لِخَولَةَ بِالأَجزاعِ مِن إِضَمٍ طَلَل

لِخَولَةَ بِالأَجزاعِ مِن إِضَمٍ طَلَل

وَبِالسَفحِ مِن قَوٍّ مُقامٌ وَمُحتَمَل

وَبِالسَفحِ مِن قَوٍّ مُقامٌ وَمُحتَمَل

Khawla has a ruined campsite at the valley bends of Iḍam,

To Khawla in ruined abodes from gathered hills

And on the lower slope of Qaww, a dwelling-place and a departure-site.

And in the foothills an established and endurable abode

تَرَبُّعُهُ مِرباعُها وَمَصيفُها

تَرَبُّعُهُ مِرباعُها وَمَصيفُها

مِياهٌ مِنَ الأَشرافِ يُرمى بِها الحَجَل

مِياهٌ مِنَ الأَشرافِ يُرمى بِها الحَجَل

Her springtime stay there, her spring quarters and her summer quarters,

Its squares her squares and its summer home

Are by upland waters where partridges are shot.

Waters from honored springs which pebbles are cast into

فَلا زالَ غَيثٌ مِن رَبيعٍ وَصَيِّفٍ

فَلا زالَ غَيثٌ مِن رَبيعٍ وَصَيِّفٍ

عَلى دارِها حَيثُ اِستَقَرَّت لَهُ زَجَل

عَلى دارِها حَيثُ اِستَقَرَّت لَهُ زَجَل

So may spring and summer rain never cease

So rain did not cease from a spring or summer

Above her dwelling, wherever she settled, with its resounding roar.

Upon her abode where she settled, with permanent residence

مَرَتهُ الجَنوبُ ثُمَّ هَبَّت لَهُ الصَبا

مَرَتهُ الجَنوبُ ثُمَّ هَبَّت لَهُ الصَبا

إِذا مَسَّ مِنها مَسكَناً عُدمُلٌ نَزَل

إِذا مَسَّ مِنها مَسكَناً عُدمُلٌ نَزَل

The south wind milked it; then the east wind blew upon it.

The south wind passed by her, then the northern wind blew

Whenever a heavy cloud touched a dwelling of hers, it poured down.

Whenever a wayfarer touched down, an unsettled one halted

كَأَنَّ الخَلايا فيهِ ضَلَّت رِباعُها

كَأَنَّ الخَلايا فيهِ ضَلَّت رِباعُها

وَعوذاً إِذا ما هَدَّهُ رَعدُهُ اِحتَفَل

وَعوذاً إِذا ما هَدَّهُ رَعدُهُ اِحتَفَل

As though the she-camels within it had lost their spring-born calves,

As if the rooms in it lost their squares

And newly calved mothers; when its thunder shattered it, it poured in torrents.

And a refuge when its thunder shakes them, they huddle

لَها كَبِدٌ مَلساءُ ذاتُ أَسِرَّةٍ

لَها كَبِدٌ مَلساءُ ذاتُ أَسِرَّةٍ

وَكَشحانِ لَم يَنقُض طِوائُهُما الحَبَل

وَكَشحانِ لَم يَنقُض طِوائُهُما الحَبَل

She has a smooth belly with delicate folds,

It has a smooth liver of climbing plants

And two flanks whose slenderness pregnancy has not undone.

That their intertwining ropes have not come undone

إِذا قُلتُ هَل يَسلو اللُبانَةَ عاشِقٌ

إِذا قُلتُ هَل يَسلو اللُبانَةَ عاشِقٌ

تَمُرُّ شُؤونُ الحُبِّ مِن خَولَةَ الأَوَل

تَمُرُّ شُؤونُ الحُبِّ مِن خَولَةَ الأَوَل

When I ask, 'Can a lover forget his longing?'

If I say, does a lover attain rest in Lubana?

The old stirrings of love for Khawla pass before me.

Then the affairs of love pass from the first Khawla

وَما زادَكَ الشَكوى إِلى مُتَنَكِّرٍ

وَما زادَكَ الشَكوى إِلى مُتَنَكِّرٍ

تَظَلُّ بِهِ تَبكي وَلَيسَ بِهِ مَظَل

تَظَلُّ بِهِ تَبكي وَلَيسَ بِهِ مَظَل

And what has lamenting to a place grown strange gained you?

And complaining has not increased you except to one who denies

You remain there weeping, though there is no shelter there.

You remain weeping by him, but he has no shelter

مَتى تَرَ يَوماً عَرصَةً مِن دِيارِها

مَتى تَرَ يَوماً عَرصَةً مِن دِيارِها

وَلَو فَرطَ حَولٍ تَسجُمُ العَينُ أَو تُهَل

وَلَو فَرطَ حَولٍ تَسجُمُ العَينُ أَو تُهَل

Whenever, one day, you see an open courtyard among her dwellings,

When will you see a day of her abode

Even a year later, the eye streams with tears or pours them forth.

Even if a year passes, the eye becomes bleary or confused

فَقُل لِخَيالِ الحَنظَليَّةِ يَنقَلِب

فَقُل لِخَيالِ الحَنظَليَّةِ يَنقَلِب

إِلَيها فَإِنّي واصِلٌ حَبلَ مَن وَصَل

إِلَيها فَإِنّي واصِلٌ حَبلَ مَن وَصَل

Then tell the apparition of the Ḥanẓalī woman to return

So say to the specter of Hanchaliya, return

To her, for I keep the bond with whoever keeps it.

To her, for I am a continuous rope of one who is united

أَلا إِنَّما أَبكي لِيَومٍ لَقيتُهُ

أَلا إِنَّما أَبكي لِيَومٍ لَقيتُهُ

بِجُرثُمَ قاسٍ كُلُّ ما بَعدَهُ جَلَل

بِجُرثُمَ قاسٍ كُلُّ ما بَعدَهُ جَلَل

Ah, I weep only for a day I faced

Verily, I only weep for a day I faced

At Jurthum—a harsh day; all that followed it is trifling.

With intense cold, all that came after was decline

إِذا جاءَ ما لا بُدَّ مِنهُ فَمَرحَباً

إِذا جاءَ ما لا بُدَّ مِنهُ فَمَرحَباً

بِهِ حينَ يَأتي لا كِذابٌ وَلا عِلَل

بِهِ حينَ يَأتي لا كِذابٌ وَلا عِلَل

When the unavoidable comes, then welcome

When what is inevitable comes, then welcome

To it when it arrives—no falsehood and no excuses.

To it when it comes, no lies and no excuses

أَلا إِنَّني شَرِبتُ أَسوَدَ حالِكاً

أَلا إِنَّني شَرِبتُ أَسوَدَ حالِكاً

أَلا بَجَلي مِنَ الشَرابِ أَلا بَجَل

أَلا بَجَلي مِنَ الشَرابِ أَلا بَجَل

Ah, I have drunk a black, pitch-dark draught.

Verily, I drank the blackness of your condition

Ah, enough drink for me—ah, enough!

How abundant my tears from the drink! How abundant!

فَلا أَعرِفَنّي إِن نَشَدتُكَ ذِمَّتي

فَلا أَعرِفَنّي إِن نَشَدتُكَ ذِمَّتي

كَداعي هَديلٍ لا يُجابُ وَلا يَمَل

كَداعي هَديلٍ لا يُجابُ وَلا يَمَل

So let me not find myself, if I appeal to you by my covenant,

So do not recognize me if I called upon you

Like a dove calling for Hadīl, unanswered and never weary.

Like one calling to heedlessness, unanswered and unceasing