ما شَجاكَ الغَداةَ مِن رَسمِ دارِ

ما شَجاكَ الغَداةَ مِن رَسمِ دارِ

دارِسِ الرَبعِ مِثلِ وَحيِ السِطارِ

دارِسِ الرَبعِ مِثلِ وَحيِ السِطارِ

What grieved you this morning at the traces of a dwelling,

What drew you here this morn to trace and write

its campsite faded, like a scribe's written marks?

Of a land whose dwellers perished overnight?

بَدَّلَ الرَبعُ بَعدَ نُعمٍ نَعاماً

بَدَّلَ الرَبعُ بَعدَ نُعمٍ نَعاماً

وَظِباءً يَخِدنَ كَالأَمهارِ

وَظِباءً يَخِدنَ كَالأَمهارِ

After Nu'm, the campsite has taken ostriches instead,

The abode exchanged, after live's easy hours,

and gazelles that trot like colts.

A dusty waste for verdant bowers.

عُجتُ فيهِ وَقُلتُ لِلرَكبِ عوجوا

عُجتُ فيهِ وَقُلتُ لِلرَكبِ عوجوا

فَثَنى الرَكبُ كُلَّ حَرفٍ خِيارِ

فَثَنى الرَكبُ كُلَّ حَرفٍ خِيارِ

I turned aside there and told the riders, 'Turn aside.'

I halted there and to the company cried:

So the riders turned each choice, lean she-camel.

"Turn your beasts aside!" But every tribe

ثُمَّ قالوا اِربَعَن عَلَيكَ وَقَضِّ ال

ثُمَّ قالوا اِربَعَن عَلَيكَ وَقَضِّ ال

يَومَ بَعضَ الهُمومِ وَالأَوطارِ

يَومَ بَعضَ الهُمومِ وَالأَوطارِ

Then they said, 'Be easy on yourself, and put to rest

Replied: "Dispose your load this day some other way.

today some cares and desires.

Not thus shall we relieve your disarray."

عَزَّ شَيءٌ أَن يَقضِيَ اليَومَ حاجاً

عَزَّ شَيءٌ أَن يَقضِيَ اليَومَ حاجاً

بِوُقوفٍ مِنّا عَلى الأَكوارِ

بِوُقوفٍ مِنّا عَلى الأَكوارِ

Hardly can anything satisfy needs today

Nothing, I thought, would lighten the pack I bear

by our halting on the camel-saddles.'

Save the good help of friends - but none was there.

إِن تَكُن دارُ آلِ نُعمٍ قِواءً

إِن تَكُن دارُ آلِ نُعمٍ قِواءً

خالِياً جَوُّها مِنَ الأَجوارِ

خالِياً جَوُّها مِنَ الأَجوارِ

Even if the home of Nu'm's family lies deserted,

If they who dwelt in that fair place we spied

its open space empty of neighbors,

Lived all securely, from alarms set free,

فَلَقِدماً رَأَيتُ فيها مَهاةً

فَلَقِدماً رَأَيتُ فيها مَهاةً

في جِوارٍ أَوانِسٍ أَبكارِ

في جِوارٍ أَوانِسٍ أَبكارِ

long ago I did see an oryx-doe there,

Then I have seen, amid their castle wide,

among companionable virgin maidens.

A maidens' bower, inmates fair as she.

ذَكَّرَتني الدِيارُ نُعماً وَأَترا

ذَكَّرَتني الدِيارُ نُعماً وَأَترا

باً حِساناً نَواعِماً كَالصِوارِ

باً حِساناً نَواعِماً كَالصِوارِ

The dwellings reminded me of Nu'm and her peers—

There, linked with loveliness from head to feet,

fair and tender, like a herd of wild cattle,

Proudly they trod, like graceful gazelles ye meet.

آنِساتٍ مِثلَ التَماثيلِ لِعساً

آنِساتٍ مِثلَ التَماثيلِ لِعساً

مَعَ خَودٍ خَريدَةٍ مِعطارِ

مَعَ خَودٍ خَريدَةٍ مِعطارِ

companionable, like statues, with dusky lips,

There I sojourned awhile, and spent the light

with a tender, shy maiden, richly perfumed—

In converse glad, forgetting coming night.

وَمَقاماً قَد أَقَمتُهُ مَعَ نُعمٍ

وَمَقاماً قَد أَقَمتُهُ مَعَ نُعمٍ

وَحَديثاً مِثلَ الجَنى المُشتارِ

وَحَديثاً مِثلَ الجَنى المُشتارِ

and a time I had spent with Nu'm,

We shunned the eyes of censurers prowling nigh,

and talk like gathered honey.

Hid by the screen of tent-walls raised on high;

نَتَّقي العَينَ تَحتَ عَينٍ سَجومٍ

نَتَّقي العَينَ تَحتَ عَينٍ سَجومٍ

وَبلُها في دُجى الدُجُنَّةِ ساري

وَبلُها في دُجى الدُجُنَّةِ ساري

We avoided the watching eye beneath a streaming eye,

With backs close mantled in our robes' thick down,

whose downpour coursed through the night's deep darkness.

Between our wrists and shoulders wrapt and brown.

وَاِكتَنَنّا بُردَينِ مِن جَيِّدِ العَص

وَاِكتَنَنّا بُردَينِ مِن جَيِّدِ العَص

بِ مَعاً بَينَ مِطرَفٍ وَشِعارِ

بِ مَعاً بَينَ مِطرَفٍ وَشِعارِ

And we sheltered in two cloaks of fine striped

I slept in ease, my pillowed cheek sustained

cloth, together, between a bordered cloak and an undergarment.

In night's dark hours by wrist and bracelet chained -

بِتُّ في نِعمَةٍ وَباتَ وِسادي

بِتُّ في نِعمَةٍ وَباتَ وِسادي

مِعصَما بَينَ دُملُجٍ وَسِوارِ

مِعصَما بَينَ دُملُجٍ وَسِوارِ

I passed the night in bliss, and my pillow was

Till morning glimmered and the dawn's faint rays

a wrist between an armlet and a bracelet.

Speared through its chinks like schoolboys at their plays.

ثُمَّ إِنَّ الصَباحَ لاحَ وَلاحَت

ثُمَّ إِنَّ الصَباحَ لاحَ وَلاحَت

أَنجُمُ الصُبحِ مِثلَ جَزعِ العَذاري

أَنجُمُ الصُبحِ مِثلَ جَزعِ العَذاري

Then dawn glimmered, and there gleamed

Then we arose and walked in the cool air,

the morning stars, like maidens' onyx beads.

With scented herbs our fevered limbs to spare,

فَنَهَضنا نَمشي نُعَفّى مُروطاً

فَنَهَضنا نَمشي نُعَفّى مُروطاً

وَبُروداً وَهناً عَلى الآثارِ

وَبُروداً وَهناً عَلى الآثارِ

Then we rose and walked, letting mantles trail

While all around on hill and plain Its herds

and cloaks, wearily, over our tracks.

The rising sun greeted, like angels' words.

وَتَوَلّى نَواعِمٌ خَفِراتٌ

وَتَوَلّى نَواعِمٌ خَفِراتٌ

يَتَهادَينَ كَالظِباءِ السَواري

يَتَهادَينَ كَالظِباءِ السَواري

And the tender, bashful women departed,

With us there fared gazelles, gentle and young,

swaying as they walked, like gazelles roaming by night;

Hastening like maidens clad in garments long.

مُثقَلاتٌ يُزجينَ بَدرَ سُعودٍ

مُثقَلاتٌ يُزجينَ بَدرَ سُعودٍ

وَهيَ في الصُبحِ مِثلُ شَمسِ النَهارِ

وَهيَ في الصُبحِ مِثلُ شَمسِ النَهارِ

full-figured, they ushered along a full moon of good fortune,

With breasts adorned they paced sedately by,

and at dawn she was like the sun of day.

Their horns the rising day-star's brilliancy.