أَقولُ بِعَمّان وَهَل طَرَبي بِهِ

أَقولُ بِعَمّان وَهَل طَرَبي بِهِ

إِلَى أَهلِ سلعٍ إِن تَشَوَّفتُ نافِعُ

إِلَى أَهلِ سلعٍ إِن تَشَوَّفتُ نافِعُ

I say in Amman: is my longing there

I say in Amman though it delights me,

for the people of Salʿ, if I gaze longingly, of any use?

To the people of Sal' if I yearn, beneficial,

أَصاحِ أَلَم تَحزُنكَ ريحٌ مَريضَةٌ

أَصاحِ أَلَم تَحزُنكَ ريحٌ مَريضَةٌ

وَبَرقٌ تَلالا بِالعَقيقَينِ لامِعُ

وَبَرقٌ تَلالا بِالعَقيقَينِ لامِعُ

O friend, did an ailing breeze not sadden you,

My friend, doesn't a sick wind sadden you

and lightning that flashed, gleaming at the two ʿAqīqs?

And lightning flashing on Al-'Aqeeq, shining?

فَإِنَّ الغَريبَ الدَارِ مِمّا يَشوقُهُ

فَإِنَّ الغَريبَ الدَارِ مِمّا يَشوقُهُ

نَسيمُ الرِياحِ والبُروقُ اللَوامِعُ

نَسيمُ الرِياحِ والبُروقُ اللَوامِعُ

For one far from home, among the things that stir his longing

For the stranger to his land, what makes him yearn

are the winds’ soft breath and the gleaming lightning.

Is the breeze of winds and lightning flashing.

وَمِن دونِ ما أَسمو بِطَرفي لأَرضِهِم

وَمِن دونِ ما أَسمو بِطَرفي لأَرضِهِم

مَفاوِزُ مُغبَرٌّ مِنَ التيهِ واسِعُ

مَفاوِزُ مُغبَرٌّ مِنَ التيهِ واسِعُ

And between me and their land, toward which I lift my gaze,

And without what they called the edge of their land

lie wastelands—a dusty, vast expanse of trackless desert.

Are vast, dusty expanses of loss, expansive.

نَظَرتُ عَلى فَوتٍ وَأَوفى عَشيَّةً

نَظَرتُ عَلى فَوتٍ وَأَوفى عَشيَّةً

بِنا منظَرٌ مِن حِصنِ عَمّانَ يافِعُ

بِنا منظَرٌ مِن حِصنِ عَمّانَ يافِعُ

I gazed from afar; at evening we were borne aloft

I looked out over plains, and evening brought us

by a lofty lookout on Amman’s fortress.

A scene from Amman fortress, alluring.

وَلِلعَينِ أَسرابٌ تَفيضُ كَأَنَّما

وَلِلعَينِ أَسرابٌ تَفيضُ كَأَنَّما

تُعَلُّ بِكُحلِ الصابِ مِنها المَدامِعُ

تُعَلُّ بِكُحلِ الصابِ مِنها المَدامِعُ

And streams pour from the eye, as though

And for the eye migrating flocks, as if

its tear ducts were repeatedly bathed with kohl of bitter sap.

They were dyed with kohl, their tears flowing.

لأُبصِرَ أَحياءً بِخاخٍ تَضَمَّنَت

لأُبصِرَ أَحياءً بِخاخٍ تَضَمَّنَت

مَنازِلَهُم مِنها التِلاعُ الدَوافِعُ

مَنازِلَهُم مِنها التِلاعُ الدَوافِعُ

To see clans at Khākh, whose

I would see dwellings with tents they comprised,

dwellings its flood-bearing gullies enclosed.

Among them the striking brilliant peaks.

فَأَبدَت كَثيراً نَظرَتي مِن صَبابَتي

فَأَبدَت كَثيراً نَظرَتي مِن صَبابَتي

وَأَكثَرُ مِنها ما تُجِنُّ الأَضالِعُ

وَأَكثَرُ مِنها ما تُجِنُّ الأَضالِعُ

So my glance revealed much of my longing,

My gaze showed much of my youth,

and greater still is what my ribs conceal.

But more numerous were those that split my ribs.

وَكَيفَ اشتِياقُ المَرءِ يَبكي صَبابَةً

وَكَيفَ اشتِياقُ المَرءِ يَبكي صَبابَةً

إِلى مَن نأَى عَن دارِهِ وَهوَ طائِعُ

إِلى مَن نأَى عَن دارِهِ وَهوَ طائِعُ

And how can a man yearn, weeping with passion,

How can a man's yearning weep with youth

for one whose home he willingly left?

For one who left his home willingly?

لعَمرُ ابنَةِ الزَيديِّ إِنَّ ادِّكارَها

لعَمرُ ابنَةِ الزَيديِّ إِنَّ ادِّكارَها

عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ لِلفُؤادِ لَرائِعُ

عَلى كُلِّ حالٍ لِلفُؤادِ لَرائِعُ

By the life of al-Zaydī’s daughter, remembering her

By the life of the Zaydi's daughter, remembering her

in every circumstance surely startles the heart.

Is, in any state, exhilarating for the heart.

وَإِنّي لِذِكراها عَلى كُلِّ حالَةٍ

وَإِنّي لِذِكراها عَلى كُلِّ حالَةٍ

مِنَ الغَورِ أَو جَلسِ البِلادِ لَنازِعُ

مِنَ الغَورِ أَو جَلسِ البِلادِ لَنازِعُ

And I, at the thought of her, in every circumstance,

And I, remembering her in any circumstance,

whether in the land’s lowlands or uplands, am surely drawn with longing.

From the valley or settled lands, am disputing.

لَقَد كُنتُ أَبكِي وَالنَوى مُطمَئِنَّةٌ

لَقَد كُنتُ أَبكِي وَالنَوى مُطمَئِنَّةٌ

بِنا وَبِكُم مِن عِلمِ ما البَينُ صانِعُ

بِنا وَبِكُم مِن عِلمِ ما البَينُ صانِعُ

Indeed, I used to weep while separation lay dormant

I used to cry while the purpose was assured,

between us and you, knowing what parting would do.

By us and you, though the separation makes.

وَقَد ثَبَتَت في الصَدرِ مِنها مَوَدَّةٌ

وَقَد ثَبَتَت في الصَدرِ مِنها مَوَدَّةٌ

كَما ثَبَتَت في الراحَتَينِ الأَصابِعُ

كَما ثَبَتَت في الراحَتَينِ الأَصابِعُ

And love for her has become fixed in my breast,

And affection for her is firmly rooted

as fingers are fixed in both palms.

In my chest, as fingers grasp firmly.

أَهُمُّ لأَنسَى ذِكرَها فَيَشوقُني

أَهُمُّ لأَنسَى ذِكرَها فَيَشوقُني

رِفاقٌ إِلى أَهلِ الحِجازِ نَوازِعُ

رِفاقٌ إِلى أَهلِ الحِجازِ نَوازِعُ

I resolve to forget her memory, but I am stirred to longing

Will I forget mentioning her, and yearn

by companions yearning for the people of the Hijaz.

For companions to the people of Hejaz, nudging?