ألا أيُّها اللاَّحي كفاك عِتابا

ألا أيُّها اللاَّحي كفاك عِتابا

ونَفسَك وفِّق ما استطعتَ صوابا

ونَفسَك وفِّق ما استطعتَ صوابا

Ah, you who blame me, enough reproach!

O negligent one, enough blaming

And guide your own self aright, as far as you can.

And rectify yourself as much as you can

فإنَّ رعاةَ الحلمِ قد رَجَعوا به

فإنَّ رعاةَ الحلمِ قد رَجَعوا به

عليّ وآذَنتُ السفاهَ فآبا

عليّ وآذَنتُ السفاهَ فآبا

For the guardians of forbearance have restored it

For the guardians of patience have brought it back to me

to me; I gave folly notice, and it turned back.

And I permitted the foolishness, but he refused

خلا أَنَّه لَيسَت تغنّي حمامَةٌ

خلا أَنَّه لَيسَت تغنّي حمامَةٌ

على أَيكَةٍ الاَّ ذَكَرتُ رَبابا

على أَيكَةٍ الاَّ ذَكَرتُ رَبابا

Except that no dove sings

Except that a dove does not sing

in a thicket without my remembering Rabab.

On a desolate tree without mentioning Rebab

وما مَتَّعتنا والركابُ مناخةٌ

وما مَتَّعتنا والركابُ مناخةٌ

على عَجَلٍ خفَّ المتاعُ وَطابا

على عَجَلٍ خفَّ المتاعُ وَطابا

And the pleasure she gave us, while the mounts knelt,

We were not entertained while the riders dismounted

was hurried—brief was the pleasure, and sweet.

On a nimble camel, the luggage became little but good

تناوَلتُ منها مُسفِراً اقبلت به

تناوَلتُ منها مُسفِراً اقبلت به

عليَّ وهفّافَ الغَروبِ عذابا

عليَّ وهفّافَ الغَروبِ عذابا

I reached for her radiant face, which she turned

I took it uncovered, she brought it to me

toward me, and a delicate mouth with sweet tooth-edges.

At dusk, the heat was torture

كأن ثناياها ذرى اقحوانةٍ

كأن ثناياها ذرى اقحوانةٍ

علاها ندى الشؤبوبِ ساعةَ صابا

علاها ندى الشؤبوبِ ساعةَ صابا

Her front teeth seemed the tips of a daisy

As if its folds were the thorns of acacia

covered with a shower's moisture the moment it fell.

Above which the dew of drizzle fell for an hour

وسِربُ عذارى بينَ حَيِّين موهناً

وسِربُ عذارى بينَ حَيِّين موهناً

من الليلِ قد نازَعتُهُنَّ ثِيابا

من الليلِ قد نازَعتُهُنَّ ثِيابا

And a bevy of maidens between two camps, late

And a flock of virgins between two loving camps

at night—I had tussled with them over their clothes.

I stripped them of their clothes in the night

وقلن لنا أهلٌ قريبٌ فنتَّقي

وقلن لنا أهلٌ قريبٌ فنتَّقي

عيونَ يقاظى مِنهُمُ وكلابا

عيونَ يقاظى مِنهُمُ وكلابا

They said, ‘Our people are nearby, so we must beware

And they said to us, "We have a near tribe, so let's beware

the eyes of the wakeful among them, and their dogs.’

The eyes of their insomniacs and dogs"

دبيبُ القطا حتى اجتعلن نحيزةً

دبيبُ القطا حتى اجتعلن نحيزةً

من الليلِ دُونض الكاشحينَ حِجابا

من الليلِ دُونض الكاشحينَ حِجابا

They crept like sandgrouse until they made a strip

The crawl of the cat until they made a niche

of night a screen against their ill-wishers.

Of the night, beyond the veils of the peeking ones

وَهُنَّ كَريعانِ المخَاضِ سبقتَها

وَهُنَّ كَريعانِ المخَاضِ سبقتَها

بأوَّلها لا بل اخفُّ جنابا

بأوَّلها لا بل اخفُّ جنابا

They were like the vanguard of pregnant she-camels, you ahead

And they are like newborn fillies, she outran them

with their foremost—no, rather, lighter of flank.

With her first, no, lighter step

تلاَهينَ عني واستنَعتُ بأربعٍ

تلاَهينَ عني واستنَعتُ بأربعٍ

كهِمةِ نفسٍ شارةً وشبابا

كهِمةِ نفسٍ شارةً وشبابا

They turned away from me; I sought descriptions of four,

Divert me and I insisted with four

like a soul's desire in beauty and youth.

Silent souls, flickering with youth

تلاَهين واستهلكتُ حتى تجهَّمت

تلاَهين واستهلكتُ حتى تجهَّمت

قلوبٌ وهاماتٌ وَرَدنَ لهابا

قلوبٌ وهاماتٌ وَرَدنَ لهابا

They diverted themselves; I spent myself, until grim grew

Divert me and I busied myself until

hearts and heads that had entered a blaze.

Hearts and foreheads frowned and turned into flames

اذا المعصمُ الرّيانُ باشرتُ بردَهُ

اذا المعصمُ الرّيانُ باشرتُ بردَهُ

بكفيّ لاعَبتُ الوقوفَ لعابا

بكفيّ لاعَبتُ الوقوفَ لعابا

When I touched the coolness of a well-rounded wrist

When the delicate smooth wrist, I touched its coolness

with my palms, I dallied playfully with those standing there.

With my palm, playing with detention

وما انطلقَ التيميُّ يطلبُ حاجةً

وما انطلقَ التيميُّ يطلبُ حاجةً

ولا كان اكرى بالعراقِ رِكابا

ولا كان اكرى بالعراقِ رِكابا

And al-Taymi did not set out to meet some need,

And the Tamimi did not set out seeking something

nor had he hired out riding camels in Iraq.

Nor was riding to Iraq more important

ولكن ما كان القطاميُّ يبتغي

ولكن ما كان القطاميُّ يبتغي

نواعمَ خلاَّها العريبُ عرابا

نواعمَ خلاَّها العريبُ عرابا

But what al-Qutami was seeking

But the Qatami was not seeking

was delicate beauties of pure Arab stock, left behind by the little Arab band.

The softness which the Arab left as prey