ولما تداعَت للغروب شُمُوسُهُم

ولما تداعَت للغروب شُمُوسُهُم

وَقُمنَا لتَوديعِ الفريقِ الُمغَربِ

وَقُمنَا لتَوديعِ الفريقِ الُمغَربِ

And when their suns summoned one another to set,

When their suns set for the sunset,

And we rose to bid the westward-bound company farewell,

And we stood to bid farewell to the departing group,

تلقَّينَ أطرافَ السُّجُوفِ بمشرقٍ

تلقَّينَ أطرافَ السُّجُوفِ بمشرقٍ

لُهنَّ وأَعطافَ الخدور بمغربِ

لُهنَّ وأَعطافَ الخدور بمغربِ

They met the curtains’ edges with a sunrise

Their tents faced the sunrise

Of their own, and the sides of the curtained chambers with a sunset.

While the folds faced the sunset.

فما سرنَ إلا بين دَمعٍ مُصَبَّغٍ

فما سرنَ إلا بين دَمعٍ مُصَبَّغٍ

ولا قُمنَ إلا فوق قَلب معذَّب

ولا قُمنَ إلا فوق قَلب معذَّب

So they journeyed only amid stained tears,

They did not set out except between saturated tears,

Nor did they stand except upon a tormented heart.

Nor did they stand except above a tormented heart,

كأن فؤادي قرنُ قابوسَ رَاعَهُ

كأن فؤادي قرنُ قابوسَ رَاعَهُ

تَلاعُبُهُ بالفَيلَقِ الُمتأَشِب

تَلاعُبُهُ بالفَيلَقِ الُمتأَشِب

As though my heart were Qabus’s adversary, terrified

As if my heart was Qarn Qabus,

By his toying with the densely massed army.

Played with by the adorned army.