لَمَّا حَدَا بِالأَيْمَنِينَ يَسَارُ

لَمَّا حَدَا بِالأَيْمَنِينَ يَسَارُ

وَسَرى اليَمانُونَ العَشِيَّ وَسَارُوا

وَسَرى اليَمانُونَ العَشِيَّ وَسَارُوا

When Yasār urged the Yemenis onward with song,

When the right-hand tribe advanced leftwards,

And the Yemenis set out at evening and traveled by night,

And the Yemenites travelled by night and marched on,

طَلَبَتْ عُيُونُكَ دَمْعَها فَأَجَابَهَا

طَلَبَتْ عُيُونُكَ دَمْعَها فَأَجَابَهَا

قَانٍ وَلِلحُزْنِ الدِّمَاءُ تُعَارُ

قَانٍ وَلِلحُزْنِ الدِّمَاءُ تُعَارُ

Your eyes sought their tears, and were answered

Your eyes sought their tears, so it granted them

By crimson blood—and blood is lent to sorrow.

Blood, for tears are the ornament of sorrow.

وَدَمٌ وَدَمْعٌ حِينَ يَخْتَلِطَانِ في

وَدَمٌ وَدَمْعٌ حِينَ يَخْتَلِطَانِ في

إِثْرِ الخَلِيطِ فَجُرْحُهُنَّ جُبَارُ

إِثْرِ الخَلِيطِ فَجُرْحُهُنَّ جُبَارُ

And when blood and tears mingle in

Blood and tears when blended together

The companions' wake, their wound has no redress.

In the wake of the blend, their wounds roar.

وَتَغَيَّرَ الرَّسْمَانِ جِسْمُكَ والحِمَى

وَتَغَيَّرَ الرَّسْمَانِ جِسْمُكَ والحِمَى

لا أَنْتَ أَنْتَ وَلا الدّيارُ دِيارُ

لا أَنْتَ أَنْتَ وَلا الدّيارُ دِيارُ

And the two remnants changed—your body and the protected grounds;

The symmetry of your body changed, and the fever,

You are not yourself, nor are the dwellings dwellings.

You're no longer you, nor are the houses, houses.

وَغَدوْتَ يُسْعِدُكَ الحَمامُ وَكَيْفَ لا

وَغَدوْتَ يُسْعِدُكَ الحَمامُ وَكَيْفَ لا

وَحَشَاكَ وَهْيَ كِلاهُما أَطْيارُ

وَحَشَاكَ وَهْيَ كِلاهُما أَطْيارُ

And now the doves join your lament—how could they not,

And you started your day cheerful. Why wouldn't you

When your heart and they alike are birds?

When both the pigeon and dove have made you their companion?

وَعَجِبْتُ مِنْكَ بِكُلّ وَادٍ هَائمٍ

وَعَجِبْتُ مِنْكَ بِكُلّ وَادٍ هَائمٍ

فِيهِمْ وَمَا مِنْ شأْنِكَ الإِشْعارُ

فِيهِمْ وَمَا مِنْ شأْنِكَ الإِشْعارُ

And I marveled at you, wandering in every valley

And I wondered about you wandering every valley,

In longing for them, though composing verse is not your way.

Preoccupied with them, though poetry is not your habit.

تَضَعُ الخُدُودَ عَلَى مَوَاضِعَ قَدْسَقَتْ

تَضَعُ الخُدُودَ عَلَى مَوَاضِعَ قَدْسَقَتْ

ها العَينُ وَهِيَ جَميعُها آثارُ

ها العَينُ وَهِيَ جَميعُها آثارُ

You lay your cheeks upon places already watered

You place your cheeks where the eyes have shed

By your eye, though all of them are traces.

Tears, and they are all traces.

وَيَرِقُّ جُنْحُ اللَّيْلِ مِنْكَ عَلَى فَتىً

وَيَرِقُّ جُنْحُ اللَّيْلِ مِنْكَ عَلَى فَتىً

فِي إِثْرِهَا يَقْسُو عَليْكَ نَهَارُ

فِي إِثْرِهَا يَقْسُو عَليْكَ نَهَارُ

And night's darkness grows tender toward the youth in you;

The wing of night sheds its shadow over a youth,

In its wake, day grows harsh toward you.

After which the day treats you harshly.

إِنْ غِبْتَ وَجْداً لَا أَذىً هذا وَلَا

إِنْ غِبْتَ وَجْداً لَا أَذىً هذا وَلَا

تَدْري بِرقّةِ ذَا فَمَا هُوَ عَارُ

تَدْري بِرقّةِ ذَا فَمَا هُوَ عَارُ

If you lose yourself in longing, feeling neither this one's harm nor

If you are absent out of love, not harm, that is one thing,

Knowing that one's tenderness, there is no disgrace in that.

You don't know the gentleness of that mouth, so no shame.

ما فِيكَ بَعْدَهُمُ لِصَحْوٍ فَضْلةٌ

ما فِيكَ بَعْدَهُمُ لِصَحْوٍ فَضْلةٌ

هَيْهَاتَ أَفْنَى صَحْوَكَ الإِسْكارُ

هَيْهَاتَ أَفْنَى صَحْوَكَ الإِسْكارُ

After them, no remnant of sobriety remains in you.

After them, you have no sobriety left,

Far out of reach! Intoxication has consumed your sobriety.

Alas! drunkenness has erased your sobriety.

ما زِلْتَ تُلْقي ما تَقولُ عَواذِلٌ

ما زِلْتَ تُلْقي ما تَقولُ عَواذِلٌ

حَتّى اسْتَوى الإِقْلالُ والإِكْثَارُ

حَتّى اسْتَوى الإِقْلالُ والإِكْثَارُ

You have kept casting aside what reproaching women say,

You kept saying what the flirts say

Until saying little and saying much became the same.

Until scarcity and abundance became equal.