أَلا مَن لِعَينٍ يَجِفُّ سُجومُها

أَلا مَن لِعَينٍ يَجِفُّ سُجومُها

تَأَوَّبُها حاجاتُها وَهُمومُها

تَأَوَّبُها حاجاتُها وَهُمومُها

Ah, who will help an eye whose streaming tears run dry?

Alas, who has an eye whose tears have dried,

Its longings and worries revisit it at night,

She is troubled by her needs and worries.

تُوافي غُروبَ الشَمسِ في كُلِّ لَيلَةٍ

تُوافي غُروبَ الشَمسِ في كُلِّ لَيلَةٍ

كَشَنِّ شَعيبٍ لَم تُسَدَّد هُزمُها

كَشَنِّ شَعيبٍ لَم تُسَدَّد هُزمُها

arriving at sunset every night,

She accompanies the sunset every night,

like a worn double-hide waterskin whose holes have not been plugged.

Like the noisy barking of undeterred dogs.

يُذَكِّرُني لَيلى وَلَيلى مُليمَةٌ

يُذَكِّرُني لَيلى وَلَيلى مُليمَةٌ

حَمائِمُ سَرحاتٍ تَسامى خُصومُها

حَمائِمُ سَرحاتٍ تَسامى خُصومُها

They remind me of Layla—though Layla is blameworthy—

She reminds me of Layla, and Layla is painful,

the doves of great trees whose boughs rise high.

Doves of meadows, soaring above their enemies.

وَلَيلى عَلى العِلّاتِ مِن غَيرِ فاقَةٍ

وَلَيلى عَلى العِلّاتِ مِن غَيرِ فاقَةٍ

يَدَ الدَهرِ ما يَنفَكُّ يَجري بَريمُها

يَدَ الدَهرِ ما يَنفَكُّ يَجري بَريمُها

And Layla, despite her faults, though not in want,

And Layla is high above without need,

all through time, her twined girdle keeps slipping.

The hand of fate does not cease to make her turn.

وَيَستَنُّ ثَوباها عَلى ظَهرِ بَيضَةٍ

وَيَستَنُّ ثَوباها عَلى ظَهرِ بَيضَةٍ

تَكَعكَعَ مَمطوراً عَلَيها ظَليمُها

تَكَعكَعَ مَمطوراً عَلَيها ظَليمُها

Her two robes glide over the back of an egg,

She smooths her clothes on the back of the sand dune,

over which its male ostrich huddled, drenched in rain.

Humbled, leaning on it with her shadow.

وَما هَيَّمَ النَهدِيُّ إِذ طالَ سُقمُهُ

وَما هَيَّمَ النَهدِيُّ إِذ طالَ سُقمُهُ

بِهِندِ المَطالي ساعَةً لا أَهيمُها

بِهِندِ المَطالي ساعَةً لا أَهيمُها

Nor did al-Nahdi, when his sickness lingered, pine

The singer did not waver when his illness lingered,

for Hind of al-Matali a single hour that I do not spend lovesick too.

For an hour at the Indus River plains.

ظَلِلنا بِذاتِ النَعفِ بَينَ عَمايَةٍ

ظَلِلنا بِذاتِ النَعفِ بَينَ عَمايَةٍ

وَخَبرائِها طَلحَي هَوىً ما نَريمُها

وَخَبرائِها طَلحَي هَوىً ما نَريمُها

We spent the day at Dhat al-Na'f, between 'Amaya

We took shade under the date palm between obscurities,

and its rain-pool, two wearied by love, not leaving it.

And its experts - Taleh loved her secretly.

تَحِنُّ بِأَعلى الهَيجِ ذي السِدرِ ناقَتي

تَحِنُّ بِأَعلى الهَيجِ ذي السِدرِ ناقَتي

لِعِرفانِ دارٍ قَد أَحالَت رُسومُها

لِعِرفانِ دارٍ قَد أَحالَت رُسومُها

At upper al-Hayj, with its lote trees, my she-camel moans,

My two she-camels yearn at the highest sand dune,

recognizing a dwelling whose traces have changed.

For a house whose landmarks have disappeared.

أَتاني عَنِ الوَضّاحِ أَمسِ مَقالَةٌ

أَتاني عَنِ الوَضّاحِ أَمسِ مَقالَةٌ

وَفي نَفسِهِ ما كانَ يُشفى سَقيمُها

وَفي نَفسِهِ ما كانَ يُشفى سَقيمُها

Yesterday a saying from al-Waddah reached me,

News of Al-Waddah came to me yesterday,

while the sickness within his soul remained unhealed.

And in himself was an incurable sickness.

فَلا تُلحِمَنّي نَهشَلاً إِنَّ نَهشَلاً

فَلا تُلحِمَنّي نَهشَلاً إِنَّ نَهشَلاً

بِدارِ الغِنى أَن يُستَحَلَّ حَريمُها

بِدارِ الغِنى أَن يُستَحَلَّ حَريمُها

So do not feed Nahshal to me; indeed, Nahshal

So do not blame me, as blame

has no need to have its sanctuary violated.

In the house of wealth is improper for its sanctity.

وَمَهلاً فَإِنّي العامَ إِن أَهجُ نَشَلاً

وَمَهلاً فَإِنّي العامَ إِن أَهجُ نَشَلاً

وَجَدِّكَ لا يَسلَم عَلَيَّ أَديمُها

وَجَدِّكَ لا يَسلَم عَلَيَّ أَديمُها

And hold back, for this year, if I lampoon Nashal,

Wait! For if I roam in the year,

by your fortune, its hide will not escape me unharmed.

For sure, no greetings come to me from its lasting times.

وَفِيَّ لِخَبطِ النَهشَلِيِّ مُنَوَّقٌ

وَفِيَّ لِخَبطِ النَهشَلِيِّ مُنَوَّقٌ

إِذا مَذحِجٌ حَولي تَسامَت قُرومُها

إِذا مَذحِجٌ حَولي تَسامَت قُرومُها

And within me is one well-trained to batter the Nahshali,

In me is the wound of the blamer's defamation,

when Madhhij's mighty chiefs tower around me:

When the slanderers gather around me.

مُرادٌ وَحَيُّ اِبنِ الحُصَينِ وَصَعبُها

مُرادٌ وَحَيُّ اِبنِ الحُصَينِ وَصَعبُها

وَمَرّانُ يَرمي حَولَنا وَحَريمُها

وَمَرّانُ يَرمي حَولَنا وَحَريمُها

Murad, the clan of Ibn al-Huṣayn, and its Sa'b,

Murad, Hayy the son of Al-Husain and his lions,

and Marran shoots around us, and its Harim too.

And the sweeping arrows of Marwan and his harem.

وَنَحنُ بَنو حَربٍ وَأَيسارُ شَتوَةٍ

وَنَحنُ بَنو حَربٍ وَأَيسارُ شَتوَةٍ

إِذا حارَدَت غُرُّ المَتالي وَكومُها

إِذا حارَدَت غُرُّ المَتالي وَكومُها

And we are sons of war, and gamblers in winter,

While we are the children of war, the bold of Shatawa,

when the finest nursing camels and their high-humped ones give no milk.

When the hills of sand dunes boiled with their summits.

فَإِنَّكَ إِن تَعجِم قَناتي تَجِد بِها

فَإِنَّكَ إِن تَعجِم قَناتي تَجِد بِها

دُروءاً وَتَلقَ الحَربَ باقٍ نَسيمُها

دُروءاً وَتَلقَ الحَربَ باقٍ نَسيمُها

For if you test my spear-shaft, you will find in it

So if you make my milk-ewer gurgle, you will find in it

a stubborn bend, and meet war whose breeze still blows.

Repulsion, and war remains with its gentle breeze.

إِذا ما اِعوَجَجنا لَم تُقِمنا قَبيلَةٌ

إِذا ما اِعوَجَجنا لَم تُقِمنا قَبيلَةٌ

وَنَحنُ إِذا شِئنا رُوَيداً نُقمُها

وَنَحنُ إِذا شِئنا رُوَيداً نُقمُها

When we bend awry, no tribe can straighten us;

When we go astray, no tribe straightens us,

and when we wish, we straighten it at our leisure.

And when we wish to settle down, we avenge them.

أَنا الشَمسُ لَمّا أَن تَغَيَّبَ لَيلُها

أَنا الشَمسُ لَمّا أَن تَغَيَّبَ لَيلُها

وَغارَت فَما تَبدو لِعَينٍ نُجومُها

وَغارَت فَما تَبدو لِعَينٍ نُجومُها

I am the sun, when its night has disappeared,

I am the sun when its night disappears

and its stars have sunk, so none appear to an eye.

And its stars disappear from every seeing eye.

تَراها عُيونُ الناظِرينَ إِذا بَدَت

تَراها عُيونُ الناظِرينَ إِذا بَدَت

قَريباً وَلا يَسطيعُها مَن يَرومُها

قَريباً وَلا يَسطيعُها مَن يَرومُها

The eyes of onlookers see it, when it appears,

The eyes of onlookers see it when it appears

near at hand, yet whoever seeks it cannot reach it.

Close, and no one who covets it can reach it.

أَجُرُّ خُطايَ في مَعَدٍّ وَطَيِّئٍ

أَجُرُّ خُطايَ في مَعَدٍّ وَطَيِّئٍ

وَأَغشِمُها فَليَنه نَفساً حَليمُها

وَأَغشِمُها فَليَنه نَفساً حَليمُها

I drag my steps through Ma'add and Tayyi',

I hide my sins in a gentle, calm stomach,

and assail them recklessly; let their forbearing man restrain himself.

And repress them, so a forbearing soul overlooks them.

أَقادَت عدِيّاً قيس عَيلانَ عَنوَةً

أَقادَت عدِيّاً قيس عَيلانَ عَنوَةً

وَفاقَت قَديماً بِالمَخازي تَميمُها

وَفاقَت قَديماً بِالمَخازي تَميمُها

Qays 'Aylan was forced to grant 'Adi blood-redress,

Qais ibn Ailan forcefully drove Eddie,

and its Tamim long ago excelled in disgrace.

And its past surpassed Tameem in glory.

وَأَنّى تَعاطى يَشكُرٌ مَجدَ طَيِّئٍ

وَأَنّى تَعاطى يَشكُرٌ مَجدَ طَيِّئٍ

وَيَشكُرُ أَخساسٌ صَغيرٌ أَرومُها

وَيَشكُرُ أَخساسٌ صَغيرٌ أَرومُها

And how could Yashkur reach for the glory of Tayyi',

How dare Yashkur take the glory of Tai,

when Yashkur is base folk, its stock paltry?

While Yashkur is so lowly and insignificant?

عَدا اِبنُ حُمَيدٍ طَورَهُ وَسطَ يَشكُرٍ

عَدا اِبنُ حُمَيدٍ طَورَهُ وَسطَ يَشكُرٍ

وَيَشكُرُ خَوّارٌ دَنيءٌ صَميمُها

وَيَشكُرُ خَوّارٌ دَنيءٌ صَميمُها

Ibn Humayd overstepped his bounds amid Yashkur,

Ibn Humaid passed by Yashkur,

and Yashkur is feeble, base at its very core.

While Yashkur is a debased germ of its essence.

أَيَزعُمُ أَن لا يَستَديمَ وَظَهرُهُ

أَيَزعُمُ أَن لا يَستَديمَ وَظَهرُهُ

وَأَقرابُهُ قَد شَنَّجَتها كُلومُها

وَأَقرابُهُ قَد شَنَّجَتها كُلومُها

Does he claim he will not keep enduring, though his back

Does he claim that his back will not persist?

and his flanks have already been puckered by their wounds?

While his kin peeled its husks with their jawbones.

دَعِيُّ حَرامٍ وَالحَرامُ عَمارَةٌ

دَعِيُّ حَرامٍ وَالحَرامُ عَمارَةٌ

مُتابِعَةٌ مَن كانَ خَسفاً يَسومُها

مُتابِعَةٌ مَن كانَ خَسفاً يَسومُها

A spurious kinsman of Haram—and al-Haram is a tribal division,

He is forbidden, and forbidden is prosperous,

following whoever has inflicted humiliation upon it.

Successive, undertaken by one who determined its path.

سَأُهدي إِلى الأَذنابِ أَولادِ يَشكُرٍ

سَأُهدي إِلى الأَذنابِ أَولادِ يَشكُرٍ

قَوافِيَ شِعرٍ لَيسَ يَنمي سَليمُها

قَوافِيَ شِعرٍ لَيسَ يَنمي سَليمُها

I shall send the tails—the sons of Yashkur—

I will send the children of Yashkur

rhymes of verse whose bitten victim never thrives.

Poetry whose rhymes do not grow properly matured.

فَإِن يَكُ خَيرَ اِبنَي رَبيعَةَ كُلِّها

فَإِن يَكُ خَيرَ اِبنَي رَبيعَةَ كُلِّها

فَأَلأَمُ أَهلِ الأَرضِ طُرّاً كَريمُها

فَأَلأَمُ أَهلِ الأَرضِ طُرّاً كَريمُها

If he is the better of the two sons of Rabi'a as a whole,

If the best of the sons of Rabia were mine,

then its noblest is the basest of all the people on earth.

I would teach the people of the world noble manners.