لِشَمّاءَ بَعدَ شَتاتِ النَوى

لِشَمّاءَ بَعدَ شَتاتِ النَوى

وَقَد كُنتُ أَخيَلتُ بَرقاً وَليفا

وَقَد كُنتُ أَخيَلتُ بَرقاً وَليفا

For Shamma', after the scattering of separation,

For Shamma after the scattering of resolve

And I had watched lightning flashing repeatedly,

When I had imagined lightning and abundant rain

أَجَشَّ رِبَحلاً لَهُ هَيدَبٌ

أَجَشَّ رِبَحلاً لَهُ هَيدَبٌ

يُكَشِّفُ لِلخالَ رَيطاً كَشيفا

يُكَشِّفُ لِلخالَ رَيطاً كَشيفا

A rumbling, massive cloud with trailing rain-fringes,

That stirred a caravan for which there was a guide

Parting the rain-cloud's thin veils.

Revealing to the cheek a gentle trail

كَأَنَّ تَوالِيَهُ بِالمَلا

كَأَنَّ تَوالِيَهُ بِالمَلا

سَفائِنُ أَعجَمَ ما يَحنَ ريفا

سَفائِنُ أَعجَمَ ما يَحنَ ريفا

As though its rear ranks over the open plain

As if its succession with the night

Were a foreigner's ships, not nearing any shore.

Were foreign ships sailing gently

أَرِقتُ لَهُ مِثلَ لَمعِ البَشي

أَرِقتُ لَهُ مِثلَ لَمعِ البَشي

رِ يُقَلِّبُ بِالكَفِّ فَرضاً خَفيفاً

رِ يُقَلِّبُ بِالكَفِّ فَرضاً خَفيفاً

I lay awake for it, flashing like the gambler

I became infatuated with it like the flash of lightning

Turning a light arrow-shaft in his palm.

That turns in the palm a light burden

فَأَقبَلَ مِنهُ طِوالُ الذُرا

فَأَقبَلَ مِنهُ طِوالُ الذُرا

كَأَنَّ عَلَيهِنَّ بَيعاً جَزيفا

كَأَنَّ عَلَيهِنَّ بَيعاً جَزيفا

Then from it advanced clouds with towering crests,

So the length of its scattering came

As though bulk wares lay upon them for sale.

As if they were plunder taken violently

وَأَقبَلَ مَرّاً إِلى مَجدَلٍ

وَأَقبَلَ مَرّاً إِلى مَجدَلٍ

سِياقَ المُقَيَّدِ يَمشي رَسيفا

سِياقَ المُقَيَّدِ يَمشي رَسيفا

And it moved onward toward Majdal,

And it came bitter toward Magdal

Like a fettered man driven along, dragging his feet.

The gait of the fettered walking freely

وَلَمّا رَأى العَمقَ قُدّامَهُ

وَلَمّا رَأى العَمقَ قُدّامَهُ

وَلَمّا رَأى عَمَرا وَالمُنيفا

وَلَمّا رَأى عَمَرا وَالمُنيفا

And when it saw al-'Amq before it,

And when it saw the depth before it

And when it saw 'Amar and al-Munif,

And when it saw Omar and al-Munifa

أَسالَ مِنَ اللَيلِ أَشجانَهُ

أَسالَ مِنَ اللَيلِ أَشجانَهُ

كَأَنَّ ظَواهِرَهُ كُنَّ جوفا

كَأَنَّ ظَواهِرَهُ كُنَّ جوفا

It poured out its branching streams in the night,

It let down from the night its branches

As though its uplands were hollows.

As if its exteriorities were hollow

وَذاكَ السِطاعُ خِلافَ النِجا

وَذاكَ السِطاعُ خِلافَ النِجا

ءِ تَحِسِبَهُ ذا طِلاءٍ نَتيفا

ءِ تَحِسِبَهُ ذا طِلاءٍ نَتيفا

And yonder al-Sita', beyond al-Nija',

And that radiance unlike the stars

You would think it tar-smeared and stripped of hair.

You would think it had a smooth coating

إِلى عَمَرَينِ إِلى غَيقَةٍ

إِلى عَمَرَينِ إِلى غَيقَةٍ

فَيَليَلَ يَهدي رَبَحلاً رَجوفا

فَيَليَلَ يَهدي رَبَحلاً رَجوفا

Toward 'Amarayn, toward Ghayqah,

To Omarayn, to Ghayqah

Then Yalyal, leading a massive, trembling cloud.

So it swayed guiding a hollow caravan

كَأَنَّ تَوالِيَهُ بِالمَلا

كَأَنَّ تَوالِيَهُ بِالمَلا

نَصارى يُساقونَ لاقَوا حَنيفا

نَصارى يُساقونَ لاقَوا حَنيفا

As though its rear ranks over the open plain

As if its succession with the night

Were Christians being driven along after meeting a monotheist.

Were Christians led forcibly to belief

فَأَصبَحَ ما بَينَ وادي القُصو

فَأَصبَحَ ما بَينَ وادي القُصو

رِ حَتّى يَلَملَمَ حَوضاً لَقيفا

رِ حَتّى يَلَملَمَ حَوضاً لَقيفا

By morning, the land from Wadi al-Qusur

So it became between the valley of Qusur

As far as Yalamlam had become a broad basin.

Until it churned up at Yalamalam a stagnant pool

لَهُ ما تِحٌ وَلَهُ نازِعٌ

لَهُ ما تِحٌ وَلَهُ نازِعٌ

يَجُشّانِ بِالدَلوِ ماءً خَسيفا

يَجُشّانِ بِالدَلوِ ماءً خَسيفا

It had a water-drawer and a bucket-hauler,

For it there was ebb and for it contention

Both drawing deep-lying water with a bucket.

Churning in the bucket water muddily

فَإِمّا يَحيَنَنَّ أَن تَهجُري

فَإِمّا يَحيَنَنَّ أَن تَهجُري

وَتَنأى نَواكِ وَكانَت قَذوفا

وَتَنأى نَواكِ وَكانَت قَذوفا

So if ever the time comes for you to forsake me,

So if you spurn me and shun

And your destination recedes, far-off as it already was,

Your familiar place and it became detested

فَإِنَّ اِبنَ تُرنى إِذا جِئتُكُم

فَإِنَّ اِبنَ تُرنى إِذا جِئتُكُم

أَراهُ يُدافِعُ قَولاً عَنيفا

أَراهُ يُدافِعُ قَولاً عَنيفا

Then Ibn Turna, whenever I come to you,

Then the son of Turayna, when I come to you

I see him countering with harsh speech.

I see him repelling speech violently against me

قَد اِفنى أَنامِلَهُ أَزمُهُ

قَد اِفنى أَنامِلَهُ أَزمُهُ

فَأَمسى يَعَضُّ عَلَيَّ الوَظيفا

فَأَمسى يَعَضُّ عَلَيَّ الوَظيفا

His gnawing has already worn his fingertips away,

He has worn out his fingers his ailment

So he has come to bite his wrist in rage at me.

And so he bites my job angrily

فَلا تَقعُدَنَّ عَلى زَخَّةٍ

فَلا تَقعُدَنَّ عَلى زَخَّةٍ

وَتُضمِرَ في القَلبِ وَجداً وَخيفا

وَتُضمِرَ في القَلبِ وَجداً وَخيفا

So never sit brooding over an affront,

So do not sit upon roughness

And conceal feeble anguish in your heart.

And harbor in your heart fear and alarm

وَلا أَبغِيَنَّكَ بَعدَ النُهى

وَلا أَبغِيَنَّكَ بَعدَ النُهى

وَبَعدَ الكَرامَةِ شَرّاً ظَليفا

وَبَعدَ الكَرامَةِ شَرّاً ظَليفا

Nor let me seek for you, after counsel

And do not desire for me after prohibition

And after honor, a grievous evil;

And after honor evil and malice

وَلا أَرقَعَنَّكَ رَقعَ الصَدي

وَلا أَرقَعَنَّكَ رَقعَ الصَدي

عِ لاءَمَ فيهِ الصَناعُ الكَتيفا

عِ لاءَمَ فيهِ الصَناعُ الكَتيفا

Nor let me patch you like a torn garment

And do not patch me the patch of the breastplate

In which the skilled artisan has fitted a leather patch.

In which the artisans sewed deceit

وَماءٍ وَرَدتُ عَلى زَورَةٍ

وَماءٍ وَرَدتُ عَلى زَورَةٍ

كَمَشيِ السَبَنتي يَراحُ الشَفيفا

كَمَشيِ السَبَنتي يَراحُ الشَفيفا

And many a waterhole I reached by a detour,

And water I came upon falsehood

Like a leopard's tread, stirred by the biting cold.

Like the gait of the thin that walks effortlessly

فَخَضخَضتُ صُفنِيَ في جَمِّهِ

فَخَضخَضتُ صُفنِيَ في جَمِّهِ

خِياضَ المُدابِرِ قِدحاً عَطوفا

خِياضَ المُدابِرِ قِدحاً عَطوفا

Then I swished my leather bucket in its gathered water,

So I stirred the edges of my sword in its sheath

Like an unlucky gambler shuffling a returning lot-arrow.

The stirring of the fleeting a drawn cup

فَلَمّا جَزَمتُ بِهِ قِربَتي

فَلَمّا جَزَمتُ بِهِ قِربَتي

تَيَمَّمتُ أَطرِقَةً أَو خَليفا

تَيَمَّمتُ أَطرِقَةً أَو خَليفا

So when I had filled my waterskin with it,

When I determined therewith my near approach

I made for Atriqah or a mountain pass.

I set out to roam or as an alternative

مَعي صاحِبٍ داجِنٌ بِالعَزاةِ

مَعي صاحِبٍ داجِنٌ بِالعَزاةِ

وَلَم يَكُ في القَومِ وَغلاً ضَعيفا

وَلَم يَكُ في القَومِ وَغلاً ضَعيفا

With me was a companion at home on hard ground,

With me a boon companion settled with resolve

And he was no weak hanger-on among the men.

And there was not in the people a weak cowardice

وَيَعدو كَعَدوِ كُدُرٍّ تَرى

وَيَعدو كَعَدوِ كُدُرٍّ تَرى

بِفائِلِهِ وَنَساهُ نُسوفا

بِفائِلِهِ وَنَساهُ نُسوفا

And he runs like a sturdy wild ass; you can see

Galloping like the gallop of Kurdur you see

His haunch and thigh-sinew stripped lean.

In its excellence, though it forgot gently