من نازح يحدو العراقَ ضعونهُ

من نازح يحدو العراقَ ضعونهُ

قلب سرى لَّما اهاج شجونه

قلب سرى لَّما اهاج شجونه

A distant traveler's caravans are sung onward toward Iraq

A displaced person singing Iraq's woes

By a heart that journeyed by night when he stirred its sorrows;

A heart that flew when sorrows stirred

ومودع ٍ للركبِ وَدَّ بانهُ

ومودع ٍ للركبِ وَدَّ بانهُ

لو قد اسالَ مع الدموع عيونه

لو قد اسالَ مع الدموع عيونه

And one bidding the caravan farewell wished

A farewell to the caravan, bidding it adieu

He could pour out his eyes along with his tears.

If only tears flooded his eyes

لم تقطعَ الاظعان مِيلاً في السّرُى

لم تقطعَ الاظعان مِيلاً في السّرُى

الا وكحَّل بالسهادِ جفونه

الا وكحَّل بالسهادِ جفونه

The caravans covered not a mile by night

No path was left save the one wet with tears

Without his lining his eyelids with the kohl of sleeplessness.

That kohl lined his eyelids

قطعت بهم سهل الغميم وحزنه

قطعت بهم سهل الغميم وحزنه

فسقى الغميم سهوله وحزونه

فسقى الغميم سهوله وحزونه

They bore them across al-Ghamim's plain and rugged ground;

With them he crossed the meadows of gloom and sorrow

May al-Ghamim be watered, its plains and rugged lands,

Watering the meadows with his gloom and sorrow

مِن كل اوطف ماتغنىَّ رعدهُ

مِن كل اوطف ماتغنىَّ رعدهُ

الا وارخص بالدموع ِ شؤونه

الا وارخص بالدموع ِ شؤونه

By every heavy-fringed cloud whose thunder never sings

In every fond place his thunder roar rang

Without lavishly pouring tears from its ducts.

Save those where he shed copious tears

فترى الدموع تخاله بحراً طَمى

فترى الدموع تخاله بحراً طَمى

وترى الحُمول تخالهن سفينه

وترى الحُمول تخالهن سفينه

You see the tears and imagine it a sea in flood,

You see the tears like a swollen sea

And see the laden camels and imagine them its ships.

And the sand dunes like ships

وذكرت في ذي البان ميس قدودهم

وذكرت في ذي البان ميس قدودهم

فغدوت من شغَف اضمَّ غصونه

فغدوت من شغَف اضمَّ غصونه

At Dhu al-Ban I remembered the sway of their figures,

And I recalled the bending branches

And out of passion I began embracing its branches.

So I rose to embrace its boughs in yearning

قالوا اشابَ البين ُ مِفرق رأسه

قالوا اشابَ البين ُ مِفرق رأسه

صدَقوا ولكنَ قد اشابَ عيوْنه

صدَقوا ولكنَ قد اشابَ عيوْنه

They said, 'Separation has whitened the parting of his hair.'

They said gray hair streaked his head

They spoke truly—yet it has whitened his eyes.

True, but sorrow had streaked his eyes

ياقلبُ حسبُك بالغرام رهينة ً

ياقلبُ حسبُك بالغرام رهينة ً

شط َّ الغريم وما قضاكَ ديونه

شط َّ الغريم وما قضاكَ ديونه

O heart, enough of being held hostage by love!

O heart, longing holds you captive

The debtor has gone far away and has not repaid you his debts.

The enemy has marched off without paying his dues

لم ينُسني عنه السرور بعودتي

لم ينُسني عنه السرور بعودتي

ان سرّ من خلق الهوى محزونه

ان سرّ من خلق الهوى محزونه

The joy of my return did not make me forget him—

Joy at my return made me forget him

If he who created love ever gladdens its sorrowful one.

If sorrow is created by passion

كلا ولا النكبات تطرق ساحتي

كلا ولا النكبات تطرق ساحتي

اذ ليس غادي القلب الا دونه

اذ ليس غادي القلب الا دونه

No; nor did the calamities that assail my courtyard.

Neither will catastrophes befall me

For every morning visitor to the heart falls short of him.

For only he makes my heart quiver

وكأنني من حيّ قومي سامرٌ

وكأنني من حيّ قومي سامرٌ

حَسب النقا بالاجرعينَ حجونه

حَسب النقا بالاجرعينَ حجونه

As though I were a night companion from my people's camp,

I seemed like a drunkard amongst my people

Who took the dune at al-Ajra'ayn for his Hajun.

Judged only by my reddened eyes

فلأ نهكن القلبَ من حسراتهِ

فلأ نهكن القلبَ من حسراتهِ

يوم التَّرحُل او يجنَ جُنونه

يوم التَّرحُل او يجنَ جُنونه

So I shall surely wear the heart out with its griefs

So sorrows do not overwhelm the heart

On departure day, until its madness runs wild.

The day we depart or senses fade

ما عاطشٌ اورى الاوامُ بقلبه

ما عاطشٌ اورى الاوامُ بقلبه

لَهَباً وقد شرب الاوام عُيونه

لَهَباً وقد شرب الاوام عُيونه

No thirsty man, in whose heart thirst kindled

No thirsty man sees in his heart

A flame, while thirst had drunk up his eyes,

Flames though his eyes have drunk flames

حتى اذا وجد المعينُ بقربه

حتى اذا وجد المعينُ بقربه

وجد الرّ ُكيَّ وقد اضلّ معينه

وجد الرّ ُكيَّ وقد اضلّ معينه

Until, when he found flowing water nearby,

Until, finding relief nearby

He found the well had lost its flowing water,

He finds discomfort though relief was near

فغدى يعضُ على الا ناملُ حسرة

فغدى يعضُ على الا ناملُ حسرة

نَدَماً ويصفِق بالشمال يمينه

نَدَماً ويصفِق بالشمال يمينه

Then began biting his fingertips in anguish,

So he bites his fingers in regret

In remorse, striking his right hand with his left,

And claps with his left, right hand

وغدى يكذبُ بالحياة لنفسه

وغدى يكذبُ بالحياة لنفسه

لَّما حدى حادي الضُعون ضُعونه

لَّما حدى حادي الضُعون ضُعونه

And began denying that he himself was alive,

And claims life is a lie

When the caravan singer urged his caravans onward with song.

When the guide of gloom sings his gloomy song