زمُّوا جِمالَهُمُ وبدَّدَ شْملَهُمْ

زمُّوا جِمالَهُمُ وبدَّدَ شْملَهُمْ

بينٌ ولم يرعَ المقيمَ الراحلُ

بينٌ ولم يرعَ المقيمَ الراحلُ

They bridled their camels, and their company was scattered

They gathered their beauty and scattered their union

by parting; the departing one showed no regard for the one who stayed.

A separation that did not consider the settled or the departing

بذلوا الوفاءَ وكان آخرُ عهدِهمْ

بذلوا الوفاءَ وكان آخرُ عهدِهمْ

غَدْراً وأخلفَ ما رآهُ الباذِلُ

غَدْراً وأخلفَ ما رآهُ الباذِلُ

They offered fidelity, and their last pledge was

They showed loyalty, yet their last vow

betrayal, and what the giver envisaged proved false.

Was betrayal - the generous saw the betrayer's deed

ما كان أنضرَ عهدَنا لو صحَّ ما

ما كان أنضرَ عهدَنا لو صحَّ ما

ألوى المطولُ بهِ وضنَّ الباخِلُ

ألوى المطولُ بهِ وضنَّ الباخِلُ

How radiant our bond would have been, had that proved true

Our pact would not have withered, had the dilator been true

which the procrastinator swept away and the miser withheld!

Or the miser let his avarice fade

فتبِعتُهُمْ أنا والرفيقُ ومقلةٌ

فتبِعتُهُمْ أنا والرفيقُ ومقلةٌ

تَذري النجيعَ وأريحيٌّ بازلُ

تَذري النجيعَ وأريحيٌّ بازلُ

So I followed them—I, my companion, and an eye

So I followed them, and my friend, saddened

shedding dark blood, and a spirited, full-grown camel.

Left the encampment, grieved and withdrawn

حتَّى تكشَّفت الدُّجَى عن واضحٍ

حتَّى تكشَّفت الدُّجَى عن واضحٍ

كالبَيض أسلمهُ النَعامُ الجافِلُ

كالبَيض أسلمهُ النَعامُ الجافِلُ

Until the darkness parted to reveal a bright expanse,

Until the gloom cleared to reveal a bright dawn

like eggs abandoned by fleeing ostriches.

Like an ostrich egg relinquished by a tossing ostrich

ولحقتُ آثارَ الحمول ودونَها

ولحقتُ آثارَ الحمول ودونَها

غيرانُ سطوتُهُ القضاءُ النازلُ

غيرانُ سطوتُهُ القضاءُ النازلُ

And I caught up with the laden camels’ trail; barring my way to them stood

And we reached the tracks of the caravans, but over them

a jealous man whose onslaught was doom descending.

Destiny had cast its unpredictable decrees

ونظرْنَ من خَللِ السُّجوفِ بأعيُنٍ

ونظرْنَ من خَللِ السُّجوفِ بأعيُنٍ

أهدابُهنَّ وقد نُصبنَ حَبائِلُ

أهدابُهنَّ وقد نُصبنَ حَبائِلُ

And they looked through gaps in the curtains with eyes

And we looked through the litters’ drapes with eyes

whose lashes were snares, already set.

Whose glances were like archers’ arrows, poised to fly

ما كنتُ أعلمُ قبل أن عرضتْ لنا

ما كنتُ أعلمُ قبل أن عرضتْ لنا

أنّ العيونَ قواتلٌ ومقاتِلُ

أنّ العيونَ قواتلٌ ومقاتِلُ

I had not known, before they appeared to us,

I did not know, until we were visited by them

that eyes are slayers and points of mortal weakness.

That eyes could be deadly warriors and valiant slayers

واستوقفتْ عجلَى الركاب فمُقلةٌ

واستوقفتْ عجلَى الركاب فمُقلةٌ

للركبِ شاخصةٌ وقلبٌ ذاهِلُ

للركبِ شاخصةٌ وقلبٌ ذاهِلُ

And they halted the hurrying camels: an eye

And they stopped the galloping steeds, so my friend

fixed upon the caravan, and a heart bewildered.

Stood tall before the riders, though her heart quailed