أَمِن ظَلّامَةَ الدِمَنُ البَوالي

أَمِن ظَلّامَةَ الدِمَنُ البَوالي

بِمُرفَضِّ الحُبَيِّ إِلى وُعالِ

بِمُرفَضِّ الحُبَيِّ إِلى وُعالِ

Are these Ẓalāma’s time-worn campsite traces—

Are the worn-out campsite traces Ẓallāma’s,

where al-Ḥubayy fans out toward Wiʿāl,

where al-Ḥubayy spreads out, as far as Wuʿāl,

فَأَمواهِ الدَنا فَعُوَيرِضاتٍ

فَأَمواهِ الدَنا فَعُوَيرِضاتٍ

دَوارِسَ بَعدَ أَحياءٍ حِلالِ

دَوارِسَ بَعدَ أَحياءٍ حِلالِ

then the waters of al-Danā, then ʿUwayriḍāt—

then at al-Danā’s waters, then at ʿUwayriḍāt—

effaced, after living clans once camped there?

effaced, after clans once camped there?

تَأَبَّدَ لا تَرى إِلّا صُواراً

تَأَبَّدَ لا تَرى إِلّا صُواراً

بِمَرقومٍ عَلَيهِ العَهدُ خالِ

بِمَرقومٍ عَلَيهِ العَهدُ خالِ

It has gone wild: nothing can be seen but herds of wild cattle

It has become a wilderness; you see only a herd of wild cattle

at Marqūm, over which a long age has passed.

at Marqūm, its days of habitation long past.

تَعاوَرَها السَواري وَالغَوادي

تَعاوَرَها السَواري وَالغَوادي

وَما تُذري الرِياحُ مِنَ الرِمالِ

وَما تُذري الرِياحُ مِنَ الرِمالِ

Night rains and morning showers have taken turns upon it,

Night rains and morning rains have visited them in turn,

along with all the sand the winds scatter.

and the sands the winds scatter.

أَثيثٌ نَبتُهُ جَعدٌ ثَراهُ

أَثيثٌ نَبتُهُ جَعدٌ ثَراهُ

بِهِ عوذُ المَطافِلِ وَالمَتالي

بِهِ عوذُ المَطافِلِ وَالمَتالي

Its vegetation grows dense, its earth lies curled in clods;

Its growth is lush, its moist earth densely matted;

there are newly calved females, mothers with young, and cows trailed by their calves.

there are newly calved mothers and cows with following young.

يُكَشِّفنَ الأَلاءَ مُزَيَّناتٍ

يُكَشِّفنَ الأَلاءَ مُزَيَّناتٍ

بِغابِ رُدَينَةَ السُحمِ الطِوالِ

بِغابِ رُدَينَةَ السُحمِ الطِوالِ

They part the wild-olive shrubs, adorned

They part the alāʾ shrubs, adorned

with a thicket of Rudayna’s long black spears;

with Rudayna’s long, dark spear-shafts.

كَأَنَّ كُشوحَهُنَّ مُبَطَّناتٍ

كَأَنَّ كُشوحَهُنَّ مُبَطَّناتٍ

إِلى فَوقِ الكُعوبِ بُرودُ خالِ

إِلى فَوقِ الكُعوبِ بُرودُ خالِ

their flanks seem to be lined

As though their flanks, lined

up above the hocks with dark-patterned cloaks.

to just above the ankles, were patterned Khāl cloaks.

فَلَمّا أَن رَأَيتُ الدارَ قَفراً

فَلَمّا أَن رَأَيتُ الدارَ قَفراً

وَخالَفَ بالُ أَهلِ الدارِ بالي

وَخالَفَ بالُ أَهلِ الدارِ بالي

When at last I saw the campsite deserted,

So when I saw the dwelling desolate,

and its people’s feelings unlike my own,

and the thoughts of its people differed from mine,

نَهَضتُ إِلى عُذافِرَةٍ صَموتٍ

نَهَضتُ إِلى عُذافِرَةٍ صَموتٍ

مُذَكَّرَةٍ تَجِلُّ عَنِ الكَلالِ

مُذَكَّرَةٍ تَجِلُّ عَنِ الكَلالِ

I rose and mounted a massive, uncomplaining she-camel,

I rose toward a stout, silent she-camel,

masculine in build, too lofty for weariness.

built like a male, too strong for weariness.

فِداءٌ لِاِمرِئٍ سارَت إِلَيهِ

فِداءٌ لِاِمرِئٍ سارَت إِلَيهِ

بِعِذرَةِ رَبِّها عَمّي وَخالي

بِعِذرَةِ رَبِّها عَمّي وَخالي

A ransom for the man to whom she journeyed,

A ransom for the man to whom she journeyed,

bearing her master’s plea—my paternal and maternal uncles!

bearing her master’s apology, be my paternal and maternal uncles.

وَمَن يَغرِف مِنَ النُعمانِ سَجلاً

وَمَن يَغرِف مِنَ النُعمانِ سَجلاً

فَلَيسَ كَمَن يُتَيَّهُ في الضَلالِ

فَلَيسَ كَمَن يُتَيَّهُ في الضَلالِ

Whoever draws one brimming bucket from al-Nuʿmān

And whoever draws a brimming bucket from al-Nuʿmān

is not like one he leaves bewildered in delusion.

is not like one left to wander astray.

فَإِن كُنتَ اِمرَأً قَد سُؤتَ ظَنّاً

فَإِن كُنتَ اِمرَأً قَد سُؤتَ ظَنّاً

بِعَبدِكَ وَالخُطوبُ إِلى تَبالِ

بِعَبدِكَ وَالخُطوبُ إِلى تَبالِ

So if you are a man who has formed an ill opinion

So if you are a man who has come to think ill

of your servant, while calamities lead toward ruin,

of your servant—and troubles fade away—

فَأَرسِل في بَني ذُبيانَ فَاِسأَل

فَأَرسِل في بَني ذُبيانَ فَاِسأَل

وَلا تَعجَل إِلَيَّ عَنِ السُؤالِ

وَلا تَعجَل إِلَيَّ عَنِ السُؤالِ

then send among the Banū Dhubyān and inquire;

then send among the Banū Dhubyān and inquire,

do not hasten against me before making inquiry.

and do not act hastily against me before inquiring.

فَلا عَمرُ الَّذي أُثني عَلَيهِ

فَلا عَمرُ الَّذي أُثني عَلَيهِ

وَما رَفَعَ الحَجيجُ إِلى إِلالِ

وَما رَفَعَ الحَجيجُ إِلى إِلالِ

No—by the life of Him whom I praise,

No—by the life of Him whom I praise,

and by what the pilgrims raise toward Ilāl,

and by what the pilgrims bring up to Ilāl—

لَما أَغفَلتُ شُكرَكَ فَاِنتَصِحني

لَما أَغفَلتُ شُكرَكَ فَاِنتَصِحني

وَكَيفَ وَمِن عَطائِكَ جُلُّ مالي

وَكَيفَ وَمِن عَطائِكَ جُلُّ مالي

I have never neglected gratitude to you; so heed my sincere counsel.

I have never neglected gratitude to you; trust my sincerity.

How could I, when most of my wealth comes from your gifts?

How could I, when most of my wealth comes from your gifts?

وَلَو كَفّي اليَمينُ بَغَتكَ خَوناً

وَلَو كَفّي اليَمينُ بَغَتكَ خَوناً

لَأَفرَدتُ اليَمينَ مِنَ الشِمالِ

لَأَفرَدتُ اليَمينَ مِنَ الشِمالِ

Even if my right hand took you unawares through treachery,

And if my right hand sought to betray you,

I would sever the right hand from the left.

I would separate my right hand from my left.

وَلَكِن لا تُخانُ الدَهرَ عِندي

وَلَكِن لا تُخانُ الدَهرَ عِندي

وَعِندَ اللَهِ تَجزِيَةُ الرِجالِ

وَعِندَ اللَهِ تَجزِيَةُ الرِجالِ

But never, for all time, shall you be betrayed by me;

But you will never be betrayed at my hands,

with God rests the recompense of men.

and with God rests the requital of men.

لَهُ بَحرٌ يُقَمِّصُ بِالعَدَولي

لَهُ بَحرٌ يُقَمِّصُ بِالعَدَولي

وَبِالخُلُجِ المُحَمَّلَةِ الثِقالِ

وَبِالخُلُجِ المُحَمَّلَةِ الثِقالِ

He has a sea that sets the ʿAdūlī ships pitching,

His is a sea that makes ʿAdūlī craft leap,

and the great vessels, heavily laden—

and the heavy, laden boats.

مُضِرٌّ بِالقُصورِ يَذودُ عَنها

مُضِرٌّ بِالقُصورِ يَذودُ عَنها

قَراقيرَ النَبيطِ إِلى التِلالِ

قَراقيرَ النَبيطِ إِلى التِلالِ

a sea fringed with hillocks, driving away from them

Pressing close to the palaces, it drives away from them

the Nabataeans’ barges toward the uplands.

the Nabataeans’ great ships toward the hills.

وَهوبٌ لِلمُخَيَّسَةِ النَواجي

وَهوبٌ لِلمُخَيَّسَةِ النَواجي

عَلَيها القائِناتُ مِنَ الرِحالِ

عَلَيها القائِناتُ مِنَ الرِحالِ

And he bestows swift she-camels upon those long kept waiting,

He lavishly gives tamed, swift she-camels,

with firmly fitted saddles upon their backs.

with well-crafted saddles upon them.