أَرَسمَ دِيارٍ بِالسِتارَينِ تَعرِفُ
عَفَتها شَمالٌ ذاتُ نيرَينِ حَرجَفُ
He depicted a land with drapes I recognize
Its chastity the north, having two rivers, knows
مُبَكِّرَةٌ لِلدارِ أَيما ثُمامُها
فَيَبقى وَأَيما عَن حَصاها فَتَقرِفُ
An early comer to the abode whatever of its youth
Remains, and whatever of its pebbles is picked up
حَرونٌ عَلى الأَطلالِ مِن كُلِّ صَيفَةٍ
وَفَقّا عَلَيها ذو عَثانينَ أَكلَفُ
The free-roaming gazelles upon the ruins of every summer
And the hyenas frequenting it with blackened ankles
إِذا حَنَّ سُلّافُ الرَبيعِ أَمامَها
وَراحَت رَواياهُ عَلى الأَرضِ تَرجُفُ
When the harbinger of spring sighs before it
And its meadows upon the earth flutter
فَلَم تَدَعِ الأَرواحُ وَالماءُ وَالبِلى
مِنَ الدارِ إِلّا مايَشوقُ وَيَشعَفُ
Neither the spirits, nor the rain, nor decay
Left of the abode except what arouses longing and is enchanting
رُسوماً كَآياتِ الكِتابِ مُبينَةٍ
بِها لِلحَزينِ الصَبِّ مَبكى وَمَوقِفُ
Traces like verses of the clear book
With it the earnest love has a weeping place and a pause
وَقَفتُ بِها وَالدَمعُ يَجري حَبابَهُ
عَلى النَحرِ حَتّى كادَتِ الشَمسُ تُكسَفُ
I stopped by it, tears flowing down my throat
Almost eclipsing the sun
تَذَكَّرتَ أَيّاماً تَسَلَّفتُ لينَها
عَلى لِذَّةٍ لَو يُرجَعُ المُتَسَلَّفُ
You recalled days long gone
With a pleasure, if only the bygone could return
كَأَنَّكَ لَم تَعهَد بِها الحَيَّ جيرَةً
جَميعَ الهَوى في عَيشِهِ ماتُصَرِّفُ
As if you had never known it inhabited, all of passion in its living
Is preoccupied
إِذِ الناسُ ناسٌ وَالبِلادُ بِغِرَّةٍ
وَأَنتَ بِها صَبُّ القَرينَةِ مولِفُ
When people are fickle and the lands capricious
And you, the companion of harmony, harmonizing
وَقَد كانَ في الهِجرانِ لَو كُنتَ ناسِياً
رَميمَ وَهَل يُنسى رَبيعٌ وَصَيَّفُ
And estrangement would have made you forget, had you forgotten
The remains and spring and summer
وَلَم تُنسِني الأَيّامُ وَالبَغيُ بَينَنا
رَميمُ وَلا قَذفُ النَوى حينَ تَقذِفُ
Neither days nor separation between us made me forget
The remains, nor the casting of berries when they are cast
وَلَم يَحلُ في عَيني بَديلٌ مَكانَها
وَلَم يَلتَبِس بي حَبلُ مَن يَتَعَطَّفُ
No substitute took its place in my eyes
No rope was entangled with me by one who flatters
وَقَد حَلَفَت وَالسِترُ بَيني وَبَينَها
بِرَبِّ حَجيجٍ قَد أَهَلّوا وَعَرَّفوا
You had sworn, and the veil was between me and it
By the Lord of the pilgrims who performed hajj and knew
عَلى ضُمَّرٍ في الميسِ يَنفُخنَ في البُرى
إِذا شابَكَت أَنيابُها اللَجنَ تَصرِفِ
The gathers, breathing fire into the dunes
When their fangs mix with melted copper
لَقَد مَسَّني مِنكِ الجَوى غَيرَ أَنَّني
أَخافُ كَما يَخشى عَلى ذاكَ أَحِلفُ
Your passion has touched me, though I fear
As one fears for the oath-taker
وَكانَ صُدودٌ بَعدَ ناءَبطَنَ الهَوى
قُلوباً فَكادَت لِلَّذي كانَ تُجنَفُ
They were averse after the intimacy of love
Hearts that almost hated what they had loved
كَتَركِ الأَميمِ الهائِمِ الماءَ بَعدَما
تَنَحّى بِكَفَّيهِ يَسوفُ وَيَغرِفُ
Like leaving the roaming camel, the water after
It turned away with its palms, slowly and ladling
وَداوِيَّةٌ لايَأمَنُ الرَكبُ جَوزَها
بِها صارِخاتُ الهامِ وَالبومِ يَهتِفُ
A perilous grove, travelers fear its walnuts
The ones the zebras and owls cry out to
دَعاني بِها داعي رَميمٍ وَبَينَنا
بَهيمُ الحَواشي ذو أَهاويلِ أَغضَفُ
Its ruins called me, and between us
A terrified beast with awful horrors
تَقَحَّمتُ لَيلَ العيسِ وَهيَ رَذِيَّةٌ
وَكَلَّفتُ أَصحابي الوَجيفَ فَأَوجَفوا
I ventured the pitch-dark night, ominous
And tasked my friends, terrified,
لِنِخبِرَ عَنها أَو نَرى سَروَ أَرضِها
وَقَد يُتعِبُ الرَكبَ المُحِبُّ المُكَلَّفُ
To inform about it or see the land’s Saroo
The lover’s burden tires the caravan
وَلَو لَم تَمِل بِالعيسِ مَعوِيَّةُ العُرى
لَمالَ بِها أَيكٌ أَثيثٌ وَغَريفُ
Had not the camel litter despaired of the pitch dark
Any weak camel would have slipped away
وَمَكنونَةٌ سودُ المَجاثِمِ لَم يَزَل
يُهَيِّرَها لِلعَيكَتَينِ التَلَهُّفِ
Concealed are the black veils, hyenas
Always startled them for the two hyena cubs
وَما العَيشُ إِلّا في ثَلاثٍ هِيَ المُنى
فَمَن نالَها مِن بَعدُ لا يَتَخَوَّفُ
Life is but three things: the wishes
Whoever obtains them afterward has no fear
صِحابَةُ فِتيانٍ عَلى ناعِجِيَّةٍ
مَناسِمُها بِالأَمعَزِ المَحلِ تَرعُفُ
Comrades of youths upon a she-camel
Her teats milked by the white goat bleat
وَكَأسٌ بِأَيدي الساقِيَينِ رَوِيَّةٌ
يُمِدّانِ راوُقيهِما حينَ تُنزَفُ
A cup in the hands of cupbearers delicious
They stretch out their palms when it is poured
وَرَبَّةُ خِدرٍ يَنفُحُ المِسكَ جَيبُها
تَضَوَّعَ رَيّاها بِهِ حينَ تَصدِفُ
A lady of a tent, musk exhales from her collar
She donned it, it clinked when she fastened
إِذا سُلِبَت فَوقَ الحَشِيّاتِ أَشرَقَت
كَما أَشرَقَ الدِعصَ الهِجانُ المُصَيَّفُ
When she was exposed above the cushions she shone
Like the gleam of the polished Indian sword
