هَل تَعرِفُ الدارَ أَضحَت آيُها عُجُما

هَل تَعرِفُ الدارَ أَضحَت آيُها عُجُما

كالرَّقّ أَجرى عَلَيها حاذِقٌ قَلَما

كالرَّقّ أَجرى عَلَيها حاذِقٌ قَلَما

Do you recognize the dwelling, whose traces have grown mute,

Do you know the house that has become desolate, my friend?

like parchment over which a skilled scribe has run a pen?

Like parchment which a skilled pen has traversed,

بِالخَيفِ هاجَت شُؤوناً غَيرَ خامِدَةٍ

بِالخَيفِ هاجَت شُؤوناً غَيرَ خامِدَةٍ

فاِنهَلَّتِ العَينُ تَذري واكِفاً سَجِما

فاِنهَلَّتِ العَينُ تَذري واكِفاً سَجِما

At al-Khayf it stirred tear ducts that would not rest,

With sorrow it was convulsed with affairs not fading,

so the eye gushed, shedding steadily streaming tears.

So the eye overflowed shedding copious tears.

دارٌ لِبشرَةَ أَمسَت ما تُكَلِّمُنا

دارٌ لِبشرَةَ أَمسَت ما تُكَلِّمُنا

وَقَد أَبَنتُ لَها لَو تَفقَهُ الكَلِما

وَقَد أَبَنتُ لَها لَو تَفقَهُ الكَلِما

A dwelling of Bishrah's, now no longer speaking to us,

A house whose inhabitants have become speechless,

though I have spoken plainly to it—if only it understood words.

And I would speak to it if only it could understand speech.

واهاً لِبشرَةَ لَو يَدنو الأَميرُ بِها

واهاً لِبشرَةَ لَو يَدنو الأَميرُ بِها

يا لَيتَ بِشرَةَ قَد أَمسَت لَنا أَمَما

يا لَيتَ بِشرَةَ قَد أَمسَت لَنا أَمَما

Ah, for Bishrah! If only the emir would bring her near.

Woe to the desolate house, if only the prince would approach it,

Oh, if only Bishrah were now near us!

If only the desolate house would become a haven for us.

حَلَّت بِمَكَّةَ لا دارٌ مُساقِبَةٌ

حَلَّت بِمَكَّةَ لا دارٌ مُساقِبَةٌ

هَيهاتَ جَيرونُ مِمَّن يَسكُنُ الحَرَما

هَيهاتَ جَيرونُ مِمَّن يَسكُنُ الحَرَما

She has settled in Mecca, not in a dwelling close to me;

It settled in Mecca not an emulous house,

how far Jayrun is from those who dwell in the Sanctuary!

Far from it, neighbors who inhabit the sanctuary.

يا بِشرُ إِنَّكِ قَد شَطَّ البِعادُ بِكُم

يا بِشرُ إِنَّكِ قَد شَطَّ البِعادُ بِكُم

وَما نَسيتُ لَكُم وَصلاً وَلا صُرُما

وَما نَسيتُ لَكُم وَصلاً وَلا صُرُما

O Bishr, separation has indeed carried you far away;

O Bishr, indeed distance has carried you far from us,

and I have forgotten neither union with you nor estrangement.

And I have not forgotten a bond or a paternal uncle.

قَد قُلتُ بِالخَيفِ إِذ قالَت لِجارَتِها

قَد قُلتُ بِالخَيفِ إِذ قالَت لِجارَتِها

ما دامَ وَصلُ الَّذي أَهدى لَنا الكَلِما

ما دامَ وَصلُ الَّذي أَهدى لَنا الكَلِما

I spoke at al-Khayf when she said to her neighbor,

I have said in sorrow when her neighbor said to her:

“The bond of the one who offered us words did not endure.”

“As long as the bond remains that brought speech to us”.

إِنّي أَتَيتُ بِشَكوى لا أُسَرُّ بِها

إِنّي أَتَيتُ بِشَكوى لا أُسَرُّ بِها

وَذَروَ قَولٍ وَلَم أَخشَ الَّذي نَجَما

وَذَروَ قَولٍ وَلَم أَخشَ الَّذي نَجَما

I have come with a complaint that gives me no joy,

I have come with a complaint I do not confide in,

and a snatch of talk; I did not fear what arose,

And they let talk go on and I did not fear what was hinted.

حَتّى بَدا وَلَم أَعلَم بِقائِلِهِ

حَتّى بَدا وَلَم أَعلَم بِقائِلِهِ

وَقَد أَكونُ بِما حاوَلتُهُ فَهِما

وَقَد أَكونُ بِما حاوَلتُهُ فَهِما

until it appeared; I did not know who had said it,

Until it appeared and I did not know its source,

yet I may well understand what I have attempted.

And perhaps through what I attempted I was perceptive.

لا يُرغِمُ اللَهُ أَنفاً أَنتِ حامِلُهُ

لا يُرغِمُ اللَهُ أَنفاً أَنتِ حامِلُهُ

بَل أَنفُ شانيكِ فيما ساءَكُم رَغِما

بَل أَنفُ شانيكِ فيما ساءَكُم رَغِما

May God never rub the nose you bear in dust;

God does not force the nose of the one bearing it,

rather, may your hater's nose be rubbed in dust for what has hurt you.

Rather your envious nose in what has distressed you forcefully.

إِن كانَ رابَكِ شَيءٌ لَستُ أَعلَمُهُ

إِن كانَ رابَكِ شَيءٌ لَستُ أَعلَمُهُ

مِنّي فَهذي يَميني بِالرّضا سَلِما

مِنّي فَهذي يَميني بِالرّضا سَلِما

If something unknown to me has troubled you,

If something bothers you I am not aware of,

coming from me—here is my right hand, willingly offered in peace.

Or if I loved something like your love,

أَو كُنتُ أَحبَبتُ شَيئاً مِثلَ حُبِّكُمُ

أَو كُنتُ أَحبَبتُ شَيئاً مِثلَ حُبِّكُمُ

فَلا أَقَلَّت إِذَن نَعلي ليَ القَدَما

فَلا أَقَلَّت إِذَن نَعلي ليَ القَدَما

Or if I have ever loved anything as I love you,

My slipper then would not remain steady for me.

then may my sandal never bear my foot!

Whatever you desire I will do today,

ما تَشتَهينَ فَإِنّي اليَومَ فاعِلُهُ

ما تَشتَهينَ فَإِنّي اليَومَ فاعِلُهُ

وَالقَلبُ صَبٌّ فَما جَشَّمتِهِ جَشما

وَالقَلبُ صَبٌّ فَما جَشَّمتِهِ جَشما

Whatever you desire, I will do it today;

While my heart is melting yet you did not soften it.

and the heart is lovesick: whatever you burden it with, it bears.

Do not return me to one who does not have mercy on me,

لا تَرجِعيني إِلى مَن لَيسَ يَرحَمُني

لا تَرجِعيني إِلى مَن لَيسَ يَرحَمُني

وَقاكِ مَن تُبغِضينَ الحَتفَ وَالسَقَما

وَقاكِ مَن تُبغِضينَ الحَتفَ وَالسَقَما

Do not send me back to one who has no mercy on me;

And protect you from one whom you hate, loss and illness.

may the one you hate shield you from death and sickness.

I have no desire to reach people through you,

ما رَغبَتي في بَلاغِ الناسِ عِندَكُمُ

ما رَغبَتي في بَلاغِ الناسِ عِندَكُمُ

وَوَضعُ خَدّي لِمَن لَم يُمسِ لي أَمَما

وَوَضعُ خَدّي لِمَن لَم يُمسِ لي أَمَما

What interest have I in the reports people bring you,

And to place my cheek for one who did not bestow any favor on me.

and in laying my cheek before one who is not near me?

Indeed slanderers are many, if you obey them,

إِنَّ الوِشاةَ كَثيرٌ إِن أَطَعتِهُمُ

إِنَّ الوِشاةَ كَثيرٌ إِن أَطَعتِهُمُ

لا يَرقَبونَ بِنا إِلّاً وَلا ذِمَماً

لا يَرقَبونَ بِنا إِلّاً وَلا ذِمَماً

Indeed, the slanderers are many; if you heed them,

They will not respect us at all or covenants.

they honor neither kinship nor covenants with us.