أَهلاً بِها قَوادِماً رَواحِلا

أَهلاً بِها قَوادِماً رَواحِلا

تَطوي الفَلا وَتَقطَعُ المَراحِلا

تَطوي الفَلا وَتَقطَعُ المَراحِلا

Welcome to them, arriving and departing,

With her came the caravans, the she-camels journeying

folding up the deserts and crossing the journey's stages.

Traversing the emptiness and cutting across the stages

تَذَكَّرَت آكامَ دَربَنداتِها

تَذَكَّرَت آكامَ دَربَنداتِها

وَعافَتِ الأَجامَ وَالمَراحِلا

وَعافَتِ الأَجامَ وَالمَراحِلا

They remembered the hillocks of their Darbands,

She recalled the stony slopes of her Durban and their passes

and forsook the thickets and the stopping places.

And excused the water-skins and the stages

أَذكَرَها عَرفُ الرَبيعِ إِلفَها

أَذكَرَها عَرفُ الرَبيعِ إِلفَها

فَأَقبَلَت لِشَوقِها حَوامِلا

فَأَقبَلَت لِشَوقِها حَوامِلا

Spring's fragrance reminded them of their mates,

The season’s spring air reminded her of her familiarity with it

so they came, bearing their longing.

So she came driven by yearning, pregnant

نَفرَقُ في الجَوِّ بِصَوتٍ مُطرِبٍ

نَفرَقُ في الجَوِّ بِصَوتٍ مُطرِبٍ

يَشوقُ مَن كانَ إِلَيها مائِلا

يَشوقُ مَن كانَ إِلَيها مائِلا

Cranes in the sky, with a melodious cry

Calling joyfully across the air with a melodious voice

that stirs longing in whoever was drawn to them.

That makes whoever is inclined to her yearn

هَديَّةُ الصِنفِ وَدَربَندِيَّةٌ

هَديَّةُ الصِنفِ وَدَربَندِيَّةٌ

أَو خُزَريّاتٌ بَدَت أَصائِلا

أَو خُزَريّاتٌ بَدَت أَصائِلا

A gift of the breed, and birds of Darband,

A gift of youth or a caravan from Durban

or Khazar birds, appearing purebred.

Or Khuzari pearls that seemed threaded

لَمّا رَأَت حَرَّ المَصيفِ مُقبِلا

لَمّا رَأَت حَرَّ المَصيفِ مُقبِلا

وَطيبَ بَردِ القَرِّ ظِلّاً زائِلا

وَطيبَ بَردِ القَرِّ ظِلّاً زائِلا

When they saw summer's heat approaching,

When she saw the heat of summer approaching

and winter's pleasant chill a vanishing shade,

And the sweet coolness of autumn, a vanishing shadow

أَهمَلَتِ التَخبيطَ في مَطارِها

أَهمَلَتِ التَخبيطَ في مَطارِها

وَعَسكَرَت لِسَيرِها قَوافِلا

وَعَسكَرَت لِسَيرِها قَوافِلا

they abandoned floundering in their flight,

She neglected her gadding about during her heat period

and mustered for their journey in caravans.

And marshalled her caravans for the journey

مِن بَعدِ ما مَرَّت بِها أَخياطُها

مِن بَعدِ ما مَرَّت بِها أَخياطُها

كَما نَظَمتَ في البُرى البَوازِلا

كَما نَظَمتَ في البُرى البَوازِلا

After their strings had passed through them,

After her sewers had passed by her

as you string mature camels together by their nose rings.

As you threaded pearls on a string in the wilderness

تَنهَضُ مِن صَرحِ الجَليلِ تَحتَها

تَنهَضُ مِن صَرحِ الجَليلِ تَحتَها

بِأَرجُلٍ لِبَردِهِ قَوابِلا

بِأَرجُلٍ لِبَردِهِ قَوابِلا

They rise from the pavilion of tall grass beneath them,

She rises from the lofty, majestic abode

on legs receptive to its cold.

With feet firm against the cold

قَد أَنِفَت أَيّامُ كانونٍ لَها

قَد أَنِفَت أَيّامُ كانونٍ لَها

مِن أَن تُرى مِنَ الحِلى عَواطِلا

مِن أَن تُرى مِنَ الحِلى عَواطِلا

The days of Kanun disdained, on their behalf,

The days of December refused for her

that they should be seen bereft of ornaments.

To be seen adorned with ankle-rings

فَصاغَتِ الطَلَّ لَها قَلائِداً

فَصاغَتِ الطَلَّ لَها قَلائِداً

وَالثَلجَ في أَرجُلِها خَلاخِلا

وَالثَلجَ في أَرجُلِها خَلاخِلا

So they fashioned dew into necklaces for them,

So sleet wrought necklaces for her

and snow into anklets upon their legs.

And frost in her feet, anklets

لَمّا دَعاني صاحِبي لِبَرزَةٍ

لَمّا دَعاني صاحِبي لِبَرزَةٍ

وَنَبَّهَ الزَميلَ وَالمَقاوِلا

وَنَبَّهَ الزَميلَ وَالمَقاوِلا

When my friend called me for an outing,

When my friend called me for an outing

and roused the companion and the chieftains,

And awakened his companion and partners

أَجَبتُهُ مُستَبشِراً بِقَصدِها

أَجَبتُهُ مُستَبشِراً بِقَصدِها

نَبَّهتُمُ لَيثَ عَرينٍ باسِلا

نَبَّهتُمُ لَيثَ عَرينٍ باسِلا

I answered him, delighted to pursue them:

I responded joyfully at her approach

"You have roused a valiant lion of the lair!"

And awakened them, a formidable lion in its lair

ثُمَّ بَرَزنا نَقتَفي آثارَهُ

ثُمَّ بَرَزنا نَقتَفي آثارَهُ

وَنَقصِدُ الأَملاقَ وَالمَناهِلا

وَنَقصِدُ الأَملاقَ وَالمَناهِلا

Then we went forth, following his tracks,

Then we went out following her tracks

and making for the bare plains and watering places.

Heading for the water-holes and springs

بَينَ قَديمٍ وَزَميلٍ صادِقٍ

بَينَ قَديمٍ وَزَميلٍ صادِقٍ

لا زالَ شُكري لَهُما مُواصِلا

لا زالَ شُكري لَهُما مُواصِلا

Between an old friend and a faithful companion—

Between an old friend and a loyal companion

may my gratitude to them both endure.

For whom my gratitude still endures

وَالصُبحُ قَد أَعَمَّنا بِنورِهِ

وَالصُبحُ قَد أَعَمَّنا بِنورِهِ

لَمّا اِنثَنى جِنحُ الظَلامِ راحِلا

لَمّا اِنثَنى جِنحُ الظَلامِ راحِلا

And dawn had enveloped us all in its light,

Dawn had overwhelmed us with its light

as the wing of darkness turned away, departing.

When the wing of darkness departed

تَخالُ ضَوءَ الصُبحِ فَوداً شائِباً

تَخالُ ضَوءَ الصُبحِ فَوداً شائِباً

وَتَحسَبُ اللَيلَ خِضاباً ناصِلا

وَتَحسَبُ اللَيلَ خِضاباً ناصِلا

You would take dawn's light for a graying temple,

You’d think the light of dawn a confused gleam

and think night a fading dye.

And deem the night a retiring dark dye

وَقَد أَقَمنا في المَقاماتِ لَها

وَقَد أَقَمنا في المَقاماتِ لَها

مَعالِماً تَحسَبُها مَجاهِلا

مَعالِماً تَحسَبُها مَجاهِلا

And we had set up at the stations for them

And we’d set up landmarks for her in the stopping places

landmarks you would mistake for trackless wastes.

That the ignorant would think shifting sands

وَأَعيُنُ الأُسدِ إِذا جَنَّ الدُجى

وَأَعيُنُ الأُسدِ إِذا جَنَّ الدُجى

أَذكَت لَنا أَحداقُها مَشاعِلا

أَذكَت لَنا أَحداقُها مَشاعِلا

And the lions' eyes, when darkness fell—

And the eyes of Leo, when gloom collects

their pupils kindled torches for us.

Kindled for us their glowing embers

نَرشُقُها مِن تَحتِها بِبُندُقٍ

نَرشُقُها مِن تَحتِها بِبُندُقٍ

يَعرُجُ كَالشُهبِ إِلَيها واصِلا

يَعرُجُ كَالشُهبِ إِلَيها واصِلا

We shoot at them from beneath with pellets

We shoot at her from beneath, with muskets

that rise like shooting stars and reach them.

That rise to her continuous like shooting stars

فَما رَقى تَحتَ الطُيورِ صاعِدٌ

فَما رَقى تَحتَ الطُيورِ صاعِدٌ

إِلّا اِغتَدى بِها البَلاءُ نازِلا

إِلّا اِغتَدى بِها البَلاءُ نازِلا

No rising shot climbed beneath the birds

So nothing flying beneath the birds ascended

without calamity descending upon them.

Without calamity befalling it, descending

لِلَّهِ أَيّامُ بِهورٍ بابِلٍ

لِلَّهِ أَيّامُ بِهورٍ بابِلٍ

أَضحى بِها الدَهرُ عَلينا باخِلا

أَضحى بِها الدَهرُ عَلينا باخِلا

God, those days in Babil's marsh!

By God, the days at Bahuwar Babylon

Time has grown miserly toward us with them.

On which time has been miserly towards us

فَكَم قَضَينا فيهِ شَملاً جامِعاً

فَكَم قَضَينا فيهِ شَملاً جامِعاً

وَكَم صَحِبنا فيهِ جَمعاً شامِلا

وَكَم صَحِبنا فيهِ جَمعاً شامِلا

How often we spent time there in united company,

How much did we spend united there

and how often we joined an all-embracing gathering there!

And how much did we gather there embracing all

فَهَل تُرى تَرجِعُ أَيّامٌ بِهِ

فَهَل تُرى تَرجِعُ أَيّامٌ بِهِ

في جَذَلٍ قَد كانَ فيهِ حاصِلا

في جَذَلٍ قَد كانَ فيهِ حاصِلا

Will days there return, do you think,

Will such days in it return, do you think

with the joy that once was found there?

When it had been so fruitful?

هَيهاتَ مَهما يَستَعِر مُستَرجِعٌ

هَيهاتَ مَهما يَستَعِر مُستَرجِعٌ

أَراجِعٌ لي الدَهرُ حَولاً كامِلا

أَراجِعٌ لي الدَهرُ حَولاً كامِلا

Alas, no! However much one seeking return may burn,

Alas no! However much one who yearns to regain

will Time give me back a whole year?

Returns to me, time will not complete a cycle