طَافَ الخَيَالُ بِنَا رَكْباً يَمانينَا
ودُونَ ليْلَى عَوَادٍ لوْ تُعَدِّينَا
Imagination came to us riding Yemeni mounts,
While the visits to Layla, if you count them, are many.
مِنْهُنَّ مَعْرُوفُ آيَاتِ الكِتَابِ وقَدْ
تَعْتَادُ تَكْذِبُ لَيْلَى مَا تُمَنِّينَا
Among them are known verses from the Book, and Layla
Is accustomed to lying about what she wishes from us.
لَمْ تَسْرِ لَيْلَى ولمْ تَطْرُقْ بِحَاجَتِهَا
مِنْ أَهْلِ رَيْمَانَ إِلاَّ حَاجَةً فِينَا
Layla was not delighted, nor did she confess her need
To anyone from the people of Rayman except out of need for us.
مِنْ سَرْوِ حِمْيَرَ أَبْوَالُ البِغَالِ بِهِ
أَنَّى تَسَدَّيْتِ وَهْناً ذلِكَ البينَا
From the migration of the asses of Himyar are the camel mares,
How could that weakness between us be mended?
أَمْسَتْ بِأَذْرُعِ أَكْبَادٍ فَحُمَّ لَهَا
رَكْبٌ بِلِنَةَ أوْ رَكْبٌ بِسَاوِينَا
In the evening with livers of young camels roasted, so a company
With smooth saddles, or a company with rugged ones, rides to us.
يَا دَارَ لَيْلَى خَلاَءً لاَ أُكَلِّفُهَا
إِلاَّ المَرَانَةَ حَتَّى تَعْرِفَ الدِّينا
O dwelling of Layla, I leave it empty that I not burden it
Except with affection so it may know the religion.
تُهْدِي زَنَانِيرُ أَرْوَاحَ المصِيفِ لَهَا
ومِنْ ثَنَايَا فُرُوجِ الكَوْرِ تهْدِينَا
The bells of the summer resorts sing to her,
And from the bosoms of valleys gifts are brought to us.
هَيْفٌ هَدُوجُ الضُّحَى سَهْوٌ منَاكِبُهَا
يَكْسُونَهَا بِالعَشِيَّاتِ العَثَانِينَا
Gray are the camels of morning, their saddles
Are covered for us with Ithmid during the evenings.
يَكْسُونَهَا مَنْزِلاً لاَحَتْ مَعَارِفُهُ
سُفْعاً أَطَالَ بِهُنًّ الحَيُّ تَدْمِينَا
They cover it as a dwelling whose refinements
Were augmented with that which extended the life of the living for us.
عَرَّجْتُ فِيهَا أُحَيِّيهَا وأَسْأَلُهَا
فَكِدْنَ يُبْكِينَني شَوْقاً ويَبْكِينَا
I walked about it to greet it and ask it,
So it almost made me weep from ardor and made us both weep.
فَقُلْتُ لِلْقَوْمِ سِيرُوا لاَ أَبَا لكُمُ
أَرَى مَنَازِلَ لَيْلَى لاَ تُحَيِّينَا
So I said to the people, “Go ahead, I have no need for you,
I see Layla's dwellings which do not greet us.”
وطَاسِمٍ دَعْسُ آثَارِ المَطيِّ بِهِ
نَائِي المَخَارِمِ عِرْنِيناً فَعِرْنِينَا
With a trotting smooth gait blotting out the track of the riding camel,
Far from the worn-out roads it wore us down.
قَدْ غَيَّرَتْهُ رِيَاحٌ واخْتَرَقُنْ بِهِ
مِنْ كُلِّ مَأْتَى سَبِيلِ الرِّيحِ يَأْتِينَا
The winds changed it and we passed through it
From every direction the winds came to us.
يَصْبَحْنَ دَعْسَ مَرَاسِيلِ المَطِيِّ بِهِ
حَتَّى يُغَيِّرْنَ مِنْهُ أَوْ يُسَوِّينَا
They obscured the track of the riding camel until
They changed it or leveled it for us.
في ظَهْرِ مَرْتٍ عَسَاقِيلُ السَّرَابِ بِهِ
كأَنَّ وَغْرَ قَطَاهُ وَغْرُ حَادِينَا
In the expanse the mirage made it
As if it were a bowl and the bowl of a guide for us.
كَأَنَّ أَصْوَاتَ أَبْكَارِ الحَمَامِ بِهِ
مِنْ كُلِّ مَحْنِيَّةٍ مِنْهُ يُغَنِّينَا
As if the voices of the wild ring doves in it
Were singing for us from every cooing place.
أَصْوَاتُ نِسْوَانِ أَنْبَاطٍ بِمَصْنَعَةٍ
بَجَّدْنَ لِلنَّوْحِ واجْتَبْنَ التَّبَابِينَا
Voices of wailing Nabataean women
Who have mastered lament and chosen dirges for us.
في مُشْرِفٍ لِيطَ لَيَّاقُ البَلاطَ بِهِ
كَانَتْ لِسَاسَتِهِ تُهْدَى قَرَابِينَا
In a palace whose bricks and mortar
Were once presented to its masters as gifts to us.
صَوْتُ النَّوَاقِيس فِيهِ مَا تُفَرِّطُهُ
أَيْدِي الجَلاَذِي وجُونٌ مَا يُغَفِّينَا
The sound of bells in it, which the hands of priests do not neglect
While the throngs around it do not make us drowsy.
كَأَنَّ أَصْوَاتَهَا مِنْ حَيْثُ تَسْمَعُهَا
صَوْتُ المَحَابِضِ يَخْلِجْنَ المَحَارِينَا
As if their voices, from wherever you hear them,
Are like the sound of cymbals convulsing the shrines for us.
وَاطَأْتُهُ بِالسُّرَى حَتَّى تَرَكْتُ بِهِ
لَيْلَ التِّمَامِ تُرَى أَسْدَافَهُ جُونَا
I walked it by night until I left it
So its slopes at the end of night are seen desolate.
حَتَّى اسْتَبَنْتُ الهُدَى والبِيدُ هَاجِمَةٌ
يَخْشَعْنَ في الآلِ غُلْفاً أَوْ يُصَلِّينَا
Until I discerned the dawn fire and dark came over us,
Bowing humbly during prayer or performing our ritual prayer.
واسْتَحْمَلَ الشَّوْقَ مِنِّي عِرْمِسٌ سُرُحٌ
تَخَالُ بَاغِزَهَا بِاللَّيْلِ مَجْنُونَا
And ardent yearning carried me away, a free-roaming camel
Rushing in the night madly.
تَرْمِي الفِجَاجَ بِحَيْدَارِ الحَصَى قُمَزاً
في مِشْيَةٍ سُرُحٍ خَلْطٍ أَفَانِينَا
It casts pebbles in the morning at the rocky ground, jumping
With a trotting, free-roaming, intermingled gait.
تَرْمِي بِهِ وهْيَ كَالحَرْدَاءِ خَائِفَةٌ
قَذْفَ البَنَانِ الحَصَى بَيْنَ المُخَاسِينَا
It casts them while it is like the timid hyrax
Casting pebbles between the tearings with us.
كَانتْ تُدَوِّمُ إِرْقَالاً فَتَجْمَعُهُ
إلَى مَنَاكِبَ يَدْفَعْنَ المَذَاعِينَا
It used to always trot, gathering
To the camel’s shoulders pushing away the drivers from us.
وَعَاتِقٍ شَوْحَطٍ صُمٍّ مَقَاطِعُهَا
مَكْسُوَّةٍ مِنْ خِيَارِ الوَشْيِ تَلوِينَا
And an elegant smooth neck whose chiseled parts
Are covered in the finest silky cloth as it twists around us.
عَارَضْتُهَا بِعَنُودٍ غَيْر مُعْتَلَثٍ
تَرِنُّ مِنْهُ مُتُونٌ حِينَ يَجْرِينَا
I challenged it with persistent disobedience
From which supple bodies pour when they touch us.
حَسَرْتُ عَنْ كَفِّيَ السِّرْبَالَ آخُذُهُ
فَرْداً يُجَرُّ على أَيْدِي المُفَدِّينَا
I pulled my cloak off my hand seizing it
Individually dragging along the redeeming hands from us.
ثُمَّ انْصَرَفْتُ بِهِ جَذْلاَنَ مُبْتَهِجاً
كَأَنَّهُ وَقْفُ عَاجٍ بَاتَ مَكْنُونَا
Then I went away briskly rejoicing with it
As if it were the estate of elephants hidden with us.
ومَأْتَمٍ كَالدُّمَى حُورٍ مَدَامِعُهَا
لمْ تَبْأَسِ العَيْشَ أَبْكاراً ولا عُونَا
And a funeral in which mourning women's tears
Have not tasted life as virgins or helpers for us.
شُمٍّ مُخَصَّرَةٍ صِينَتْ مُنَعَّمَةً
مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ بِإِذْنِ اللهِ يَشْفِينَا
Pure and healing from every disease, by God's leave
They will heal us.
كَأَنَّ أَعْيُنَ غِزْلاَنٍ إِذَا اكْتَحَلَتْ
بِالإِثْمِدِ الجَوْنِ قَدْ قَرَضْنَهَا حِينَا
As if the eyes of young gazelles when lined
With black kohl, it suited them for a while with us.
كَأَنَّهُنَّ الظِّبَاءُ الأُدْمُ أَسْكَنَهَا
ضَالٌ بِغُرَّةَ أَوْضَالٌ بِدَارِينَا
As if they are the beloved oryx does, so tame,
Straying in Murrah's valley or staying in our valley.
يَمْشِينَ هَيْلَ النَّقَا مَالَتْ جَوَانِبُهُ
يَنْهَالُ حِيناً ويَنْهَاهُ الثَّرَى حِينَا
They walk the waviness of sand dunes leaning sideways
Sometimes slipping, sometimes held back by the ground with us.
مِنْ رَمْلِ عِرْنَانَ أَوْ مِنْ رَمْلِ أَسْنُمَةٍ
جَعْدِ الثَّرَى بَاتَ في الأَمْطَارِ مَدْجُونَا
From the sands of ‘Irnah or from the sands of Asnumah
The curly ground in the rains lies buried with us.
يَهْزُزْنَ لِلْمَشْيِ أوصالاً مُنَعَّمَةً
هَزَّ الجَنُوبِ ضُحىً عِيدَانَ يَبْرينَا
They sway supple bodies for walking which
The south wind moves gently, slender branches with us.
أَوْ كَاهْتِزَازِ رُدَيْنَيٍّ تَدَاوَلَهُ
أَيْدِي التِّجَارِ فَزَادُوا مَتْنَهُ لِينَا
Or like the swaying of an Indian sword handled
By merchant’s hands, so they increased its flexibility with us.
بِيضٌ يُجَرِّدْنَ مِنْ أَلْحَاظِهِنَّ لَنَا
بِيضاً ويُغْمِدْنَ مَا جَرَّدْنَهُ فِينَا
Whites disrobing for us from their mantles
To disrobe in white and sheathe what they stripped off with us.
إِذَا نَطَقْنَ رَأَيْتَ الدرَّ مُنْتَثِراً
وإِنْ صَمَتْنَ رَأَيْتَ الدُّرَّ مَكْنُونَا
When they speak, you see scattered pearls
And if they are silent, you see concealed pearls with us.
نَازَعْتَ أَلْبَابَهَا لُبِّي بِمُخْتَزَنٍ
مِنَ الأَحَادِيثِ حَتَّى ازْدَدْنَ لي لِينَا
You take issue with their minds, and my heart
Stores from conversations until they double in gentleness for me.
في لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ ليَالِي الدَّهْرِ صَالِحَةٍ
لوْ كَانَ بَعْدَ انْصِرَافِ الدَّهْرِ مَأْمُونَا
On a night of the nights of fate worthy
Of eternity, if after the end of fate there was safety with us.
أَبْلِغْ خَدِيجاً فَإِنِّي قَدْ سَمِعْتُ لَهُ
بَعْضَ المَقَالَةِ يُهْدِيهَا فَتَأْتِينَا
Deliver, O messenger, for I have heard
Some of the speech which will guide her to come to us.
مَا لَكَ تَجْرِي إِلَيْنَا غَيْرَ ذِي رَسَنٍ
وقَدْ تَكُونُ إِذَا نُجْرِيكَ تُعْنِينَا
Why do you run to us without a beard
When you may, if we run you down, help us?
وقدْ بَرَيْتَ قِدَاحاً أَنْتَ مُرْسِلُهَا
ونَحْنُ رَامُوكَ فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ تَرْمِينَا
You have fled far away, you sent it forth
While we shoot at you, so see how you throw at us!
فَاقْصِدْ بِذَرْعِكَ واعْلَمْ لَوْ تُجَامِعُنَا
أَنَّا بَنُو الحَرْبِ نَسْقِيهَا وتَسْقِينَا
So aim with your arm, and know that if you fight us
We are the people of war, we give it to drink as it gives us drink.
سَمُّ الصَّبَاحِ بِخِرصَانٍ مُقَوَّمَةٍ
والمَشْرَفِيَّةُ نَهْدِيهَا بِأَيْدِينَا
Poisonous are the mountain tops with smoothed rocks
And we subjugate the Mashrafiya with our hands.
إِنَّا مَشَائِيمُ إِنْ أَرَّشْتَ جَاهِلَنَا
يَوْمَ الطَّعَانِ وتَلْقَاهَا مَيَامِينَا
We are quick to scatter if you incite our ignorance
On the day of battle, and it meets our blades.
وعَاقِدِ التَّاجِ أَوْ سَامٍ لَهُ شَرَفٌ
مِنْ سُوقَةِ النَّاسِ نَالَتْهُ عَوَالِينَا
We have the binder of the crown or one exalted over it
Whose nobility the people's leadership brought to us.
فَاسْتَبْهَلَ الحَرْبَ مِنْ حَرَّانَ مُطَّرِدٍ
حَتَّى يَظَلَّ عَلَى الكَفَّيْنِ مَرْهُونَا
So he took war lightly against the Harran ever ready
Until he remained bound by the two hands with us.
وإِنَّ فِينَا صَبُوحاً إِنْ أَرِبْتَ بِهِ
جَمْعاً بَهِيّاً وآلاَفاً ثَمَانِينَا
And among us is Sabbah, if you contend against him,
A goodly army of eighty thousand with us.
ومُقْرَبَاتٍ عَنَاجِيجاً مُطَهَّمَةً
مِنْ آلِ أَعْوَجَ مَلْحُوفاً ومَلْبُونَا
And intimate she-camels, swift steeds, ripe,
From the family of ‘Auaj, mixed and compressed with us.
إِذَا تَجَاوَبْنَ صَعَّدْنَ الصَّهِيلِ إِلَى
صُلْبِ الشُّؤُونِ ولَمْ تَصْهَلْ بَرَاذِينَا
When they call out to each other their whinny rises up
To the essence of affairs, and they do not neigh with us weakly.
ورَجْلَةً يَضْرِبُونَ البَيْضَ عَنْ عُرُضٍ
ضَرْباً تَوَاصَى بِهِ الأَبْطَالُ سِجِّينَا
And footsoldiers who strike the white spot on the shoulders
With a blow the heroes swear allegiance to with us.
فَلاَ تَكُونَنَّ كَالنَّازِي بِبِطْنَتِهِ
بَيْنَ القَرْينَيْنِ حَتَّى ظَلَّ مَقْرُونَا
So do not be like the one planted in his belly
Between the two ranks until he remained paired with us.
