طافَ الخَيالُ عَلَينا لَيلَةَ الوادي

طافَ الخَيالُ عَلَينا لَيلَةَ الوادي

لِآلِ أَسماءَ لَم يُلمِم لِميعادِ

لِآلِ أَسماءَ لَم يُلمِم لِميعادِ

The phantom visited us that night in the valley,

The imagination roamed over us the night of the valley

Of Asma's household, it came without an appointment.

For the family of Asma, no tryst has been fixed

أَنّى اِهتَدَيتَ لِرَكبٍ طالَ سَيرُهُمُ

أَنّى اِهتَدَيتَ لِرَكبٍ طالَ سَيرُهُمُ

في سَبسَبٍ بَينَ دَكداكٍ وَأَعقادِ

في سَبسَبٍ بَينَ دَكداكٍ وَأَعقادِ

How did you find your way to a caravan whose journey was long,

Whence did you find guidance to a caravan whose journey was prolonged

In a vast waste, between low sands and piled-up dunes?

In the twisting of a valley between pounding and knots

يُكَلِّفونَ سُراها كُلَّ يَعمَلَةٍ

يُكَلِّفونَ سُراها كُلَّ يَعمَلَةٍ

مِثلَ المَهاةِ إِذا ما اِحتَثَّها الحادي

مِثلَ المَهاةِ إِذا ما اِحتَثَّها الحادي

They make every hardy she-camel undertake her night journey,

They task the saddlebags, each saddle they put to work

Like an oryx when the chanting camel-driver urges her on.

Like the bellows when the blower kindles it

أَبلِغ أَبا كَرِبٍ عَنّي وَأُسرَتَهُ

أَبلِغ أَبا كَرِبٍ عَنّي وَأُسرَتَهُ

قَولاً سَيَذهَبُ غَوراً بَعدَ إِنجادِ

قَولاً سَيَذهَبُ غَوراً بَعدَ إِنجادِ

Convey to Abu Karib and his family, on my behalf,

Take word to Abū Karib and his family

A message that will reach the lowlands after reaching the uplands:

A saying that will fade into the wilderness after being transmitted

يا عَمروُ ما راحَ مِن قَومٍ وَلا اِبتَكَروا

يا عَمروُ ما راحَ مِن قَومٍ وَلا اِبتَكَروا

إِلّا وَلِلمَوتِ في آثارِهِم حادي

إِلّا وَلِلمَوتِ في آثارِهِم حادي

O Amr, no people ever set out at evening or departed at dawn

O Amr, no people have departed nor migrated

Without death's chanting camel-driver following in their tracks.

Except that to their traces the guide of death leads

فَإِن رَأَيتَ بِوادٍ حَيَّةً ذَكَراً

فَإِن رَأَيتَ بِوادٍ حَيَّةً ذَكَراً

فَاِمضِ وَدَعني أُمارِس حَيَّةَ الوادي

فَاِمضِ وَدَعني أُمارِس حَيَّةَ الوادي

So if you see a male serpent in a valley,

So if you see in a valley a male serpent

Go on, and leave me to grapple with the valley's serpent.

Then go, and leave me to contend with the valley’s serpent

لَأَعرِفَنَّكَ بَعدَ المَوتِ تَندُبُني

لَأَعرِفَنَّكَ بَعدَ المَوتِ تَندُبُني

وَفي حَياتِيَ ما زَوَّدتَني زادي

وَفي حَياتِيَ ما زَوَّدتَني زادي

I know full well you will lament me after my death,

I will recognize you after death mourning me

Yet in my lifetime you did not give me my provisions.

And in my life you did not provision me

إِنَّ أَمامَكَ يَوماً أَنتَ مُدرِكُهُ

إِنَّ أَمامَكَ يَوماً أَنتَ مُدرِكُهُ

لا حاضِرٌ مُفلِتٌ مِنهُ وَلا بادي

لا حاضِرٌ مُفلِتٌ مِنهُ وَلا بادي

Surely a day lies ahead of you that you will meet,

Before you is a day you will attain

From which neither townsman nor nomad can escape.

Neither present nor absent can escape it

فَاِنظُر إِلى فيءِ مُلكٍ أَنتَ تارِكُهُ

فَاِنظُر إِلى فيءِ مُلكٍ أَنتَ تارِكُهُ

هَل تُرسَيَنَّ أَواخيهِ بِأَوتادِ

هَل تُرسَيَنَّ أَواخيهِ بِأَوتادِ

So look at the shade of a kingdom you will leave:

Look to the shade of a kingdom you are leaving

Can its tethering loops be secured with stakes?

Can you peg down its tent poles?

إِذهَب إِلَيكَ فَإِنّي مِن بَني أَسَدٍ

إِذهَب إِلَيكَ فَإِنّي مِن بَني أَسَدٍ

أَهلِ القِبابِ وَأَهلِ الجُردِ وَالنادي

أَهلِ القِبابِ وَأَهلِ الجُردِ وَالنادي

Go your own way, for I am of Banu Asad,

Go away from me, for I am of the Banū Asad

People of domed tents, and people of sleek steeds and the assembly.

People of tents and open country and pasture

قَد أَترُكُ القِرنَ مُصفَرّاً أَنامِلُهُ

قَد أَترُكُ القِرنَ مُصفَرّاً أَنامِلُهُ

كَأَنَّ أَثوابَهُ مُجَّت بِفِرصادِ

كَأَنَّ أَثوابَهُ مُجَّت بِفِرصادِ

Indeed, I leave my opponent with yellowed fingertips,

I leave the bow yellowed, its strings discolored

As though his garments were spattered with mulberry juice.

As if its wrappings were steeped in weld

أَوجَرتُهُ وَنَواصي الخَيلِ شاحِبَةٌ

أَوجَرتُهُ وَنَواصي الخَيلِ شاحِبَةٌ

سَمراءَ عامِلُها مِن خَلفِهِ بادي

سَمراءَ عامِلُها مِن خَلفِهِ بادي

I made him swallow—while the horses' forelocks were pale—

I strung it while the horses' forelocks were bleached

A brown spear, its upper shaft visible behind him.

Dun is their groom behind them, visible