أبينت رسم الدار أم لم تُبينِ

أبينت رسم الدار أم لم تُبينِ

لسلمى عفَت بين الكلاب وتيمنِ

لسلمى عفَت بين الكلاب وتيمنِ

Did you discern the dwelling's trace, or did you not?

Did she show the traces of her abode or did she not show

Salma's dwelling, effaced between al-Kulab and Tayman.

To Salma who was chaste between dogs and serpents

كأن بقايا رسمها بعد ما حلت

كأن بقايا رسمها بعد ما حلت

لكالريح منها عن محلّ مُدَمنِ

لكالريح منها عن محلّ مُدَمنِ

As though the remnants of its traces, after they had been uncovered

As if the remnants of its trace after it disappeared

for you by the wind, at a long-inhabited site—

Were like the wind from it in the abode of an addict

مجالس إيسارٍ وملعبُ سامرٍ

مجالس إيسارٍ وملعبُ سامرٍ

وموقد نار عهدها غير مزمنِ

وموقد نار عهدها غير مزمنِ

gamblers' gathering places and a night reveler's playground,

Gatherings of generosity and the playground of revelry

and a hearth whose last fire was not long ago—

And fireplace whose pact in it was not lasting

سطورُ يهوديين في مُهرقيهما

سطورُ يهوديين في مُهرقيهما

مجيدين من تيماء أو أهل مدينِ

مجيدين من تيماء أو أهل مدينِ

were lines of two Jewish scribes on their two parchments,

Lines of Jews in their synagogues

skilled men from Tayma or the people of Midian.

Praising from Taima or the people of Medina

فدمعك إِلا ما كففت غُروبَه

فدمعك إِلا ما كففت غُروبَه

كوالفِ بال من مزاد وميّنِ

كوالفِ بال من مزاد وميّنِ

Your tears, unless you restrain their streaming,

Except what you held back its setting

are like a worn, leaking skin among waterskins and waterbags.

Your tears were not but like the buckets without rope and pulley

بكاء عليها كل صيف ومربع

بكاء عليها كل صيف ومربع

كأديانه من عمرة ابنة محجنِ

كأديانه من عمرة ابنة محجنِ

Weeping over her every summer and spring,

Crying over it every summer and square

as was his wont with Amra, daughter of Mihjan.

As if its religions from the pilgrimage of the daughter of Muhajjin

تبصر خليلي هل ترى من ظعائن

تبصر خليلي هل ترى من ظعائن

غدونَ لبينٍ من نوى الحي أبيّنِ

غدونَ لبينٍ من نوى الحي أبيّنِ

Look, my friend: do you see any women in their traveling litters?

Does my friend see, do you see any gazelles

They left at dawn for a parting plainer than the tribe's departure.

Tomorrow morning coming to the abodes of Bain wellsprings

تردّين أنطاكية ذات حُجةٍ

تردّين أنطاكية ذات حُجةٍ

على شرعبي من يمان مُدهنِ

على شرعبي من يمان مُدهنِ

They draped themselves in patterned Antiochene cloth,

Repenting, O Antioch, you who argue

over glossy Shar'abi fabric from Yemen.

Against Asharib from Yemen, the whitewashed

جَعلن بليل وارِدات وهصتما

جَعلن بليل وارِدات وهصتما

شمالاً ويمَّمن البديّ بأيمنِ

شمالاً ويمَّمن البديّ بأيمنِ

By night they placed Waridat and Hastama [name uncertain]

They came at night as visitors and they were silent

on their left, and headed rightward toward al-Badi.

Heading northwards and the bedouins hastened to the right

فأضحت تراءها العيون كأنها

فأضحت تراءها العيون كأنها

على الشرف الأعلى نخيل ابن يامن

على الشرف الأعلى نخيل ابن يامن

By morning, eyes could see them as though they were

So their sights appeared as if they were

on the highest ridge, the palms of Ibn Yamin,

On the highest glory, palm trees of the son of Yamin

أو الأثأب العم الدري أو كأنها

أو الأثأب العم الدري أو كأنها

خلايا عَدولي السَّفين المُعمن

خلايا عَدولي السَّفين المُعمن

or tall, gleaming wild fig trees [epithet uncertain], or as though they were

Or the thickets of wild oleander, or as if they were

great Aduli vessels, ships bound for Oman.

Chambers of virgins, the impregnable ships

فجئن وقرن الشمس لم يعد أن بدا

فجئن وقرن الشمس لم يعد أن بدا

فغبن إِلى حورٍ نواعمبُدّن

فغبن إِلى حورٍ نواعمبُدّن

They arrived when the sun's horn had only just appeared,

They came and when the sun rose it no longer returned

then vanished toward fair-eyed women, soft and full-bodied,

So they hid among the delicate, soft-bodied Houris

وكور على أنماط بيضٍ مزخرف

وكور على أنماط بيضٍ مزخرف

مدينيّةٍ أوفى بها حجّ مسكن

مدينيّةٍ أوفى بها حجّ مسكن

nestled on white, embroidered rugs,

And tilted their white patterned flasks

Medinan, brought by pilgrims of Maskin [reading uncertain].

Medinite or fulfilled for her the pilgrimage of Muskkin

فقلن أقيلونا فقلن بنعمةٍ

فقلن أقيلونا فقلن بنعمةٍ

لدى كل حذرٍ ذي ثقوب مزين

لدى كل حذرٍ ذي ثقوب مزين

They said, 'Let us rest at noon,' and rested in comfort,

They said, "Rest us," they said, "With bounty

beside every decorated bower with openings [reading uncertain].

In the presence of every cautious piercer"

يطالعننا من كل خمل وكلّةٍ

يطالعننا من كل خمل وكلّةٍ

بمخضوبة حُمس لطاف وأعيُن

بمخضوبة حُمس لطاف وأعيُن

They peered out at us from every plush cloth and curtain,

There looks at us from every bend and hillock

with henna-dyed, firm, delicate fingers, and their eyes.

One whose cheeks are tinted, delicate, with eyes

ألم يأتها أن قد صحوت عن الصبا

ألم يأتها أن قد صحوت عن الصبا

وآلت إِلى أكرومةٍ وتدين

وآلت إِلى أكرومةٍ وتدين

Has news not reached her that I have shaken off youthful folly,

Did it not come to her that she was now awake from youth

and turned to noble deeds and piety,

And came to decrepitude and religion

وفارقت لذات الشباب وأهله

وفارقت لذات الشباب وأهله

كمفرقة غاد مشيم ميمن

كمفرقة غاد مشيم ميمن

and left youth's pleasures and its companions,

And parted from the pleasures of youth and its people

like a dawn traveler's parting, heading leftward or rightward?

Like the parting of one who departs after settlement

وذي نسب دانٍ تجلدت بعده

وذي نسب دانٍ تجلدت بعده

على رُزئه ورزؤه غيرُ هيّن

على رُزئه ورزؤه غيرُ هيّن

And a close kinsman—after losing him, I steeled myself

And of noble lineage she endured after it

to bear his loss, and his loss was no light matter.

Its meagerness and leanness, which was not easy

كريم ثناه تمطر الخير كفه

كريم ثناه تمطر الخير كفه

كثير رماد القدر غير ملعَّن

كثير رماد القدر غير ملعَّن

Noble in repute, his palm rained bounty,

Generous whose palm rain bounty

his cooking pot rich in ashes, he himself never cursed.

Plenty, ashes of the pot, not sparked

غدا غير مملولٍ لديّ جماعةٌ

غدا غير مملولٍ لديّ جماعةٌ

ولا هو عن طول التفاخر ملّني

ولا هو عن طول التفاخر ملّني

He departed, never tiresome to me in our companionship,

Tomorrow he comes to me, not filled up

nor did our prolonged boasting make him tire of me.

With a group nor is he weary of long boasting

وحَسرة حزنٍ في الفؤاد مريرة

وحَسرة حزنٍ في الفؤاد مريرة

تخيَّبتُها والمرءُ ما يغش يحزن

تخيَّبتُها والمرءُ ما يغش يحزن

And a bitter pang of sorrow within the heart,

And the sorrow of grief is bitter in my heart

I suppressed it [reading uncertain]; a man grieves at what befalls him.

I disappointed it though man does not purposely grieve

ونخوةُ أقوام عليّ درأتها

ونخوةُ أقوام عليّ درأتها

بسطوة أيدٍ من رجال وألسن

بسطوة أيدٍ من رجال وألسن

And I repelled the arrogance of men directed against me,

And the nobility of people warded me off from them

with the onslaught of men's hands and tongues.

With the power of hands of men and tongues

وندمان صدقٍ لا يرى الفحش رائجاً

وندمان صدقٍ لا يرى الفحش رائجاً

لديه لمخزون المدامة مدمن

لديه لمخزون المدامة مدمن

And a true drinking companion, who gives no welcome to foulness

And the regret of truthfulness I do not see vice prevailing

in his presence, a habitual drinker of stored wine.

In it for the stored wine of the addict

بكرت عليه والدجاج مُعرسٌ

بكرت عليه والدجاج مُعرسٌ

جثومٌ وضوءُ الصبح لم يتبين

جثومٌ وضوءُ الصبح لم يتبين

I came to him early, while the chickens were roosting,

It hurried to him while the chickens were nesting

crouching, and the light of dawn was not yet clear.

Drowsy, and the morning ablution was not clear

فظلت تدور الكأس بيني وبينه

فظلت تدور الكأس بيني وبينه

إذا هي أكرت قال صاح ألا أنثني

إذا هي أكرت قال صاح ألا أنثني

And the cup kept passing between me and him;

So the cup kept circling between him and I

whenever it was drained, he said, 'Friend, shall I not turn back?'

When it was filled he said, "Come, let me tilt it!"

فرحنا أصيلاناً ترانا كأننا

فرحنا أصيلاناً ترانا كأننا

ذو قيصر أو آل كسرى بن سوسن

ذو قيصر أو آل كسرى بن سوسن

We left in the late afternoon; you would have seen us as though we were

We were happy, made intimate, as if we were

Caesar's people, or the family of Kisra son of Sawsan.

People of Caesar or the family of Kisra bin Sasan

وغانيةٍ قطعت أسباب وصلها

وغانيةٍ قطعت أسباب وصلها

بحرف كقوس الهاجري المضيّن

بحرف كقوس الهاجري المضيّن

And a beautiful woman—I severed the bonds that joined me to her,

And a singing girl whose means of connection were cut

on a lean she-camel, like a Hajari's well-fashioned bow [epithet uncertain].

With a letter like the bow of Al-Hajari the Bent

تكاد تطير الرحلَ لولا نُسوعهُ

تكاد تطير الرحلَ لولا نُسوعهُ

إذا ثفنت إِلى القطيع المُقرَّن

إذا ثفنت إِلى القطيع المُقرَّن

She nearly sent the saddle flying, but for its girths,

She nearly flies the saddle were it not for its strap

when she quickened in response to the doubled whip.

When she gallops to the yoked herd

كأن قُتودي حين لانت وراجعت

كأن قُتودي حين لانت وراجعت

طريقة مرفوع من السير لين

طريقة مرفوع من السير لين

As though my saddle-frames, when she eased and resumed

As if my she-camels when they yielded and returned

a smooth, high-stepping manner of travel,

On the path carried by the gentle gait

على وَحدٍ طاوٍ أقرّت فؤاده

على وَحدٍ طاوٍ أقرّت فؤاده

كلابُ ذريح أو كلابُ ابن مِيزن

كلابُ ذريح أو كلابُ ابن مِيزن

were on a lone, hollow-bellied beast, its heart chilled

In desolation which saddened his heart

by the hounds of Dhurayh or the hounds of Ibn Mizan.

Like the dogs of Dharih or the dogs of Ibn Mizin

وكأن مُهري ظلَّ ثم مخيلاً

وكأن مُهري ظلَّ ثم مخيلاً

يكسو الأسِنّةَ مغزةَ اللّجان

يكسو الأسِنّةَ مغزةَ اللّجان

And as though my colt remained there, swaggering,

And as if my stallion remained imagining

covering the spearheads with [the final phrase's meaning unclear].

Covering the vanguards with the brain of courage