تحدث بالأراك ولا جُنَاحا

تحدث بالأراك ولا جُنَاحا

وَركْبُ العامريّة أين راحَا

وَركْبُ العامريّة أين راحَا

Speak of al-Arak—there is no blame—

Speak gently, without blaming,

and where has al-ʿAmiriyya's caravan gone?

And where did Al-Amiriyya’s caravan go?

وقف بالربعِ تسألُه سُؤالاً

وقف بالربعِ تسألُه سُؤالاً

وخلّ الدمعَ ينفسح انفساحاً

وخلّ الدمعَ ينفسح انفساحاً

And halt at the deserted dwelling, asking it a question,

Stop at the open space and ask it a question,

and let your tears flow unrestrained.

And let the tears flow freely.

لقد حملت جمالُهُم جَمَالاً

لقد حملت جمالُهُم جَمَالاً

وَرَاحاً في المباسم بل قراحا

وَرَاحاً في المباسم بل قراحا

Their camels have indeed carried beauty,

Their beauty carried beauty,

and wine in smiling mouths—rather, pure water.

And they went smiling, nay laughing,

وكلّ أغر يتخذُ الثُريَّا

وكلّ أغر يتخذُ الثُريَّا

له عِقداً ويبتْسمُ الأقاحَا

له عِقداً ويبتْسمُ الأقاحَا

And every radiant-faced beauty who takes the Pleiades

Each with a necklace around his neck,

as his necklace, and smiles forth daisies.

Smiling with bright teeth.

أمَالِيْدٌ تشبهَهَا غُصُوناً

أمَالِيْدٌ تشبهَهَا غُصُوناً

وأردافاً تشبههَا رِمَاحا

وأردافاً تشبههَا رِمَاحا

Supple figures you would liken to boughs,

Soft hands like branches,

and hips you would liken to spears,

And thighs like spears,

واحداقٌ مفترة ملاَح

واحداقٌ مفترة ملاَح

فديتُ الفترَ والحذقُ الملاحا

فديتُ الفترَ والحذقُ الملاحا

and lovely, languid eyes.

Seductive glancing eyes,

I would ransom that languor and those lovely eyes [apparently intended; the text reads 'skill'].

I ransom willful glances and skillful flirting!

سَمَحْتُ لهم بقلبي كي يريحوا

سَمَحْتُ لهم بقلبي كي يريحوا

عليه فَمااسترحتُ ولا استراحا

عليه فَمااسترحتُ ولا استراحا

I freely gave them my heart, that they might rest

I surrendered my heart to them that they might rest,

upon it; yet neither I nor it found rest.

But found no rest or comfort.

وجئتُ أرومُ تسليماً وسلِمْاً

وجئتُ أرومُ تسليماً وسلِمْاً

فسَلُوا مِنْ جفونِهم السِّلاحا

فسَلُوا مِنْ جفونِهم السِّلاحا

And I came seeking a greeting and peace,

I came intending to submit,

but they drew weapons from their eyelids,

But they asked for weapons from their eyelids

وجرّوا مِن حواجبِهم قِسِيَّاً

وجرّوا مِن حواجبِهم قِسِيَّاً

وهزوا من نهودهم رِمَاحا

وهزوا من نهودهم رِمَاحا

and drew bows from their eyebrows,

And drew arrows from their eyebrows,

and brandished spears from their breasts.

And shook spears from their breasts.

فمن لي في هوى أعيا فؤادي

فمن لي في هوى أعيا فؤادي

وليلٍ مَا وجدت له صَباحا

وليلٍ مَا وجدت له صَباحا

Who, then, will help me in a love that exhausted my heart,

So who can help my heart that love has wearied,

and a night for which I have found no dawn?

And a night for which I found no dawn?

أحِنَّ إلى سهامِ حنينَ صَبٍّ

أحِنَّ إلى سهامِ حنينَ صَبٍّ

شكا في كل جارحةٍ جِرَاحَا

شكا في كل جارحةٍ جِرَاحَا

I yearn for Siham with a lovesick lover's longing,

I yearn for the arrows of tender longing

who has lamented wounds in every limb.

That complain of wounds in every limb.

وينبو مضجعي ويطيرُ لُبّي

وينبو مضجعي ويطيرُ لُبّي

إذا ما البارقُ الغَوْري لاَحا

إذا ما البارقُ الغَوْري لاَحا

And my bed repels me, and my reason takes flight,

My bed tosses, my mind flies

whenever lightning from al-Ghawr flashes.

When lightning flashes from dark clouds.

لقد أرخصتني أيامَ دهري

لقد أرخصتني أيامَ دهري

وكانتَ بي أناملُها شحاحا

وكانتَ بي أناملُها شحاحا

The days of my life have indeed cheapened me,

The days of my life have sold me cheap,

though their fingers once were loath to part with me.

And their fingers were miserly towards me.

وباعني الزمان بشر سَوْمٍ

وباعني الزمان بشر سَوْمٍ

وعاوضَني بِعزّتيَ اطراحا

وعاوضَني بِعزّتيَ اطراحا

And Time sold me at the worst price,

Time bartered me for evil price,

and gave me rejection in exchange for my honor.

Exchanging my glory for degradation.

فلا حُرٌّ يُقلّدني نوالاً

فلا حُرٌّ يُقلّدني نوالاً

ولا حرّاً أُقلدَه امتداحا

ولا حرّاً أُقلدَه امتداحا

So no noble man adorns me with bounty,

No freeman can grant me prosperity,

nor do I adorn a noble man with praise.

Nor can I praise a freeman.

لَعَلّ با حمدٍ تُجلَى همومي

لَعَلّ با حمدٍ تُجلَى همومي

فأحمدُ مَنْ سُئِل السّماحَا

فأحمدُ مَنْ سُئِل السّماحَا

Perhaps through Ahmad my sorrows will be dispelled,

Maybe through praise of Ahmad

for he is the most praiseworthy of those asked for generosity.

My cares will be cleared,

وما استنجدتُ فخر الدين إلاّ

وما استنجدتُ فخر الدين إلاّ

وجدتُ به النجاة بَلِ النَّجَاحَا

وجدتُ به النجاة بَلِ النَّجَاحَا

And never did I seek Fakhr al-Din's aid

And I sought the aid of Fakhr al-Din

without finding through him deliverance—nay, success.

Only to find through him deliverance and success.

فتىً نكحَ العُلاَ بِكْراً حَلالا

فتىً نكحَ العُلاَ بِكْراً حَلالا

وقومٌ غيرُه نكحوا سِفَاحَا

وقومٌ غيرُه نكحوا سِفَاحَا

A youth who lawfully wed Glory as a virgin,

A man who married highbirth lawfully,

while other men coupled with her illicitly.

While others married corruption.