بانَ الخَليطُ بمَن عُلِّقتَ فَانصَدَعُوا

بانَ الخَليطُ بمَن عُلِّقتَ فَانصَدَعُوا

فَدَمعُ عَينِكَ وَاهٍ واكِفٌ هَمِعُ

فَدَمعُ عَينِكَ وَاهٍ واكِفٌ هَمِعُ

The company departed with the one you loved, and scattered.

The tribe has split over whom you were attached to, so they scattered

So the tears of your eye flow freely, dripping and pouring.

The tears of your eyes flow copiously, grief-stricken

كَيفَ اللِّقَاءُ وَقَد أَضحَت وَمَسكَنُها

كَيفَ اللِّقَاءُ وَقَد أَضحَت وَمَسكَنُها

بَطنُ المَحِلَّةَ مِن صَنعَاءَ أَو ضَلَعُ

بَطنُ المَحِلَّةَ مِن صَنعَاءَ أَو ضَلَعُ

How can we meet, now that her dwelling lies

How can there be a meeting when she has become

In the heart of the settlement in Sana'a, or Dala'?

A resident of the center of Sanaa or its outskirts

كَم دُونَها مِن فَيافٍ لا أنيسَ بها

كَم دُونَها مِن فَيافٍ لا أنيسَ بها

إلاّ الظَلِيمُ وإِلاَّ الظِبيُ والسَّبعُ

إلاّ الظَلِيمُ وإِلاَّ الظِبيُ والسَّبعُ

How many deserts lie between us and her, with no companion there

How many wastelands below it, with no companion in them

Except the male ostrich, the gazelle, and the beast of prey.

Except the darkness, the hyena, and the predator

وَمَنهَلٍ صَخِبِ الأَصدَاءِ وَارِدُه

وَمَنهَلٍ صَخِبِ الأَصدَاءِ وَارِدُه

طَيرُ السَّمَاءِ تَحومُ الحَينُ أَو تَقَعُ

طَيرُ السَّمَاءِ تَحومُ الحَينُ أَو تَقَعُ

And many a waterhole, loud with echoes, whose visitors are

And a watering place of loud echoes, where the birds

Birds of the sky, circling doom or alighting.

Of the sky hover at times or alight

لاَ مَاؤُهُ مَاءُ أَحسَاءٍ تُقَرِّظُهُ

لاَ مَاؤُهُ مَاءُ أَحسَاءٍ تُقَرِّظُهُ

أَيدي السُقَاةِ وَلا صَادٍ ولا كَرِعُ

أَيدي السُقَاةِ وَلا صَادٍ ولا كَرِعُ

Its water is not sandy-well water, praised

Its water not the water of Ahsaa, ladled

By water-drawers' hands, nor by a thirsty man or a stooping drinker.

By the hands of drawers, nor a bucket or waterskin

إِلاَّ تَرَسُّخُ عِلبا دُونَهُ رَهَبٌ

إِلاَّ تَرَسُّخُ عِلبا دُونَهُ رَهَبٌ

مِن عِرمِضٍ فَأَبَاءٍ فَهيَ مُنتَقَعُ

مِن عِرمِضٍ فَأَبَاءٍ فَهيَ مُنتَقَعُ

Only [unclear wording], with dread before it,

Only mud accumulates below it, and a terror

Of algae and reed beds; so it is a stagnant pool.

Of death, stubbornness, so it is stagnant

تَقُولُ عَاذِلَتي مَهلاً فَقُلتُ لَها

تَقُولُ عَاذِلَتي مَهلاً فَقُلتُ لَها

عَنِّي إِلَيكِ فَهَل تدرِينَ مَن أَدَعُ

عَنِّي إِلَيكِ فَهَل تدرِينَ مَن أَدَعُ

My reprover says, 'Slow down!' So I said to her,

My blamer said to me, wait! And I said to her

'Leave me alone! Do you know whom I would forsake?'

Leave me be to whom I call - do you know whom I call upon?

وكَيفَ أَترُكُ شَخصاً في رَوَاجِبِهِ

وكَيفَ أَترُكُ شَخصاً في رَوَاجِبِهِ

وَفي الأَنَامِلِ مِن حَنَّائِهِ لَمَعُ

وَفي الأَنَامِلِ مِن حَنَّائِهِ لَمَعُ

And how can I forsake someone whose finger-joints

How can I leave a person in her abode

And fingertips gleam with henna?

With henna on her fingers glittering

وَأَنتِ لَو كُنتِ بي جُدُّ الخَبيرَةِ لَم

وَأَنتِ لَو كُنتِ بي جُدُّ الخَبيرَةِ لَم

يُطمِعكِ في طَمَعٍ مِن شِيَمتي طَمَعُ

يُطمِعكِ في طَمَعٍ مِن شِيَمتي طَمَعُ

And had you known me truly well, no

If you were truly wise towards me, no

Greed in my nature would have kindled greed in you.

Hope of my nature would make you hopeful

إِنِّي لَيُعوزُني جَدِّي فَأَترُكُهُ

إِنِّي لَيُعوزُني جَدِّي فَأَترُكُهُ

عَمدَاً وَأَخدَعُ أَحيَاناً فَأَنخَدِعُ

عَمدَاً وَأَخدَعُ أَحيَاناً فَأَنخَدِعُ

Truly, my good fortune eludes me, and so I abandon it

I do lack wisdom and leave it

Deliberately; at times I deceive, then am deceived.

Intentionally, and sometimes I am deceived and duped

وَأَكتُمُ السِرَّ في صَدرِي وَأَخزِنُهُ

وَأَكتُمُ السِرَّ في صَدرِي وَأَخزِنُهُ

حَتّى يكون لذاك القول مُطَّلَعُ

حَتّى يكون لذاك القول مُطَّلَعُ

And I conceal the secret in my breast and store it away

I conceal the secret in my chest and store it

Until those words find an opening.

Until the right time comes for that saying to emerge

وَأَترُكُ القَولَ إِلاَّ في مُرَاجَعَةٍ

وَأَترُكُ القَولَ إِلاَّ في مُرَاجَعَةٍ

حَتَّى يَكُونَ لَهُ مُلحُ وَمُستَمِعُ

حَتَّى يَكُونَ لَهُ مُلحُ وَمُستَمِعُ

And I withhold speech except in an exchange of replies,

And I hold back speech unless it is in a consultation

So that it has wit and someone to listen.

So it may have salt and a listener

لاَ قُوَّتِي قُوَّةُ الرَّاعِي رَكَائِبَهُ

لاَ قُوَّتِي قُوَّةُ الرَّاعِي رَكَائِبَهُ

يَأوِي فَيَأوِي إِلَيهِ الكَلبُ وَالرَّبَعُ

يَأوِي فَيَأوِي إِلَيهِ الكَلبُ وَالرَّبَعُ

My strength is not the strength of a herdsman tending his riding camels:

My strength not the strength of a shepherd guarding his ewes

He takes shelter, and the dog and camel calf shelter with him.

Who returns and returns while the dog and lamb return to him

وَلاَ العَسِيفِ الَّذِي يَشتَدُّ عُقبتَهُ

وَلاَ العَسِيفِ الَّذِي يَشتَدُّ عُقبتَهُ

حَتَّى يَبِيتَ وَبَاقِي نَعلِهِ قِطَعُ

حَتَّى يَبِيتَ وَبَاقِي نَعلِهِ قِطَعُ

Nor that of the hired servant who runs his allotted stretch,

Nor of the horseman whose hobble grows strong

Till he beds down, with what remains of his sandal in shreds.

Until he spends the night and what remains of his shoe is cut off

لاَ يَحمِلُ العَبدُ مِنَّا فَوقَ طَاقَتِهِ

لاَ يَحمِلُ العَبدُ مِنَّا فَوقَ طَاقَتِهِ

وَنَحنُ نَحمِلُ ما لا تحمل القَلَعُ

وَنَحنُ نَحمِلُ ما لا تحمل القَلَعُ

No slave among us bears beyond his capacity,

A servant does not carry more than his capacity from us

And we bear what great ships cannot bear.

While we carry what citadels cannot carry

مِنَّا الأَنَاةُ وَبَعضُ القَومِ يَحسَبُنَا

مِنَّا الأَنَاةُ وَبَعضُ القَومِ يَحسَبُنَا

إِنَّا بِطَاءٌ وفي إِبطَائِنَا سَرَعُ

إِنَّا بِطَاءٌ وفي إِبطَائِنَا سَرَعُ

Ours is deliberation, though some people think

From us is deliberation, and some people reckon us

That we are slow; yet our slowness holds swiftness.

Slow, but in our slowness is haste