بي منك يا ذات الدمالج مَا كفَىَ

بي منك يا ذات الدمالج مَا كفَىَ

منك السَّقامُ لمهجتي وبك الشفا

منك السَّقامُ لمهجتي وبك الشفا

I have suffered enough from you, O wearer of armlets.

I have found enough suffering from you, O Possessor of beauty,

From you comes sickness to my heart, and through you the cure.

From you comes the illness of my heart, and in you lies the cure,

ورأيتُ وَدّك لا يدومُ لعاشقٍ

ورأيتُ وَدّك لا يدومُ لعاشقٍ

ورأيتُ قومَك لا يفونَ لمنْ وفى

ورأيتُ قومَك لا يفونَ لمنْ وفى

And I have seen your love does not last for a lover,

And I saw your love does not last for a lover,

And I have seen your people do not keep faith with one who keeps faith.

And I saw your people do not keep faith with those faithful.

جَعَلوا الجيادَ على خِبَاك سُرادقا

جَعَلوا الجيادَ على خِبَاك سُرادقا

والسمهرية والحديدَ المرهفا

والسمهرية والحديدَ المرهفا

They made fine steeds a pavilion around your tent,

They made the horses over your traces a canopy,

And straight lances and keen-edged iron.

As though the horses were ostriches and the iron shod with sharpness,

مالي وَمَالَك لا تزالَ مدامعي

مالي وَمَالَك لا تزالَ مدامعي

سُحْباً على أطلالِ رَبْعِك وُكَّفَا

سُحْباً على أطلالِ رَبْعِك وُكَّفَا

What have I to do with you? My tears are forever

Why should I and why should you - my tears are still

Rain clouds pouring over the ruins of your dwelling.

Clouds over the ruins of your abode, and will not cease,

الظبي جيدُك أجيد وبوده

الظبي جيدُك أجيد وبوده

لو كان مثلُك بالشنوفِ مُشنّفَا

لو كان مثلُك بالشنوفِ مُشنّفَا

Your neck is lovelier than the gazelle's, and it wishes

The doe of your neck is more delicate, and her love

It were like you, adorned with earrings.

As though she were adorned with colocynths hung in clusters,

عَلْمتَ غصنَ البان إذ جاورته

عَلْمتَ غصنَ البان إذ جاورته

هَيفَ الحَشّا والغصنُ ينظر أهيفاَ

هَيفَ الحَشّا والغصنُ ينظر أهيفاَ

You taught the bān branch, when you stood beside it,

You knew the boughs of musk when you dwelt near them,

Slenderness of waist, while the branch beholds a slender figure.

The hot wind and the bough looking gracefully bent.

أنا إن جهلت وإن نكرت معارفي

أنا إن جهلت وإن نكرت معارفي

فسلي النجائب والبناق العسفا

فسلي النجائب والبناق العسفا

As for me, if you do not know me and fail to recognize my traits,

If I am ignorant and deny my friends,

Then ask the noble riding-camels and the desert-roaming banāq.

Then ask the gazelles and the fleeing oryxes.

أنا إنْ قطعتُ بها القفارَ وكم بها

أنا إنْ قطعتُ بها القفارَ وكم بها

كم قد عسفتُ مهامها لن تُعسفا

كم قد عسفتُ مهامها لن تُعسفا

I—if I have crossed the wastes upon them, and how often upon them—

If I crossed the deserts with them, and how often

How many trackless deserts I have traversed that will never be traversed!

I subdued their mad courses they will not be subdued,

وإذا نَبا مورق وأجدب سرددٌ

وإذا نَبا مورق وأجدب سرددٌ

وسِهَامَ زُرْتُ زمانَ خَصْبَ المعتفى

وسِهَامَ زُرْتُ زمانَ خَصْبَ المعتفى

And when Mawriq turns inhospitable and Surdud grows barren,

And when a fleet ostrich passes at morn, and a fleet

And Siham too, I visit the bounty-seeker's season of plenty.

Wild cow, arrows have I aimed at the time of a fertile year,

وبأيمن التربات قصرٌ حجهُ

وبأيمن التربات قصرٌ حجهُ

فرضٌ كمن حج الأباطحَ والصَّفا

فرضٌ كمن حج الأباطحَ والصَّفا

And in the most blessed of places stands a palace: pilgrimage to it

And in the right-hand of the sand hills is a palace

Is a duty, like pilgrimage to al-Abatih and al-Safa.

Its courtyard is as one who has kissed the Black Stone and Safa,

اوصاه يلقي الخيلُ إن هي أقبلت

اوصاه يلقي الخيلُ إن هي أقبلت

شعثاً ويقتحم العجاج الأكلفا

شعثاً ويقتحم العجاج الأكلفا

He charged him to meet the cavalry if they advanced,

I charged him to meet the horses, if they came,

Disheveled, and to plunge into the dark battle-dust.

Disheveled, and plunge among the terrified ostriches,

وإذا أتته الخيلُ صَفَّنَا ذادَها

وإذا أتته الخيلُ صَفَّنَا ذادَها

وإذا أتاه الألف ضَيْفاً ضيّفَا

وإذا أتاه الألف ضَيْفاً ضيّفَا

And when the horses come to him poised, he drives them back;

And when the horses come we repel them,

And when a thousand come to him as guests, he entertains them.

And when the guests come in thousands, receive them,

ولقد يروق مُسَالما ومَسَلِّماً

ولقد يروق مُسَالما ومَسَلِّماً

ولقد يروع مُدّرّعاً ومُجفّفَا

ولقد يروع مُدّرّعاً ومُجفّفَا

And indeed he charms, at peace and offering greetings,

And he may proceed peaceably and submissively,

And indeed he terrifies, clad in armor, with his mount armored too.

And again he may proceed armed and defiant.