أَتُرى البارِقَ الَّذي لاحَ ليلا

أَتُرى البارِقَ الَّذي لاحَ ليلا

مَرَّ بِالحَيِّ مِن مَرابِعِ لَيلى

مَرَّ بِالحَيِّ مِن مَرابِعِ لَيلى

Do you see the lightning flash that shone by night—

Do you think the lightning that flashed by night

passing the tribe’s camp among Layla’s springtime haunts?

passed the encampment among Layla's spring pastures?

وَتَرى السُحبَ مُذ نَشَأنَ ثِقالاً

وَتَرى السُحبَ مُذ نَشَأنَ ثِقالاً

سَحَبَت في رُبوعِ بابِلَ ذَيلا

سَحَبَت في رُبوعِ بابِلَ ذَيلا

And do you see the clouds, heavy from the moment they arose,

And do you think the clouds, since rising heavy,

trailing their skirts across the dwelling places of Babylon?

have trailed a hem through Babylon's dwellings?

ما أَضا البارِقُ العِراقيُّ إِلّا

ما أَضا البارِقُ العِراقيُّ إِلّا

أَرسَلَت مُقلَتي مِنَ الدَمعِ سَيلا

أَرسَلَت مُقلَتي مِنَ الدَمعِ سَيلا

The Iraqi lightning never flashed but that

The Iraqi lightning never flashed

my eye sent forth a torrent of tears.

without my eye pouring forth a torrent of tears.

وَتَذَكَّرتُ جيرَةً بِمَغاني

وَتَذَكَّرتُ جيرَةً بِمَغاني

هِ وَنَدباً مِن آلِ سَنبَسَ قَيلا

هِ وَنَدباً مِن آلِ سَنبَسَ قَيلا

And I remembered neighbors in its abodes—

And I remembered neighbors in its dwellings,

and a gallant chief of the house of Sunbus.

and a noble chieftain of the house of Sanbas.

عَمَّنا بِالوَدادِ في حالَةِ القُر

عَمَّنا بِالوَدادِ في حالَةِ القُر

بِ وَأَهدى لَنا عَلى البُعدِ نيلا

بِ وَأَهدى لَنا عَلى البُعدِ نيلا

He embraced us with affection whenever we were near,

He embraced us with affection when we were near,

and, even from afar, bestowed bounty upon us.

and sent us bounty even from afar.

وَحَمَلَنا بِضاعَةَ الحُكرِ مُزجا

وَحَمَلَنا بِضاعَةَ الحُكرِ مُزجا

ةً فَأَوفى لَنا مِنَ الوُدِّ كَيلا

ةً فَأَوفى لَنا مِنَ الوُدِّ كَيلا

We brought him meager wares from what we had hoarded,

And we brought paltry wares from hoarded stock,

and he gave us affection’s measure in full.

so he gave us affection in full measure.

كَيفَ أَنسى تِلكَ الدِيارَ وَمَغنىً

كَيفَ أَنسى تِلكَ الدِيارَ وَمَغنىً

عامِراً قَد رَبيتُ فيهِ طُفيلا

عامِراً قَد رَبيتُ فيهِ طُفيلا

How could I forget those abodes, and a flourishing home

How can I forget those homes, and an abode

where I was raised as a little child?

flourishing, where I grew up as a little child?

أَتَمَنّى العِراقَ في أَرضِ حَرّا

أَتَمَنّى العِراقَ في أَرضِ حَرّا

نَ وَهَل تُدرِكُ الثُرَيّا سُهيلا

نَ وَهَل تُدرِكُ الثُرَيّا سُهيلا

I yearn for Iraq while in the land of Har—

I long for Iraq in the land of Harran—

ran—but can the Pleiades ever reach Canopus?

and can the Pleiades reach Canopus?

يا دِيارَ الأَحبابِ ما كانَ أَهنى

يا دِيارَ الأَحبابِ ما كانَ أَهنى

بِمَغانيكَ عيشَنا وَأُحَيلى

بِمَغانيكَ عيشَنا وَأُحَيلى

O dwellings of the beloved, how blissful

O homes of loved ones, how blissful

and sweet our life was in your precincts!

was our life in your dwellings, and how sweet!

كَم جَلَونا بِأُفقِكِ البَدرَ صُبحاً

كَم جَلَونا بِأُفقِكِ البَدرَ صُبحاً

وَاِجتَلَينا بِجُوِّكِ الشَمسَ لَيلا

وَاِجتَلَينا بِجُوِّكِ الشَمسَ لَيلا

How often, in broad morning light, we unveiled the full moon upon your horizon,

How often we unveiled the full moon at your horizon in the morning,

and at night beheld the sun in your sky!

and beheld the sun in your sky at night!

وَأَمِنّا الأَعداءَ لَمّا جَعَلنا

وَأَمِنّا الأَعداءَ لَمّا جَعَلنا

سورَ تِلكَ الدِيارِ رَجلاً وَخَيلا

سورَ تِلكَ الدِيارِ رَجلاً وَخَيلا

We were safe from enemies once we made

And we were safe from enemies when we made

men and horsemen the rampart of those abodes.

footmen and horses the rampart of those homes.

أَنتَدي في حِماكِ كَعباً وَمَغنىً

أَنتَدي في حِماكِ كَعباً وَمَغنىً

وَإِذا شِئتُ سَنبَساً وَعُقَيلا

وَإِذا شِئتُ سَنبَساً وَعُقَيلا

Within your shelter I would join Ka‘b’s council and find a home;

I join Ka'b and Maghna in council within your bounds,

and, whenever I wished, join Sunbus and Uqayl.

and, whenever I wish, Sanbas and 'Uqayl.

أورِدُ العيسَ نَهرَ عيسى وَطَوراً

أورِدُ العيسَ نَهرَ عيسى وَطَوراً

أورِدُ الخَيلَ دِجلَةً وَدُجَيلا

أورِدُ الخَيلَ دِجلَةً وَدُجَيلا

I watered the camels at Nahr Isa, and at times

I water the pale camels at the Isa River, and at times

watered the horses at the Tigris and Dujayl.

I water the horses at the Tigris and Dujayl.

إِن وَرَدتَ الهَيجاءَ يا سائِقَ العي

إِن وَرَدتَ الهَيجاءَ يا سائِقَ العي

سِ وَشارَفتَ دَوحَها وَالنَخيلا

سِ وَشارَفتَ دَوحَها وَالنَخيلا

If you reach al-Hayja, O driver of the cam—

If you reach the battlefield, O driver of the pale camels,

els, and draw near its spreading trees and palms;

and approach its spreading trees and palms,

وَرَأَيتَ البُدورَ في مَشهَدِ الشَم

وَرَأَيتَ البُدورَ في مَشهَدِ الشَم

سِ بِفِتيانِ بانَةٍ وَالأَثيلا

سِ بِفِتيانِ بانَةٍ وَالأَثيلا

and see radiant moons at Mashhad al-Sham—

and see the full moons at the Shrine of the Sun,

s among the youths of Banah and al-Athil—

among the young men of Bana and al-Athil,

مِل إِلَيها وَاِحبِس قَليلاً عَلَيها

مِل إِلَيها وَاِحبِس قَليلاً عَلَيها

إِنَّ لي نَحوَ ذَلِكَ الحَيِّ ميلا

إِنَّ لي نَحوَ ذَلِكَ الحَيِّ ميلا

turn toward it and halt there a little,

turn toward it and halt there a little while;

for toward that encampment I feel a longing.

for I feel drawn toward that encampment.

وَأَبلِغِ الرَملَةَ الأَنيقَةَ وَأَبلِغ

وَأَبلِغِ الرَملَةَ الأَنيقَةَ وَأَبلِغ

مَعشَراً لي بِرَبعِها وَأُهيلا

مَعشَراً لي بِرَبعِها وَأُهيلا

Bear word to lovely Ramla, and convey it

And tell the lovely sandy tract, and tell

to a company of mine in her quarter, and to dear kin.

my people in its quarter, and my dear kin:

كُنتُ جَلدَاً فَلَم يَدَع بَينُكُم لِل

كُنتُ جَلدَاً فَلَم يَدَع بَينُكُم لِل

جِسمِ حَولاً وَلا لِقَلبِيَ حَيلا

جِسمِ حَولاً وَلا لِقَلبِيَ حَيلا

I was hardy, yet no person among you left me

I was resilient, but separation from you left

any strength, nor left my heart a single resource.

no strength in my body, nor any resource in my heart.

قَد ذَمَمنا بُعَيدَ بُعدِكُمُ العَي

قَد ذَمَمنا بُعَيدَ بُعدِكُمُ العَي

شَ فَلَيتَ الحِمامَ كانَ قُبَيلا

شَ فَلَيتَ الحِمامَ كانَ قُبَيلا

Soon after your departure, we came to loathe li—

We condemned life soon after you departed;

fe—would that death had been close at hand.

if only death had come a little earlier!