بانَت سُعادُ وَأَمسى حَبلُها اِنجَذَما

بانَت سُعادُ وَأَمسى حَبلُها اِنجَذَما

وَاِحتَلَّتِ الشَرعَ فَالأَجزاعَ مِن إِضَما

وَاِحتَلَّتِ الشَرعَ فَالأَجزاعَ مِن إِضَما

Suʿad has departed, and her cord is now severed.

Her happiness appeared and its rope was severed,

And she settled at al-Sharʿ, then in the valley bends of Iḍam.

And the branches were separated from the main trunks.

إِحدى بَلِيٍّ وَما هامَ الفُؤادُ بِها

إِحدى بَلِيٍّ وَما هامَ الفُؤادُ بِها

إِلّا السَفاهَ وَإِلّا ذِكرَةً حُلُما

إِلّا السَفاهَ وَإِلّا ذِكرَةً حُلُما

A woman of Bali; my heart was not infatuated with her

One of two calamities, which did not obsess my heart,

Except through folly, and except for a dreamlike remembrance.

Except folly, or a reminder of patience.

لَيسَت مِنَ السودِ أَعقاباً إِذا اِنصَرَفَت

لَيسَت مِنَ السودِ أَعقاباً إِذا اِنصَرَفَت

وَلا تَبيعُ بِجَنبَي نَخلَةَ البُرَما

وَلا تَبيعُ بِجَنبَي نَخلَةَ البُرَما

She is not one whose heels are black when she turns away,

Black heels do not remain

Nor does she sell earthen cooking pots on either side of Nakhla.

When she turns away, nor does she sell the palm tree beside al-Burma.

غَرّاءُ أَكمَلُ مَن يَمشي عَلى قَدَمٍ

غَرّاءُ أَكمَلُ مَن يَمشي عَلى قَدَمٍ

حُسناً وَأَملَحُ مَن حاوَرتَهُ الكَلِما

حُسناً وَأَملَحُ مَن حاوَرتَهُ الكَلِما

Radiant, the most perfect of all who walk on foot

A charming full moon is the best walker

In beauty, and the most charming of those you have exchanged words with.

And the most eloquent in speech.

قالَت أَراكَ أَخا رَحلٍ وَراحِلَةٍ

قالَت أَراكَ أَخا رَحلٍ وَراحِلَةٍ

تَغشى مَتالِفَ لَن يُنظِرنَكَ الهَرَما

تَغشى مَتالِفَ لَن يُنظِرنَكَ الهَرَما

She said: I see you as a man of saddle and riding camel,

She said, I see you as a traveling man,

You enter deadly places that will not spare you until old age.

Who befriends the old, who will not wait for you.

حَيّاكِ رَبّي فَإِنّا لا يَحِلُّ لَنا

حَيّاكِ رَبّي فَإِنّا لا يَحِلُّ لَنا

لَهوُ النِساءِ وَإِنَّ الدينَ قَد عَزَما

لَهوُ النِساءِ وَإِنَّ الدينَ قَد عَزَما

May my Lord bless you; for it is not lawful for us

May God greet you, for it is not permitted for us

To dally with women, and religion has made its command binding.

To indulge in women, and religion has become intent.

مُشَمِّرينَ عَلى خوصٍ مُزَمَّمَةٍ

مُشَمِّرينَ عَلى خوصٍ مُزَمَّمَةٍ

نَرجو الإِلَهَ وَنَرجو البِرَّ وَالطُعَما

نَرجو الإِلَهَ وَنَرجو البِرَّ وَالطُعَما

Girded for travel upon bridled, narrow-eyed camels,

With determination upon coarse and frayed mats,

We hope in God, and hope for goodness and sustenance.

We hope for God, and for righteousness and food.

هَلّا سَأَلتِ بَني ذُبيانَ ما حَسَبي

هَلّا سَأَلتِ بَني ذُبيانَ ما حَسَبي

إِذا الدُخانُ تَغَشّى الأَشمَطَ البَرِما

إِذا الدُخانُ تَغَشّى الأَشمَطَ البَرِما

Why did you not ask the sons of Dhubyan what my standing is,

Why don’t you ask the people of Dhubyan when

When smoke shrouds the grizzled miser,

The smoke covers al-Ashmaṭ al-Burma.

وَهَبَّتِ الريحُ مِن تِلقاءِ ذي أُرُلٍ

وَهَبَّتِ الريحُ مِن تِلقاءِ ذي أُرُلٍ

تُزجي مَعَ اللَيلِ مِن صُرّادِها صِرَما

تُزجي مَعَ اللَيلِ مِن صُرّادِها صِرَما

And the wind blows from the direction of Dhu Urul,

The wind blew from the direction of Dhi Orul

Driving clusters of its cold clouds along with the night,

At night, blowing bits of straw.

صُهبَ الظِلالِ أَتَينَ التينَ عَن عُرُضٍ

صُهبَ الظِلالِ أَتَينَ التينَ عَن عُرُضٍ

يُزجينَ غَيماً قَليلاً ماؤُهُ شَبِما

يُزجينَ غَيماً قَليلاً ماؤُهُ شَبِما

Tawny in shadow, they reach al-Tin from one side,

The shadows came to the figs after midday

Driving a cloud whose water is scant and ice-cold.

Drizzling a little rain, its water brackish.

يُنبِئكِ ذو عِرضِهِم عَنّي وَعالَمُهُم

يُنبِئكِ ذو عِرضِهِم عَنّي وَعالَمُهُم

وَلَيسَ جاهِلُ شَيءٍ مِثلَ مَن عَلِما

وَلَيسَ جاهِلُ شَيءٍ مِثلَ مَن عَلِما

Their man of honor and their learned man will tell you of me,

The notable among them will inform you about me and their world,

And one ignorant of a thing is not like one who knows.

And no one is more ignorant than one who has knowledge.

إِنّي أُتَمِّمُ أَيساري وَأَمنَحُهُم

إِنّي أُتَمِّمُ أَيساري وَأَمنَحُهُم

مَثنى الأَيادي وَأَكسو الجَفنَةَ الأُدُما

مَثنى الأَيادي وَأَكسو الجَفنَةَ الأُدُما

I make up my gambling companions' shares and bestow on them

I fulfill my duties and grant them

Twofold favors, and clothe the great bowl in savory accompaniments.

A pair of hands and clothe the eyelids with kohl.

وَأَقطَعُ الخَرقَ بِالخَرقاءِ قَد جَعَلَت

وَأَقطَعُ الخَرقَ بِالخَرقاءِ قَد جَعَلَت

بَعدَ الكَلالِ تَشَكّى الأَينَ وَالسَأما

بَعدَ الكَلالِ تَشَكّى الأَينَ وَالسَأما

And I cross the wilderness on a headlong she-camel, who has begun,

And I patch the tear with more patching, it began

After exhaustion, to complain of weariness and tedium.

After deprivation, complaining of misery and boredom.

كادَت تُساقِطُني رَحلي وَمِيثَرَتي

كادَت تُساقِطُني رَحلي وَمِيثَرَتي

بِذي المَجازِ وَلَم تُحسِس بِهِ نَعَما

بِذي المَجازِ وَلَم تُحسِس بِهِ نَعَما

She nearly threw me off with my saddle and saddlecloth

My mount and gear nearly made me fall

At Dhu al-Majaz, though she had sensed no livestock there,

At Dhi al-Majaz, and it did not make me feel bounty.

مِن قَولِ حِرمِيَّةٍ قالَت وَقَد ظَعَنوا

مِن قَولِ حِرمِيَّةٍ قالَت وَقَد ظَعَنوا

هَل في مُخِفّيكُمُ مَن يَشتَري أَدَما

هَل في مُخِفّيكُمُ مَن يَشتَري أَدَما

At the words of a woman of the sanctuary, who said as they set off:

From the words of a woman who said, as they bartered,

Is there anyone among your lightly laden travelers who will buy hides?

“Is there anyone among you who would buy some leather?”

قُلتُ لَها وَهيَ تَسعى تَحتَ لَبَّتِها

قُلتُ لَها وَهيَ تَسعى تَحتَ لَبَّتِها

لا تَحطِمَنَّكِ إِنَّ البَيعَ قَد زَرِما

لا تَحطِمَنَّكِ إِنَّ البَيعَ قَد زَرِما

I said to her, as she hurried beneath the she-camel's breast:

I said to her as she walked briskly under her mantle,

Do not let her crush you; the trading has already ceased.

“Do not let it break you, for the sale has declined.”

باتَت ثَلاثَ لَيالٍ ثُمَّ واحِدَةً

باتَت ثَلاثَ لَيالٍ ثُمَّ واحِدَةً

بِذي المَجازِ تُراعي مَنزِلاً زِيَما

بِذي المَجازِ تُراعي مَنزِلاً زِيَما

She spent three nights, then one more,

She stayed three nights, then one

At Dhu al-Majaz, watching a scattered encampment.

At Dhi al-Majaz, watching over an abode, bleak.

فَاِنشَقَّ عَنها عَمودُ الصُبحِ جافِلَةً

فَاِنشَقَّ عَنها عَمودُ الصُبحِ جافِلَةً

عَدوَ النَحوصِ تَخافُ القانِصَ اللَحِما

عَدوَ النَحوصِ تَخافُ القانِصَ اللَحِما

Then dawn's pillar broke over her as she bolted,

The pillar of dawn split open from it, violently,

Running like a barren wild she-ass afraid of the meat-hungry hunter.

The enemy of diving fears the flesh picking sea bird.

تُحيدُ عَن أَستَنٍ سودٍ أُسافِلُهُ

تُحيدُ عَن أَستَنٍ سودٍ أُسافِلُهُ

مَشيَ الإِماءِ الغَوادي تَحمِلُ الحُزَما

مَشيَ الإِماءِ الغَوادي تَحمِلُ الحُزَما

She veers away from astan trees, black at their bases,

It turns away from black, low lying rocks,

With the gait of slave women going out at dawn, carrying bundles.

The gait of slave girls carrying bundles.

أَو ذو وُشومٍ بِحَوضى باتَ مُنكَرِساً

أَو ذو وُشومٍ بِحَوضى باتَ مُنكَرِساً

في لَيلَةٍ مِن جُمادى أَخصَلَت دِيَما

في لَيلَةٍ مِن جُمادى أَخصَلَت دِيَما

Or a wild bull with tattoo-like markings at Hawda, huddled for the night,

Or someone with a scar at my basin spent the night hunched over

On a night of Jumada that poured down steady rain.

On a night of Jumada, having lost its tail.

باتَ بِحِقفٍ مِنَ البَقّارِ يَحفِزهُ

باتَ بِحِقفٍ مِنَ البَقّارِ يَحفِزهُ

إِذا اِستَكَفَّ قَليلاً تُربُهُ اِنهَدَما

إِذا اِستَكَفَّ قَليلاً تُربُهُ اِنهَدَما

He spent the night at a curved dune in al-Baqqar that kept driving him out:

It spent the night in a cattle enclosure, goaded

Whenever he took brief shelter, its sand collapsed.

By the cowherd when it calmed down a little, its soil collapsed.

مُوَلِّيَ الريحِ رَوقَيهِ وَجَبهَتَهُ

مُوَلِّيَ الريحِ رَوقَيهِ وَجَبهَتَهُ

كَالهِبرَقِيُّ تَنَحّى يَنفُخُ الفَحَما

كَالهِبرَقِيُّ تَنَحّى يَنفُخُ الفَحَما

Turning his two horns and forehead toward the wind,

Turning its cheeks and neck away from the wind

Like a smith who drew aside to blow upon the charcoal.

Like a Hyberean, it blew into the embers.

حَتّى غَدا مِثلَ نَصلِ السَيفِ مُنصَلِتاً

حَتّى غَدا مِثلَ نَصلِ السَيفِ مُنصَلِتاً

يَقرو الأَماعِزَ مِن لُبنانَ وَالأَكَما

يَقرو الأَماعِزَ مِن لُبنانَ وَالأَكَما

Until at dawn he sped forth like a sword blade,

Until it became in the morning like the sharp edge of a sword,

Traversing the stony tracts of Lubnan and the hills.

Pecking at the goats from Labnan and al-Akma.