أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل أَرى الدُّورَ بالحِمى

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل أَرى الدُّورَ بالحِمى

وَإِن عُطِّلَتْ بِالغانياتِ حَوَالِيا

وَإِن عُطِّلَتْ بِالغانياتِ حَوَالِيا

Ah, would that I knew whether I shall see the dwellings in the protected pasture,

Alas! Would that I knew, shall I see the abodes in El-Heema,

Though bare of ornaments, adorned with beautiful women?

Though its environs are made desolate by absence?

أَمِ الوُدُّ بَعدَ النَّأيِ يُنسى فَيَنقَضي

أَمِ الوُدُّ بَعدَ النَّأيِ يُنسى فَيَنقَضي

وَهَل يُعقِبُ الهِجرانُ إِلّا التَناسِيا

وَهَل يُعقِبُ الهِجرانُ إِلّا التَناسِيا

Or is affection forgotten after separation, and so comes to an end?

Or is affection forgotten after separation, so it comes to naught?

And does estrangement bring anything but deliberate forgetting?

And does estrangement only succeed in making forgetfulness?

أَلا لا أَرى عَهدي دَنا الدَّارُ أَو نأَتْ

أَلا لا أَرى عَهدي دَنا الدَّارُ أَو نأَتْ

بِعَلوَةَ ما كَرَّ الجَديدانِ بالِيا

بِعَلوَةَ ما كَرَّ الجَديدانِ بالِيا

Ah, I do not see my bond—whether her dwelling be near or far—

Alas! I do not see my days renewing in the neighborhood of the house, or becoming

With Alwa wearing thin, so long as night and day return.

Like the fresh wounds inflicted by separation on the aged.

وَجَدتُ لَها وَالمُستَجِنِّ بِطَيْبَةٍ

وَجَدتُ لَها وَالمُستَجِنِّ بِطَيْبَةٍ

رَقيبَينِ عِندي مُستَسِرّاً وَبادِيا

رَقيبَينِ عِندي مُستَسِرّاً وَبادِيا

For her I have found—by him who lies buried in Tayba—

For it I found two watchers with me, one hidden, the other apparent,

Two watchers within me, one hidden and one visible.

As my constrained sigh of passion and my flowing tears.

فَأَمّا الَّذي يَخفَى فَشَوقٌ أُجِنُّهُ

فَأَمّا الَّذي يَخفَى فَشَوقٌ أُجِنُّهُ

وَأَمّا الَّذي يَبدو فَدَمعِيَ جارِيا

وَأَمّا الَّذي يَبدو فَدَمعِيَ جارِيا

As for the hidden one, it is longing I conceal;

For it in my ribs is an affection

And as for the visible one, it is my flowing tears.

Which will remain for it as long as life remains.

لَها بَينَ أَحناءِ الضُّلوعِ مَوَدَّةٌ

لَها بَينَ أَحناءِ الضُّلوعِ مَوَدَّةٌ

سَتَبقى لَها ما أُلفيَ الدَّهرُ باقِيا

سَتَبقى لَها ما أُلفيَ الدَّهرُ باقِيا

For her, between the curves of my ribs, lies affection

And for its sake I show humility and feign blindness,

That will remain hers for as long as time endures.

Weeping copiously and spending the days of life weeping,

وَمِن أَجلِها أُبدي خُضوعاً وَأَمتَري

وَمِن أَجلِها أُبدي خُضوعاً وَأَمتَري

دُموعاً وَأَطوي رَيِّقَ العُمرِ باكِيا

دُموعاً وَأَطوي رَيِّقَ العُمرِ باكِيا

And for her sake I show submission and draw forth

And honoring those who refuse highness that I may exalt them,

Tears, and fold away the prime of life, weeping.

And shunning those who shared with me familiar friendship.

وَأُكرِمُ مَن يأبى العُلا أَن أُجِلُّهُ

وَأُكرِمُ مَن يأبى العُلا أَن أُجِلُّهُ

وَأَهجُرُ مَن كانَ الخَليلَ المُصافِيا

وَأَهجُرُ مَن كانَ الخَليلَ المُصافِيا

And I honor one whom nobility forbids me to revere,

And I have a passion whose mention I fear

And forsake one who was my loyal, intimate friend.

May show a manifest foe or a reproachful friend.

وَلي شَجَنٌ أَخشى إِذا ما ذَكَرتُهُ

وَلي شَجَنٌ أَخشى إِذا ما ذَكَرتُهُ

عَدوّاً مُبيناً أَو صَديقاً مُداجِيا

عَدوّاً مُبيناً أَو صَديقاً مُداجِيا

And I have a sorrow: when I mention it, I fear

And I while away the days regarding what harms me

An open enemy or a dissembling friend.

On the ashes ablaze and enliven the dark nights.

وَأُفِني بِهِ الأَيَّامَ فيما يَسوءُنِي

وَأُفِني بِهِ الأَيَّامَ فيما يَسوءُنِي

عَلى كَمَدٍ بَرحٍ وَأَحيِي اللَّيالِيا

عَلى كَمَدٍ بَرحٍ وَأَحيِي اللَّيالِيا

And through it I exhaust my days in what distresses me,

Therefore, do not accept, O gentle one, what

In piercing anguish, and keep vigil through the nights.

A slanderer may tell, nor give ear to a talebearer.

فَلا تَقبَلي يا عَذبَةَ الرِّيقِ ما حَكى

فَلا تَقبَلي يا عَذبَةَ الرِّيقِ ما حَكى

عَذولٌ وَلا تُرعي المَسامِعَ واشِيا

عَذولٌ وَلا تُرعي المَسامِعَ واشِيا

So do not accept, O you whose saliva is sweet, what is told

Nor incite my enemies against me, but ask

By a reproacher, nor lend your ears to a slanderer.

About me my son Nizar or my uncle or my maternal uncle.

وَلا تُطمِعِي فِيَّ الأَعاديَ واِسأَلي

وَلا تُطمِعِي فِيَّ الأَعاديَ واِسأَلي

بيَ ابنيَ نِزارٍ أَو بِعَمِّي وَخالِيا

بيَ ابنيَ نِزارٍ أَو بِعَمِّي وَخالِيا

And do not embolden my enemies against me; ask

For verily my spears ward off harm from me

Nizar's two sons about me, or about my paternal uncle and my maternal uncle.

And my tribe were never afraid of enemies.

فَإِنَّ قَناتي يَتَّقِي دَرْءَها العِدا

فَإِنَّ قَناتي يَتَّقِي دَرْءَها العِدا

وَما كانَ قَومي يَتَّقونَ الأَعاديا

وَما كانَ قَومي يَتَّقونَ الأَعاديا

For my enemies fear the thrust of my spear,

We are a people who assume mildness as a habit

And my people have never feared their foes.

And are angry at times, so we bend strong bows.

وَنَحنُ أُناسٌ نَرتَدي الحِلمَ شيمَةً

وَنَحنُ أُناسٌ نَرتَدي الحِلمَ شيمَةً

وَنَغضَبُ أَحياناً فَنُزوي العَوالِيا

وَنَغضَبُ أَحياناً فَنُزوي العَوالِيا

And we are a people who wear forbearance as our nature,

Were it not for love, no eye would overlook a mote

And sometimes we grow angry, so we bend the long spears.

In one whom he had wronged, and who had wronged him.

وَلَولا الهَوى لَم يُغضِ عَيناً عَلى قَذىً

وَلَولا الهَوى لَم يُغضِ عَيناً عَلى قَذىً

فَتىً كانَ مَجنيّاً عَلَيهِ وَجانِيا

فَتىً كانَ مَجنيّاً عَلَيهِ وَجانِيا

But for love, he would not shut an eye upon a mote—

I see every love but yours ephemeral;

A youth who was both wronged and wronging.

And every heart distracted, save mine, forgetful.

أَرى كُلَّ حُبٍّ غَيرَ حُبِّكِ زائِلاً

أَرى كُلَّ حُبٍّ غَيرَ حُبِّكِ زائِلاً

وَكُلَّ فؤادٍ غَيرَ قَلبيَ سالِيا

وَكُلَّ فؤادٍ غَيرَ قَلبيَ سالِيا

I see every love but love for you as fading,

And he who has wronged you is wary of my wrath,

And every heart but mine as free of longing.

Though he is pleased by you, I become pleased.

وَيَحذَرُ سُخْطِي مَن أَرابَكِ فِعلُهُ

وَيَحذَرُ سُخْطِي مَن أَرابَكِ فِعلُهُ

وَإِن نالَهُ مِنكِ الرِّضى صِرتُ راضِيا

وَإِن نالَهُ مِنكِ الرِّضى صِرتُ راضِيا

And he whose deed arouses your suspicion fears my wrath;

When the backbiters inquire about my secret,

And if he wins your approval, I too am pleased.

I praise Suluwwa or blame the nightly visitors.

إِذا اِستَخبَرَ الواشُونَ عَمّا أُسِرُّهُ

إِذا اِستَخبَرَ الواشُونَ عَمّا أُسِرُّهُ

حَمَدتُ سُلوى أَو ذَمَمتُ التَّصابِيا

حَمَدتُ سُلوى أَو ذَمَمتُ التَّصابِيا

When slanderers inquire about what I conceal,

And your love does not grow old, but grows

I praise my forgetfulness, or condemn youthful dalliance.

More intense for me, and my longing for you remains.

وَحُبُّكِ لا يَبلى وَيَزدادُ جِدَّةً

وَحُبُّكِ لا يَبلى وَيَزدادُ جِدَّةً

لَديَّ وَأَشواقي إِليكِ كَما هِيَا

لَديَّ وَأَشواقي إِليكِ كَما هِيَا

And love for you never wears out, but grows ever fresher

Does a heart in whose secret you are cease to be distracted by you?

Within me; my longings for you remain unchanged.

It was never for a moment without remembering you, O best of maternal relatives!

أَيَذهَلُ قَلبٌ أَنتِ سِرُّ ضَميرِهِ

أَيَذهَلُ قَلبٌ أَنتِ سِرُّ ضَميرِهِ

فَلا كانَ يَوماً مِنكِ يا عَلوَ خالِيا

فَلا كانَ يَوماً مِنكِ يا عَلوَ خالِيا

Can a heart forget when you are the secret of its inner being?

Then may it never be empty of you, O Alwa, for a single day.