هِيَ الدارُ مِن سَلمى وَهاتي المَرابِعُ

هِيَ الدارُ مِن سَلمى وَهاتي المَرابِعُ

فَحَتّى مَتى ياعَينُ دَمعُكِ هامِعٌ

فَحَتّى مَتى ياعَينُ دَمعُكِ هامِعٌ

This is Salma's dwelling, and these are the spring encampments.

This is the abode of Salma though we have parted

So how much longer, O eye, will your tears stream?

How long, O tearful eye, will you weep copiously?

أَلَم يَنهَكِ الشَيبُ الَّذي حَلَّ نازِلاً

أَلَم يَنهَكِ الشَيبُ الَّذي حَلَّ نازِلاً

وَلِلشَيبِ بَعدَ الجَهلِ لِلمَرءِ رادِعُ

وَلِلشَيبِ بَعدَ الجَهلِ لِلمَرءِ رادِعُ

Has the gray hair that came to dwell not restrained you?

Has not old age wearied you, which has descended?

And after folly, gray hair is a restraint upon a man.

For after ignorance, old age makes man desist

لَئِن وَصَلَت سَلمى حِبالَ مَوَدَّتي

لَئِن وَصَلَت سَلمى حِبالَ مَوَدَّتي

فَإِنَّ وَشيكَ البَينِ لاشَكَّ قاطِعُ

فَإِنَّ وَشيكَ البَينِ لاشَكَّ قاطِعُ

If Salma has indeed joined the cords of my affection,

If the bonds of my love for Salma are joined

then imminent separation will doubtless sever them.

Then the imminent separation will surely split them

وَإِن حَجَبَت عَنّا النَوى أُمَّ مالِكٍ

وَإِن حَجَبَت عَنّا النَوى أُمَّ مالِكٍ

لَقَد ساعَدَتها كِلَّةٌ وَبَراقِعُ

لَقَد ساعَدَتها كِلَّةٌ وَبَراقِعُ

And if distance has hidden Umm Malik from us,

And if the intention of Umm Malik has veiled her from us

a gauze curtain and face veils have surely aided it.

Bigotry and veils have surely aided her

وَإِن ظَمِئَت نَفسي إِلى طيبِ ريقِها

وَإِن ظَمِئَت نَفسي إِلى طيبِ ريقِها

لَقَد رَوِيَت بِالدَمعِ مِنّي المَدامِعُ

لَقَد رَوِيَت بِالدَمعِ مِنّي المَدامِعُ

And if my soul thirsts for the sweetness of her saliva,

And if my soul thirsts for the sweetness of her path

my tear ducts have surely drunk their fill of tears.

It has been sated with copious tears from me

وَإِن أَفَلَت تِلكَ البُدورُ عَشِيَّةً

وَإِن أَفَلَت تِلكَ البُدورُ عَشِيَّةً

فَإِنَّ نُحوسي بِالفِراقِ طَوالِعُ

فَإِنَّ نُحوسي بِالفِراقِ طَوالِعُ

And if those full moons set one evening,

And if those full moons set in the evening

then my ill-omened stars rise with separation.

Then my misfortunes at the separation continually rise

وَلَمّا وَقَفنا لِلوَداعِ غَدِيَّةً

وَلَمّا وَقَفنا لِلوَداعِ غَدِيَّةً

أَشارَت إِلَينا أَعيُنٌ وَأَصابِعُ

أَشارَت إِلَينا أَعيُنٌ وَأَصابِعُ

And when we stood to bid farewell one morning,

And when we paused for farewell in the morning

eyes and fingers signaled to us.

Eyes and fingers gestured towards us

وَقالَت أَتَنسى العَهدَ بِالجِزعِ وَاللِوى

وَقالَت أَتَنسى العَهدَ بِالجِزعِ وَاللِوى

وَما ضَمَّهُ مِنّا النَقا وَالأَجارِعُ

وَما ضَمَّهُ مِنّا النَقا وَالأَجارِعُ

And she said, “Will you forget the pledge at the valley bend and the winding sands,

And she said, "Do you forget the pact in anguish and torment,

and what the sandhill and sandy flats held of us?”

And what nearness and vessels have contained of us?"

وَأَجرَت دُموعاً مِن جُفونٍ لِحاظُها

وَأَجرَت دُموعاً مِن جُفونٍ لِحاظُها

شِفارٌ عَلى قَلبِ المُحِبِّ قَواطِعُ

شِفارٌ عَلى قَلبِ المُحِبِّ قَواطِعُ

And she shed tears from eyelids whose glances

And she shed tears from eyelids whose edges

are blades cutting into the lover's heart.

Are sharp swords upon the heart of the ardent lover

فَقُلتُ لَها مَهلاً فَما الدَمعُ رائِعي

فَقُلتُ لَها مَهلاً فَما الدَمعُ رائِعي

وَما هُوَ لِلقَرمِ المُصَمِّمِ رائِعُ

وَما هُوَ لِلقَرمِ المُصَمِّمِ رائِعُ

Then I said to her, “Gently now, for tears do not daunt me,

So I said to her, "Wait! Tears do not deter me,

nor do they daunt a resolute chieftain.

Nor do they stop the resolute old man."

لَئِن لَم أُخَلِّ العيسَ وَهيَ لَواغِبٌ

لَئِن لَم أُخَلِّ العيسَ وَهيَ لَواغِبٌ

حَدابيرَ مِن طولِ السَرى وَظَوالِعُ

حَدابيرَ مِن طولِ السَرى وَظَوالِعُ

If I do not leave the pale camels exhausted,

"If I do not relinquish the staff while it inclines,

gaunt from long night travel, and limping,

It will have consequences of prolonged deviation."

فَما أَنا مِن حَمدانَ في الشَرَفِ الَّذي

فَما أَنا مِن حَمدانَ في الشَرَفِ الَّذي

لَهُ مَنزِلٌ بَينَ السَماكَينِ طالِعُ

لَهُ مَنزِلٌ بَينَ السَماكَينِ طالِعُ

then I am not of Hamdan, whose nobility

"I am not like Hamdan in the nobility which

has a station rising between the two Simak stars.”

Rises for him between the two orbits."