لِمَن طَلَلٌ موحِشٌ أَقفَرا

لِمَن طَلَلٌ موحِشٌ أَقفَرا

فَأَصبَحَ مَعروفُهُ مُنكَرا

فَأَصبَحَ مَعروفُهُ مُنكَرا

Whose is this desolate ruin, now deserted?

For whom is an abandoned, desolate ruin,

So its once-familiar features have become unrecognizable.

Once known, now unrecognized?

وَلَو أَنَّهُ يَستَطيعُ الجَوا

وَلَو أَنَّهُ يَستَطيعُ الجَوا

بَ لَأَخُبرَ إِذ سيلَ أَن يُخبِرا

بَ لَأَخُبرَ إِذ سيلَ أَن يُخبِرا

And if it could give an answer,

If only it could speak to inform,

it would tell when asked to tell.

When asked, it would relate.

وَلَكِنَّهُ غَيَّرَتهُ الصَبا

وَلَكِنَّهُ غَيَّرَتهُ الصَبا

فَأَمسَت مَعالِمُهُ دُثَّرا

فَأَمسَت مَعالِمُهُ دُثَّرا

But the east wind has altered it,

But youth has altered it,

and its landmarks have been effaced.

Its features now obscured.

وَكُلُّ مُسِفٍّ لَهُ هَيدَبٌ

وَكُلُّ مُسِفٍّ لَهُ هَيدَبٌ

إِذا ما حَدا رَعدُهُ أَمطَرا

إِذا ما حَدا رَعدُهُ أَمطَرا

And every low-hanging cloud with a fringe of rain

Each downpour has gullies

pours rain whenever its thunder chants it onward.

That flow when its thunder rains.

وَقَد كُنتُ أَلقى بِهِ شادِناً

وَقَد كُنتُ أَلقى بِهِ شادِناً

قَطوفَ الخُطى ناعِماً أَحوَرا

قَطوفَ الخُطى ناعِماً أَحوَرا

And I used to meet a young gazelle there,

Once I met him cheerful there,

slow of step, delicate, with dark eyes and bright whites,

With gentle, fawn-like steps.

أَسِيلَ المُحَيّا هَضيمَ الحَشا

أَسِيلَ المُحَيّا هَضيمَ الحَشا

كَشَمسِ الضُحى واضِحاً أَزهَرا

كَشَمسِ الضُحى واضِحاً أَزهَرا

smooth of face, slender of waist,

Bright-faced, slender-framed,

like the midmorning sun, bright and radiant.

Like the clear dawn sun in bloom.

أَقولُ لِمَن لامَ في حُبِّها

أَقولُ لِمَن لامَ في حُبِّها

أَرى لَكَ في الرَأيِ أَن تُقصِرا

أَرى لَكَ في الرَأيِ أَن تُقصِرا

I say to whoever reproaches me for loving her:

I say to whoever blames me for loving her,

In my view, you would do well to desist.

“I think your understanding falls short.”

فَلَستُ مُطاعاً فَلا تَلحَني

فَلَستُ مُطاعاً فَلا تَلحَني

وَلَيسَت بِأَهلٍ لِأَن تُهجَرا

وَلَيسَت بِأَهلٍ لِأَن تُهجَرا

For I am not obeyed, so do not reproach me;

I am not heeded, so do not blame me,

nor does she deserve to be forsaken.

Nor is she one to be spurned.

فَكَم مِن أَخٍ لامَ في حُبِّها

فَكَم مِن أَخٍ لامَ في حُبِّها

فَأَقصَرَ مِن قَبلِ أَن أُقصِرا

فَأَقصَرَ مِن قَبلِ أَن أُقصِرا

For many a brother has reproached me for loving her,

How many a friend has blamed me for loving her,

then desisted before I did.

Yet fell short himself before I fell short!