تزورُ بيَ القَرمَ الحَوارِيَّ إِنَّهُم

تزورُ بيَ القَرمَ الحَوارِيَّ إِنَّهُم

مَناهِلُ أَعداد إِذا القَومُ أَقطَعوا

مَناهِلُ أَعداد إِذا القَومُ أَقطَعوا

She bears me to visit the noble, pure-bred lord; for they are

She takes me to visit the pure-hearted chief; indeed, they are

perennial watering places when the people's water is spent.

inexhaustible watering places when others run out of water.

وَإِن لَبِسوا العَصبَ اليَمانِيَّ واِنتَدوا

وَإِن لَبِسوا العَصبَ اليَمانِيَّ واِنتَدوا

فَبِالجودِ أَيديهِم سِباط تَرَيَّعُ

فَبِالجودِ أَيديهِم سِباط تَرَيَّعُ

And when they don Yemeni striped cloth and assemble in council,

And if they wear Yemeni striped cloth and gather in council,

their hands open wide in generosity and overflow.

their hands are open, reaching eagerly out in generosity.

نَشيعٌ بِماءِ البَقل بَينَ طَرائِقٍ

نَشيعٌ بِماءِ البَقل بَينَ طَرائِقٍ

مِنَ الخَلقِ ما مِنهُنَّ شَيءٌ مُضَيَّعُ

مِنَ الخَلقِ ما مِنهُنَّ شَيءٌ مُضَيَّعُ

The sap-green spreads among patterns

Steeped in the sap of herbage, amid strips

drawn from creation, not one of them neglected.

of worn cloth, not one of them neglected.

تَوَسَّطَها غالٍ عَتيقٌ وَزانَها

تَوَسَّطَها غالٍ عَتيقٌ وَزانَها

مُعَرَّسُ مَهريّ بِهِ الذَيلُ يَلمَعُ

مُعَرَّسُ مَهريّ بِهِ الذَيلُ يَلمَعُ

At their center is something costly and time-honored; and they are graced by

Something precious and aged lay amid them, and they were adorned by

a Mahri camel halted at the night-rest, its tail gleaming upon them.

a Mehri camel's resting-place, where the trailing hem gleams.

فَقُلتُ أَتَبكي ذات طَوقٍ تذكَّرت

فَقُلتُ أَتَبكي ذات طَوقٍ تذكَّرت

هَديلاً وَقَد أَودى وَما كانَ تُبَّعُ

هَديلاً وَقَد أَودى وَما كانَ تُبَّعُ

I said, “Do you weep, collared dove, remembering

So I said, 'Do you weep, collared one, remembering

Hadīl, though he has perished and was no King Tubbaʿ?”

Hadil, who perished before Tubbaʿ ever lived?'

عُيونٌ تَرامَت بِالرُعافِ كَأَنَّها

عُيونٌ تَرامَت بِالرُعافِ كَأَنَّها

مِنَ السوقِ صِردانٌ تَدِفُّ وَتَلمَعُ

مِنَ السوقِ صِردانٌ تَدِفُّ وَتَلمَعُ

Eyes stretch wide toward their nasal corners, as though they were

Eyes spurted blood, as though they were

two shrikes among the tree trunks, fluttering and flashing.

shrikes from the shanks, fluttering and flashing.

وَفي الرَكبِ إِلّا أَن عَيناً وَرقبَةً

وَفي الرَكبِ إِلّا أَن عَيناً وَرقبَةً

عَقائِلُ قَومٍ لَيسَ فيهِنَّ مَطمَعُ

عَقائِلُ قَومٍ لَيسَ فيهِنَّ مَطمَعُ

And in the caravan nothing can be seen but an eye and a neck—

And in the caravan—save for a glance and watchful waiting—

guarded noblewomen of a people beyond all hope of winning.

are a people's noblewomen, beyond all hope of winning them.

تَعَلَّقَ هذا القَلبُ مِنّي علاقَةً

تَعَلَّقَ هذا القَلبُ مِنّي علاقَةً

تَضُرُّ فَلَو كانَت مَع الضُرِّ تَنفَعُ

تَضُرُّ فَلَو كانَت مَع الضُرِّ تَنفَعُ

This heart of mine has fastened upon an attachment

This heart of mine has formed an attachment

that harms—if only, along with the harm, it did some good!

that harms—if only it brought good along with the harm!