أَعَن كُلِّ أَخدانٍ وَإِلفٍ وَلَذَّةٍ

أَعَن كُلِّ أَخدانٍ وَإِلفٍ وَلَذَّةٍ

سَلَوتَ وَما تَسلو عَنِ اِبنَةِ مُدلِجِ

سَلَوتَ وَما تَسلو عَنِ اِبنَةِ مُدلِجِ

From every close friend, companion, and pleasure—

I seek solace from every beloved and intimate friend,

have you turned away, yet cannot forget Mudlij's daughter?

And from the delights of a daughter of Mudlij,

وَليدَينِ حَتّى قالَ مَن يَزَعُ الصِبا

وَليدَينِ حَتّى قالَ مَن يَزَعُ الصِبا

أَجِدَّكَ لَمّا تَستَحي أَو تَحَرَّجِ

أَجِدَّكَ لَمّا تَستَحي أَو تَحَرَّجِ

Both of you still children, until one who curbs youthful folly said:

And the two sons of Waleed, until it was said: who can deter youth

'In earnest, have you not yet felt shame or scruple?'

From you, when you are not shy or hesitant?

أَراني مَتى ما هِجتَني بَعدَ سَلوَةٍ

أَراني مَتى ما هِجتَني بَعدَ سَلوَةٍ

عَلى ذِكرِ لَيلى مَرَّةً أَتَهَيَّجِ

عَلى ذِكرِ لَيلى مَرَّةً أَتَهَيَّجِ

I find that whenever you stir me after my longing has faded,

Do I see you, whenever you arouse me after solace

with a single mention of Layla, my passion stirs again.

Mention Layla once and become restless?

وَأَذكُرُ سَلمى في الزَمانِ الَّذي مَضى

وَأَذكُرُ سَلمى في الزَمانِ الَّذي مَضى

كَعَيناءَ تَرتادُ الأَسِرَّةَ عَوهَجِ

كَعَيناءَ تَرتادُ الأَسِرَّةَ عَوهَجِ

And I remember Salma in the time gone by,

And I remember Salma in times gone by

like a wide-eyed, long-necked gazelle seeking fertile valley bottoms.

Like a bleary-eyed she-camel frequenting encampments

عَلى حَدِّ مَتنَيها مِنَ الخَلقِ جُدَّةٌ

عَلى حَدِّ مَتنَيها مِنَ الخَلقِ جُدَّةٌ

تَصيرُ إِذا صامَ النَهارُ لِدَولَجِ

تَصيرُ إِذا صامَ النَهارُ لِدَولَجِ

A natural stripe runs along the ridge of her back;

Haughty among people because of her qualities

she goes to a sheltered lair when the day stands still at noon,

Becoming thin when fasting during daytime

بِبَطنِ العَقيقِ أَو بِخَرجِ تَبالَةٍ

بِبَطنِ العَقيقِ أَو بِخَرجِ تَبالَةٍ

مَتى ما تَجِد حَرّاً مِنَ الشَمسِ تَدمُجِ

مَتى ما تَجِد حَرّاً مِنَ الشَمسِ تَدمُجِ

in the valley of al-ʿAqiq or at the outlet of Tabala.

At Batn al-Aqeeq or Khirj Tubalah

Whenever she feels heat from the sun, she slips inside.

Whenever you find the heat of the sun scorching

تَحُلُّ الرِياضَ في هِلالِ بنِ عامِرٍ

تَحُلُّ الرِياضَ في هِلالِ بنِ عامِرٍ

وَإِن أَنجَدَت حَلَّت بِأَكنافِ مَنعِجِ

وَإِن أَنجَدَت حَلَّت بِأَكنافِ مَنعِجِ

She dwells in the meadows among Hilal ibn ʿAmir,

She wanders around in the crescent of Banu Amir

and if she goes up to Najd, she settles around Manʿij.

And if she becomes emaciated, she heads to the valleys of Manij

وَتُصبي الحَليمَ بِالحَديثِ يَلَذُّهُ

وَتُصبي الحَليمَ بِالحَديثِ يَلَذُّهُ

وَأَصواتِ حَليٍ أَو تَحَرُّكِ دُملُجِ

وَأَصواتِ حَليٍ أَو تَحَرُّكِ دُملُجِ

And she captivates the sober-minded with talk that delights him,

She entertains the forbearing with talk which delights him

and the sounds of jewelry, or an armlet's movement.

And the voices of singers, or the swaying of a howdah

وَأَبيَضَ عادِيٍّ تَلوحُ مُتونُهُ

وَأَبيَضَ عادِيٍّ تَلوحُ مُتونُهُ

عَلى البيدِ كَالسَحلِ اليَماني المُبَلَّجِ

عَلى البيدِ كَالسَحلِ اليَماني المُبَلَّجِ

And many a white, age-old road, its broad reaches gleaming

And a white camel, its humps appearing

across the wastes like bright Yemeni cotton cloth—

Against the desert like a Yemeni striped hyena

لَهُ خُلُجٌ تَهوي بِهِ مُتلَئِبَّةٌ

لَهُ خُلُجٌ تَهوي بِهِ مُتلَئِبَّةٌ

إِلى مَنهَلٍ قاوٍ جَديبِ المُعَرَّجِ

إِلى مَنهَلٍ قاوٍ جَديبِ المُعَرَّجِ

it has branching tracks sweeping straight along it

It has an enclosure to which a lovesick she-camel inclines

to a deserted watering place, barren where travelers halt,

To a trenchant, curved waterhole

مَخوفٍ كَأَنَّ الطَيرَ في مَنزِلاتِهِ

مَخوفٍ كَأَنَّ الطَيرَ في مَنزِلاتِهِ

عَلى جِيَفِ الحَسرى مَجالِسُ تَنتَجي

عَلى جِيَفِ الحَسرى مَجالِسُ تَنتَجي

a fearsome place, where the birds at its stopping places seem

Fearful, as if the birds in its dwellings

over the carcasses of spent camels, like gatherings whispering together.

Were assemblies of buzzards on the corpse of sorrow

زَجَرتُ عَلَيهِ حُرَّةً أَرحَبِيَّةً

زَجَرتُ عَلَيهِ حُرَّةً أَرحَبِيَّةً

وَقَد كانَ لَونُ اللَيلِ مِثلَ اليَرَندَجِ

وَقَد كانَ لَونُ اللَيلِ مِثلَ اليَرَندَجِ

I urged a noble Arhabi she-camel along it,

I scolded it, an Arhabiyyah she-camel in heat

while night's color was like black leather.

While the color of night was like yellow myrrh

وَمُستَنبِهٍ مِن نَومِهِ قَد أَجابَني

وَمُستَنبِهٍ مِن نَومِهِ قَد أَجابَني

بِرَجعَينِ مِن ثِنيَي لِسانٍ مُلَجلِجِ

بِرَجعَينِ مِن ثِنيَي لِسانٍ مُلَجلِجِ

And one waking from his sleep answered me

And one rousing from his sleep answered me

with two replies from the twin folds of a faltering tongue.

With two inarticulate syllables from a lisping tongue

فَقُلتُ لَهُ أَنقِض بِصَحبِكَ ساعَةً

فَقُلتُ لَهُ أَنقِض بِصَحبِكَ ساعَةً

فَهَبَّ فَتىً كَالسَيفِ غَيرُ مُزَلَّجِ

فَهَبَّ فَتىً كَالسَيفِ غَيرُ مُزَلَّجِ

So I told him, 'Click your tongue to your companions a moment';

So I said to him, spend an hour with your friends!

then a youth sprang up, like a sword, not baseborn.

And he sprang up like an undrawn sword

فَلا تَحسَبَنّي يا بنَ أَزنَمَ شَحمَةً

فَلا تَحسَبَنّي يا بنَ أَزنَمَ شَحمَةً

تَعَجَّلَها طاهٍ بِشَيٍّ مُلَهوَجِ

تَعَجَّلَها طاهٍ بِشَيٍّ مُلَهوَجِ

So do not take me, son of Aznam, for a lump of fat

Think me not, O son of Aznam, an impetuous fool

that a cook hastily roasts and leaves half-done.

Whom a wandering vagabond has served hastily seared meat

لِذي الفَضلِ مِن ذُبيانَ عِندي مَوَدَّةٌ

لِذي الفَضلِ مِن ذُبيانَ عِندي مَوَدَّةٌ

وَحِفظٌ وَمَن يُلحِم إِلى الشَرِّ أَنسُجِ

وَحِفظٌ وَمَن يُلحِم إِلى الشَرِّ أَنسُجِ

For the worthy man of Dhubyan, I have affection

I have affection for the noble among youths

and loyalty; whoever supplies threads for evil, I weave.

As well as care, and I weave together ties with the wicked

وَما الفَضلُ إِلّا لِاِمرِئٍ ذي حَفيظَةٍ

وَما الفَضلُ إِلّا لِاِمرِئٍ ذي حَفيظَةٍ

مَتى تَعفُ عَن ذَنبِ اِمرِءِ السَوءِ يَلجَجِ

مَتى تَعفُ عَن ذَنبِ اِمرِءِ السَوءِ يَلجَجِ

And merit belongs only to a man who guards his honor;

Nobility belongs only to one with good character

whenever you pardon a wicked man's offense, he persists in wrongdoing.

When he pardons the sin of an evil man, obstinate

وَإِنّي لَطَلّابُ الرِجالِ مُطَلَّبٌ

وَإِنّي لَطَلّابُ الرِجالِ مُطَلَّبٌ

وَلَستُ بِمَثلوجٍ وَلا بِمُعَلهَجِ

وَلَستُ بِمَثلوجٍ وَلا بِمُعَلهَجِ

And I pursue men relentlessly, much pursued myself,

Indeed I seek men, seeking

and I am neither cowed nor of mixed lineage.

And am neither confused nor muddled

أَنا اِبنُ رِياحٍ وَاِبنُ خالِيَ جَوشَنٌ

أَنا اِبنُ رِياحٍ وَاِبنُ خالِيَ جَوشَنٌ

وَلَم أُحتَمَل في حِجرِ سَوداءَ ضَمعَجِ

وَلَم أُحتَمَل في حِجرِ سَوداءَ ضَمعَجِ

I am the son of Riyah, and Jawshan is my maternal cousin;

I am the son of Riyaah, and my paternal uncle is Jawshan

and I was not carried in the lap of a thickset black woman.

And I was not carried in the bosom of a black wet nurse