عَفَت بَعدَنا مِن أُمِّ حَسّانَ غَضوَرُ

عَفَت بَعدَنا مِن أُمِّ حَسّانَ غَضوَرُ

وَفي الرَحلِ مِنها آيَةٌ لا تَغَيَّرُ

وَفي الرَحلِ مِنها آيَةٌ لا تَغَيَّرُ

At Ghadwar, Umm Hassan's traces have faded since we left;

The cliffs of Umm Hasan were rent when we departed,

and at al-Rahl, a trace of her remains unchanged.

And in the saddlebags was a sign that does not change,

وَبِالغُرِّ وَالغَرّاءِ مِنها مَنازِلٌ

وَبِالغُرِّ وَالغَرّاءِ مِنها مَنازِلٌ

وَحَولَ الصَفا مِن أَهلِها مُتَدَوَّرُ

وَحَولَ الصَفا مِن أَهلِها مُتَدَوَّرُ

At al-Ghurr and al-Gharra are dwellings of hers,

And in al-Gurr and al-Gharrā' were encampments from her people,

and around al-Safa, her people's gathering ground—

And around as-Safā were circles of her family revolving,

لَيالِيَنا إِذ جيبُها لَكَ ناصِحٌ

لَيالِيَنا إِذ جيبُها لَكَ ناصِحٌ

وَإِذ ريحُها مِسكٌ زَكِيٌّ وَعَنبَرُ

وَإِذ ريحُها مِسكٌ زَكِيٌّ وَعَنبَرُ

those nights of ours, when her bosom was faithful to you,

Those nights when their valleys called to you as a sincere advisor,

and when her scent was fragrant musk and ambergris.

And when the scent of them was pure musk and ambergris,

أَلَم تَعلَمي يا أُمَّ حَسّانَ أَنَّنا

أَلَم تَعلَمي يا أُمَّ حَسّانَ أَنَّنا

خَليطاً زَيالٍ لَيسَ عَن ذاكَ مَقصَرُ

خَليطاً زَيالٍ لَيسَ عَن ذاكَ مَقصَرُ

Have you not learned, O Umm Hassan, that we

Do you not know, O Umm Hasan, that we,

are two companions bound to part, with no escape from that,

Are a mixed band, none among us falling short,

وَأَنَّ المَنايا ثَغرُ كُلِّ ثَنِيَّةٍ

وَأَنَّ المَنايا ثَغرُ كُلِّ ثَنِيَّةٍ

فَهَل ذاكَ عَمّا يَبتَغي القَومُ مُحصِرُ

فَهَل ذاكَ عَمّا يَبتَغي القَومُ مُحصِرُ

and that death lies at the mouth of every mountain pass?

And that death is the end of every finger-breadth,

Does that, then, bar men from what they seek?

So is that not beyond what people seek to restrain?

وَغَبراءَ مَخشِيَ رَداها مَخوفَةٍ

وَغَبراءَ مَخشِيَ رَداها مَخوفَةٍ

أَخوها بِأَسبابِ المَنايا مُغَرَّرُ

أَخوها بِأَسبابِ المَنايا مُغَرَّرُ

Many a dust-gray wilderness, fearsome, its deadly peril dreaded,

And Ghobarā' of Makhashī turned away in fear,

its brother imperiled by the hazards of death—

Her brother ensnared by the causes of death,

قَطَعتُ بِها شَكُّ الخِلاجِ وَلَم أَقُل

قَطَعتُ بِها شَكُّ الخِلاجِ وَلَم أَقُل

لِخَيّابَةٍ هَيّابَةٍ كَيفَ تَأمُرُ

لِخَيّابَةٍ هَيّابَةٍ كَيفَ تَأمُرُ

I crossed it, cutting through doubt and hesitation, and did not say

I put an end to my nagging doubts but did not say

to a timid failure, 'What do you advise?'

To the wavering and excitable one, "How do you command?"

تَدارَكَ عَوذاً بَعدَ ما ساءَ ظَنُّها

تَدارَكَ عَوذاً بَعدَ ما ساءَ ظَنُّها

بِماوانَ عِرقٌ مِن أُسامَةَ أَزهَرُ

بِماوانَ عِرقٌ مِن أُسامَةَ أَزهَرُ

He rescued mothers with newborns after they had feared the worst,

He sought refuge, after his confidence was shaken,

at Ma'wan—a radiant scion of Usama, the lion.

With the Banū Māwan, a branch of Usāmah, more flourishing,

هُم عَيَّروني أَنَّ أُمّي غَريبَةٌ

هُم عَيَّروني أَنَّ أُمّي غَريبَةٌ

وَهَل في كَريمٍ ماجِدٍ ما يُعَيَّرُ

وَهَل في كَريمٍ ماجِدٍ ما يُعَيَّرُ

They reproached me because my mother is an outsider;

They reproach me that my mother is a foreigner,

but is there anything to reproach in a generous, noble man?

And is there in a generous, glorious man that which can be reproached?

وَقَد عَيَّروني المالَ حينَ جَمَعتُهُ

وَقَد عَيَّروني المالَ حينَ جَمَعتُهُ

وَقَد عَيَّروني الفَقرَ إِذ أَنا مُقتِرُ

وَقَد عَيَّروني الفَقرَ إِذ أَنا مُقتِرُ

They reproached me for wealth when I amassed it,

And they reproached me for wealth when I gathered it,

and they reproached me for poverty when I was in want.

And they reproached me for poverty when I was destitute,

وَعَيَّرَني قَومي شَبابي وَلِمَّتي

وَعَيَّرَني قَومي شَبابي وَلِمَّتي

مَتى ما يَشا رَهطُ اِمرِئٍ يَتَعَيَّرُ

مَتى ما يَشا رَهطُ اِمرِئٍ يَتَعَيَّرُ

My people reproached me for my youth and my locks;

And my people reproached me for my youth and my folly

whenever a man's kin wish, he will be reproached.

Whenever the comrades of a man choose to find fault,

حَوى حَيُّ أَحياءٍ شِتيرَ اِبنَ خالِدٍ

حَوى حَيُّ أَحياءٍ شِتيرَ اِبنَ خالِدٍ

وَقَد طَمَعَت في غُنمِ آخَرَ جَعفَرُ

وَقَد طَمَعَت في غُنمِ آخَرَ جَعفَرُ

A clan among the clans seized Shitir son of Khalid,

The living environs of Ḥayy have welcomed the son of Khālid,

and Ja'far coveted further booty.

While Jaʿfar has coveted the sheep of another,

وَلا أَنتَمي إِلّا لِجارٍ مُجاوِرٍ

وَلا أَنتَمي إِلّا لِجارٍ مُجاوِرٍ

فَما آخِرُ العَيشِ الَّذي أَتَنَظَّرُ

فَما آخِرُ العَيشِ الَّذي أَتَنَظَّرُ

I claim no affiliation except with a neighbor living beside me;

And I belong only to a neighbor who lives nearby,

what end of life, then, am I waiting for?

So what is the end of this life for which I hope?