ لَها اليَومَ بِالرِضى

وَمُعتَذِرٌ مِن سُخطِها مُتَنَصِّلُ

وَمُعتَذِرٌ مِن سُخطِها مُتَنَصِّلُ

And I am indeed submissive to her today, willingly,

Yet today I yield to her in pleasure,

and I seek pardon for her displeasure, disclaiming blame.

And apologize for her anger, withdrawing.

أَهيمُ بِأَكنافِ المُجَمَّرِ مِن مِنىً

أَهيمُ بِأَكنافِ المُجَمَّرِ مِن مِنىً

إِلى أُمِّ عَمرٍو إِنَّني لَمُوَكَّلُ

إِلى أُمِّ عَمرٍو إِنَّني لَمُوَكَّلُ

I wander lovesick around al-Mujammar in Mina,

I roam the precincts of al-Mujammir, from Mina,

toward Umm ʿAmr; to her I am surely bound.

To Umm 'Amr - I am indeed appointed.

إِذا ذَكَرتها النَفسُ ظَلَّت كَأَنَّها

إِذا ذَكَرتها النَفسُ ظَلَّت كَأَنَّها

عَلَيها مِنَ الوَردِ التَهامِيِّ أَفكَلُ

عَلَيها مِنَ الوَردِ التَهامِيِّ أَفكَلُ

When my soul remembers her, it remains as though

Whenever the soul recalls her, it remains as though

a shivering fit from Tihama's fever lay upon it.

Upon it from the perfumed rose are mouthfuls.

وَفاضَت دُموعُ العَينِ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

وَفاضَت دُموعُ العَينِ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

بِوادي القرى مِن يابِس الثَغرِ تُكحَلُ

بِوادي القرى مِن يابِس الثَغرِ تُكحَلُ

And tears overflow from my eye, until it is as though

And the tears of the eye flow until it is as if

it were kohled in Wadi al-Qura with dried thaghr.

In the valley of Qura from dryness it is reddened.

إِذا قُلتُ أَسلو غارَتِ العَينُ بِالبُكا

إِذا قُلتُ أَسلو غارَتِ العَينُ بِالبُكا

غَراءً وَمَدَّتها مَدامِعُ حُفَّلُ

غَراءً وَمَدَّتها مَدامِعُ حُفَّلُ

Whenever I say, ‘I shall forget,’ my eye sinks into weeping,

When I say, "Greet the cave of the eye," it weeps

unceasingly, and brimming tear ducts replenish it.

Copiously, and its tears pour forth abundantly.

إِذا ما أَرادَت خُلَّةٌ أَن تُزيلَنا

إِذا ما أَرادَت خُلَّةٌ أَن تُزيلَنا

أَبَينا وَقُلنا الحاجِبِيَّةُ أَوَّلُ

أَبَينا وَقُلنا الحاجِبِيَّةُ أَوَّلُ

Whenever a beloved wishes to draw us away,

Whenever a party desires to separate us,

we refuse and say, ‘Al-Hajibiyya comes first.’

We refuse and say: "The veiled ones are first."

سَنوليك عُرفاً إِن أَرَدتِ وِصالَنا

سَنوليك عُرفاً إِن أَرَدتِ وِصالَنا

وَنَحنُ لِتِلكَ الحاجِبِيَّةِ أَوصَلُ

وَنَحنُ لِتِلكَ الحاجِبِيَّةِ أَوصَلُ

We shall show you kindness if you desire union with us,

We will grant you familiarity, if you want our union,

yet we are more devoted to that al-Hajibiyya.

While we - those veiled ones are more linked.

لَها مَهَلٌ لا يُسطاعُ دِراكُهُ

لَها مَهَلٌ لا يُسطاعُ دِراكُهُ

وَسابِقَةٌ في الحُبِّ ما تَتَحَوَّلُ

وَسابِقَةٌ في الحُبِّ ما تَتَحَوَّلُ

She has a lead that cannot be overtaken,

She has scope - not to be overtaken -

and precedence in love that never changes.

And precedence in love - she does not change.

تَرامى بِنا مِنها بِحَزنِ شَراوَةٍ

تَرامى بِنا مِنها بِحَزنِ شَراوَةٍ

مُفَوِّزَةً أَيدٍ إِلَيك وَأَرجُلُ

مُفَوِّزَةً أَيدٍ إِلَيك وَأَرجُلُ

From her, through Sharawa's rugged ground, we are flung onward

She hurls toward us in her roughness of sadness,

by forelegs and hindlegs crossing the wastes toward you.

Waving hands to you, while I am the legs.

كَأَنَّ وِفارَ القَومِ تَحتَ رِحالِها

كَأَنَّ وِفارَ القَومِ تَحتَ رِحالِها

إِذا حُسِرَت عَنها العَمائِمُ عُنصُلُ

إِذا حُسِرَت عَنها العَمائِمُ عُنصُلُ

It is as though the men's thick locks beneath their saddles,

As if the calves of the people beneath her mount

when the turbans are drawn off them, were squill.

When her face-veils are uncovered, are onsals.

يَزُرنَ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ وَعِندَهُ

يَزُرنَ أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ وَعِندَهُ

لِذي المَدحِ شُكرٌ وَالصَنيعَة مَحمِلُ

لِذي المَدحِ شُكرٌ وَالصَنيعَة مَحمِلُ

They visit the Commander of the Faithful, and with him

They visit the Commander of the Faithful, and with him

are thanks for the praise-giver and a place for kindness.

For the one who praises are gratitude and reward.

لَهُ شيمَتانِ مِنهُما أَنسِيُّةٌ

لَهُ شيمَتانِ مِنهُما أَنسِيُّةٌ

وَوَحشِيَّةٌ إِغراقُها النَهىَ مُعجَلُ

وَوَحشِيَّةٌ إِغراقُها النَهىَ مُعجَلُ

He has two natures: one of them is tame,

He has two traits, from which are friendliness

and one wild, swift in drowning reason.

And gravity - plunging into prohibition hastily.

فَراعِهِما مِنهُ فإِنَّهُما لَهُ

فَراعِهِما مِنهُ فإِنَّهُما لَهُ

وَإِنَّهُما مِنهُ نَجاةٌ وَمَحفِلُ

وَإِنَّهُما مِنهُ نَجاةٌ وَمَحفِلُ

So heed them both in him, for both are his,

Guard against them, for they belong to him,

and from him they bring escape and a place of assembly.

And through them are safety and an assembly.

وَأَنتَ المُعَلّى يَومَ لُفَّت قِداحُهُم

وَأَنتَ المُعَلّى يَومَ لُفَّت قِداحُهُم

وَجالَ المَنيحُ وَسطَها يَتَقَلقَلُ

وَجالَ المَنيحُ وَسطَها يَتَقَلقَلُ

And you were al-Muʿalla when their lot-arrows were bundled,

You are the lofty one the day their lances clashed

and al-Manih moved among them, rattling.

And the death-rattle moaned among them, writhing.

وَمِثلُكَ مِن طُلّابِها خَلصَت لَهُ

وَمِثلُكَ مِن طُلّابِها خَلصَت لَهُ

وَقارُكَ مَرضِيٌّ وَرَبعُكَ جَحفَلُ

وَقارُكَ مَرضِيٌّ وَرَبعُكَ جَحفَلُ

And to one like you among its seekers it fell unshared;

The like of you, whom they have devotedly served,

your dignity is esteemed, and your camp a mighty host.

Your dignity is agreeable, your quarters wide.

نَهَيتَ الأَلى راموا الخِلافَةَ مِنهُمُ

نَهَيتَ الأَلى راموا الخِلافَةَ مِنهُمُ

بِضَربِ الطُلى وَالطَعنِ حَتّى تَنَكَّلوا

بِضَربِ الطُلى وَالطَعنِ حَتّى تَنَكَّلوا

You checked those among them who sought the caliphate,

You prevented the dregs when they coveted the caliphate from them

with blows to their necks and spear-thrusts, until they recoiled.

With striking the patches and stabbing until they retreated.

وَأَنكَرتَ أَن مارَوكَ في مُستَنيرَةٍ

وَأَنكَرتَ أَن مارَوكَ في مُستَنيرَةٍ

لَكُم حَقُّها وَالحَقُّ لا يَتَبَدَّلُ

لَكُم حَقُّها وَالحَقُّ لا يَتَبَدَّلُ

And you rejected their disputing with you over a manifest claim,

And you denied that which they spun for you in Mustaneerah

whose right belongs to you, and right does not change.

Was their right - and right does not change.

أَبوكُم تَلافى يَومَ نَقعاءَ راهِطٍ

أَبوكُم تَلافى يَومَ نَقعاءَ راهِطٍ

بَني عَبدِ شَمسٍ وَهيَ تُنفى وَتُقتَلُ

بَني عَبدِ شَمسٍ وَهيَ تُنفى وَتُقتَلُ

Your father rescued, on the day of Naqʿaʾ Rahit,

Your father took vengeance the day of Naq'a on a group -

Banu ʿAbd Shams, as they were driven out and killed.

The clan of 'Abd Shams - while they are driven away and slain.

إِذا الناسُ ساموكُم مِنَ الأَمرِ خُطَّةً

إِذا الناسُ ساموكُم مِنَ الأَمرِ خُطَّةً

لَها خَمطَةٌ فيها السَمامُ المُثَمَّلُ

لَها خَمطَةٌ فيها السَمامُ المُثَمَّلُ

Whenever people press upon you a course of action

When people devise for you from command a plan

with a bitter tang, with steeped poison in it,

Which for it the scheming, therein is death.

أَبى اللَهُ لِلشُمِّ الأُنوفِ كَأَنَّهُم

أَبى اللَهُ لِلشُمِّ الأُنوفِ كَأَنَّهُم

صَوارِمُ يَجلوها بِمُؤتَةَ صَيقَلُ

صَوارِمُ يَجلوها بِمُؤتَةَ صَيقَلُ

God refuses it for men of lofty noses, as though they were

God has refused that to the vile-nosed ones, as if they are

keen swords burnished at Muʾta by a sword-polisher.

Indian swords you unsheathe with Mu'tah's polish.