هَل لِدِيارٍ حَيَّيتَها دُرُسِ

هَل لِدِيارٍ حَيَّيتَها دُرُسِ

مِن صَمَمٍ ما هَتَفتَ أَو خَرَسِ

مِن صَمَمٍ ما هَتَفتَ أَو خَرَسِ

Are the ruined dwellings you greeted

Is there for homelands you once greeted

Do the effaced abodes you greeted possess...

deaf when you called out, or mute?

A deafness from stillness, or mute from neglect?

...deafness to your call, or merely muteness?

غُيِّبَ عَنهُنَّ سَكنُهُنَّ فَما

غُيِّبَ عَنهُنَّ سَكنُهُنَّ فَما

بِهِنَّ مِن جِنَّةٍ وَلا أَنَسِ

بِهِنَّ مِن جِنَّةٍ وَلا أَنَسِ

Their dwellers have been taken from them, so

Their dwellers are lost to them, no trace remains

Their inhabitants have vanished, leaving behind...

there is neither jinn nor human within them,

Of garden or companion there in that place

...neither jinn nor humankind within them,

إِلّا شَبيهاً بِهِنَّ في وَضَحِ ال

إِلّا شَبيهاً بِهِنَّ في وَضَحِ ال

جيدِ وَحُسنِ العُيونِ وَاللَعَسِ

جيدِ وَحُسنِ العُيونِ وَاللَعَسِ

save one resembling them in the whiteness of the

Save one who resembles them, with bright neck

Save for those resembling them in the brightness...

neck, the beauty of the eyes, and the duskiness of the lips.

And beautiful eyes and a supple young face,

...of the neck, the beauty of eyes, and dark-hued lips.

وَصاحِبٍ رُعتُهُ وَقَد ماتَتِ ال

وَصاحِبٍ رُعتُهُ وَقَد ماتَتِ ال

ظَلماءُ إِلّا حُشاشَةَ الغَلَسِ

ظَلماءُ إِلّا حُشاشَةَ الغَلَسِ

And a companion I startled, when already dead was the

Whose flock he tended that now is deceased,

And a companion I startled when the darkness had died...

darkness, save for the last breath of dawn's gloom,

Naught left alive save shadows encased,

...except for the last faint breath of pre-dawn gloom,

بِخَمرَةٍ تُجتَلى لِخاطِبِها

بِخَمرَةٍ تُجتَلى لِخاطِبِها

كَجَلوَةِ البِكرِ لَيلَةَ العُرُسُ

كَجَلوَةِ البِكرِ لَيلَةَ العُرُسُ

with wine unveiled to her suitor,

With wine he addresses, as she glows for her lover

With a wine unveiled to its suitor...

like a virgin's unveiling on the wedding night.

Like a bride on her first night dressed,

...like the unveiling of a virgin bride on her wedding night.

ما اِنفَكَّ لِلَّهِ في رَعِيَّتِهِ

ما اِنفَكَّ لِلَّهِ في رَعِيَّتِهِ

ذَخيرَةٌ مِن رَبيعَةِ الفَرَسِ

ذَخيرَةٌ مِن رَبيعَةِ الفَرَسِ

God has always had among His subjects

For God ne’er lacks among His peoples

God has never ceased to hold within His subjects...

a treasure from Rabiʿah al-Faras.

A heir of the noble studs’ race,

...a stored treasure from the lineage of Rabi'ah al-Faras;

إِذا سَنى ذا خَبا لِمَدَّتِهِ

إِذا سَنى ذا خَبا لِمَدَّتِهِ

أَضرَمَ مِن ذاكَ زاكِيَ القَبَسِ

أَضرَمَ مِن ذاكَ زاكِيَ القَبَسِ

When this one's radiance fades as his term ends,

If one grows old in his station

Whenever the light of one fades at its appointed term...

He kindles from that one a brightly burning flame.

Another arises young in his place

...He kindles from that source a pure, blazing flame.