يا خَليلَيَّ هاجَني الذِكَرُ

يا خَليلَيَّ هاجَني الذِكَرُ

وَحَمولُ الحَيِّ إِذ صَدَروا

وَحَمولُ الحَيِّ إِذ صَدَروا

O my two companions, remembrance has stirred me,

O my two friends, memories have stirred me,

and the tribe’s loading up as they turned away.

and the tribe's laden camels as they departed.

ظَعَنوا كَأَنَّ ظُعنَهُمُ

ظَعَنوا كَأَنَّ ظُعنَهُمُ

مونِعُ القُنوانِ أَو عُشَرُ

مونِعُ القُنوانِ أَو عُشَرُ

They journeyed off, their camel-litters seeming to emerge

They journeyed on, their women in howdahs like

from among hanging date clusters or stands of ʿushar,

date palms with ripe clusters, or giant milkweed shrubs,

بِالَّتي قَد كُنتُ آمُلُها

بِالَّتي قَد كُنتُ آمُلُها

فَفُؤادي موجَعٌ حَذِرُ

فَفُؤادي موجَعٌ حَذِرُ

bearing away her for whom I had hoped;

with her whom I had hoped for;

and so my heart is aching and afraid:

so my heart is aching and afraid.

ظَبيَةٍ مِن وَحشِ ذي بَقَرٍ

ظَبيَةٍ مِن وَحشِ ذي بَقَرٍ

شَأنُها الغَيطانُ وَالغُدُرُ

شَأنُها الغَيطانُ وَالغُدُرُ

a gazelle among the wild creatures of Dhū Baqar,

A gazelle among the wild creatures of Dhū Baqar,

whose haunts are the lowlands and pools,

whose haunts are the lowlands and the pools.

رَخصَةٍ حَوراءَ ناعِمَةٍ

رَخصَةٍ حَوراءَ ناعِمَةٍ

طَفلَةٍ كَأَنَّها قَمَرُ

طَفلَةٍ كَأَنَّها قَمَرُ

supple, wide-eyed, delicate—

Supple, with large dark eyes, and soft,

a young beauty, as though she were the moon.

tender, as though she were the moon.

لَو سُقي الأَمواتُ ريقَتَها

لَو سُقي الأَمواتُ ريقَتَها

بَعدَ كَأسِ المَوتِ لَاِنتَشَروا

بَعدَ كَأسِ المَوتِ لَاِنتَشَروا

If the dead were given her saliva to drink,

If the dead were given her saliva to drink,

after death’s cup they would rise again.

after the cup of death, they would rise again.

وَيَكادُ الحَجلُ مِن غَصَصٍ

وَيَكادُ الحَجلُ مِن غَصَصٍ

حينَ يَستَأنيهِ يَنكَسِرُ

حينَ يَستَأنيهِ يَنكَسِرُ

Her anklet nearly snaps from constriction

And her anklet, from constriction, almost

whenever she makes it lag behind;

breaks when it is held back.

وَيَكادُ العَجزُ إِن نَهَضَت

وَيَكادُ العَجزُ إِن نَهَضَت

بَعدَ طولِ البُهرِ يَنبَتِرُ

بَعدَ طولِ البُهرِ يَنبَتِرُ

and her haunches, when she rises, nearly break away

And her haunches, if she rises, almost

after such prolonged, breathless strain.

break away after prolonged breathlessness.

قَد إِذا خُبِّرتُ أَنَّهُمُ

قَد إِذا خُبِّرتُ أَنَّهُمُ

قَدَّموا الأَثقالَ فَاِبتَكَروا

قَدَّموا الأَثقالَ فَاِبتَكَروا

Then, when I was told that they

Indeed, when I was told that they

had sent the baggage ahead and set out early—

had sent the baggage ahead and set out early:

أَخِيامُ البِئرِ مَنزِلُهُم

أَخِيامُ البِئرِ مَنزِلُهُم

أَم هُمُ بِالعُمرَةِ اِئتَمَروا

أَم هُمُ بِالعُمرَةِ اِئتَمَروا

were the approaches to the well their stopping place,

Are the tents at the well their lodging,

or had they resolved upon the ʿumra?

or have they agreed on al-ʿUmrah?

أَم بِأَعلى ذي الأَراكِ لَهُم

أَم بِأَعلى ذي الأَراكِ لَهُم

مَربَعٌ قَد جادَهُ المَطَرُ

مَربَعٌ قَد جادَهُ المَطَرُ

Or, in the upper reaches of Dhū al-Arāk, did they have

Or do they have in upper Dhū al-Arāk

a spring campsite generously watered by rain?

a spring encampment generously watered by rain?

سَلَكوا خَلَّ الصِفاحِ لَهُم

سَلَكوا خَلَّ الصِفاحِ لَهُم

زَجَلٌ أَحداجُهُم زُمَرُ

زَجَلٌ أَحداجُهُم زُمَرُ

They threaded clefts amid the broad rocks, while

They took the pass of al-Ṣifāḥ, raising

their camel-litters clamored, troop upon troop.

a clamor, their howdahs moving in bands.

سَلَكوا شَعبَ النِقابِ بِها

سَلَكوا شَعبَ النِقابِ بِها

زُمَراً تَحُتَثُّهُم زُمَرُ

زُمَراً تَحُتَثُّهُم زُمَرُ

They took her through the ravine of al-Niqāb

They took her through the ravine of al-Niqāb,

in bands, with bands chanting them onward.

in groups, with other groups urging them onward.

قالَ حاديهِم لَهُم أُصُلاً

قالَ حاديهِم لَهُم أُصُلاً

أَمكَنَت لِلشارِبِ الغُدُرُ

أَمكَنَت لِلشارِبِ الغُدُرُ

Their camel-driver said to them, “Leave the water!

Their camel-driver said to them in the late afternoon,

The pools have afforded drinkers their chance.”

'The pools are within the drinker's reach.'

ضَرَبوا حُمرَ القِبابِ لَها

ضَرَبوا حُمرَ القِبابِ لَها

وَأُحيطَت حَولَها الحُجَرُ

وَأُحيطَت حَولَها الحُجَرُ

They raised red-domed tents for her,

They pitched red domed tents for her,

and enclosures were set all around her.

and enclosures were arranged around her.

فَطَرَقتُ الحَيَّ مُكتَتِماً

فَطَرَقتُ الحَيَّ مُكتَتِماً

وَمَعي سَيفٌ بِهِ أَثَرُ

وَمَعي سَيفٌ بِهِ أَثَرُ

By night I came secretly upon the encampment,

Then I came to the tribe's camp by night, concealing myself,

with a scar-marked sword at my side,

and with me a sword bearing a mark,

وَأَخٌ لَم أَخشَ نَبوَتَهُ

وَأَخٌ لَم أَخشَ نَبوَتَهُ

بِنَواحي أَمرِهِم خَبِرُ

بِنَواحي أَمرِهِم خَبِرُ

and my brother, whose failing me I did not fear,

and a companion whose loyalty I did not doubt,

versed in every quarter of their affairs.

well versed in the details of their affairs.

فَإِذا ريمٌ عَلى مُهُدٍ

فَإِذا ريمٌ عَلى مُهُدٍ

في حِجالِ الخَزِّ مُستَتِرُ

في حِجالِ الخَزِّ مُستَتِرُ

And there she was—a white gazelle upon a couch,

Then, behold, a white gazelle upon bedding,

veiled behind curtains of silk,

concealed in curtained chambers of silk-and-wool.

بادِنٌ تَجلو مُفَلَّجَةً

بادِنٌ تَجلو مُفَلَّجَةً

عَذبَةً غُرّاً لَها أُشُرُ

عَذبَةً غُرّاً لَها أُشُرُ

full-bodied, revealing evenly spaced teeth,

Full-figured, she reveals widely spaced teeth,

sweet and lustrous, their edges finely serrated.

sweet, brilliantly white, with finely serrated edges.

حَولَها الأَحراسُ تَرقَبُها

حَولَها الأَحراسُ تَرقَبُها

نُوَّمٌ مِن طولِ ما سَهِروا

نُوَّمٌ مِن طولِ ما سَهِروا

Guards surrounded her, charged with watching her,

Around her were the guards who watched over her,

asleep after so long a vigil,

asleep from their long vigil.

أَشبَهوا القَتلى وَما قُتِلوا

أَشبَهوا القَتلى وَما قُتِلوا

ذاكَ إِلّا أَنَّهُم سَمَروا

ذاكَ إِلّا أَنَّهُم سَمَروا

resembling slain men, though none had killed them—

They resembled the slain, though they had not been slain;

only because they had spent the night awake in company and talk.

that was only because they had stayed up talking.

فَدَعَت بِالوَيلِ ثُمَّ دَعَت

فَدَعَت بِالوَيلِ ثُمَّ دَعَت

حينَ أَدناني لَها النَظَرُ

حينَ أَدناني لَها النَظَرُ

She cried out in woe, then cried again

Then she cried, 'Woe!' and then called out,

when the sight of me brought me so near her;

when my gaze had drawn me close to her;

وَدَعَت حَوراءَ آنِسَةً

وَدَعَت حَوراءَ آنِسَةً

حُرَّةً مِن شَأنِها الخَفَرُ

حُرَّةً مِن شَأنِها الخَفَرُ

and she summoned a wide-eyed, companionable maid,

and summoned a friendly, dark-eyed woman,

a freeborn woman whose nature was modest reserve.

freeborn, whose nature was modesty.

ثُمَّ قالَت لِلَّتي مَعَها

ثُمَّ قالَت لِلَّتي مَعَها

وَيحَ نَفسي ما أَتى عُمَرُ

وَيحَ نَفسي ما أَتى عُمَرُ

Then she said to the woman beside her,

Then she said to the woman with her,

“Woe is me! What has brought ʿUmar?

'Alas for my soul! What has ʿUmar done?

ما لَهُ قَد جاءَ يَطرُقُنا

ما لَهُ قَد جاءَ يَطرُقُنا

وَيَرى الأَعداءَ قَد حَضَروا

وَيَرى الأَعداءَ قَد حَضَروا

Why has he come visiting us by night

What ails him, that he has come visiting us by night,

when he sees the enemies gathered round?

and sees that the enemies are already here?

لِشَقائي أُختٍ عَلِقنا

لِشَقائي أُختٍ عَلِقنا

وَلِحينٍ ساقَهُ القَدَرُ

وَلِحينٍ ساقَهُ القَدَرُ

To my own misery I have admitted one dear to me,

To my sorrow, sister, he fell in love with us,

and fate has driven him toward his doom.”

and fate has driven him to his doom.'

قُلتُ عِرضي دونَ عِرضِكُمُ

قُلتُ عِرضي دونَ عِرضِكُمُ

وَلَمَن عاداكُمُ جَزَرُ

وَلَمَن عاداكُمُ جَزَرُ

I said, “My honor stands as a shield before yours,

I said, 'My honor shall shield yours,

and whoever opposes you is meat for slaughter.”

and slaughter awaits whoever is hostile to you.'