أَشارَت إِلَينا بِالبَنانِ تَحِيَّةً

أَشارَت إِلَينا بِالبَنانِ تَحِيَّةً

فَرَدَّ عَلَيها مِثلَ ذاكَ بَنانُ

فَرَدَّ عَلَيها مِثلَ ذاكَ بَنانُ

She greeted us with a gesture of her fingertips,

She greeted us with her fingers,

And fingertips returned her the same greeting.

And fingers like hers greeted back,

فَقالَت وَأَهلُ الخَيفِ قَد حانَ مِنهُمُ

فَقالَت وَأَهلُ الخَيفِ قَد حانَ مِنهُمُ

خُفوفٌ وَما يُبدي المَقالَ لِسانُ

خُفوفٌ وَما يُبدي المَقالَ لِسانُ

Then she spoke, as the people of al-Khayf were due

Then she said, while the people of the tent were present -

To depart, though no tongue voiced the words:

Some lighthearted, some reserved in speech -

نَوىً غَربَةٌ قَد كُنتُ أَيقَنتُ أَنَّها

نَوىً غَربَةٌ قَد كُنتُ أَيقَنتُ أَنَّها

وَجَدِّكَ فيها عَن نَواكَ شَطانُ

وَجَدِّكَ فيها عَن نَواكَ شَطانُ

“A far-off separation—I had been certain that,

"My intention in this visit was to be sure

By your good fortune, it meant distance from where you were bound.

That, despite your vow, you feel no bitterness.

تَعالَ فَزُرنا زَورَةً قَبلَ بَينَنا

تَعالَ فَزُرنا زَورَةً قَبلَ بَينَنا

فَقَد غابَ عَنّا مَن نَخافُ جَبانُ

فَقَد غابَ عَنّا مَن نَخافُ جَبانُ

Come, and visit us once before our parting,

Come visit before we're parted,

For the coward whom we fear has gone away from us.”

The cowards who'd prevent it are gone.

فَقُلتُ لَها خَيرُ اللِقاءِ بِبَلدَةٍ

فَقُلتُ لَها خَيرُ اللِقاءِ بِبَلدَةٍ

مِنَ الأَرضِ لا يُخشى بِها الحَدَثانُ

مِنَ الأَرضِ لا يُخشى بِها الحَدَثانُ

Then I told her: “The best meeting is in a place

I said the best meeting's in a place

On earth where fate's reversals are not feared.

Where no harm's feared from the young and strong."

نُكَذِّبُ مَن قَد ظَنَّ أَنّا سَنَلتَقي

نُكَذِّبُ مَن قَد ظَنَّ أَنّا سَنَلتَقي

وَنَأمَنُ مَن في صَدرِهِ شَنَآنُ

وَنَأمَنُ مَن في صَدرِهِ شَنَآنُ

We shall belie whoever thought we would meet,

We'll deny having met to any who suppose we might

And be safe from whoever harbors hatred in his breast.

And trust any who wish us ill, in their chests.

سَنَمكُثُ عَنهُم لَيلَةً ثُمَّ مَوعِدٌ

سَنَمكُثُ عَنهُم لَيلَةً ثُمَّ مَوعِدٌ

لَكُم بَعدَ أُخرى لَيلَتَينِ عِدانِ

لَكُم بَعدَ أُخرى لَيلَتَينِ عِدانِ

We shall stay away from them one night; then a tryst

We'll stay away one night, then, be sure,

For you after another—two nights are the appointed interval.

Another two nights - agreed?

وَيُبدي الهَوى رَكبٌ هُداةٌ وَأَينَقٌ

وَيُبدي الهَوى رَكبٌ هُداةٌ وَأَينَقٌ

بِهِنَّ عَلَينا في رِضاكِ هَوانُ

بِهِنَّ عَلَينا في رِضاكِ هَوانُ

And love is revealed by a band of mounted guides and she-camels;

Passion makes the horses lead the way; how elegant

On them, we bear humiliation for your pleasure:

The women are who accept what we desire!

سَلامِيَّةٌ كَالجِنِّ أَو أَرحَبِيَّةٌ

سَلامِيَّةٌ كَالجِنِّ أَو أَرحَبِيَّةٌ

عَلائِفُ أَمثالُ السَمامِ هِجانُ

عَلائِفُ أَمثالُ السَمامِ هِجانُ

Salāmiyyah camels, like jinn, or Arḥabiyyah,

Healthy and lithe like jinn, or broad hipped,

Fodder-fed, like swifts, white and purebred,

Rounded bellies, full breasts - pure delight!

مُعيداتُ حَبسٍ عِندَ كُلِّ لُبانَةٍ

مُعيداتُ حَبسٍ عِندَ كُلِّ لُبانَةٍ

مُقَيَّدَةٌ قُبُّ البُطونِ سِمانُ

مُقَيَّدَةٌ قُبُّ البُطونِ سِمانُ

Accustomed to repeated confinement for every need,

At the curve of every dune they're held back,

Hobbled, slim-bellied, yet well-fleshed.

When passion calls they scarcely rein it in.

لَهُنَّ فَلا يُنكِرنَهُ كُلَّما دَعا

لَهُنَّ فَلا يُنكِرنَهُ كُلَّما دَعا

هَوىً مِن أَماراتِ الشَقاءِ عِنانُ

هَوىً مِن أَماراتِ الشَقاءِ عِنانُ

They have—and never resist it whenever summoned

As we descended from the dusty hill and earth's

By love—a rein, one of misery's tokens.”

Haze hid us from all eyes,

فَلَمّا هَبَطنا مِن غِفارٍ وَغَيَّبَت

فَلَمّا هَبَطنا مِن غِفارٍ وَغَيَّبَت

ذُرى الأَرضِ عَنّا طَخيَةٌ وَدُخانُ

ذُرى الأَرضِ عَنّا طَخيَةٌ وَدُخانُ

When we descended from Ghifār, and hidden

She lit a fire whose light led, with night,

Were the earth's heights from us by darkness and smoke,

A hand that gently beckoned us and winked.

أَثارَت لَنا ناراً أَتى دونَ ضَوئها

أَثارَت لَنا ناراً أَتى دونَ ضَوئها

مَعَ اللَيلِ بيدٌ أَعرَضَت وَمِتانُ

مَعَ اللَيلِ بيدٌ أَعرَضَت وَمِتانُ

She lit a fire for us; between us and its glow lay

I said, "Hasten, before they sleep, and we'll see

Along with the night, broad deserts and hard uplands.

More clearly what we hope for."

فَقُلتُ اِلحَقوا بِالحَيِّ قَبلَ مَنامِهِم

فَقُلتُ اِلحَقوا بِالحَيِّ قَبلَ مَنامِهِم

سَيَبدو لَنا مِمّا نُريدُ بَيانُ

سَيَبدو لَنا مِمّا نُريدُ بَيانُ

Then I said: “Reach the camp before they sleep;

And I said to companions whose every word

A clear sign of what we seek will appear to us.”

To the women seems charming and kind,

وَقُلتُ لِأَترابٍ لَها كُلُّ قَولِها

وَقُلتُ لِأَترابٍ لَها كُلُّ قَولِها

لَدَيهِنَّ فيما قَد يَرَينَ حَنانُ

لَدَيهِنَّ فيما قَد يَرَينَ حَنانُ

And I said to companions her age—her every word

"Come, it's time we met our date - go now

Was, as they saw it, full of tenderness—

And wait for her; the moment's due."

هَلُمَّ إِلى ميعادِهِ فَاِنتَظَرنَهُ

هَلُمَّ إِلى ميعادِهِ فَاِنتَظَرنَهُ

فَقَد حانَ مِنهُ أَن يَجيءَ أَوانُ

فَقَد حانَ مِنهُ أَن يَجيءَ أَوانُ

“Come to his tryst and wait for him;

She came, walking gently, and around her

For the time has come for him to arrive.”

Gazelles paced gracefully.

فَجاءَت تَهادى كَالمَهاةِ وَحَولَها

فَجاءَت تَهادى كَالمَهاةِ وَحَولَها

مَناصِفُ أَمثالُ الظِباءِ حِسانُ

مَناصِفُ أَمثالُ الظِباءِ حِسانُ

Then she came, swaying like an oryx, and around her

When we met, each confessed his secret,

Were lovely maidservants, like gazelles.

Though aware that such talk stays hid.

فَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا باحَ كُلٌّ بِسِرِّهِ

فَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا باحَ كُلٌّ بِسِرِّهِ

مَعَ العِلمِ أَن لَيسَ الحَديثُ يُخانُ

مَعَ العِلمِ أَن لَيسَ الحَديثُ يُخانُ

Then, when we met, each revealed their secret,

I spent a night not matched by any place

Knowing that what was said would not be betrayed.

For one who'd savor it, keeping clear of spies.

فَبِتُّ مُبيتاً لَيسَ مِثلَ مَكانِنا

فَبِتُّ مُبيتاً لَيسَ مِثلَ مَكانِنا

لِمَن لَذَّ إِن خافَ العُيونَ مَكانُ

لِمَن لَذَّ إِن خافَ العُيونَ مَكانُ

So I spent the night—nothing matched our retreat

In a depression, by a hillock and meadow

As a place for delight, if one feared prying eyes.

We were sheltered - who'd suspect we were there?

إِلى مُستَرادٍ مِن كَثيبٍ وَرَوضَةٍ

إِلى مُستَرادٍ مِن كَثيبٍ وَرَوضَةٍ

سُتِرنا بِها إِنَّ المُعانَ مُعانُ

سُتِرنا بِها إِنَّ المُعانَ مُعانُ

Beside a chosen spot of sand-dune and meadow,

The night passed quickly by and dawn

We were hidden by it; indeed, one aided is truly aided.

Came, waking us, the however awake and alert.

فَلَمّا تَقَضّى اللَيلُ إِلّا أَقَلَّهُ

فَلَمّا تَقَضّى اللَيلُ إِلّا أَقَلَّهُ

هَبَبنا وَنادى بِالرَحيلِ سِنانُ

هَبَبنا وَنادى بِالرَحيلِ سِنانُ

When the night had passed, save for a little of it,

We left, our talk revealed by neither foe

We rose, and Sinān called out for departure.

Nor loose tongues giving us away.

رَجِعنا وَلَم يَنشُر عَلَينا حَديثَنا

رَجِعنا وَلَم يَنشُر عَلَينا حَديثَنا

عَدُوٌّ وَلَم تَنطِق بِهِ شَفَتانُ

عَدُوٌّ وَلَم تَنطِق بِهِ شَفَتانُ

We returned, and our story was not spread against us

And she said, her tears flowing as the drops

By any enemy, nor did any pair of lips utter it.

Run quickly down a slender branch:

وَقالَت وَدَمعُ العَينِ يَجري كَما جَرى

وَقالَت وَدَمعُ العَينِ يَجري كَما جَرى

سَريعاً مِنَ السِلكِ الضَعيفِ جُمانُ

سَريعاً مِنَ السِلكِ الضَعيفِ جُمانُ

And she said, tears streaming from her eye like

"Can I hope that one day after this

Pearls falling swiftly from a fragile thread:

There'll come a time we meet again?"

أَأَلحَقُّ أَنَّ اليَومَ أَنَّ لِقاءَكُم

أَأَلحَقُّ أَنَّ اليَومَ أَنَّ لِقاءَكُم

تَنَظُّرُ حَولٍ بَعدَ ذاكَ زَمانُ

تَنَظُّرُ حَولٍ بَعدَ ذاكَ زَمانُ

“Is it true today that meeting you

Means waiting a year after that—a long time?”