لستُ أنسى الرَّكب بنا

لستُ أنسى الرَّكب بنا

بَعد وادي المُنحنى في لَعْلَعِ

بَعد وادي المُنحنى في لَعْلَعِ

Never shall I forget the caravan bearing us

I do not forget the caravan with us,

beyond Wadi al-Munḥanā, at Laʿlaʿ.

Beyond the valley of al-Munḥanā in Laʿlaʿ.

وعلى أَرسُم ربعٍ دارسٍ

وعلى أَرسُم ربعٍ دارسٍ

نفَّسَ الوجدُ وعاءَ الأَدمع

نفَّسَ الوجدُ وعاءَ الأَدمع

At the traces of a time-effaced encampment,

And upon the traces of a ruined dwelling,

longing drained the vessel of tears.

Longing gave vent to the vessel of tears.

أَربُعٌ للَّهو كانت ملعباً

أَربُعٌ للَّهو كانت ملعباً

ثمَّ كانت بعد حينٍ مصرعي

ثمَّ كانت بعد حينٍ مصرعي

Encampments—by God, what scenes of delight they were!

Dwellings that were a playground for pleasure

Then, after a while, they became the scene of my undoing.

Then, after a time, became the place of my undoing.

كانَ للعين بقايا أَدْمُعٍ

كانَ للعين بقايا أَدْمُعٍ

فأَراقَتْها بتلك الأَربُع

فأَراقَتْها بتلك الأَربُع

My eye still held the remnants of my tears,

The eye had some tears left,

and shed them at those encampments.

So it poured them out at those dwellings.

أترى عيشاً لنا في رامةٍ

أترى عيشاً لنا في رامةٍ

راجعاً يوماً وهل من مرجع

راجعاً يوماً وهل من مرجع

Do you suppose that the life we had at Rāmah

Do you think our life in Rāmah

will one day return? But is there any return?

Will return one day—and is there any return?

كانَ من ريق الحميَّا موردي

كانَ من ريق الحميَّا موردي

وبأَزهار الغواني مرتعي

وبأَزهار الغواني مرتعي

The nectar of wine was my drinking-place,

My watering-place was the nectar of wine,

and amid the blossoms of fair women lay my pasture.

And among the blossoms of beautiful women was my pasture,

وبأحباب مضى عهدي بهم

وبأحباب مضى عهدي بهم

وبهم وَجْدي وفيهم ولعي

وبهم وَجْدي وفيهم ولعي

My time with beloved friends has passed;

And with loved ones—my time with them has passed—

for them is my longing, and in them my passion.

And for them is my longing, and in them my passion.

ولقد أَصْبَحْتُ من بعدهمُ

ولقد أَصْبَحْتُ من بعدهمُ

قانعاً منهم بما لم أَقنع

قانعاً منهم بما لم أَقنع

And indeed, after they departed, I have grown

And indeed, since their departure, I have become

content with what, from them, had never contented me.

Content with what from them once failed to satisfy me.

كلَّما أَذكرهم لي أَنَّةٌ

كلَّما أَذكرهم لي أَنَّةٌ

عن فؤادٍ مستهامٍ موجع

عن فؤادٍ مستهامٍ موجع

Whenever I remember them, a groan rises within me

Whenever I remember them, a moan is mine,

from an aching heart distraught with love.

From a love-stricken, aching heart.

يستريب الواشي منه عبرة

يستريب الواشي منه عبرة

أَظْهَرَتْ ما أَضْمَرَتْهُ أضلعي

أَظْهَرَتْ ما أَضْمَرَتْهُ أضلعي

A tear from it arouses the tale-bearer’s suspicion,

A tear from it arouses the talebearer's suspicion,

showing him what my ribs had concealed.

It revealed what my ribs had concealed.

وادَّعى أنِّي شجٍ مستغرمٍ

وادَّعى أنِّي شجٍ مستغرمٍ

صَدَق الواشون فيما تدَّعي

صَدَق الواشون فيما تدَّعي

He claims that I am sorrowful, enthralled by love;

And he claimed I was sorrowful and deeply enamored.

the tale-bearers speak truly in what you claim.

The talebearers spoke the truth in what you claim.

هاجَتِ الوَرقاءُ وجداً كامناً

هاجَتِ الوَرقاءُ وجداً كامناً

في فؤادي وأثارت جزعي

في فؤادي وأثارت جزعي

The ring-dove stirred a latent longing

The gray dove stirred a dormant longing

within my heart, and roused my anguish.

In my heart and aroused my anguish.

ليت في عينيك ما في أعيني

ليت في عينيك ما في أعيني

ورأت عيناك فيض الأَدمع

ورأت عيناك فيض الأَدمع

Would that your eyes held what lies within my eyes,

Would that your eyes held what is in mine,

and that your eyes could see the flood of tears.

And your eyes beheld the flood of tears.

إنْ بكيتُ الإِلْف أثناه النوى

إنْ بكيتُ الإِلْف أثناه النوى

فابكي يا أيّتها الوُرق معي

فابكي يا أيّتها الوُرق معي

If I weep for the beloved whom separation turned away,

If I weep for the beloved whom separation drove away,

then weep, O doves, with me.

Then weep with me, O gray doves.