زارَت سُليمى وَالخُطا يَقتَفي

زارَت سُليمى وَالخُطا يَقتَفي

آثارَها مِن ذَيلِها ماحِ

آثارَها مِن ذَيلِها ماحِ

Sulayma visited, and her footsteps were followed

Sulayma visited while darkness pursued

By her trailing hem, which erased their traces.

Her trail from the end of her dress as it flowed

تُخفي مُحَيّاها ليَخفى السُرى

تُخفي مُحَيّاها ليَخفى السُرى

حذارَ أَن يَنتَبِه اللاحي

حذارَ أَن يَنتَبِه اللاحي

She hides her face to conceal her night journey,

She hid her smile so the secret was kept

For fear that the reproacher might awaken.

Beware the watcher not waken from sleep

وَهَل يواري اللَّيلُ مَن لَم يَزَل

وَهَل يواري اللَّيلُ مَن لَم يَزَل

مِن نُورِها بالمَنظَرِ الضَّاحي

مِن نُورِها بالمَنظَرِ الضَّاحي

And can night conceal one who remains

Can night conceal one who always shone

In full daylight through her radiance?

With light, to the seer a torch ever-glowed?

لو لَم يُجِرها إِذ سَرَتْ فَرعُها

لو لَم يُجِرها إِذ سَرَتْ فَرعُها

عَلى الدُّجى هَمَّ بإِصْباحِ

عَلى الدُّجى هَمَّ بإِصْباحِ

Had her tresses not sheltered her as she journeyed,

Had her branch not pulled her when she set out

Her radiance would have threatened the darkness with dawn.

Cross the gloom, dawn had neared at her goad

فَبِتُّ وَالحيُّ عَلى رِقبَةٍ

فَبِتُّ وَالحيُّ عَلى رِقبَةٍ

أَكرَعُ حَتَّى الفَجرِ في راحِ

أَكرَعُ حَتَّى الفَجرِ في راحِ

So I spent the night, while the tribe kept watch,

So I and the living on tenterhooks stayed

Quaffing wine until dawn.

Till morn in relief from the dark shadowed road

فأَيُّنا أَظهَرُ سُكرا وَما

فأَيُّنا أَظهَرُ سُكرا وَما

عاثَتْ يَدٌ فينا بِأَقداحِ

عاثَتْ يَدٌ فينا بِأَقداحِ

Which of us, then, was most plainly drunk, though no

And which of us showed more drunkenness here—

Hand had wrought havoc on us with winecups?

What hand dealt between us the wine that bestowed?

أَقَدُّها أَم طَرفُها أَم أَنا

أَقَدُّها أَم طَرفُها أَم أَنا

ثَلاثَةٌ ما فيهِمُ صاحِ

ثَلاثَةٌ ما فيهِمُ صاحِ

Her figure, her gaze, or I?

Was it her glance, or her down, or was I—

Three, with not one of them sober.

Three blameless yet reeling while morning crowed

ثُمَّ اِنثَنَتْ تَمشي عَلى خِيفَةٍ

ثُمَّ اِنثَنَتْ تَمشي عَلى خِيفَةٍ

خِلالَ أَسيافٍ وَأَرماحِ

خِلالَ أَسيافٍ وَأَرماحِ

Then she turned away, walking in fear

Then she bent to walk cautiously on

Among swords and spears,

Through swords and spears in her delicate mode

بِمَنزِلٍ تَشرَقُ أَرجاؤُهُ

بِمَنزِلٍ تَشرَقُ أَرجاؤُهُ

بِكُلِّ وافي اللُبِّ جَحجاحِ

بِكُلِّ وافي اللُبِّ جَحجاحِ

In a dwelling whose quarters shine

To a place where light shone in every room

With every mighty chief of sound understanding,

With the flames of hearts by desire avowed

مُعتَقِلٍ خَطِّيَّةً لَدْنَةً

مُعتَقِلٍ خَطِّيَّةً لَدْنَةً

تَفجَعُ أَبداناً بِأَرواحِ

تَفجَعُ أَبداناً بِأَرواحِ

Clasping a supple Khatti spear

A refuge, gentle and delicate, that

That bereaves bodies of their souls.

Made bodies weep, bereft of their souls

وَبالحِمى مُستَعطِراً مِن ثَرىً

وَبالحِمى مُستَعطِراً مِن ثَرىً

كالمَندَلِيِّ الرَّطْبِ نَفّاحِ

كالمَندَلِيِّ الرَّطْبِ نَفّاحِ

And in the protected domain, perfumed by soil

With a meadow, scented from loam like the moist

Wafting scent like moist Mandali aloeswood,

Mandrake issuing perfume as it showed

أَروَعُ لَم يَشرَعْ صَرى مَنهَلٍ

أَروَعُ لَم يَشرَعْ صَرى مَنهَلٍ

تَغَمُّرَ العَيرِ بِضَحضاحِ

تَغَمُّرَ العَيرِ بِضَحضاحِ

Is a noble man who never drank a watering-place's stagnant water

A wondrous watering-place none had e’er oped

As an ass sips sparingly from a shallow pool.

To drench the wayfarer’s limbs, bathe his load

جِفانُهُ تَلمَعُ لِلمُعتَري

جِفانُهُ تَلمَعُ لِلمُعتَري

في العُسرِ وَاليُسرِ كَأَنضاحِ

في العُسرِ وَاليُسرِ كَأَنضاحِ

His large bowls gleam for the needy visitor

Its streams shine to the wanderer in grief

In hardship and ease, like water-drawing camels.

And joy alike, cascade on cascade flowed