ذَكَّرَتني الدِيارُ شَوقاً قَديماً

ذَكَّرَتني الدِيارُ شَوقاً قَديماً

بَينَ خَيصٍ وَبَينَ أَعلى يَسوما

بَينَ خَيصٍ وَبَينَ أَعلى يَسوما

The dwellings reminded me of an old longing,

The abodes reminded me of an ancient longing

Between Khays and the upper reaches of Yasum,

Between Khays and the highest Yasum

بِالشَليلِ الَّذي أَتى عَن يَميني

بِالشَليلِ الَّذي أَتى عَن يَميني

قَد تَعَفَّت إِلّا ثَلاثاً جُثوما

قَد تَعَفَّت إِلّا ثَلاثاً جُثوما

At al-Shalil, which appeared on my right;

By the torrent which came from my right

They had faded away, save three crouching hearthstones,

Only three were left thrombosed

وَنَخيباً مُسَحَّجاً أَوطَنَ العَر

وَنَخيباً مُسَحَّجاً أَوطَنَ العَر

صَةَ فَرداً أَبى بِها أَن يَريما

صَةَ فَرداً أَبى بِها أَن يَريما

And a timid, scarred wild ass that had settled in the courtyard,

And a valley furrowed which the Arab homeland inhabited

Alone, refusing to leave it;

As an isolated woman who refused to allow it to be demolished

وَعِراصاً تُذري الرِياحُ عَلَيها

وَعِراصاً تُذري الرِياحُ عَلَيها

ذا بُروقٍ جَوناً أَجَشَّ هَزيما

ذا بُروقٍ جَوناً أَجَشَّ هَزيما

And courtyards over which the winds scatter

And a plain on which the winds blow

A dark, lightning-bearing cloud, hoarse and thunderous;

With lightning flashing and roaring thunder

وَدُعاءَ الحَمامِ تَدعو هَديلاً

وَدُعاءَ الحَمامِ تَدعو هَديلاً

بَينَ غُصنَينِ هاجَ قَلباً سَقيما

بَينَ غُصنَينِ هاجَ قَلباً سَقيما

And the doves' call, calling to Hadil,

And the cooing of the dove calls out mournfully

Between two branches, stirred a lovesick heart.

Between two branches that stirred a sick heart

غَرِداً فَاِستَمَعتُ لِلصَوتِ فَاِنهَل

غَرِداً فَاِستَمَعتُ لِلصَوتِ فَاِنهَل

لَت دُموعي حَتّى ظَلِلتُ كَظيما

لَت دُموعي حَتّى ظَلِلتُ كَظيما

Sweetly trilling; I listened to the sound, and down poured

Cheerfully so I listened to the voice and tears streamed down

My tears, until I remained choking with grief.

Until I was saturated and gloomy

عُجتُ فيهِ وَقُلتُ لِلرَكبِ عوجوا

عُجتُ فيهِ وَقُلتُ لِلرَكبِ عوجوا

وَدُموعُ العَينَينِ تُذرى سُجوما

وَدُموعُ العَينَينِ تُذرى سُجوما

I turned aside there and told the riders, “Turn aside,”

I lingered there and said to the caravan turn aside

While tears from both eyes streamed freely.

While tears from the eyes flow copiously

فَثَنَوا هِزَّةَ المَطيِّ وَقالوا

فَثَنَوا هِزَّةَ المَطيِّ وَقالوا

كَيفَ نَرجو مِن عَرصَةٍ تَكليما

كَيفَ نَرجو مِن عَرصَةٍ تَكليما

So they checked their riding camels' swaying motion and said,

So they turned aside the camel’s saddle and said

“How can we hope for speech from a courtyard?”

How can we hope for speech from a silent woman?

وَمَقاماً قُمنا بِهِ نَتَّقي العَي

وَمَقاماً قُمنا بِهِ نَتَّقي العَي

نَ لَهَونا بِهِ وَذُقنا النَعيما

نَ لَهَونا بِهِ وَذُقنا النَعيما

And a place where we stood, avoiding the prying eye,

And a place we stood in to protect ourselves from disgrace

Where we dallied and tasted bliss,

Sporting there and tasting bliss

مِن لَدُن فَحمَةِ العِشاءِ إِلى أَن

مِن لَدُن فَحمَةِ العِشاءِ إِلى أَن

لاحَ وَردٌ يَسوقُ جَوناً بَهيما

لاحَ وَردٌ يَسوقُ جَوناً بَهيما

From the pitch-darkness of nightfall until

From the onset of evening to the appearance

A rose-red steed appeared, driving a pitch-black one.

Of roses leading a delightful camel

وَقُميرٌ بَدا اِبنُ خَمسٍ وَعِشري

وَقُميرٌ بَدا اِبنُ خَمسٍ وَعِشري

نَ لَهُ قالَتِ الفَتاتانِ قوما

نَ لَهُ قالَتِ الفَتاتانِ قوما

And a little moon appeared, twenty-five nights old;

And a full moon rising the son of fifteen nights

At its sight the two girls said, “Rise, both of you.”

To which the maidens said "Rise"

ثُمَّ قالَت وَدَمعُها يَغسِلُ الكُح

ثُمَّ قالَت وَدَمعُها يَغسِلُ الكُح

لَ مِراراً يَخالُ دُرّاً نَظيما

لَ مِراراً يَخالُ دُرّاً نَظيما

Then she said, while her tears washed away the kohl,

Then she said, her tears washing the kohl

Again and again, seeming like strung pearls:

Bitterly the pearl is depleted

لا يَكونَنَّ آخِرَ العَهدِ هَذا

لا يَكونَنَّ آخِرَ العَهدِ هَذا

يا اِبنَ عَمّي وَلا تُطيعَن نَموما

يا اِبنَ عَمّي وَلا تُطيعَن نَموما

“Let this not be our last meeting,

This will not be the last time

O my cousin, and never heed a tale-bearer.”

O cousin do not obey the sleepers

ثُمَّ قالَت لِتِربِها إِنَّ قَلبي

ثُمَّ قالَت لِتِربِها إِنَّ قَلبي

مِن هَواهُ أَمسى مُصاباً كَليما

مِن هَواهُ أَمسى مُصاباً كَليما

Then she said to her companion, “My heart

Then she said to her companion my heart

Has become stricken and wounded with love for him.”

Has become wounded by his love

رُبَّ لَيلٍ سَمَرتُ فيهِ قَصيرٍ

رُبَّ لَيلٍ سَمَرتُ فيهِ قَصيرٍ

وَرَفيقٍ قَد كانَ كُفؤاً كَريما

وَرَفيقٍ قَد كانَ كُفؤاً كَريما

Many a short night I spent in conversation,

Many a brief night I have conversed in

And a companion who was a worthy, noble equal.

With a friend who was generous and noble

ثُمَّ أَحيَيتُهُ أُنازِعُ فيهِ

ثُمَّ أَحيَيتُهُ أُنازِعُ فيهِ

شادِناً أَحوَراً أَغَنَّ رَخيما

شادِناً أَحوَراً أَغَنَّ رَخيما

Then I stayed awake through it, contending with

Then I would rouse him, contending over him

A dark-eyed young gazelle, nasal-voiced and soft-spoken,

A curly-haired youth who sang gently

باتَ وَهناً يَمُجُّ في فِيَّ مِسكاً

باتَ وَهناً يَمُجُّ في فِيَّ مِسكاً

شابَ ثَلجاً وَعاتِقاً مَختوما

شابَ ثَلجاً وَعاتِقاً مَختوما

That spent the late night pouring musk into my mouth,

He spent the night frail, redolent of musk

Mixing it with snow and sealed, aged wine.

Lying against me and being reserved

ثُمَّ إِنَّ الصَباحَ دَلَّ عَلَينا

ثُمَّ إِنَّ الصَباحَ دَلَّ عَلَينا

إِذ رَأَينا مِنَ السَباحِ نُجوما

إِذ رَأَينا مِنَ السَباحِ نُجوما

Then morning gave us away,

Then morning pointed out to us

When we saw the morning light rise.

When we saw stars from the swimming