خَليلَيَّ عوجا بِنا ساعَةً

خَليلَيَّ عوجا بِنا ساعَةً

نُحَيِّ الرُسومَ وَنُؤيَ الطَلَل

نُحَيِّ الرُسومَ وَنُؤيَ الطَلَل

My two friends, turn aside with us for a while;

My companion, let us wander for an hour

Let us greet the traces and the ruined camp's trench,

And visit the ruins and see the remnants

وَنَبكِ وَهَل يَرجِعَنَّ البُكا

وَنَبكِ وَهَل يَرجِعَنَّ البُكا

عَلَينا زَمانا لَنا قَد تَوَل

عَلَينا زَمانا لَنا قَد تَوَل

And weep—but can weeping ever bring back

Let us weep, for will our weeping ever return

To us a time of ours that has passed away?

A time that has passed for us?

لَيالِيَ سُعدى لَنا خُلَّةٌ

لَيالِيَ سُعدى لَنا خُلَّةٌ

تُواصِلُ في وُدِّنا مَن نَصِل

تُواصِلُ في وُدِّنا مَن نَصِل

The nights when Suʿdā was our beloved,

Nights of joy we had are now gone

Maintaining, for love of us, ties with those we befriended.

That joined our affection, whoever we bonded with

وَتَجلو كَمُزنَةِ غَيثٍ لَها

وَتَجلو كَمُزنَةِ غَيثٍ لَها

غَفائِرُ تَكسو البِطاحَ النَفَل

غَفائِرُ تَكسو البِطاحَ النَفَل

And she shines like a raincloud whose

And cleared like rain clouds that pour

Cloud-banks clothe the valley floors in clover.

Abundant rain that covers the valleys

إِذا ما مَشَت بَينَ أَترابِها

إِذا ما مَشَت بَينَ أَترابِها

كَمِثلِ الإِراخِ يَطَأنَ الوَحَل

كَمِثلِ الإِراخِ يَطَأنَ الوَحَل

When she walked among her peers,

When they walked among their dwellings

Like young wild cattle treading the mud—

Like the winds traversing the marshes

كَأَنَّ سَوابِلَ مَصيُوفَةٍ

كَأَنَّ سَوابِلَ مَصيُوفَةٍ

أَقامَ بِها كُلُّ وَحشٍ هَمَل

أَقامَ بِها كُلُّ وَحشٍ هَمَل

As though the rain-streams of a summer-watered tract

As if braided hair adorned

Were home to every wild beast roaming free—

With musk were seized by the restless

سَوافِرُ قَد زانَهُنَّ العَبيرُ

سَوافِرُ قَد زانَهُنَّ العَبيرُ

مَعَ المِسكِ مُغتَنِماتُ الطَفَل

مَعَ المِسكِ مُغتَنِماتُ الطَفَل

Unveiled, already adorned with blended perfume

Haughty, perfumed with incense

And musk, making the most of dusk,

And ambergris, the plunder of youth

فَفاجَأنَني غَيرَ ذي غِرَّةٍ

فَفاجَأنَني غَيرَ ذي غِرَّةٍ

شَديدَ الفَقارَةِ بَعدَ النَهَل

شَديدَ الفَقارَةِ بَعدَ النَهَل

Then they surprised me, though I was not off guard,

I was surprised by one with no deceit

Aching with need after the first draught.

Of heavy build after resting

فَحَيَّيتُهُنَّ وَحَيَّينَني

فَحَيَّيتُهُنَّ وَحَيَّينَني

وَعَزَّ الفِراقُ عَلَينا وَجَل

وَعَزَّ الفِراقُ عَلَينا وَجَل

So I greeted them, and they greeted me;

We greeted each other, and hard

And parting was hard on us, and grievous.

Did parting weigh on us both