غَداً نَغتَدي لِلبَينِ أَو نَتَروَّحُ

وَعِندَ النَوى يَبدُو الغَرامُ المُبرِّحُ

Tomorrow we depart into separation, at dawn or at evening;

and when parting comes, tormenting love reveals itself.

غَداً تُقفِرُ الأَطلالُ مِمَّن نَوَدُّهُ

وَيُمسي غُرابُ البَينِ فيها وَيُصبِحُ

Tomorrow the encampment ruins will stand desolate, emptied of those we love,

and the raven of separation will dwell there, evening and morning.

غَداً تَذهَبُ الأَظعانُ يُمنى وَيَسرَةً

وَيَحدو تَواليها نَجاحٌ وَمُنجِحُ

Tomorrow the camel-litters will go rightward and leftward,

as Najāḥ and Munjiḥ sing their successive files onward.

فَيا باكياً قَبلَ النَوى خَشيَةَ النَوى

رُوَيداً بِعَينٍ جَفنُها سَوفَ يَقرَحُ

O you who weep before the departure, fearing the departure,

gently with an eye whose lid will soon be raw.

وَلا تَعجَلَن وَاِستَبقِ دَمعَكَ إِنَّني

رَأَيتُ السَّحابَ الجَونَ بِالقَطرِ يَنزَحُ

Do not be hasty; husband your tears, for I

have seen the dark raincloud run dry of rain.

إِذا كُنتَ تَبكي وَالأَحِبَّةِ لَم يَرِد

ببَينهمُ إِلّا حَديثٌ مُطوَّحُ

If you weep when nothing has yet reached you

of the beloveds’ departure but a far-flung report,

فَكَيفَ إِذا ما أَصبَحَت عَينُ مالِكٍ

وَحَبلُ الغَضا مِن دونِهم وَالمَسيَّحُ

what then, when ʿAyn Mālik,

Ḥabl al-Ghaḍā, and al-Masīḥ lie between you and them?

فَكُفَّ شُؤونَ الدَمعِ حَتّى تَحُثُّها

غَداً ثُمَّ تَهمي كَيفَ شاءَت وَتَسفَحُ

So hold back the channels of tears until tomorrow

awakens them; then let them flow and pour as they will.

خَليليَّ هُبّا مِن كَرى النَّومِ وَاِنظُرا

مَخائِلَ هَذا البَرقِ مِن حَيثُ يَلمَحُ

My two companions, rise from the stupor of sleep and look

toward the signs of this lightning, wherever it flashes.

لَقَد كِدتُ مِمّا كادَ أَن يَستَفِزَّني

أَبوحُ بِسِرّي في الهَوى وَأُصرِّحُ

I nearly, because of what nearly swept me away,

divulged my secret love and declared it openly.

ذَكَرتُ بِهِ ثَغرَ الحَبيبِ وَحُسنَهُ

إِذا ما تَجَلّى ضاحِكاً وَهوَ يَمرَحُ

Through it I remembered the beloved’s mouth and its beauty,

whenever the beloved appeared laughing and frolicking.

وَيا حَبّذا ذاكَ الجَبينُ الَّذي غَدا

يَلوحُ عَلَيهِ الزَعفَرانُ المُذَرَّحُ

And that brow—how lovely, that brow upon which

scattered saffron gleamed.

فَكَم لَيلَةٍ قَد كادَ يَخطِفُ ناظِري

وَنَحنُ بِميدانِ الدُعابَةِ نَمرَحُ

How many a night it nearly stole away my gaze,

while we frolicked in the field of playful teasing.