يا خَليلَيَّ سائِلا الأَطلالا

يا خَليلَيَّ سائِلا الأَطلالا

بِالبُلَيَّينِ إِن أَجَزنَ سُؤالا

بِالبُلَيَّينِ إِن أَجَزنَ سُؤالا

O my two friends, question the ruins

O my companion asking ruins

at al-Bulayyayn, if they will allow a question.

about the places of encampment, if they permit a question,

وَسَفاهٌ لَولا الصَبابَةُ حَبسي

وَسَفاهٌ لَولا الصَبابَةُ حَبسي

في رُسومِ الدِيارِ رَكباً عِجالا

في رُسومِ الدِيارِ رَكباً عِجالا

And but for longing, it would be folly for me to detain

Foolishness, were it not for youthful vigor,

a hurried band of riders among the traces of the dwellings,

would have kept me riding hastily in the ruins.

بَعدَ ما أَوحَشَت مِن آلِ الثُرَيّا

بَعدَ ما أَوحَشَت مِن آلِ الثُرَيّا

وَأَجَدَّت فيها النِعاجُ الظِلالا

وَأَجَدَّت فيها النِعاجُ الظِلالا

after they had grown desolate without Thurayya's household,

After the family of Thurayya deserted it

and wild cows had cast fresh shadows there.

and the sheep took shade in it.

يَفرَحُ القَلبُ إِن رَآكِ وَتَستَع

يَفرَحُ القَلبُ إِن رَآكِ وَتَستَع

بِرُ عَيني إِذا أَرَدتِ اِحتِمالا

بِرُ عَيني إِذا أَرَدتِ اِحتِمالا

The heart rejoices when it sees you, and tears well

My heart rejoices when it sees you,

in my eye when you wish to depart.

though my eyes intend not to show endurance,

وَلَئِن كانَ يَنفَعُ القُربُ ما أَز

وَلَئِن كانَ يَنفَعُ القُربُ ما أَز

دادُ فيما أَراكِ إِلّا خَبالا

دادُ فيما أَراكِ إِلّا خَبالا

And though nearness might help, I grow

And if nearness were beneficial, I have only

only more distraught whenever I see you.

increased in what I see of you, nothing but disgrace,

غَيرَ أَنّي ما دُمتِ جالِسَةً عِن

غَيرَ أَنّي ما دُمتِ جالِسَةً عِن

دي سَأَلهو ما لَم تُريدي زَيالا

دي سَأَلهو ما لَم تُريدي زَيالا

Yet, as long as you sit beside

Except that while you sit before me

me, I shall be merry, so long as you do not wish to leave.

I will indulge in what you do not want of me.

فَإِذا ما اِنصَرَفتِ لَم أَرَ لِلعَي

فَإِذا ما اِنصَرَفتِ لَم أَرَ لِلعَي

شِ اِلتِذاذاً وَلا لِشَيءٍ جَمالا

شِ اِلتِذاذاً وَلا لِشَيءٍ جَمالا

But when you depart, I find in life

So when you turn away, I see no delight in life

no pleasure, nor beauty in anything.

Nor beauty in anything.

أَنتِ كُنتِ الهَوى وَرُؤيَتُكِ الخُل

أَنتِ كُنتِ الهَوى وَرُؤيَتُكِ الخُل

دَ وَكُنتِ الحَديثَ وَالأَشغالا

دَ وَكُنتِ الحَديثَ وَالأَشغالا

You were love, and the sight of you was

You were my passion and seeing you my pleasure,

eternal life; you were my talk and my preoccupations.

And you were my discourse and preoccupation.

حُلتِ دونَ الفوآدِ وَالتَذَّكِ القَل

حُلتِ دونَ الفوآدِ وَالتَذَّكِ القَل

بُ وَخَلّى لَكِ النِساءُ الوِصالا

بُ وَخَلّى لَكِ النِساءُ الوِصالا

You barred access to my heart, and my heart

You have lodged in the hearts and memories

delighted in you; the women left union to you.

And the women have left intimacy for you.

وَتَخَلَّقتِ لي خَلائِقَ أَعطَت

وَتَخَلَّقتِ لي خَلائِقَ أَعطَت

كِ قِيادي فَما مَلَكتُ اِحتِمالا

كِ قِيادي فَما مَلَكتُ اِحتِمالا

And you assumed, for me, qualities that gave

And you have assumed with me qualities that

you my reins, so I had no power to depart.

Gave you my obedience, and I could not resist.

أَيُّها العاذِلي أَقِلَّ عِتابي

أَيُّها العاذِلي أَقِلَّ عِتابي

لَم أُطِع في وِصالِها العُذّالا

لَم أُطِع في وِصالِها العُذّالا

O my reproacher, reproach me less.

O reproacher, lessen your reproach of me!

I have not heeded the reproachers concerning union with her.

I did not obey her in union.

إِنَّ ما قُلتُ وَالَّذي عِبتُ مِنها

إِنَّ ما قُلتُ وَالَّذي عِبتُ مِنها

لَم يَزِدها في العَينِ إِلّا جَلالا

لَم يَزِدها في العَينِ إِلّا جَلالا

Indeed, what I said and what I faulted in her

Truly, what I said and complained of her

only increased her grandeur in my eyes.

Only increased her beauty in the eyes.

لا تَعِبها فَلَن أُطيعَكَ فيها

لا تَعِبها فَلَن أُطيعَكَ فيها

لَم أَجِد لِلوُشاةِ فيها مَقالا

لَم أَجِد لِلوُشاةِ فيها مَقالا

Do not fault her, for I will not heed you concerning her.

Do not blame her, for I will not obey you about her.

I have found no grounds for tale-bearers to speak against her.

I have not found for the slanderers any means with her.

فيمَ بِاللَهِ تَقتُلينَ مُحِبّاً

فيمَ بِاللَهِ تَقتُلينَ مُحِبّاً

لَكِ بِالوَصلِ مُخلِصاً بَذّالا

لَكِ بِالوَصلِ مُخلِصاً بَذّالا

Why, by God, do you kill a lover

By God, why do you kill a lover sincere

of yours, sincere in union and lavish in giving?

To you, loyal and devoted?

وَلَعَمري لَئِن هَمَمتِ بِقَتلي

وَلَعَمري لَئِن هَمَمتِ بِقَتلي

لَبِما قَد قَتَلتِ قَبلي الرِجالا

لَبِما قَد قَتَلتِ قَبلي الرِجالا

And, by my life, if you intend to kill me,

By my life, if you think to kill me,

it is surely by the means with which you have killed men before me.

It is for she has killed men before me.

حَدِّثيني عَن هَجرِكُم وَوِصالي

حَدِّثيني عَن هَجرِكُم وَوِصالي

أَحَراماً تَرَينَهُ أَم حَلالا

أَحَراماً تَرَينَهُ أَم حَلالا

Tell me of your shunning me and my union with you:

Tell me of your estrangement and my union with you -

do you consider it forbidden or lawful?

Do you see it prohibited or permitted?

فَاِحكُمي بَينَنا وَقولي بِعَدلٍ

فَاِحكُمي بَينَنا وَقولي بِعَدلٍ

هَل جَزاءُ المُحِبِّ إِلّا الوِصالا

هَل جَزاءُ المُحِبِّ إِلّا الوِصالا

So judge between us, and speak justly:

So judge between us, and speak justly -

is a lover's reward anything but union?

Is not the reward of a lover nothing but intimacy?

لَيتَني مِتُّ يَومَ أَلثَمُ فاها

لَيتَني مِتُّ يَومَ أَلثَمُ فاها

إِذ خَشينا في مَنظَرٍ أَهوالا

إِذ خَشينا في مَنظَرٍ أَهوالا

Would that I had died the day I kissed her mouth,

Would that I had died the day I kissed her mouth,

when we feared terrors in that scene,

When we feared, in that terrible sight!

إِذ تَمَنَّيتِ أَنَّني لَكِ بَعلٌ

إِذ تَمَنَّيتِ أَنَّني لَكِ بَعلٌ

آهٍ بَل لَيتَني بِخَدَّكِ خالا

آهٍ بَل لَيتَني بِخَدَّكِ خالا

when you wished that I were your husband.

Would that for you I were a husband,

Ah! Rather, would that I were a beauty spot on your cheek!

Alas! Would that for your cheek I were a mole!

وَبَنو الحارِثِ بنِ ذُهلٍ تَبَنّى

وَبَنو الحارِثِ بنِ ذُهلٍ تَبَنّى

في ذُرى المَجدِ فَرعُها فَاِستَطالا

في ذُرى المَجدِ فَرعُها فَاِستَطالا

And the sons of al-Harith ibn Dhuhl—built up

And the sons of Al-Harith ibn Duhl embraced

on glory's summits is their branch, and it has grown tall.

glory's scions, and it elongated its branches.