أَلاَ هَل مِن البَينِ المُفَرِّقِ مِن بُدِّ

وَهَل لِلَيَالٍ قَد تَسَلَّفنَ مِن رَدِّ

Alas! Is there no clear separation from constant love

And respite from nights that have borrowed against me?

وَهل مِثلُ أََيّامٍ بِنَعَفِ سَوِيقَةٍ

رَوَاجِعُ أيّامٍ كما كُنَّ بالسَّعدِ

Are days like the swaying ears of barley

Ever to return as they were in good fortune?

وَهل أَخَوَاكَ اليَومَ إِن قُلتَ عَرِّجا

عَلَى الأَثلِ مِن وَدّانَ وَالمَشرَبِ البَردِ

If I said today, "Turn aside, friends,

To the shade of the branches and cold drink,"

مُقِيمانِ حتّى يَقضيا مِن لُبَانَةٍ

فَيَستَوجِبَا أَجرى وَيَستَكمِلاَ حَمدِى

Would you stay put until completing an errand

To earn your wage and fulfill my praise?

وإلاّ فَسِيرَا فالسَّلاَمُ عَلَيكُما

فمالَكما غَيِّ وَمالَكُما رُشدِى

Or will you leave with peace upon you both -

For you have no right guidance or steadfastness from me.

وَلاَ بِيَدَىِّ اليَومَ مِن حَبلِىَ الَّذِى

أُنَازَعُ مِن إِرخَائِهِ لاَ وَلاَ شَدِّى

I have no rope today that I can tug on

Or relax without contention or pulling.

وَلكِن بِكَّقى أُمِّ عَمرٍو فَليتَهَا

إِذا وَلِيَت رَهناً تَلِى الرَّهنَ بِالقَصدِ

Rather, Umm 'Amr pledged surety. Would that

When pledging surety, she would follow through faithfully!

أَلاَ لَيتَ شِعرِى مالَّذِى تُحدِثَنَّ لي

نَوَى غَربَةِ الدّارِ المُشِتَّةِ وَالبُعدِ

Alas! I wish I knew what brings me

Thoughts of the loneliness of a distant house and land -

نَوَى أُمِّ عَمرٍو حَيثُ تَغتَرِبُ النَّوَى

بها ثُمَّ يَخلو الكاشِحُونَ بها بَعدِى

Thoughts of Umm 'Amr where thoughts wander,

Then the spying backbiters have their way after me.

أَتَصرِمُ لِلاّئى الّذينَ هُمُ العِدَى

وَتُشمِتُهُم بى اُمُّ عَمرِو عَلَى وُدِّى

Do I become hostile to those who are enemies

While Umm 'Amr gloats over them against my love?

وَظَنِّى بِها مِن كُلِّ ظَنٍّ بِغَائِبٍ

وَفِىٍّ بِنُصحٍ أَو يَدُومُ عَلَى العَهدِ

And my thoughts of her are every thought of an absent one -

Loyal in advice or lasting in covenant.

وَظَنِّى بها وَاللهِ أَن لَن تَضِيرَنِى

وُشَاةٌ لَدَيها لاَ يَضِيرُونَهَا عِندِى

By God, my thoughts of her are that she will never harm me

When she has a ewe that will not harm her in my eyes.

وَقَد زَعَمُوا أَنَّ المُحِبَّ إِذَا دَنَا

يَمَلُّ وَاَنَّ النَّأى يَشفِى مِنَ الوَجدِ

They claimed that a lover, when close, is wearied,

And distance cures the pining.

بِكُلٍّ تَدَاوَينَا فَلَم يُشفَ مَا بِنَا

عَلَى أَنَّ قُربَ الدَّارِ خَيرٌ مِنَ البُعدِ

We have tried every cure, but nothing cured us -

Though nearness of home is better than remoteness.

هَوَاىَ بِهذَا الغَورِ غَورِ تِهَامَةٍ

وَلَيسَ بِهَذا الحَيِّ مِن مُستوَى نَجدِ

My love lies in this valley, the valley of Tihama,

And this land is not like the plateau of Najd.

فَوَاللهِ رَبِّ البَيتِ لاَ تَجِدِينَنِى

تَطَلَّبتُ قَطعَ الحَبلٍ مِنكُم عَلَى عَمدِ

By God, Lord of the House, you will never find me

Deliberately cutting ties with you all.

وَلا أَشتَرِى أَمراً يَكُونُ قَطِيعَةً

لِمَا بَينَنَا حَتّى اُغَيِّبَ فِى اللَّحدِ

Nor will I seek to do what would sever

What lies between us until I am laid in the grave.

فَمِن حُبِّهَا اَحبَبتُ مَن لاَ يُحِبُّنِى

وَصَانَعتُ مِن قَد كنتُ أُبعِدُهُ جَهدِى

Out of love for her I've loved those who don't love me

And befriended those I used to shun with all my might.

أَلاّ رُبَّمَا أَهدَى لِيَ الشَّوقَ وَالجَوَى

عَلى النَّأىِ مِنهَا ذُكرَةٌ قَلَّمَا تُجدِى

Alas! Sometimes yearning and passion

For her from afar stir a remembrance seldom felt.

أَلا يا صَبا نَجدٍ مَتَى هِجتَ مِن نَجدِ

لَقَد زَادَنِى مَسرَاكَ وَجداً عَلَى وَجدِى

O morning breeze of Najd! When you blow from Najd,

You increase my joy and compound my pining.

أَأَن هَتَفَت وَرقَاءُ فِى رَونَقِ الضُّحَى

عَلَى فَنَنِ غَضِّ النَّباتِ مِنَ الرَّندِ

Did the tender leaves tremble at dawn

Over the blossoms of soft green vegetation?

بَكيتَ كَما يَبكِى الوَليدُ وَلَم تَكُن

جَلِيداً وَاَبدَيتَ الَّذِى لَم تَكُن تُبدِى

You wept as a newborn weeps, though you were not

Hardened, and showed what you did not use to show.

وَحَنَّت قَلُوصِى مِن عَدَانَ إِلى نَجدِ

وَلَم يُنسِهَا أَوطَانَهَا قِدَمُ العَهدِ

My camel-litter turned from 'Adan to Najd,

Yet the passage of time did not make it forget its homeland.

إِذا شِئتُ لاَقَيتُ القِلاَصَ وَلا أَرَى

لِقَومِىَ أَشبَاهاً فَيَألَفَهُم وُدِّى

If I wish, I meet the warriors, but I do not see

Among my people any like them, beloved by my love.

وَأَرمِى الَّذِى يَرمُون عَن قَوسِ بِغضَةٍ

وَلَيسَ عَلى مَولاَىَ حَدِّى وَلاَ جِدِّى

I cast off those who cast off from a bow of hatred -

For neither against my lord is my zeal nor my earnestness.