خَليلَيَّ عوجا نَسأَلِ اليَومَ مَنزِلاً

خَليلَيَّ عوجا نَسأَلِ اليَومَ مَنزِلاً

أَبى بِالبِراقِ العُفرِ أَن يَتَحَوَّلا

أَبى بِالبِراقِ العُفرِ أَن يَتَحَوَّلا

My two friends, turn aside; today let us question a dwelling

My companion bent, today we ask for a dwelling

That refused to move away amid the dust-hued, stony sands.

He refused on the sublime camel hair to transform

بِفَرعِ النَبيتِ فَالشَرى خَفَّ أَهلُهُ

بِفَرعِ النَبيتِ فَالشَرى خَفَّ أَهلُهُ

وَبُدِّلَ أَرواحاً جَنوباً وَشَمأَلا

وَبُدِّلَ أَرواحاً جَنوباً وَشَمأَلا

At Farʿ al-Nabīt, then al-Sharā, its people departed,

With the fresh twig so the drinker despaired

And it was given winds instead—a south wind and a north wind,

And the winds changed direction, south and north

ضَرائِرَ أَوطَنَّ العِراصَ كَأَنَّما

ضَرائِرَ أَوطَنَّ العِراصَ كَأَنَّما

أَجَلنَ عَلى ما غادَرَ الحَيُّ مُنخَلا

أَجَلنَ عَلى ما غادَرَ الحَيُّ مُنخَلا

Rival co-wives that settled in the courtyards, as though

The belongings of the homeland saddened as though

They had passed a sieve over what the clan left behind.

They piled up on what the living left behind

دِيارَ الَّتي قامَت إِلى السَجفِ غُدوَةً

دِيارَ الَّتي قامَت إِلى السَجفِ غُدوَةً

لِتَنكَأَ قَلباً كانَ قِدماً مُقَتَّلا

لِتَنكَأَ قَلباً كانَ قِدماً مُقَتَّلا

The dwellings of her who rose to the tent-curtain at dawn,

The abodes which in the morning stood majestic

To wound anew a heart long since slain.

To gnaw a heart once a foot now slain

أَرادَت فَلَم تَسطِع كَلاماً فَأَومَأَت

أَرادَت فَلَم تَسطِع كَلاماً فَأَومَأَت

إِلَيَّ وَلَم تَأمَن رَسولاً فَتُرسِلا

إِلَيَّ وَلَم تَأمَن رَسولاً فَتُرسِلا

She wished to speak but could not, so she gestured

She wanted to but couldn’t speak so gestured

To me, not trusting a messenger enough to send him:

To me, not trusting a messenger to send

بِأَن بِت عَسى أَن يَستُرَ اللَيلُ مَجلِساً

بِأَن بِت عَسى أَن يَستُرَ اللَيلُ مَجلِساً

لَنا أَو تَنامَ العَينُ عَنّا فَتَغفُلا

لَنا أَو تَنامَ العَينُ عَنّا فَتَغفُلا

“Stay the night; perhaps the night will conceal a meeting

That overnight perhaps concealment may shield a gathering

For us, or the watching eye may sleep, unmindful of us.”

For us or sleep preoccupies so forgets

فَوَطَّنتُ نَفسي لِلمَبيتِ فَوَلَّجوا

فَوَطَّنتُ نَفسي لِلمَبيتِ فَوَلَّجوا

لِيَ الرَبَضَ الأَعلى مَطيّاً وَأَرحُلا

لِيَ الرَبَضَ الأَعلى مَطيّاً وَأَرحُلا

So I readied myself to stay the night, and they brought

So I resigned myself to the night and they led

Mounts and saddles for me into the upper outlying quarter.

Me up to the highest chamber, departing

وَقالَت لِتِربَيها اِعلَما أَنَّ زائِراً

وَقالَت لِتِربَيها اِعلَما أَنَّ زائِراً

عَلى رِقبَةٍ آتيكُما مُتَغَفِّلا

عَلى رِقبَةٍ آتيكُما مُتَغَفِّلا

And she told her two companions, “Know that a visitor

And told her fledglings, know a visitor

Will come to you both warily, seeking an unguarded moment.

Upon your necks unperceived comes

فَقولا لَهُ إِن جاءَ أَهلاً وَمَرحَباً

فَقولا لَهُ إِن جاءَ أَهلاً وَمَرحَباً

وَلينا لَهُ كَي يَطمَئنَّ وَسَهِّلا

وَلينا لَهُ كَي يَطمَئنَّ وَسَهِّلا

Then, if he comes, say to him, ‘Welcome, welcome!’

So say to him welcome and greetings

And be gentle with him so he feels at ease, and make things easy.”

And make him comfortable, put at ease

فَراجَعَتاها أَن نَعَم فَتَيَمَّمي

فَراجَعَتاها أَن نَعَم فَتَيَمَّمي

لَنَ مَنزِلاً عَن سامِرِ الحَيِّ مَعزِلا

لَنَ مَنزِلاً عَن سامِرِ الحَيِّ مَعزِلا

So the two replied to her, “Yes—seek out

They answered her yes, so proceed

A lodging for us, apart from the clan’s evening company.

For us not an abode from the living isolated

وَلا تَعجَلي أَن تَهدَأَ العينُ وَاِترُكي

وَلا تَعجَلي أَن تَهدَأَ العينُ وَاِترُكي

رَقيباً بِأَبوابِ البُيوتِ مُوَكَّلا

رَقيباً بِأَبوابِ البُيوتِ مُوَكَّلا

And do not hurry until the watching eye rests, and leave

And don’t be quick for the eye to calm, leave

A lookout posted at the doors of the dwellings.”

A watcher at the doors of homes assigned

فَبِتُّ أُفاتيها فَلا هِيَ تَرعَوي

فَبِتُّ أُفاتيها فَلا هِيَ تَرعَوي

لِجودٍ وَلا تُبدي إِباءً فَتَبخَلا

لِجودٍ وَلا تُبدي إِباءً فَتَبخَلا

So I spent the night coaxing her; she would neither relent

I spent the night generously, neither did she

And give, nor openly refuse and be miserly.

For bounty show disdain or reluctance

وَأُكرِمُها مِن أَن تَرى بَعضَ شِدَّةٍ

وَأُكرِمُها مِن أَن تَرى بَعضَ شِدَّةٍ

وَتُبدي مَواعيدَ المُنى وَالتَعَلُّلا

وَتُبدي مَواعيدَ المُنى وَالتَعَلُّلا

And I honor her too much to show her any harshness,

And I honor her that she not see severity

While she offers hopeful promises and evasions.

And show trysts and excuses

فَلَم أَرَ مَأتِيّاً يُؤَمَّلُ بَذلُهُ

فَلَم أَرَ مَأتِيّاً يُؤَمَّلُ بَذلُهُ

إِذا سُئِلَت أَبدى إِباءً وَأَبخَلا

إِذا سُئِلَت أَبدى إِباءً وَأَبخَلا

Never have I seen one sought out in hope of a gift

So I didn’t see a woman expected to give

More open in refusal when asked, and more miserly,

If asked, showing refusal and stinginess

وَأَمنَعَ لِلشَيءِ الَّذي لا يَضيرُها

وَأَمنَعَ لِلشَيءِ الَّذي لا يَضيرُها

وَأَسبَي لِذى الحِلمِ الَّذي قَد تَذَلَّلا

وَأَسبَي لِذى الحِلمِ الَّذي قَد تَذَلَّلا

And more withholding of what would do her no harm,

And preventing that which doesn’t harm her

And more captivating to a man of judgment already humbled.

And more freely giving what meekness implored

إِذا طَمِعَت عادَت إِلى غَيرِ مَطمَعٍ

إِذا طَمِعَت عادَت إِلى غَيرِ مَطمَعٍ

بِجودٍ وَتَأبى النَفسُ أَن تَتَحَلَّلا

بِجودٍ وَتَأبى النَفسُ أَن تَتَحَلَّلا

Whenever the soul hopes, it returns to one offering no hope

If she hoped, to other than hopes

Of generosity; yet the soul refuses to break free.

With bounty she gives and the soul won’t haggle