تَشُطُّ غَداً دارُ جيرانِنا

تَشُطُّ غَداً دارُ جيرانِنا

وَلَلَدّارُ بَعدَ غَدٍ أَبعَدُ

وَلَلَدّارُ بَعدَ غَدٍ أَبعَدُ

Tomorrow our neighbors' dwelling will lie far away;

Our neighbors will move out tomorrow

and the day after tomorrow, their dwelling will be farther still.

And the house will be even more desolate the day after

إِذا سَلَكَت غَمرَ ذي كِندَةِ

إِذا سَلَكَت غَمرَ ذي كِندَةِ

مَعَ الرَكبِ قَصدٌ لَها الفَرقَدُ

مَعَ الرَكبِ قَصدٌ لَها الفَرقَدُ

When she passes through Ghamr Dhi Kindah,

When she took the road of parting

with the caravan, al-Farqad her bearing,

With the caravan, their destination was far off

وَحَثَّ الحُداةُ بِها عَيرَها

وَحَثَّ الحُداةُ بِها عَيرَها

سِراعاً إِذا ما وَنَت تُطرَدُ

سِراعاً إِذا ما وَنَت تُطرَدُ

and the camel-drivers urge her camel train onward with her,

The cameleers hurried their camels

swiftly, driven onward whenever it flags.

When she resisted being driven away

هُنالِكَ إِمّا تُعَزّي الفُؤادَ

هُنالِكَ إِمّا تُعَزّي الفُؤادَ

وَإِمّا عَلى إِثرِهِم يَكمَدُ

وَإِمّا عَلى إِثرِهِم يَكمَدُ

There, either you console the heart,

There my heart was consoled

or it pines away in their wake.

Or else it perished in their tracks

فَلَستُ بِبِدعٍ لَئِن دارُها

فَلَستُ بِبِدعٍ لَئِن دارُها

نَأَت فَالعَزاءُ إِذاً أَجلَدُ

نَأَت فَالعَزاءُ إِذاً أَجلَدُ

So I am no exception: if her dwelling

So I'm not the first whose house

grows distant, then patience is the firmer course.

Departed, and so solace comes later

صَرَمتُ وَواصَلتُ حَتّى عَلِم

صَرَمتُ وَواصَلتُ حَتّى عَلِم

تُ أَينَ المَصادِرُ وَالمَورِدُ

تُ أَينَ المَصادِرُ وَالمَورِدُ

I severed ties and renewed them, until I learned

I persevered and kept going until I knew

where to leave the water and where to approach it.

Where the springs and meadows were

وَجَرَّبتُ مِن ذاكَ حَتّى عَرَف

وَجَرَّبتُ مِن ذاكَ حَتّى عَرَف

تُ ما أَتَوَقّى وَما أَحمَدُ

تُ ما أَتَوَقّى وَما أَحمَدُ

And I gained experience of that until I knew

And I tried it out until I understood

what to guard against and what to praise.

What I long for and what makes me happy

دَعانِيَ مِن بَعدِ شَيبِ القَذا

دَعانِيَ مِن بَعدِ شَيبِ القَذا

لِ رِئمٌ لَهُ عُنُقٌ أَغيَدُ

لِ رِئمٌ لَهُ عُنُقٌ أَغيَدُ

I was beckoned, after the hair at my nape had greyed,

After my hair turned white with sorrow

by a white gazelle with a supple neck,

A lover called me, his neck bent

وَعَينٌ تُصابي وَتَدعو الفَتى

وَعَينٌ تُصابي وَتَدعو الفَتى

لِما تَركُهُ لِلفَتى أَرشَدُ

لِما تَركُهُ لِلفَتى أَرشَدُ

and an eye that flirts and calls the young man

And an eye that entices and calls a young man

to what he would be wiser to leave alone.

To what it leaves for the young man, a guide

فَتِلكَ الَّتي شَيَّعَتها الفَتاةُ

فَتِلكَ الَّتي شَيَّعَتها الفَتاةُ

إِلى الخِدرِ قَلبي بِها مُقصَدُ

إِلى الخِدرِ قَلبي بِها مُقصَدُ

So she is the one the maiden escorted

That one the girl escorted

to the curtained chamber; my heart is mortally stricken by her.

To the wall, my heart was intent on her

تَقولُ وَقَد جَدَّ مِن بَينِها

تَقولُ وَقَد جَدَّ مِن بَينِها

غَداةَ غَدٍ عاجِلٌ موفَدُ

غَداةَ غَدٍ عاجِلٌ موفَدُ

She speaks, as there hastens forth to herald her parting

She says, and a messenger from among them

tomorrow morning, an envoy sent in haste:

Insisted at dawn the next day on leaving

أَلَستَ مُشَيِّعَنا لَيلَةً

أَلَستَ مُشَيِّعَنا لَيلَةً

تُقَضّي اللُبانَةَ أَو تَعهَدُ

تُقَضّي اللُبانَةَ أَو تَعهَدُ

Will you not see us off for a night,

"Won't you escort us tonight

to fulfil your longing, or renew our acquaintance?

To fulfill a wish or promise?"

فَقُلتُ بَلى قَلَّ عِندي لَكُم

فَقُلتُ بَلى قَلَّ عِندي لَكُم

كَلالُ المَطِيِّ إِذا تُجهَدُ

كَلالُ المَطِيِّ إِذا تُجهَدُ

So I said: Yes; for you, I make light

So I said, "Yes, for you I have little

of the riding camels' weariness when they are driven hard.

Energy left in my mount when it is exhausted."

فَعودي إِلَيها فَقولي لَها

فَعودي إِلَيها فَقولي لَها

مَساءُ غَدٍ لَكُمُ مَوعِدُ

مَساءُ غَدٍ لَكُمُ مَوعِدُ

So return to her, then tell her:

So go back to her and say:

Tomorrow evening is your appointed time;

"Tomorrow evening is your appointed time"

وَآيَةُ ذَلِكَ أَن تَسمَعي

وَآيَةُ ذَلِكَ أَن تَسمَعي

إِذا جِئتُكُم ناشِداً يَنشُدُ

إِذا جِئتُكُم ناشِداً يَنشُدُ

and the sign of that is that you will hear,

And the sign of that is you'll hear

when I come to you, a seeker calling out.

When I come reciting poetry

فَرُحنا سِراعاً وَراحَ الهَوى

فَرُحنا سِراعاً وَراحَ الهَوى

إِلَيها دَليلاً بِنا يَقصِدُ

إِلَيها دَليلاً بِنا يَقصِدُ

So we set out swiftly, and love set out

So we quickly departed, and passion

toward her as a guide, steering our course.

Led us to her as a guide

فَلَمّا دَنونا لِجَرسِ النِباحِ

فَلَمّا دَنونا لِجَرسِ النِباحِ

إِذا الضَوءُ وَالحَيُّ لَم يَرقُدوا

إِذا الضَوءُ وَالحَيُّ لَم يَرقُدوا

And when we drew near the sound of barking,

But when we approached the barking of the dogs

there was light, and the camp had not yet slept.

There was no light or living being not asleep

نَأَينا عَنِ الحَيِّ حَتّى إِذا

نَأَينا عَنِ الحَيِّ حَتّى إِذا

تَوَدَّعَ مِن نارِها المَوقِدُ

تَوَدَّعَ مِن نارِها المَوقِدُ

We drew away from the camp until

We avoided the settlement until

the fire-tender had retired from her fire

The fire in it had its last glow

وَناموا بَعَثنا لَنا ناشِداً

وَناموا بَعَثنا لَنا ناشِداً

وَفي الحَيِّ بِغيَةُ مَن يَنشُدُ

وَفي الحَيِّ بِغيَةُ مَن يَنشُدُ

and they had slept; we sent out a seeker on our behalf,

And they slept, so we sent a reciter

and in the camp was what the seeker sought.

Into the camp, hoping he would recite

فَقامَت فَقُلتُ بَدَت صورَةٌ

فَقامَت فَقُلتُ بَدَت صورَةٌ

مِنَ الشَمسِ شَيَّعَها الأَسعَدُ

مِنَ الشَمسِ شَيَّعَها الأَسعَدُ

So she rose, and I said: A likeness has appeared

So she stood up and I said, “The image

of the sun, escorted by al-As'ad.

Of a sun has appeared, escorted by good fortune,”

فَجاءَت تَهادى عَلى رِقبَةٍ

فَجاءَت تَهادى عَلى رِقبَةٍ

مِنَ الخَوفِ أَحشاؤُها تُرعَدُ

مِنَ الخَوفِ أَحشاؤُها تُرعَدُ

So she came with a swaying step, on her guard,

And she came gently with a neck

her insides trembling with fear.

Trembling from fear, its insides shuddering

وَكَفَّت سَوابِقَ مِن عَبرَةٍ

وَكَفَّت سَوابِقَ مِن عَبرَةٍ

عَلى الخَدِّ جالَ بِها الإِثمِدُ

عَلى الخَدِّ جالَ بِها الإِثمِدُ

And she checked the first rushing tears,

And she wiped tears of sorrow

with which the kohl had run across her cheek.

On her cheek, made wet by flowing tears

تَقولُ وَتُظهِرُ وَجداً بِنا

تَقولُ وَتُظهِرُ وَجداً بِنا

وَوَجدي وَإِن أَظهَرَت أَوجَدُ

وَوَجدي وَإِن أَظهَرَت أَوجَدُ

She speaks and shows her longing for us,

Saying, showing grief for us

yet my longing, though she shows hers, is greater.

Grief I showed, though showing it made it worse

لَمِمّا شَقائي تَعَلَّقتُكُم

لَمِمّا شَقائي تَعَلَّقتُكُم

وَقَد كانَ لي عِندَكُم مَقعَدُ

وَقَد كانَ لي عِندَكُم مَقعَدُ

It is indeed part of my misery that I fell in love with you,

“Because of my misery I clung to you

though I already had a seat beside you.

And I had a place with you”

عِراقِيَّةٌ وَتَهامى الهَوى

عِراقِيَّةٌ وَتَهامى الهَوى

يَغورُ بِمَكَّةَ أَو يُنجِدُ

يَغورُ بِمَكَّةَ أَو يُنجِدُ

She is Iraqi, and her love is Tihami,

An Iraqi woman, and passion makes me forget

descending at Mecca or climbing to Najd.

Whether it takes me to Mecca or rescues me