وَآلِفَةٍ بَردَ الحِجالِ اِحتَوَيتُها
وَقَد نامَ مَن يَخشى عَلَيها وَأَسحَرا
A friendly camp whose tents defend from biting frost,
Where sleeps the one I fear for, though secure from harm.
تَغَلغَلَ وَقّاعٌ إِلَيها وَأَقبَلَت
تَجوسُ خُدارِيّاً مِنَ اللَيلِ أَخضَرا
The sand creeps up, approaching it, while from the dark
Of night a green wind wanders, softly murmuring.
لَطيفٌ إِذا ما اِنسَلَّ أَدرَكَ ما اِبتَغى
إِذا هُوَ لِلطِنءِ المَخوفِ تَقَتَّرا
When crafty he descends, he gains his heart's desire,
Although when fearful crashings sound he cowers back.
يَزيدُ عَلى ما كُنتُ أَوصَيتُهُ بِهِ
وَإِن ناكَرَتهُ الآنَ ثُمَّتَ أَنكَرا
More than I charged him with he brings me, though as yet
Ungrateful, she disowns it all and then denies.
وَلَو أَنَّها تَدعو صَدايَ أَجابَها
صَدايَ لِعَهدٍ بَعدَها ما تَغَيَّرا
And if she called my name I would reply at once,
For names unchanged persist though times and men may change.
يَقولُ أَما يَنهاكَ عَن طَلَبِ الصِبا
لِداتُكَ قَد شابوا وَإِن كُنتَ أَكبَرا
"Does not the whiteness of your hair forbid," says he,
"Your courting youth, although you still are in its prime?"
مِنِ اِبنِ الثَمانينِ الَّذي لَيسَ وارِداً
وَلا جائِياً مِن غَيبَةٍ مُتَنَظَّرا
"Because I'm eighty?" I reply. "I do not come
Expecting nor expecting to return again from my long absence."
أَبَت مُقلَتا عَينَيَّ وَالصاحِبُ الَّذي
عَصى الظَنَّ مُذ كُنتُ الغُلامَ الحَزَوَّرا
My eyes have been denied and she, my soul's delight,
Who long ago when I was a stammering lad disdained me.
وَقَد كُنتُ لا لَهواً تُريدُ لِقاءَهُ
فَقَد كُنتُ إِذ أَمشي إِلَيكَ كَأَوجَرا
Yet 'twas no frivolous desire that sought her face;
When I walked out to you I was like one enchained.
لِقاؤُكِ في حَيثُ اِلتَقَينا وَإِنَّما
أَطَعتُ مَواثيقَ الجَرِيِّ المُكَرَّرا
Our meeting where we met - I only did fulfil
Vows sworn of old and oft repeated o'er again.
وَلَيلَةَ بِتنا دَيرَ حَسّانَ نَبَّهَت
هُجوداً وَعيساً كَالخَسِيّاتِ ضُمَّرا
The night we passed at Hassan's convent and the sobs
Of camels, like enshrouded women, broke our sleep.
بَكَت ناقَتي لَيلاً فَهاجَ بُكاؤُها
فُؤاداً إِلى أَهلِ الوَريعَةِ أَصوَرا
My camel wept all night until her weeping moved
My heart to long for the Valley's folks once more.
وَحَنَّت حَنيناً مُنكَراً هَيَّجَت بِهِ
عَلى ذي هَوىً مِن شَوقِهِ ما تَنَكَّرا
She moaned a moaning strange that wrenched my very soul
With longing for a loved one's voice I could not hear.
فَبِتنا قُعوداً بَينَ مُلتَزِمِ الهَوى
وَناهي جُمانِ العَينِ أَن يَتَحَدَّرا
We sat the night between one bound by passion's vow
And one forbidding eyes that would be wet to weep.
