1. خليلي عوجا مِنكُم اليَومَ أودعا

    نحيِّي رسوما بالقُبَيبَةِ بلقعا

    My two friends, turn aside today—or leave me be—

    let us greet the desolate traces at al-Qubayba.

  2. أَرَبَّت بِها الأَرواحُ حَتّى تَنَسَّفَت

    مَعارِفُها إِلّا الصَفيحَ المُوَضَّعا

    Winds lingered there until there were swept away

    its familiar marks, except the slabs laid in place,

  3. وَغَيرَ ثَلاثٍ في الدِيارِ كَأَنَّها

    ثَلاثُ حَماماةٍ تَقابَلنَ وُقَّعا

    and three hearthstones in the dwellings, looking like

    three perched doves facing one another.

  4. أَمِن أَجلِ دارِ بِالرَقاشَينِ أَعصَفَت

    عَلَيها رِياحُ الصَيفِ بُدءً وَرُجَّعا

    Is it for a dwelling at al-Raqashayn, over which

    the summer winds blew fiercely, time and again,

  5. بَكَت عَينُك اليُسرى فَلَمّا زَجَرتَها

    عَنِ الجَهلِ بَعدَ الحِلمِ أَسبَلَتا مَعا

    that your left eye wept, and when you rebuked it

    for folly after self-restraint, both eyes streamed together?

  6. وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَ العامِريَّةِ قَبلَها

    وَلا بَعدَها يَومَ إِرتَحَلنا مُوَدِّعا

    I never saw anyone like the Amiriyya before her,

    nor after her, bidding farewell on the day we departed.

  7. تُريكَ غَداةَ البَينِ مُقلَةَ شادِن

    وَجيد غَزالٍ في القَلائِدِ أَتلَعا

    She shows you, on the morning of parting, a fawn's eye

    and a long-necked gazelle's neck amid necklaces.

  8. وَما أمُّ أَحوى الجُدَّتَينِ خَلالَها

    أراكٌ مِنَ الأعرافِ أَجنى وَأَينَعا

    Nor is the mother of a fawn with two dusky stripes, surrounded

    by fruit-laden, ripened arak trees on the heights,

  9. غَدَت مِن عَلَيهِ تَنغُض الطَلَّ بَعدَما

    رَأت حاجِب الشَمسِ إِستَوى وَتَرَفَّعا

    who came away from them, shaking off the dew, after

    seeing the sun's rim rise and climb,

  10. بِأحسَن مِن أمِّ المُحَيّا فُجاءَةَ

    إذا جيدَها مِن كِفَّةِ السِترِ أَطلَعا

    more beautiful than Umm al-Muhayya at a sudden glimpse,

    when her neck emerges from the curtain's edge.

  11. ولمّا تَناهَبنا سِقاطَ حَديثِها

    غِشاشا ولان الطرفُ مِنها فَأَطمعا

    When we snatched fragments of her talk

    furtively, and her gaze softened, awakening hope,

  12. فَرَشَّت بِقَولٍ كادَ يُشفى مِنَ الجَوى

    تَلُمُّ بِهِ أَكبادَنا أن تَصَدَّعا

    she sprinkled us with words that almost cured love's anguish,

    mending our livers with them, lest they split apart,

  13. كَما رَشَفَ الصادي وَقائِعَ مُزنَةَ

    رَشاشٍ تَوَلّى صَوبُها حينَ أَقلَعا

    as the thirsty one sips the falling drops of a raincloud,

    a light shower whose downpour withdrew as it ceased.

  14. شَكَوتُ إِلَيها ضَبثَةَ الحَيِّ بِالحَشا

    وَخَشيَةَ شَعب الحَيِّ أَن يَتَوَزَّعا

    I complained to her of the tribe's grip upon my inward parts,

    and my fear that the tribe's unity would be scattered.

  15. فَما كَلَّمَتني غَيرَ رَجعٍ وَإِنَّما

    تَرَقرَقَت العَينانِ مِنهاَ لِتَدمَعا

    She said no more to me than a brief reply; only

    her two eyes welled up to shed tears.

  16. كَأَنَّكَ بِدَع لَم تَرَ البَينَ قَلبَها

    وَلَم تَكُ بِالآلافِ قَبلُ مُفَجَّعا

    As though you were a novice who had never seen parting before,

    nor ever been bereaved of dear companions.

  17. فَلَيتَ جِمالَ الحَيِّ يَومَ تَرحَلوا

    بِذي سَلَمِ أَمسَت مَزاحيفَ ظُلّعا

    If only the tribe's camels, on the day they departed

    at Dhu Salam, had ended the day dragging their feet, lame,

  18. فَيُصبِحنَ لايُحسِنَّ مَشيا بِراكِب

    وَلا السَيرَ في نَجدِ وَإِن كانَ مَهيَعا

    so that by morning they could not walk with a rider,

    nor travel through Najd, even along an open road.

  19. أَتَجزَع وَالحَيان لَم يَتَفَرَّقا

    فَكَيفَ إِذا داعى التَفَرُّق أَسمَعا

    Do you despair while the two tribes have not yet parted?

    How then, when the crier of separation makes himself heard?

  20. فَرحت ولو أَسمَعتُ مابي مِن الجَوى

    رَذِيَّ قِطارٍ حَنَّ شَوقاً وَرَجَّعا

    I went away; had I let the anguish within me be heard

    by a worn-out camel in a caravan, it would have moaned with longing and repeated its cry.

  21. أَلا يا غُرابي بَيتِها لاتَرَفَّعا

    وَطيرا جَميعاً بِالهَوى وَقَعا مَعا

    Ah, two crows of her dwelling, do not soar;

    fly together in love, and alight together.

  22. أَتَبكي عَلى رَيّا وَنَفسُكَ باعَدَت

    مَزارَكَ مِن رَيّا وَشَعباكَما مَعا

    Do you weep for Rayya, when you yourself put

    your visiting-place far from Rayya, while your two clans were together?

  23. فَما حَسنٌ أَن تَأتي الأَمرَ طائِعاً

    وَتَجزَع أِن دَعى الصَبابَة أَسمَعا

    It is not right to undertake a thing willingly

    and despair when the call of yearning makes itself heard.

  24. كَأَنَّكَ لَم تَشهَدَ وَداعَ مُفارِقٍ

    وَلَم تَرَ شَعبَي صاحِبَينِ تَقَطَّعا

    As though you had never witnessed a departing one's farewell,

    nor seen two companions' bonds severed.

  25. تَحَمَّلَ أَهلي مِن قَنينَ وَغادَروا

    بِهِ أَهلَ لَيلى حينَ جيدَ وَأَمرَعا

    My people departed from Qanin, leaving

    Layla's people there, when it was rain-blessed and lush.

  26. أَلا خَليلَيَّ اللَذَينِ تَواصَيا

    بِلَومي إِلّا أَن أُطيع وَأَضرَعا

    Ah, my two friends, who urged each other

    to reproach me unless I obeyed and humbled myself:

  27. فَإنّي وَجَدتُ اللَومَ لايُذهِبُ الهَوى

    وَلَكِن وَجَدتُ اليَأس أَجدى وَأَنفَعا

    I have found that reproach does not dispel love,

    but I have found despair more effective and useful.

  28. قِفا إنَّهُ لابُدَّ مِن رَجعِ نَظرَةٍ

    مُصَعَّدَةٍ شَتى بِها القَومُ أَو مَعا

    Stop, you two: one must cast a backward glance,

    raised high, toward the people, scattered there or together,

  29. لِمُغتَصِبٍ قَد عَزَّهُ القَومُ أَمرَهُ

    يُسِرُّ حَياءً عَبرَةً أَن تَطَلَّعا

    for one dispossessed, whose people have overpowered his will,

    who conceals a tear in shame, lest it show.

  30. تَهيجُ لَهُ الأَحزانَ وَالذِكرَ كُلَّما

    تَرَنَّمَ أَو أَوفى مِنَ الأَرضِ مَيفَعا

    It stirs grief and memories within him whenever

    he sings or reaches a high place in the land.

  31. قِفا وَدِّعا نَجدا وَمَن هَلَّ بِالحِمى

    وَقَلَّ لِنَجدِ عِندَنا أَن يُوَدَّعا

    Stop, you two; bid farewell to Najd and whoever came to al-Hima;

    yet a mere farewell is little for Najd, in our eyes.

  32. بِنَفسيَ تِلكَ الأَرضُ ما أَطيَبَ الرُبا

    وَما أَحسَنَ المُصطافَ وَالمُتَرَبَّعا

    My life for that land! How sweet its hills,

    and how lovely its summer and spring grounds!

  33. وَأَذكُرُ أَيّامَ الحِمى ثُمَّ أَنثَني

    عَلى كَبدي مِن خَشيَةٍ أَن تَصَدَّعا

    I remember the days of al-Hima, then bend

    over my liver, fearing it will split apart.

  34. فَلَيسَت عَشيّاتِ الحِمى بِرَواجِعٍ

    عَلَيكَ وَلَكِن خَلِّ عَينَيكَ تَدمَعا

    Those evenings in al-Hima will not return

    to you; but let your two eyes shed tears.

  35. مَعي كُلّ غِرَّقَد عَصى عاذِلاتِهِ

    بِوَصلِ الغَواني مُذ لَدُن أَن تَرَعرَعا

    With me is every guileless youth who defied his reproving women

    by courting beauties ever since he grew to youth.

  36. إِذا راحَ يَمشي في الرِداءَينِ أَسرَعَت

    إِلَيهِ العُيونُ الناظِرات التَطَلُّعا

    When he goes walking in his two cloaks,

    watching eyes hasten to gaze at him.

  37. وَسِربُ بَدَت لي فيهِ بيضٌ نَواهِد

    إِذا سُمتُهُنَّ الوَصلَ أَمسَينَ قُطَّعا

    And a bevy where fair, budding-breasted women appeared to me:

    when I asked them for union, they cut me off.

  38. مَشَينَ أَطَّرادَ السَيلِ هَوناً كَأَنَّما

    تَراهَنَّ بِالأَقدامِ إِذا مِسنَ ظُلَّما

    They walked gently, flowing like a stream, as though

    you saw them as male ostriches in their swaying steps.

  39. فَقُلتُ سَقى اللَهُ الحِمى دِيَمَ الحَيا

    فَقُلنَ سَقاكَ اللَهُ بِالسُمّ مُنقَعا

    I said, 'May God water al-Hima with steady, life-giving rains.'

    They said, 'May God give you steeped poison to drink.'

  40. وَقُلتُ عَلَيكُنَّ السَلامَ فَلا أَرى

    لِنَفسِيَ مِن دونِ الحِمى اليَومَ مقنَعا

    I said, 'Peace be upon you; I see

    no satisfaction for myself today outside al-Hima.'

  41. فَقُلنَ أَراكَ اللَه إِن كُنتَ كاذِباً

    بَنانَكَ مِن يُمنى ذِراعَيكَ أَقطَعا

    They said, 'If you are lying, may God show you

    your fingers cut off from your right arm.'

  42. وَلَمّا رَأَيتَ البِشرَ أَعرَضَ دونَنا

    وَجالَت بَناتُ الشَوقِ يَحنِنَّ نُزَّعا

    And when you saw cheerfulness turn away from us,

    and the daughters of longing roam, moaning with yearning,

  43. تَلَفَّتُ نَحوَ الحَيِّ حَتّى وَجَدتُني

    وَجِعتُ مِنَ الإِصغاءِ لَيتاً وَأَخدَعا

    I turned back toward the tribe until I found myself

    aching from craning my head, in neck and neck-vein.

  44. فَإِن كُنتُم تَرجَونَ أَن يَذهَب الهَوى

    يَقينا وَنَروى بِالشَرابِ فَنَنقَعا

    If you hope that love will depart

    for certain, and we shall drink our fill and quench our thirst,

  45. فَرُدّوا هُبوبَ الريحِ أَو غَيِّروا الجَوى

    إِذا حَلَّ أَلواذ الحَشا فَتَمَنَّعا

    then turn back the blowing wind, or alter love's anguish,

    when it settles in the recesses of the entrails and becomes unyielding.

  46. أَمّا وَجَلالِ اللَه لَو تَذكُرينَني

    كَذكريكِ ماكَفَفتُ لِلعَينِ أَدمُعا

    By God's majesty, if you remembered me

    as I remember you, you would not hold back tears from your eye.

  47. فَقالَت بَلى وَاللَهِ ذِكرا لَو أَنَّهُ

    يُصَبُّ عَلى الصَخرِ الأَصَمِّ تَصَدَّعا

    She said, 'Yes, by God, with a remembrance that, if it

    were poured on solid rock, would split the rock apart.'

  48. فَما وَجدُ عُلوى الهَوى حَنَّ وَإِجتَوى

    بِوادي الشَرى وَالغَورِ ماءً وَمَرتَعا

    No longing of a creature that loves the heights, moaning and shunning

    the water and pasture in Wadi al-Shara and al-Ghawr,

  49. تَشَوَّقَ لِما عَضَّهُ القَيدُ وَإِجتَوى

    مَراتعَه مِن بَينِ قُفِّ وَأَجرَعا

    yearning when the fetter bit it, and loathing

    its grazing-grounds among rocky ridges and sandy tracts,

  50. وَرامَ بِعَينَيهِ جِبالاً مُنيفَةً

    وَما لايَرى فيهِ أَخو القَيد مَطمَعا

    seeking with its eyes lofty mountains,

    and places where a fettered creature sees no hope—

  51. إِذا رامَ مِنها مَطلِعا رَدَّ شَأوَه

    أَمينُ القِوى عَضَّ اليَدَينِ فَأَوجَعا

    whenever it sought a way up them, its course was checked

    by a stoutly twisted bond that bit both forelegs and hurt them—

  52. بِأَكبَرَ مَن وَجَد بِرَيّا وَجَدتُهُ

    غَداةَ دَعا داعي الفِراقِ فَأَسمَعا

    is greater than the longing for Rayya that I felt

    on the morning the herald of parting cried and made himself heard.

  53. وَلا بَكرَة بِكر رَأَت مِن حُوارِها

    مَجَرّاً حَديثاً مُستَبيناً وَمَصرَعا

    Nor is a young she-camel's, at her first calf, who saw her calf's

    fresh, unmistakable drag-mark and the place where it fell,

  54. إِذا رَجَّعت في آخِرِ اللَيلِ حَنَّةً

    لِذِكر حَديثٍ أَبكَت البُزلَ أجمعا

    when she repeated a moan in the last part of the night,

    at a fresh memory, making all the mature camels weep.

  55. لَقَد خفتُ أَن لاتَقنَعَ النَفسُ بَعدَهُ

    بِشَيءٍ مِنَ الدُنيا وَإِن كُن مَقنَعا

    Indeed, I feared my soul would find no contentment afterward

    in anything of this world, however satisfying it might be.

  56. أَعذُلُ فيهِ النَفسَ إِذا حيلَ دونَهُ

    وَتَأبى إِلَيهِ النَفسُ إِلّا تَطَلَّعا

    I reproach my soul over it when I am kept from it,

    but the soul insists on gazing toward it.

  57. سَلامٌ عَلى الدُنيا فَما هِيَ راحَةً

    إِذا لَم يَكُن شَملي وَشَملُكُم مَعا

    Farewell to the world: it offers no rest

    if my company and yours are not together.

  58. وَلا مَرحَباً بِالرَبعِ لَستُم حُلولَه

    ولَو كانَ مُخضَلَّ الجَوانِب مُمرِعا

    And no welcome to a dwelling where you do not reside,

    even if its sides are moist and rich in pasture.

  59. فَماءٌ بِلا مَرعى وَمَرعى بِغَيرِ ما

    وَحَيثُ أَرى ماءَ وَمَرعىً فَمَسبَعا

    Water without pasture, and pasture without water;

    and wherever I see water and pasture, a haunt of wild beasts.

  60. لَعَمري لَقَد نادى مُنادى فراقنا

    بِتَشتيتِنا في كُلِّ وادٍ فَأَسمَعا

    By my life, the herald of our parting has cried

    that we be scattered in every valley, and made himself heard.

  61. كَأَنّا خُلِقنا لِلنَوى وَكَأَنَّما

    حَرامٌ عَلى الأَيامِ أَن نَتَجَمَّعا

    As though we were created for separation, and as though

    the days were forbidden to let us gather together.