هَل عِندَ رَسمٍ بِرامَةٍ خَبَرُ

هَل عِندَ رَسمٍ بِرامَةٍ خَبَرُ

أَم لا فَأَيَّ الأَشياءِ تَنتَظِرُ

أَم لا فَأَيَّ الأَشياءِ تَنتَظِرُ

Is there news at a campsite's traces in Ramah?

Is there news of a picture by Baramah

Or not? What, then, are you waiting for?

Or not, so what are the things you expect

وَقَفتُ في رَسمِها أُسائِلُهُ

وَقَفتُ في رَسمِها أُسائِلُهُ

وَالدَمعُ مِثلَ الجُمانِ مُنحَدِرُ

وَالدَمعُ مِثلَ الجُمانِ مُنحَدِرُ

I stood amid her campsite's traces, questioning them,

I stood in her drawing questioning it

while tears streamed down like pearls.

While my tears flow like pearls descending

لا يَرجِعُ الرَسمُ بِالبَيانِ وَهَل

لا يَرجِعُ الرَسمُ بِالبَيانِ وَهَل

يُفقَهُ رُجعاهُ حينَ يَندَثِرُ

يُفقَهُ رُجعاهُ حينَ يَندَثِرُ

The traces give no clear reply; and can

The drawing does not return with eloquence, does it

their answer be understood when they fade away?

Understand its matters when it scatters

قَد ذَكَّرَتني الدِيارُ إِذ دَرَسَت

قَد ذَكَّرَتني الدِيارُ إِذ دَرَسَت

وَالشَوقُ مِمّا تَهيجُهُ الذِكَرُ

وَالشَوقُ مِمّا تَهيجُهُ الذِكَرُ

The dwellings stirred my memories as they faded,

The abodes reminded me when they were demolished

and yearning is something memories arouse.

And yearning is what its memory excites

لا أَنسَ طولَ الحَياةِ ما بَقِيَت

لا أَنسَ طولَ الحَياةِ ما بَقِيَت

بِطَيبَةٍ رَوضَةٌ لَها شَجَرُ

بِطَيبَةٍ رَوضَةٌ لَها شَجَرُ

Never in all my life shall I forget—as long as there remains

As long as I live I do not forget

in Taybah a garden with trees—

In Taybah a garden for it there are trees

مَمشى رَسولٍ إِلَيَّ يُخبِرُني

مَمشى رَسولٍ إِلَيَّ يُخبِرُني

عَنهُم عَشِيّاً بِبَعضِ ما اِئتَمَروا

عَنهُم عَشِيّاً بِبَعضِ ما اِئتَمَروا

a messenger's coming to me to tell me

A messenger’s walkway informing me

of them at evening, of some of what they had planned,

About them in the evening with some of what they conspired

أَو مَجلِسَ النِسوَةِ الثَلازِ لَدى ال

أَو مَجلِسَ النِسوَةِ الثَلازِ لَدى ال

خَيماتِ حَتّى تَبَلَّجَ السَحَرُ

خَيماتِ حَتّى تَبَلَّجَ السَحَرُ

or the gathering of the three women beside the

Or the sitting place of the women at night near the

tents, until the predawn light shone.

Tents until dawn broke

ثُمَّ اِنطَلَقنا وَعِندَنا وَلَنا

ثُمَّ اِنطَلَقنا وَعِندَنا وَلَنا

فيهِنَّ لَو طالَ لَيلُنا وَطَرُ

فيهِنَّ لَو طالَ لَيلُنا وَطَرُ

Then we departed, though there still remained for us

Then we went out and with us and for us

a desire for them, had our night lasted longer.

In them if our night lasted and folded

فيهِنَّ هِندٌ وَالهَمُّ ذِكرَتُها

فيهِنَّ هِندٌ وَالهَمُّ ذِكرَتُها

تِلكَ الَّتي لا يُرى لَها خَطَرُ

تِلكَ الَّتي لا يُرى لَها خَطَرُ

Among them was Hind, whose memory troubles me,

Among them is Hind and the care whose memory

she whose equal is nowhere to be seen.

Is that which no danger for it is seen

قَبّاءُ إِن أَقبَلَت مُبَتَّلَةٌ

قَبّاءُ إِن أَقبَلَت مُبَتَّلَةٌ

وَالبوصُ مِنها كَالقورِ مُنعَفِرُ

وَالبوصُ مِنها كَالقورِ مُنعَفِرُ

Slender-waisted when she approaches, well-proportioned,

Qabba if she came troubled

and her buttocks, like hillocks, lie dust-covered.

And the basil from it like ambergris scattered

غَرّاءُ في غُرَّةِ الشَبابِ مِنَ ال

غَرّاءُ في غُرَّةِ الشَبابِ مِنَ ال

حورِ اللَواتي يَزينُها خَفَرُ

حورِ اللَواتي يَزينُها خَفَرُ

Radiant in the first bloom of youth, one of the

Gharra in the prime of youth from the

dark-eyed beauties whom modesty adorns.

Maidens adorned by their finery

تَفتَرُّ عَن واضِحٍ مُقَبَّلُهُ

تَفتَرُّ عَن واضِحٍ مُقَبَّلُهُ

مُفَلَّجٍ واضِحٍ لَهُ أُشُرُ

مُفَلَّجٍ واضِحٍ لَهُ أُشُرُ

She smiles, revealing a bright, kissable mouth,

Baring an obvious kissed one

with spaced, gleaming teeth and finely serrated edges.

Split obvious for it there are dimples

وَقَولَها لِلفَتاةِ إِذ أَفِدَ ال

وَقَولَها لِلفَتاةِ إِذ أَفِدَ ال

بَينُ أَغادٍ أَم رائِحٌ عُمَرُ

بَينُ أَغادٍ أَم رائِحٌ عُمَرُ

And her words to the girl, when the

And her words to the young woman when

parting drew near: “Is Umar leaving in the morning or evening,

The separation was long, “Has Amr departed or is he intending to return?”

عَجلانَ لَم يَقضِ بَعدُ حاجَتَهُ

عَجلانَ لَم يَقضِ بَعدُ حاجَتَهُ

أَلا تَأَنّى يَوماً فَيُنتَظَرُ

أَلا تَأَنّى يَوماً فَيُنتَظَرُ

in haste, before he has yet fulfilled his wish?

The stallions have not yet fulfilled their want

Could he not linger a day, and be waited for?”

Can you not wait a day so it is expected