معي صاحباً صِدْقٍ إذا مِلْتُ مَيْلَةً

معي صاحباً صِدْقٍ إذا مِلْتُ مَيْلَةً

وكانَ بِدَفَّيْ نِضْوَتي عَدَلاني

وكانَ بِدَفَّيْ نِضْوَتي عَدَلاني

With me are two loyal companions; whenever I lean to one side,

I have a true friend, when I incline

at my worn-out she-camel's two flanks, they steady me.

He straightens me with his justice and care

أَلاَ أَيُّها العرّافُ هل أَنتَ بائعي

أَلاَ أَيُّها العرّافُ هل أَنتَ بائعي

مكانَكَ يوماً واحداً بمكاني

مكانَكَ يوماً واحداً بمكاني

O soothsayer, will you sell me

Oh you, the diviner! Would you sell

your place for one single day in exchange for mine?

Your place for a day for my place?

أَلسْتَ تراني لا رأيتَ وَأَمْسَكَتْ

أَلسْتَ تراني لا رأيتَ وَأَمْسَكَتْ

بِسَمْعِكَ رَوْعاتٌ من الحَدَثانِ

بِسَمْعِكَ رَوْعاتٌ من الحَدَثانِ

Do you not see me? May you lose your sight, and may

Do you not see me, though you did not see

terrors from fate seize your hearing!

Whispers grasped your hearing from the youth

فيا عَمٌ يا ذا الغَدْرِ لا زِلْتَ مُبْتلّي

فيا عَمٌ يا ذا الغَدْرِ لا زِلْتَ مُبْتلّي

حليفاً لِهَمٍّ لازمٍ وهَوانِ

حليفاً لِهَمٍّ لازمٍ وهَوانِ

So, uncle, you treacherous one, may you forever be afflicted,

Oh man, oh you of betrayal, you remained

an inseparable companion of abiding sorrow and humiliation.

Ally to constant anxiety and disgrace

غَدَرْتَ وكانَ الغَدْرُ مِنْكَ سَجِيَّةً

غَدَرْتَ وكانَ الغَدْرُ مِنْكَ سَجِيَّةً

فَأَلْزَمْتَ قلبي دائمَ الخفقانِ

فَأَلْزَمْتَ قلبي دائمَ الخفقانِ

You betrayed me, and treachery was your nature;

You betrayed, and betrayal was your habit

so you made my heart throb without cease.

So you condemned my heart to constant throbbing

وَأَوْرَثْتَني غَمَّاً وكَرْباً وحَسْرَةً

وَأَوْرَثْتَني غَمَّاً وكَرْباً وحَسْرَةً

وأَوْرَثْتَ عيني دائمَ الهَمَلانِ

وأَوْرَثْتَ عيني دائمَ الهَمَلانِ

And you bequeathed me grief, anguish, and regret,

And caused me sorrow, anguish and regret

and bequeathed my eye a ceaseless flow of tears.

And caused my eye constant anxiety

فلا زِلْتَ ذا شوقٍ إلى مَنْ هَويتَهُ

فلا زِلْتَ ذا شوقٍ إلى مَنْ هَويتَهُ

وقلبُكَ مقسومٌ بِكُلِّ مكانِ

وقلبُكَ مقسومٌ بِكُلِّ مكانِ

So may you never cease yearning for the one you loved,

You still have passion for your beloved

and your heart be scattered everywhere.

While your heart is divided in every place

وإِنّي لأَهْوى ما يَزْعُمُ النّاسُ بَيْنَنا

وإِنّي لأَهْوى ما يَزْعُمُ النّاسُ بَيْنَنا

وعفراءَ يومَ الحَشْرِ مُلْتَقِيانِ

وعفراءَ يومَ الحَشْرِ مُلْتَقِيانِ

And I truly love what people claim lies between us;

And I love what people claim between us

and ʿAfrāʾ and I shall meet on the Day of Gathering.

And on Judgement Day we shall meet

وإِنَّا على ما يَزْعُمُ النّاسُ بَيْنَنَا

وإِنَّا على ما يَزْعُمُ النّاسُ بَيْنَنَا

مِنَ الحبِّ يا عفرا لَمُهْتَجِرانِ

مِنَ الحبِّ يا عفرا لَمُهْتَجِرانِ

And we, despite what people claim lies between us

As for what people claim between us

of love, O ʿAfrā, are indeed estranged.

Of love, oh Afara, we are estranged

تَحَدَّثَ أَصْحابي حديثاً سَمِعْتُهُ

تَحَدَّثَ أَصْحابي حديثاً سَمِعْتُهُ

ضُحَيّاً وأعناقُ المَطِيِّ ثَوانِ

ضُحَيّاً وأعناقُ المَطِيِّ ثَوانِ

My companions spoke of a report I heard,

My friends spoke words I overheard

at midmorning, with the riding camels' necks bent.

In the morning as the riding camels knelt

فقلتُ لهم كلاّ وقالوا جماعةٌ

فقلتُ لهم كلاّ وقالوا جماعةٌ

بلى والذي يُدْعى بكلِّ مكانِ

بلى والذي يُدْعى بكلِّ مكانِ

So I said to them, 'No!' and they answered together,

I said, "No!" But they said, "Yes, by Him

'Yes, by Him who is invoked everywhere!'

Who is called upon in every place."

أَلا يا غُرابَيّ دِمْنَةِ الدَّارِ بَيِّنا

أَلا يا غُرابَيّ دِمْنَةِ الدَّارِ بَيِّنا

أَبِالصَّرْمِ من عفراءَ تَنتحبانِ

أَبِالصَّرْمِ من عفراءَ تَنتحبانِ

O my two ravens of the ruined dwelling, tell me:

Oh ravens of the abode, make clear

are you both wailing over separation from ʿAfrāʾ?

Do you wail over Afara at the burial grounds?

فَإِنْ كانَ حقّاً ما تقولانِ فَاذْهَبا

فَإِنْ كانَ حقّاً ما تقولانِ فَاذْهَبا

بِلَحْمي إلى وَكْرَيْكُما فَكُلاني

بِلَحْمي إلى وَكْرَيْكُما فَكُلاني

So if what you both say is true, then go

If what you both say is true, then take

with my flesh to your two nests, and eat me.

My flesh to your dens and eat me

إِذَنْ تَحْمِلا لَحْماً قليلاً وأَعْظُماً

إِذَنْ تَحْمِلا لَحْماً قليلاً وأَعْظُماً

دِقاقاً وقَلْباً دائمَ الخَفَقانِ

دِقاقاً وقَلْباً دائمَ الخَفَقانِ

Then you will carry scant flesh and bones—

Then you will carry little flesh but great

slender ones—and a heart that throbs without cease.

Brittle bones and a heart that throbs

كُلانيَ أَكْلاً لم يَرَ النّاسُ مِثْلَهُ

كُلانيَ أَكْلاً لم يَرَ النّاسُ مِثْلَهُ

ولا تَهْضِما جَنبيَّ وَازْدَرِداني

ولا تَهْضِما جَنبيَّ وَازْدَرِداني

Devour me in a way no one has ever seen,

Eat me in a way no people have seen

and do not crush my sides—swallow me whole.

Do not digest my side, but tear me apart

ولا يَعْلَمَنَّ النّاسُ ما كانَ مِيْتَتي

ولا يَعْلَمَنَّ النّاسُ ما كانَ مِيْتَتي

ولا يَطْعَمَنَّ الطَّيْرُ ما تَذَرانِ

ولا يَطْعَمَنَّ الطَّيْرُ ما تَذَرانِ

And let no one ever know how I died,

And let not people know how I died

nor let the birds eat what you two leave behind.

Nor birds taste what you both leave