كَرِّرْ أحاديثَ الجُفاة ورَدِّدِ

كَرِّرْ أحاديثَ الجُفاة ورَدِّدِ

فلَرَبّما يشفى بها قلبي الصّدي

فلَرَبّما يشفى بها قلبي الصّدي

Repeat the tales of the aloof, and tell them again;

Repeat the words of the harsh ones and chant them,

For perhaps through them my parched heart will be healed.

Perhaps my blocked heart may be cured by them.

غِرْنَا أنجَدْ ركبُهم يوم النَّوى

غِرْنَا أنجَدْ ركبُهم يوم النَّوى

نفْسُ المغيرِ فِداءُ نَفْسِ المُنجد

نفْسُ المغيرِ فِداءُ نَفْسِ المُنجد

We went to the lowlands; their caravan climbed to the uplands on parting day.

We thought their mounted party helped on the day of intention,

The lowland traveler's soul is ransom for the highland traveler's soul.

The soul of the changer is the ransom of the soul of the helper.

مَا بي على تلك الهوادج إذْ سرت

مَا بي على تلك الهوادج إذْ سرت

تَحْوي الجَمَال على الجَمَال الوُخّدِ

تَحْوي الجَمَال على الجَمَال الوُخّدِ

What ails me over those howdahs as they set out,

I have no interest in those white camels when they marched,

Bearing beauty upon swift-striding camels!

Bearing beauty over scattered beauty.

تحوي مآزرها القنا فوق النّقا

تحوي مآزرها القنا فوق النّقا

والحسنُ في المتأوّدِ المتَلبِّدِ

والحسنُ في المتأوّدِ المتَلبِّدِ

Her waist-wraps enclose lances above sand-dunes,

Their howdahs contain the spears above the sheaths,

And beauty lies in the swaying, densely massed form.

And beauty in the adorned and clad.

وتريك وَجَ الصِبح أبيضَ مسفرٍ

وتريك وَجَ الصِبح أبيضَ مسفرٍ

من تحتِ شعْرٍ كالدُّجُنّة أسودِ

من تحتِ شعْرٍ كالدُّجُنّة أسودِ

And she shows you dawn's face, white and radiant,

You see the cheek of dawn white and radiant

From beneath hair as black as night's darkness.

From under hair black like black dye.

رقدتْ وأسهَرُ في الغرامِ ومن يَبِت

رقدتْ وأسهَرُ في الغرامِ ومن يَبِت

حِلْفَ الصَّبابةِ والأسى لم يرقدِ

حِلْفَ الصَّبابةِ والأسى لم يرقدِ

She has fallen asleep while I keep vigil in love; and whoever spends the night

She slept while I stay awake, burning with love. And whoever spends the night

As a sworn companion of yearning and grief knows no sleep.

With the oath of youth and sorrow has not slept.

وأضاعَتِ الودَّ القديم وما رعَت

وأضاعَتِ الودَّ القديم وما رعَت

ذممي ولا عهدي القديم ولا يدي

ذممي ولا عهدي القديم ولا يدي

And she squandered the old affection and did not honor

She lost the old love and did not heed

My covenants, my old pledge, or my helping hand.

My responsibility, nor my old pact, nor my hand.

بالله يا ابنةَ مالكٍ بعْدَ النّوى

بالله يا ابنةَ مالكٍ بعْدَ النّوى

رِقى لمضْطَربِ الحشاشَةِ مُعْمدِ

رِقى لمضْطَربِ الحشاشَةِ مُعْمدِ

By God, O daughter of Malik, after separation,

By God, O daughter of Malik, after intention

Have pity on one whose life-breath trembles, stricken by love.

Solace the disturbed stranger.

كُنّا وأهلُكِ جيرةً برُبَى الغضَا

كُنّا وأهلُكِ جيرةً برُبَى الغضَا

زمنَ الصِّبا والشمل لم يتَبَدّدِ

زمنَ الصِّبا والشمل لم يتَبَدّدِ

We and your kin were neighbors on the hills of al-Ghada,

We and your family were good neighbors in the meadows of Ghadha

In the days of youth, when our company had not yet scattered.

In the days of youth when kinship was not yet severed.

لو كان يُسْعدني الزمَانُ بردّه

لو كان يُسْعدني الزمَانُ بردّه

لكنّ صرفَ الدهرِ ليس بمُسْعِدِ

لكنّ صرفَ الدهرِ ليس بمُسْعِدِ

If only time would favor me by bringing it back!

If time would allow me to regain it by its return

But the turns of time offer no help.

But the turn of fate does not make one fortunate.

أسفي ومَا أسفي يعيد لما مضَى

أسفي ومَا أسفي يعيد لما مضَى

هيهاتَ مَا قد فات غيرَ مَعَوّدِ

هيهاتَ مَا قد فات غيرَ مَعَوّدِ

My grief! Yet my grief does not bring back what has passed.

My regrets do not restore what is past.

Impossible! What has passed cannot be brought back.

Alas! What is gone does not recur.

يا راكباً واللّيلُ مُسْوَدُّ الدُّجا

يا راكباً واللّيلُ مُسْوَدُّ الدُّجا

يطوي المهَامِه فدْفَدا في فدفِد

يطوي المهَامِه فدْفَدا في فدفِد

O rider, while the night is black with darkness,

O rider, while the night is darkening,

Folding up the deserts, barren plain after barren plain,

Folding its hems, stumbling in its stumbling,

بنجائبٍ قد صَار غَايةُ قصدها

بنجائبٍ قد صَار غَايةُ قصدها

وقصيدِها في ابن الرهيب محمد

وقصيدِها في ابن الرهيب محمد

On noble she-camels whose purpose has found its ultimate goal,

With camels that have reached their journey’s end,

As has their ode, in Muhammad ibn al-Rahib.

And whose ode is in Ibn al-Rahib Muhammad,

تَلْقَى بساحةِ بيته مَا تشتهي

تَلْقَى بساحةِ بيته مَا تشتهي

مِن طيّبِ المرعى وطيبِ الموردِ

مِن طيّبِ المرعى وطيبِ الموردِ

You will find in the courtyard of his house what you desire

You will find in the courtyard of his abode what you desire

Of fine pasture and a fine watering place.

Of good pasture and good water-spring,

شيخ الطريقةِ والشريعةِ والتُّقَى

شيخ الطريقةِ والشريعةِ والتُّقَى

بحْرُ النّدى والجودِ بل بدر النّدِي

بحْرُ النّدى والجودِ بل بدر النّدِي

Master of the spiritual path, the sacred law, and piety,

Shaykh of the path, law, and piety,

An ocean of bounty and generosity—nay, the full moon of the assembly.

A sea of dew and generosity, nay a full moon of prophecy,

كهف اليتامى والأرامل عُصْمَةٌ

كهف اليتامى والأرامل عُصْمَةٌ

للمُلْتجي ومَلاَذ كلّ مطَّردِ

للمُلْتجي ومَلاَذ كلّ مطَّردِ

A sheltering cave for orphans and widows, a safeguard

A cave for orphans and widows, a protection

For the seeker of refuge, and a haven for every outcast.

For the resorter and refuge of every outcast,

مولاَي يا حصني لكلِّ مُلِمّةٍ

مولاَي يا حصني لكلِّ مُلِمّةٍ

في النائبات وذَابِلي ومُهَنّدي

في النائبات وذَابِلي ومُهَنّدي

My lord, O my fortress against every calamity,

My master, O my fortress against every calamity

In adversity—and my slender spear and my Indian blade.

In adversities, and my tottering and stumbling,

مَن لم يكنْ في اليومِ يحمي سِرْبَه

مَن لم يكنْ في اليومِ يحمي سِرْبَه

لم يَحْمِه يومَ القيمةِ في غَدِ

لم يَحْمِه يومَ القيمةِ في غَدِ

Whoever does not protect his flock today

Whosoever does not today protect his flock

Will not protect it tomorrow, on the Day of Resurrection.

Will not be protected by him tomorrow.

إني هَلَكتُ وأنتَ عني مُعرْض

إني هَلَكتُ وأنتَ عني مُعرْض

وَتركتَ حسن تفقدي وتعهدي

وَتركتَ حسن تفقدي وتعهدي

Indeed I have perished, while you turn away from me,

Lo! I am destroyed while you neglect me

And you have abandoned your kindly attention and care for me.

And forsake your wonted inquiry and care of me.