لِمن الحُمولُ سلكن فَلْجا

لِمن الحُمولُ سلكن فَلْجا

يَطلُعنه فجّاً ففجّا

يَطلُعنه فجّاً ففجّا

Whose are the laden camels that traveled through Falj,

For whom are the burdens traveling to Falja

ascending it pass after pass?

Emerging ruggedly, joltingly rugged

يخبطنَ بالأيدي الطري

يخبطنَ بالأيدي الطري

قَ فما يكدن يجدن نَهجا

قَ فما يكدن يجدن نَهجا

They beat the road with their forefeet,

Bumping into the soft sands with their hands

yet can scarcely find a path.

Yet scarcely finding a path

سودٌ بما صبغ الهج

سودٌ بما صبغ الهج

يرُ جلودَهن الحمرَ وَهجْا

يرُ جلودَهن الحمرَ وَهجْا

Black from what the midday heat has dyed,

Blackened by the brand of estrangement

scorching their red hides with its blaze.

Its reddish complexion inflamed their skin

من كلّ حاملةِ الهلا

من كلّ حاملةِ الهلا

لِ بنىَ عليها البينُ بُرجا

لِ بنىَ عليها البينُ بُرجا

Each bearing a crescent moon,

Each bearer of this estrangement

on her, separation has built a tower—

Upon which separation built its watchtowers

بيتاً يسير وفيه قلب

بيتاً يسير وفيه قلب

ك فهو جسمك خِيل حِدْجا

ك فهو جسمك خِيل حِدْجا

a traveling house, with your heart inside:

A small home, yet inside it lies a heart

it is your body, imagined as a howdah.

Like your body, fortified with armor

لك من وراء سجوفه

لك من وراء سجوفه

ما أوسعَتْها الريحُ فَرْجا

ما أوسعَتْها الريحُ فَرْجا

For you, beyond its curtains,

For you, behind its barred gates

whenever the wind widens their gaps,

Where the wind widened its crevices

رمحٌ ونصلٌ لا كما

رمحٌ ونصلٌ لا كما

سَمَّوهما هَيَفاً وغُنْجا

سَمَّوهما هَيَفاً وغُنْجا

are a spear and a blade—not, as

A spear and blade, not what

they named them, slenderness and coquetry.

They called distraction and folly

كالبَيْضِ لم تُلحِ السما

كالبَيْضِ لم تُلحِ السما

ئمُ كِنَّهنَّ فُلحنَ بُلْجا

ئمُ كِنَّهنَّ فُلحنَ بُلْجا

Like eggs, the scorching winds had not stripped

Like eggs not incubated by fate

their shelter away; they appeared bright and fair.

As if they are bursting bubbles

لما أيِسنَ من الظلا

لما أيِسنَ من الظلا

م رَفعنَ لي فنظرنَ سُرْجا

م رَفعنَ لي فنظرنَ سُرْجا

When they despaired of darkness,

When they despaired of the darkness

they came into view for me and appeared as lamps.

They raised to me, looking hopefully

وعلى الطليعة فاردٌ

وعلى الطليعة فاردٌ

كالرئم خالفَ فرام مَلْجا

كالرئم خالفَ فرام مَلْجا

And at the forefront, a solitary one,

And at the vanguard, a lone horseman

like a white antelope, strayed aside and sought refuge.

Like a wild ass, contrary and intractable

خالستُ بُبلتَه الوشا

خالستُ بُبلتَه الوشا

ةَ كما ادغمت الحرفَ دَمْجا

ةَ كما ادغمت الحرفَ دَمْجا

I stole his lips’ moisture from the tale-bearers,

I met his camel litter stealthily

as I merge a letter into another, fusing them.

As letters merge in script

ففتحتُ عن غُرٍّ تم

ففتحتُ عن غُرٍّ تم

جُّ المسكَ والصهباءَ مجّا

جُّ المسكَ والصهباءَ مجّا

Then I uncovered gleaming teeth, pouring forth

I opened up helplessly, perfuming

musk and tawny wine in streams.

Musk and ambergris copiously

لو لم تكن مخلوقةً

لو لم تكن مخلوقةً

للرشفِ لم يُخلقن فُلْجا

للرشفِ لم يُخلقن فُلْجا

Had they not been created

Had you not been created

for sipping, they would not have been made spaced apart.

For nobility, crevices would not be created

ومؤاخذٍ أن حرت يو

ومؤاخذٍ أن حرت يو

م وداعهِ والبينُ يَفْجا

م وداعهِ والبينُ يَفْجا

And one reproaches me for bewilderment on the day

And I apologize for leaving one day

of his farewell, when separation strikes suddenly.

While separation wounds

لو كان خاصمني بعي

لو كان خاصمني بعي

شي وحده كان الأحجّا

شي وحده كان الأحجّا

Had he disputed with me over my life

If my companion blamed me alone

alone, that would have been wiser.

That would be more bearable

وبسيطةٍ دون العلا

وبسيطةٍ دون العلا

ءِ نفضتها نشراً ودَرْجَا

ءِ نفضتها نشراً ودَرْجَا

And many a broad plain on the way to glory

With a simpleton, lacking ascent

I scoured, unfolding and folding it away.

I scattered her casually, step by step

كلَّفتُ حاجاتي بها

كلَّفتُ حاجاتي بها

مَرِحاً يرى التغرير أحجى

مَرِحاً يرى التغرير أحجى

There I entrusted my needs

I tasked her with my needs

to a spirited mount that thought risk-taking wiser.

Frolicking, watching deception more clever

وأخٍ صفوتُ كما صفا

وأخٍ صفوتُ كما صفا

ومزجتُ لَمّا شاء مزجا

ومزجتُ لَمّا شاء مزجا

And a brother: I was sincere as he was sincere,

I chose a brother carefully

and mingled with him when he wished to mingle.

And blended when he desired blending

رمتُ التمام لودّه

رمتُ التمام لودّه

واراد إجهاضاً وخَدْجا

واراد إجهاضاً وخَدْجا

I sought to bring his love to full term;

I discarded perfection, loving him

he wanted it aborted and born before its time.

And he intended miscarriage and fraud

أمِعي هزيلاً ثم أن

أمِعي هزيلاً ثم أن

ت عليَّ إن أُعطيتَ نَفْجا

ت عليَّ إن أُعطيتَ نَفْجا

Are you with me when you are lean, then

So listen submissively, then you are

against me when plenty puffs you up?

Harsh with me, if given a sigh

ومفارِقٍ لي كابن عيسى

ومفارِقٍ لي كابن عيسى

غَمَّ أيّامي وأدجَى

غَمَّ أيّامي وأدجَى

And one who parted from me, like Ibn ʿĪsā,

A companion leaving me, like Jesus's son

clouded my days and darkened them.

Saddened my days and overwhelmed me

راودتُ قلبي عن نوا

راودتُ قلبي عن نوا

ه فكلّما لاطفتُ لَجّا

ه فكلّما لاطفتُ لَجّا

I coaxed my heart away from his absence;

I discouraged my heart from passion

yet whenever I soothed it, it grew obstinate.

But the more gently I persuaded, the more impassioned it became

وحَملتُها كالداء أَش

وحَملتُها كالداء أَش

رُجُ فوقه الأضلاعَ شَرْجا

رُجُ فوقه الأضلاعَ شَرْجا

I bore that absence like a disease, lacing

I carried it like an incurable disease

my ribs tightly shut over it,

Burrowing my ribs forcefully

متنظّراً هذا الإيا

متنظّراً هذا الإيا

بَ لعُرّها كيّاً ونُضْجا

بَ لعُرّها كيّاً ونُضْجا

awaiting this return

Awaiting this union

to cauterize and ripen its sores.

To mature it slowly and completely

فإن انتصرتُ بقربه

فإن انتصرتُ بقربه

فلقد صبَرتُ وكنتُ مُلجا

فلقد صبَرتُ وكنتُ مُلجا

If I have triumphed through his nearness,

If I gain nearness to him

I have indeed endured, though hard-pressed.

I have been patient and a shelter

أو عُدنَ أيّامي الحسا

أو عُدنَ أيّامي الحسا

نُ به فقد أسلفن سُمْجا

نُ به فقد أسلفن سُمْجا

Or if my lovely days returned

Or my lovely days return with him

through him, they had first brought ugly ones.

For we advanced on credit

يابن الوزارة أَثبتتْ

يابن الوزارة أَثبتتْ

في بيتهِ وتِداً أشجَّا

في بيتهِ وتِداً أشجَّا

O son of the vizierate, it has driven

Son of the ministry, you fixed

a split-headed stake into his house.

In his house a rooted pillar

أَبلَى وأخلقَ قومُهُ

أَبلَى وأخلقَ قومُهُ

أثوابَها فُورِثنّ نُهْجا

أثوابَها فُورِثنّ نُهْجا

His kinsmen wore out and frayed

His people wore out

its robes, which were inherited threadbare.

Its garments, so we inherited a path

يتنقلون على مرا

يتنقلون على مرا

كبها فما يضغون سَرْجا

كبها فما يضغون سَرْجا

They ride from place to place upon its mounts

They travel on its

without ever tilting a saddle.

Camels, not feeling a saddle

ومشت أمورٌ بعدهم

ومشت أمورٌ بعدهم

بمعاشرٍ فمشينَ عُرجا

بمعاشرٍ فمشينَ عُرجا

After them, affairs proceeded

After them, things proceeded

with other men, and limped along.

With a party, so we walked lamely

من آل ماسرجيس مح

من آل ماسرجيس مح

سودُ العلا يُخشَى ويُرجَى

سودُ العلا يُخشَى ويُرجَى

From the house of Māsarjīs, envied

From the family of Masarjis, the honored blacks

for his eminence, feared and hoped in,

Feared and hoped for

متقيِّلٌ في المجد سُنَّ

متقيِّلٌ في المجد سُنَّ

ةَ مغرمين به أَلَجّا

ةَ مغرمين به أَلَجّا

he follows, in glory, the path

Continuously glorified

of those enamored of it, with greater persistence—

Zealously clinging to it

جارِين سدَّ الجوَّ شَو

جارِين سدَّ الجوَّ شَو

طُهُمُ وشقَّ الأرض رَجَّا

طُهُمُ وشقَّ الأرض رَجَّا

racers whose course filled the sky

Blocking the atmosphere with their domes

and split the earth with its shaking.

And cleaving the earth forcefully

فصلُ الخطابةِ ناطقٌ

فصلُ الخطابةِ ناطقٌ

ما قال إلا كان فَلْجا

ما قال إلا كان فَلْجا

A speaker of decisive eloquence,

The master of rhetoric, an eloquent speaker

whose every utterance wins,

Each word he utters rents

مستردفاً يدَه وأخ

مستردفاً يدَه وأخ

رسَ عجَّ في القرطاس عجَّا

رسَ عجَّ في القرطاس عجَّا

calling to his aid his hand and a mute pen

With palms outstretched and fingers grasping the paper tightly

that clamors aloud upon the paper.

His chest like a spear thrusted forth

كالرمح أُرهِفَ صدرُهُ

كالرمح أُرهِفَ صدرُهُ

وكعوبُهُ نَصْلاً وزُجّا

وكعوبُهُ نَصْلاً وزُجّا

Like a spear, sharpened at its head

And his heels blades and armor

and its joints, into blade and butt-spike:

This one pours what he writes, blood

هذا يمجُّ بما يَخُ

هذا يمجُّ بما يَخُ

طُّ دَمَاً وذاك يَخُدُّ دَرْجا

طُّ دَمَاً وذاك يَخُدُّ دَرْجا

this one, with the strokes it traces, spits

The other repels forcefully

blood; that one furrows a scroll.

Benevolence possessed his hands pouring

مَلَكَ السماحُ يديه يَم

مَلَكَ السماحُ يديه يَم

رُجُ فيهما العافين مَرْجا

رُجُ فيهما العافين مَرْجا

Generosity has possessed his hands, letting

Upon the weak abundant grace

suppliants roam freely within them.

Tempted by the weights of favors, he saw them not as debt and burden

مغرىً بأثقال النوا

مغرىً بأثقال النوا

ل يخالها دَيْناً وخَرْجا

ل يخالها دَيْناً وخَرْجا

Enamored of the burdens of bounty,

Your affection made lawful to me

he regards them as a debt and tribute.

Graying its temples with branches of arar

سوّغتني ودَّاً غبر

سوّغتني ودَّاً غبر

تُ بَرنْقهِ غَصَّانَ أَشجَى

تُ بَرنْقهِ غَصَّانَ أَشجَى

You made love easy for me to swallow; I had remained

It captivated me with qualities

choking on its murk, my throat obstructed.

Eyes that are like you captivated me

وسحرتني بخلائقٍ

وسحرتني بخلائقٍ

كنَّ العيون فكنّ دُعجْا

كنَّ العيون فكنّ دُعجْا

And you enchanted me with qualities

So visiting you, they came early

that were eyes—dark, wide eyes.

Neither wastefully nor stingily

فالتطرقنّك ما بكر

فالتطرقنّك ما بكر

ن غوادياً وسرين دُلجْا

ن غوادياً وسرين دُلجْا

So they shall surely visit you whenever they set out

A flower like the fixed stars

at dawn and travel through the night:

Curly-haired girls shuffle gracefully

زُهرٌ كثابتة النجو

زُهرٌ كثابتة النجو

م سوائرٌ يَهدِجن هَدْجا

م سوائرٌ يَهدِجن هَدْجا

radiant as the fixed stars,

Distinguished by you, for you are

yet traveling, advancing with a swaying gait.

The goal they seek

موسومةٌ بك أنك ال

موسومةٌ بك أنك ال

مقصود فيهنّ المُرجَّى

مقصود فيهنّ المُرجَّى

Branded with you, for you are

When the excluded ones recited poetry

their intended one, their hope.

They presented it scattered and composed

ما أُنشدتْ خِلتَ البرو

ما أُنشدتْ خِلتَ البرو

دَ عُرِضن تَفويفاً ونَسجا

دَ عُرِضن تَفويفاً ونَسجا

Whenever they are recited, you would think striped cloaks

And none other heard it, so their hearing

were displayed, patterned and woven.

Was saddened from where it was impassioned

وسواك يسمعها فيح

وسواك يسمعها فيح

زن سمعُهُ من حيث يُشجَى

زن سمعُهُ من حيث يُشجَى

Another hears them, and his hearing

Doubting it with praise

is saddened where it should be charmed.

As if dispraising with praise

يرتاب منها بالثنا

يرتاب منها بالثنا

ء كأنه بالمدحَ يُهجَى

ء كأنه بالمدحَ يُهجَى

He distrusts their praise,

Deceiving him, so harm struck

as though he were satirized by praise.

The sincere, while truth delivered

خادعتهُ فأضرَّ بي

خادعتهُ فأضرَّ بي

غِشى وكان الصدقُ أنجَى

غِشى وكان الصدقُ أنجَى

I deceived him, and was harmed

So repeat it, unless a caravan travelled

by my deceit; truthfulness would have been safer.

Or you saw the house sheltered

فتملَّها ما راح سر

فتملَّها ما راح سر

حٌ أو رأيتَ البيتَ حُجَّا

حٌ أو رأيتَ البيتَ حُجَّا

So savor them as long as a herd returns at dusk

or you see the House visited by pilgrims.