عَفا يافِعٌ مِن أَهلِهِ فَطَلوبُ

عَفا يافِعٌ مِن أَهلِهِ فَطَلوبُ

وأَقفَرَ لو كانَ الفؤادُ يثوبُ

وأَقفَرَ لو كانَ الفؤادُ يثوبُ

Yāfiʿ lies effaced, emptied of its people—and Ṭalūb as well.

Yafiʿ has faded, emptied of its people, and Talub too;

Desolate too—if only the heart would return to itself.

and lies desolate—if only the heart would come to its senses.

وَقَفتُ بِها من بَعدِ ما حَلَّ أَهلُها

وَقَفتُ بِها من بَعدِ ما حَلَّ أَهلُها

نَصيبينَ والراقي الدُموعَ طبيبُ

نَصيبينَ والراقي الدُموعَ طبيبُ

I stood there after its people had settled

I stood there after its people had settled

at Nisibin; and one who would charm away tears is a healer.

in Nasibin; and the one who charms away tears is a healer.

وقد لاحَ معروفُ القَتيرِ وَقَد بَدت

وقد لاحَ معروفُ القَتيرِ وَقَد بَدت

بِكَ اليومَ من رَيبِ الزَمانِ نُدوبُ

بِكَ اليومَ من رَيبِ الزَمانِ نُدوبُ

The telltale gray has appeared, and now there show

Already the unmistakable gray has shown, and there have appeared

upon you today scars dealt by the vicissitudes of time.

upon you today scars from the vicissitudes of time.

وَسالَمتُ رَوحاتِ المطيِّ وأحمدَت

وَسالَمتُ رَوحاتِ المطيِّ وأحمدَت

مناسِمُ منها تَشتكي وَصُلوبُ

مناسِمُ منها تَشتكي وَصُلوبُ

I have made peace with the mounts’ evening marches; glad of it are

And I spared the camels their evening journeys, earning praise

the hooves and backs that complain of them.

from their complaining footpads and backs.

وما القلبُ أمٌ ما ذِكرُهُ أُمَّ صِبيَةٍ

وما القلبُ أمٌ ما ذِكرُهُ أُمَّ صِبيَةٍ

أَريكةً مِنها مَسكَنٌ فهروبُ

أَريكةً مِنها مَسكَنٌ فهروبُ

What ails the heart? What made it remember a mother of children—

And what of the heart—or its remembrance of a mother of children?

Arīka—one of whose dwellings is Harūb?

Arika is a dwelling-place of hers, and then Harub.

حَصانُ الحُميّا حُرَّةٌ حالَ دونَها

حَصانُ الحُميّا حُرَّةٌ حالَ دونَها

حَليلٌ لَها شاكي السِلاحِ غضوبُ

حَليلٌ لَها شاكي السِلاحِ غضوبُ

Chaste and high-spirited, a freeborn woman; barring the way to her is

Chaste and fiercely proud, freeborn; barring the way to her is

her husband, bristling with weapons and quick to wrath.

a husband of hers, fully armed and quick to anger.

شَموسٌ دُنُوُّ الفَرقَديَنِ اِقترابُها

شَموسٌ دُنُوُّ الفَرقَديَنِ اِقترابُها

لِغَيِّ مقاريفِ الرِجالِ سَبوبُ

لِغَيِّ مقاريفِ الرِجالِ سَبوبُ

Aloof—approaching her is like my drawing near the two Farqad stars;

Unapproachable: drawing near her is like nearing the two Farqad stars;

for the folly of men prone to scandal, approaching her brings reproach.

she fiercely reviles the lewdness of baseborn men.

أَحَقّاً عبادَ اللَهِ أن لَستُ ناظِراً

أَحَقّاً عبادَ اللَهِ أن لَستُ ناظِراً

إلى وَجهِها إلّا عَلَيَّ رقيبُ

إلى وَجهِها إلّا عَلَيَّ رقيبُ

Is it truly so, servants of God, that I cannot look

Is it true, servants of God, that I never gaze

upon her face without a watcher over me?

upon her face except with a watcher over me?

عَدتني العِدا عنها بُعَيدَ تَساعُفٍ

عَدتني العِدا عنها بُعَيدَ تَساعُفٍ

وما أَرتجي مِنها إِلَيَّ قَريبُ

وما أَرتجي مِنها إِلَيَّ قَريبُ

My foes kept me from her shortly after mutual favor,

Enemies kept me from her soon after our mutual accord,

yet what I hope for from her remains close at hand.

while what I hope for from her lies close at hand.

لقد أحسَنت جُملٌ لو أنَّ تَبيعَها

لقد أحسَنت جُملٌ لو أنَّ تَبيعَها

إذا ما أرادَت أن نُثيبَ يَثيبُ

إذا ما أرادَت أن نُثيبَ يَثيبُ

Juml has treated me well—if only her attendant,

Juml has indeed done well—if only her follower

whenever she wanted us to return, would return.

would return whenever she wished us to return.

تَصُدّينَ حتى يَذهَبَ اليأسُ بالمنى

تَصُدّينَ حتى يَذهَبَ اليأسُ بالمنى

وحتى تَكادَ النَفسُ عَنكِ تَطيبُ

وحتى تَكادَ النَفسُ عَنكِ تَطيبُ

You turn away until despair carries off every hope,

You turn away until despair sweeps hope away,

until the soul nearly grows content to relinquish you.

and until my soul is almost content to let you go.

وأَنتِ المُنى لو كُنتِ تَستَانِفينَنا

وأَنتِ المُنى لو كُنتِ تَستَانِفينَنا

بخيرٍ ولكن مُعتَفاكِ جَديبُ

بخيرٍ ولكن مُعتَفاكِ جَديبُ

Yet you are every hope, if only you would receive us afresh

And you are all I long for, if only you would begin anew with us

with kindness—but the bounty sought from you is barren.

with kindness; but the place where your favors are sought is barren.

أَيؤكَلُ مالي واِبنُ مَروانَ شاهِدٌ

أَيؤكَلُ مالي واِبنُ مَروانَ شاهِدٌ

وَلَم يَقضِ لي واِبنُ الحُسامِ قَريبُ

وَلَم يَقضِ لي واِبنُ الحُسامِ قَريبُ

Those few are my wealth, and Ibn Marwān is witness;

Is my wealth to be devoured while Ibn Marwan looks on,

yet he did not rule in my favor, though Ibn al-Ḥusām was near.

and he has not ruled for me, while Ibn al-Husam is nearby?

فتىً مَحضُ أطرافِ العُروق مُساورٌ

فتىً مَحضُ أطرافِ العُروق مُساورٌ

جبالَ العُلا طلقُ اليَدينِ وَهوبُ

جبالَ العُلا طلقُ اليَدينِ وَهوبُ

A youth of pure mettle, reaching every bound of beneficence, storming

A young man pure in every branch of his lineage, scaling

the mountains of glory, open-handed and lavish in gifts.

the mountains of glory, open-handed and bountiful.