هَلْ لي من الحَدَقِ الفواتر مُنْصفُ

هَلْ لي من الحَدَقِ الفواتر مُنْصفُ

فاللحظ أفتكُ ما يكون وأضعفُ

فاللحظ أفتكُ ما يكون وأضعفُ

Is there one to do me justice against the languid eyes?

Do I have impartial judges from the glances that pass,

For the glance is at once most deadly and most feeble.

For the glance is most deadly in what it does and weakens.

هَلْ من يجير مِن الخدودِ ووردها

هَلْ من يجير مِن الخدودِ ووردها

عن وِرْدِها المهجُ النفائس تتلف

عن وِرْدِها المهجُ النفائس تتلف

Is there anyone to shield me from the cheeks and their roses?

Is there one who can protect me from the cheeks and their roses,

For a draught from them, precious souls perish.

When their visitation destroys the most precious souls?

هل مَا نعي حَمْلُ السلاح وقد أرى

هل مَا نعي حَمْلُ السلاح وقد أرى

مقل الملاحِ على المحاجر تزحف

مقل الملاحِ على المحاجر تزحف

Will bearing arms protect me [reading uncertain], when I see

Do I complain of bearing arms when I see

The beauties' eyes advancing across their sockets?

The eyelashes crawling on the eyelids?

أمْ هَلْ رأيتَ مُعَممّاً ومُدّرعاً

أمْ هَلْ رأيتَ مُعَممّاً ومُدّرعاً

لا يستبيه مُدَمْلجٌ ومُشنّف

لا يستبيه مُدَمْلجٌ ومُشنّف

Or have you seen a turbaned, armored man

Or have you seen a turbaned and armored one

Not taken captive by one adorned with armlets and earrings?

Not awed by a frowning and scowling one?

فالرمح أقصر أنْ يَطُول إذا رأى

فالرمح أقصر أنْ يَطُول إذا رأى

رُمْحاً برمّان النُّهود يثقّفُ

رُمْحاً برمّان النُّهود يثقّفُ

For a spear is too short to stand tall when it sees

The spear is too short to be long when it sees

A spear straightened by the pomegranates of breasts.

A spear whose point the breasts make blunt.

يا رايحين إلى العقيق ومُقلتي

يا رايحين إلى العقيق ومُقلتي

تُدّمى إذا ذُكر العقيقُ وتذرِفُ

تُدّمى إذا ذُكر العقيقُ وتذرِفُ

O you departing for al-ʿAqīq, while my eye

O winds blowing to al-‘Aqiq and my beloved,

Bleeds and sheds tears when al-ʿAqīq is mentioned:

Who bleeds when al-‘Aqiq is mentioned and melts,

أنْ حزتم الرَّمْلَ الذي يمحجر

أنْ حزتم الرَّمْلَ الذي يمحجر

والبان في كثبانِه يتعطّف

والبان في كثبانِه يتعطّف

If you reach the sands at Maḥjar [reading uncertain],

That you stirred up the sands that form waves

Where the bān trees sway among its dunes,

And the perfume wafting over the meadows is known,

ونشقت من برد أنفاس الصَّبَا

ونشقت من برد أنفاس الصَّبَا

عَرْفاً يَنِمّ على الرياض فيُعْرَف

عَرْفاً يَنِمّ على الرياض فيُعْرَف

And inhale, from the cool breaths of the east wind,

Then stop your camels, for the does love

A fragrance that reveals the gardens and is recognized,

And yearning seizes them like one of their riders,

فاستوقفوا قدر السلام مطيكم

فاستوقفوا قدر السلام مطيكم

فالعيسُ تعشق كالحُداة وتألف

فالعيسُ تعشق كالحُداة وتألف

Then halt your mounts for the length of a greeting:

While longing makes them languish forever.

For pale camels fall in love like their drivers, and grow attached.

Greet the dweller of al-Ghadha from me in the gentlest manner,

والشوقُ يأخُذُها كإحدى ركبها

والشوقُ يأخُذُها كإحدى ركبها

أبدا ويُدنفُها الحنينُ فتدنفُ

أبدا ويُدنفُها الحنينُ فتدنفُ

Longing seizes them as it does one of their riders

And tell her that since we parted I have been

Always; yearning sickens them, and they grow ill.

A pouring drinker of long draughts.

فإذا قضَيتم حق ساكنةِ الغضَا

فإذا قضَيتم حق ساكنةِ الغضَا

عنّي ما يَقضي الحفيُّ الأَلطف

عنّي ما يَقضي الحفيُّ الأَلطف

Then, when you have paid the woman dwelling among the ghaḍā trees her due,

And intercede for me with Zaynab bint Malik,

On my behalf, as the gentlest, most solicitous friend would,

For children are born and nursing needs intercession.

فأحُكوا لها خبري وقُولُوا إنّه

فأحُكوا لها خبري وقُولُوا إنّه

مُذْ غبْتِ صبٌّ بالطلول مُكَلّفُ

مُذْ غبْتِ صبٌّ بالطلول مُكَلّفُ

Tell her my news and say: “He

Of everything past that I left behind

Has been, since you left, a lover enthralled by the ruined camps.”

Only Khallaf remains, and nothing remains in al-Hajibiyya.

واستعطفُوا لي زينبَ ابنةِ مالكٍ

واستعطفُوا لي زينبَ ابنةِ مالكٍ

فولود يَحْدثُ والرعاية تعطف

فولود يَحْدثُ والرعاية تعطف

And entreat Zaynab, daughter of Mālik, to show me compassion,

The girls of Sir thought my resolutions failed

For affection arises [reading uncertain], and care awakens tenderness.

And the sea of my inspirations cannot be contained,

منِ كل شيءٍ فائتٍ فارقتُه

منِ كل شيءٍ فائتٍ فارقتُه

خَلَفٌ وما بالحاجبيّة مَخْلَفُ

خَلَفٌ وما بالحاجبيّة مَخْلَفُ

For every lost thing I have parted from

We will drive the does to Muhammad

There is a substitute, but none for al-Ḥājibiyya.

Fearfully from the terrain from which none deviate.

زَعَمتْ بناتُ السّير أنّ عزائمي

زَعَمتْ بناتُ السّير أنّ عزائمي

كَلّتْ وَبحر قرَائحي لا يُطرفُ

كَلّتْ وَبحر قرَائحي لا يُطرفُ

The daughters of travel claim that my resolves

Our goal with them is al-Suhayli where

Have dulled, though the sea of my poetic gifts is boundless.

The passage of fate goes round and round.

لأَجشمنّ العِيس نحو محمدٍ

لأَجشمنّ العِيس نحو محمدٍ

هولاً من البَيْداءَ لا يُتَعسَّفُ

هولاً من البَيْداءَ لا يُتَعسَّفُ

I shall surely make the pale camels, bound for Muḥammad, endure

So when they arrive at his meadows and grass,

A terror of the wilderness that none ventures to traverse.

And settle where the gentlest spring is,

ولا قْصُدنْ بها السُّهيلىَّ الذي

ولا قْصُدنْ بها السُّهيلىَّ الذي

عن أمِره صَرْفُ الزمان يُصرف

عن أمِره صَرْفُ الزمان يُصرف

And I shall surely seek al-Suhaylī with them, who

I will attain what I love and reach whom

Has the vicissitudes of time turned aside at his command.

I hope for and dread what I fear.

فإذا وردن حِياضَه ورياضَه

فإذا وردن حِياضَه ورياضَه

وتربعت حيثُ الربيعُ الأوطفُ

وتربعت حيثُ الربيعُ الأوطفُ

Then, when they reach his pools and gardens,

And kiss the most generous palm,

And graze where spring is luxuriant,

From which gifts pour like rainclouds.

قابلت ما أهوى وأدركت الذي

قابلت ما أهوى وأدركت الذي

أنا أرتجي وأمنْت مَا أتخوَّف

أنا أرتجي وأمنْت مَا أتخوَّف

I shall find what I desire and attain what

The son of leadership, his branch from its

I hope for, and be safe from what I fear,

Lofty branch, his honorable and most noble office,

ولثمت أكرمَ راحةٍ زَنيّةٍ

ولثمت أكرمَ راحةٍ زَنيّةٍ

منها المواهب كالسحائب وُكّفُ

منها المواهب كالسحائب وُكّفُ

And kiss the noblest palm [epithet unclear],

Is given and he thrusts on the day he carries his sword,

From which gifts pour like rainclouds.

And his hospitality, excelling in every deed.

ابن الرياسة فرعه مِنْ فرعها

ابن الرياسة فرعه مِنْ فرعها

العالي ومَنْصِبُهُ الزكي الأشرفُ

العالي ومَنْصِبُهُ الزكي الأشرفُ

A son of leadership, his branch springs from its

When he raids, he is at-Tufayl and Aamir,

Lofty branch, and his station is pure and most noble.

And when he shows affection, he is al-Aziz and Joseph.

يُعْطى وَيَطعنُ يومَ يحمل سيفه

يُعْطى وَيَطعنُ يومَ يحمل سيفه

وضيوفِه وبكل فعلٍ مؤنفُ

وضيوفِه وبكل فعلٍ مؤنفُ

He gives [reading uncertain] and thrusts when he bears his sword

And his guests' burdens, foremost in every deed [sense uncertain].

وإذا غزا فمَن الطُفيل وعامرٌ

وإذا غزا فمَن الطُفيل وعامرٌ

وإذا أحتبى فمن العزيز ويُوسفُ

وإذا أحتبى فمن العزيز ويُوسفُ

And when he goes to war, who are al-Ṭufayl and ʿĀmir?

And when he sits with knees clasped, who are al-ʿAzīz and Yūsuf?