دَعا بِالوِحافِ السودِ مِن جانِبِ الحِمى

دَعا بِالوِحافِ السودِ مِن جانِبِ الحِمى

نَزيعُ هَوىً لَبَّيتُ حينَ دَعاني

نَزيعُ هَوىً لَبَّيتُ حينَ دَعاني

A call came amid the black hills, from the protected pasture's edge—

He called from the black valleys of Jima

a stirring of love; I answered when it called me.

A love-sick man, I hastened when he called me

تَعَجَّبَ صَحبي مِن بُكائي وَأَنكَروا

تَعَجَّبَ صَحبي مِن بُكائي وَأَنكَروا

جَوابي لِما لَم تَسمَعِ الأُذُنانِ

جَوابي لِما لَم تَسمَعِ الأُذُنانِ

My companions marveled at my weeping and objected to

My friends were astonished at my weeping and denied

my reply to what neither ear had heard.

My response when the two ears did not hear

فَقُلتُ نَعَم لَم تَسمَعِ الأَذنُ دَعوَةً

فَقُلتُ نَعَم لَم تَسمَعِ الأَذنُ دَعوَةً

بَلى إِنَّ قَلبي سامِعٌ وَجَناني

بَلى إِنَّ قَلبي سامِعٌ وَجَناني

So I said, "Yes, the ear heard no call;

So I said: Yes, the ear did not hear a call

but yes, my heart indeed hears—and my inmost soul."

Rather my heart is hearing and my soul

وَيا أَيُّها الرَكبُ اليَمانونَ خَبِّروا

وَيا أَيُّها الرَكبُ اليَمانونَ خَبِّروا

طَليقاً بِأَعلى الخَيفِ أَنِّيَ عاني

طَليقاً بِأَعلى الخَيفِ أَنِّيَ عاني

And O Yemeni riders, tell

And O Yemeni caravan, inform

one free in upper al-Khayf that I am a captive.

My dear one in the high plain that I am suffering

عِدوهُ لِقائي أَو عِدوني لِقاءَهُ

عِدوهُ لِقائي أَو عِدوني لِقاءَهُ

أَلا رُبَّما دانَيتُ غَيرَ مُداني

أَلا رُبَّما دانَيتُ غَيرَ مُداني

Promise him a meeting with me, or promise me a meeting with him;

Make his meeting with me difficult or make my meeting with him difficult

ah, often I have drawn close to one who would not draw close to me.

Perhaps I met without being blamed

وَما حائِماتٌ يَلتَقينَ مِنَ الصَدى

وَما حائِماتٌ يَلتَقينَ مِنَ الصَدى

إِلى الماءِ قَد موطِلنَ بِالرَشَفانِ

إِلى الماءِ قَد موطِلنَ بِالرَشَفانِ

No circling camels, converging in their thirst

Thirsty she-camels do not meet at the soft sand

toward the water, long kept waiting for a sip,

Heading to the water, marked with anklets

يَزيدُ لَها بِالخِمسِ بَينَ ضُلوعِها

يَزيدُ لَها بِالخِمسِ بَينَ ضُلوعِها

تَنَسُّمُ ريحِ الشيحِ وَالعَلَجانِ

تَنَسُّمُ ريحِ الشيحِ وَالعَلَجانِ

whose five-day thirst grows fiercer within their ribs

In his ribs it increases for them with misfortune

as they breathe the scent of wormwood and alajan,

Sniffing the air of mischief and separation

إِذا قيلَ هَذا الماءُ لَم يَملِكوا لَها

إِذا قيلَ هَذا الماءُ لَم يَملِكوا لَها

مَعاجاً بِأَقرانٍ وَلا بِمَثانِ

مَعاجاً بِأَقرانٍ وَلا بِمَثانِ

and which, when someone says, "Here is water," no one can turn

When it is said this water did not possess for them

aside with coupling ropes or doubled cords,

A confluence of peers or equals

بِأَظمى إِلى الأَحبابِ مِنّي وَفيهِمُ

بِأَظمى إِلى الأَحبابِ مِنّي وَفيهِمُ

غَريمٌ إِذا رُمتُ الدُيونَ لَواني

غَريمٌ إِذا رُمتُ الدُيونَ لَواني

are thirstier than I am for loved ones; among them is

More intensely to the loved ones from me and among them

a debtor who, whenever I seek my dues, puts me off.

A creditor when I solicited debts from me

فَيا صاحِبَي رَحلي أَقِلّا فَإِنَّني

فَيا صاحِبَي رَحلي أَقِلّا فَإِنَّني

رَأَيتُ بِلَيلى غَيرَ ما تَرَيانِ

رَأَيتُ بِلَيلى غَيرَ ما تَرَيانِ

So O my two journey-companions, ease up, for I

So my friend, unload my luggage for I

have seen in Layla something other than what you two see.

Saw Layla in other than what you two see

وَيا مَزجِيَ النِضوِ الطَليحِ عَشِيَّةً

وَيا مَزجِيَ النِضوِ الطَليحِ عَشِيَّةً

تُراكَ بِبَطنِ المَأزِمَينِ تَراني

تُراكَ بِبَطنِ المَأزِمَينِ تَراني

And O driver of the gaunt, exhausted camel in the evening,

And O you who mixed fresh butter oil in the evening

will you, I wonder, see me in the hollow of al-Ma'zimayn?

I see you in the belly of two wine-skins

وَهَل أَنا غادٍ أَنشُدُ النَبلَةَ الَّتي

وَهَل أَنا غادٍ أَنشُدُ النَبلَةَ الَّتي

بِها عَرَضاً ذاكَ الغَزالُ رَماني

بِها عَرَضاً ذاكَ الغَزالُ رَماني

And will I go out at dawn to seek the arrow

Shall I, forgetting, recite the arrow with which

with which that gazelle shot me in passing?

That gazelle attacked and hit me

فَلَم يَبقَ مِن أَيّامِ جَمعٍ إِلى مِنىً

فَلَم يَبقَ مِن أَيّامِ جَمعٍ إِلى مِنىً

إِلى مَوقِفِ التَجميرِ غَيرُ أَماني

إِلى مَوقِفِ التَجميرِ غَيرُ أَماني

So nothing remains of the days at Jamʿ, on to Mina,

There remained of the days of gathering to Mina

and on to the place of pebble-casting, but wishes.

To the ritual stoning ground none but wishes

يُعَلَّلُ دائي بِالعِراقِ طَماعَةً

يُعَلَّلُ دائي بِالعِراقِ طَماعَةً

وَكَيفَ شِفائي وَالطَبيبُ يَماني

وَكَيفَ شِفائي وَالطَبيبُ يَماني

My ailment is soothed with hope in Iraq;

My sickness is blamed on Iraq greedily

but how can I be cured, when the physician is Yemeni?

But how can I be cured when the healer is Yemeni?