أَتصبر غدوا أَم لِعَينَيكَ سافِحُ

أَتصبر غدوا أَم لِعَينَيكَ سافِحُ

كَما شَلشَل الماءَ الشّنانُ النَّواضِحُ

كَما شَلشَل الماءَ الشّنانُ النَّواضِحُ

Will you endure in the morning, or will tears pour from your eyes,

Will you have patience tomorrow, or will tears flow

as worn, leaking waterskins let the water trickle?

From your eyes like the dripping of water from mountain crags?

أَبُخلاً إِذا تَدنو وَشَوقاً إِذا نَأَت

أَبُخلاً إِذا تَدنو وَشَوقاً إِذا نَأَت

عَناءٌ وَبَرْحٌ مِن أمامة بارِحُ

عَناءٌ وَبَرْحٌ مِن أمامة بارِحُ

Is it stinginess when she draws near, and longing when she goes away?

Stinginess when you come near, and yearning when far away -

Suffering and grievous torment from Umamah.

Trouble and separation from a lovely dawn past.

وَهَل في غَد إِن كانَ في اليَومِ عِلَّة

وَهَل في غَد إِن كانَ في اليَومِ عِلَّة

نجازٌ لَما تلوى القُلوبُ الشَّحائِحُ

نجازٌ لَما تلوى القُلوبُ الشَّحائِحُ

And if there is an excuse today, will tomorrow

Will tomorrow bring fulfillment if today holds excuse?

bring fulfillment of what grudging hearts defer?

When hearts are twisted, resolutions do not come easy.

وَما ظَبيَة بِالأَنعَميْن خَلا لَها

وَما ظَبيَة بِالأَنعَميْن خَلا لَها

مِنَ الطَّلحِ ظل بارِدٌ وَمَسارِحُ

مِنَ الطَّلحِ ظل بارِدٌ وَمَسارِحُ

And no gazelle at al-An‘amayn, for whom were reserved

No doe in the thickets was without a shady, cool covert,

cool shade beneath acacias and grazing grounds,

Or a place to rest in the midday heat.

بِأَحسَنَ مِنها إِذ تَبَدَّت عَشِيَّةً

بِأَحسَنَ مِنها إِذ تَبَدَّت عَشِيَّةً

وَقَد رُدَّ لِلبَينِ القَلاصُ الطَّلائِحُ

وَقَد رُدَّ لِلبَينِ القَلاصُ الطَّلائِحُ

was lovelier than she when she appeared one evening,

Lovelier than them all when she appeared at dusk,

while the exhausted young she-camels had been brought back for parting.

And the far ones were brought near when the veil was dropped.

أَلكني إِلَيها عَمْركَ اللَّهُ يا فَتى

أَلكني إِلَيها عَمْركَ اللَّهُ يا فَتى

بِآيَة ما قالَتْ مَتى أَنتَ رائِحُ

بِآيَة ما قالَتْ مَتى أَنتَ رائِحُ

Carry my message to her—may God prolong your life, young man—

May your life be granted by God, O youth,

with this token: her words, ‘When are you setting out?’

By a sign she gave of when you would come,

وَآيَة ما قالَت لَهُنَّ عَشِيَّةً

وَآيَة ما قالَت لَهُنَّ عَشِيَّةً

وَفي السترِ حراتُ الوُجوهِ مَلائِحُ

وَفي السترِ حراتُ الوُجوهِ مَلائِحُ

and the token of what she said to them one evening,

And a sign she gave them at dusk

while behind the curtain were lovely, noble-faced women:

When shy faces peeped from behind the curtain.

تَخَيَّرنَ أَرماكنّ فَارمينَ رَميَةً

تَخَيَّرنَ أَرماكنّ فَارمينَ رَميَةً

أَخا أَسَدٍ إِذ طَرَّحتهُ الطَّوارِحُ

أَخا أَسَدٍ إِذ طَرَّحتهُ الطَّوارِحُ

‘Choose your targets, then shoot a shot

They chose marks for themselves and shot arrows

at a brother of Asad, when fate’s vicissitudes had cast him away.’

At a brother lion when lionesses had overpowered him.

فَألبسنَ مَملاسَ الوشاحِ كَأَنَّها

فَألبسنَ مَملاسَ الوشاحِ كَأَنَّها

مَهاةٌ لَها طِفلٌ برمّانَ راشِحُ

مَهاةٌ لَها طِفلٌ برمّانَ راشِحُ

So they dressed a woman whose sash slipped loose, as though she were

Then they put on their striped gowns as though they were

a white oryx with a calf at Rumman just beginning to walk.

A raging she-camel with a weanling calf bleating.