أَرى جارَتي خَفَّت وَخَفَّ نَصيحُها

أَرى جارَتي خَفَّت وَخَفَّ نَصيحُها

وَحُبَّ بِها لَولا النَوى وَطُموحُها

وَحُبَّ بِها لَولا النَوى وَطُموحُها

I see my neighbor has set off, and her adviser has too.

I see my neighbor has weakened, and her advice has faded,

And how dear she would be, but for separation and her restlessness!

And love for her, were it not for ambition and longing.

فَبيني على نَجمٍ شَخيسٍ نُحوسُهُ

فَبيني على نَجمٍ شَخيسٍ نُحوسُهُ

وَأَشأَمُ طَيرِ الزاجِرينَ سَنيحُها

وَأَشأَمُ طَيرِ الزاجِرينَ سَنيحُها

So depart beneath a star whose ill omens are intense,

Between us is an ill-omened unlucky star,

And may your rightward-crossing bird be the augurs' most ill-omened.

And I take it as an ill omen, the screeching of the deterring birds.

فَإِن تَشغَبي فَالشَغَبُ مِنّي سَجِيَّةٌ

فَإِن تَشغَبي فَالشَغَبُ مِنّي سَجِيَّةٌ

إِذا شيمَتي لَم يُؤتَ مِنها سَجيحُها

إِذا شيمَتي لَم يُؤتَ مِنها سَجيحُها

If you stir up trouble, contentiousness is in my nature,

If you act wildly, the wildness is ingrained in me,

When my character is not approached on its gentle side.

If you insult, your insults will not diminish me.

أُقارِضُ أَقواماً فَأوفي قُروضَهُم

أُقارِضُ أَقواماً فَأوفي قُروضَهُم

وَعَفٌّ إِذا أَردى النُفوسَ شَحيحُها

وَعَفٌّ إِذا أَردى النُفوسَ شَحيحُها

I deal with people in kind, repaying their loans in full,

I lend to people, then pay back their loans,

And am restrained when their greedy one brings souls to ruin.

Generosity, when souls are stingy with it.

عَلى أَنَّ قَومي أَشَقَذوني فَأَصبَحَت

عَلى أَنَّ قَومي أَشَقَذوني فَأَصبَحَت

دِياري بِأَرضٍ غَيرِ دانٍ نُبوحُها

دِياري بِأَرضٍ غَيرِ دانٍ نُبوحُها

Yet my people drove me away, and now

Though my people have exiled me, so my home

My dwellings lie in a land whose barking is far off.

Is in a land not mine, remote is its consolation.

تَنَفَّذَ مِنهُم نافِذاتٌ فَسُؤنَني

تَنَفَّذَ مِنهُم نافِذاتٌ فَسُؤنَني

وَأَضمَرَ أَضغاناً عَلَيَّ كُشوحُها

وَأَضمَرَ أَضغاناً عَلَيَّ كُشوحُها

Piercing barbs reached me from them and grieved me,

Grudges have seeped from them, paining me,

And their flanks concealed grudges against me.

And they harbor malice against me in their breasts.

فَقُلتُ فِراقُ الدارِ أَجمَلُ بَينَنا

فَقُلتُ فِراقُ الدارِ أَجمَلُ بَينَنا

وَقَد يَنتَئي عَن دارِ سَوءٍ نَزيحُها

وَقَد يَنتَئي عَن دارِ سَوءٍ نَزيحُها

So I said: leaving home is the better course between us;

So I said, “Parting from home is best between us,

One departing an evil dwelling may draw far away from it.

Though one may dislike leaving an evil home.”

عَلى أَنَّني قَد أَدَّعي بِأَبيهِمِ

عَلى أَنَّني قَد أَدَّعي بِأَبيهِمِ

إِذا عَمَّتِ الدَعوى وَثابَ صَريحُها

إِذا عَمَّتِ الدَعوى وَثابَ صَريحُها

Though I still proclaim descent from their father,

Yet I claim, because of their fathers,

When the summons becomes general and its true-born men rally.

When the claim is widespread and its proof is clear,

وَأَنّي أَرى ديني يُوافِقُ دينَهُم

وَأَنّي أَرى ديني يُوافِقُ دينَهُم

إِذا نَسَكوا أَفراعُها وَذَبيحُها

إِذا نَسَكوا أَفراعُها وَذَبيحُها

And I see my religion accord with theirs,

And I see my religion conforms to theirs,

When they offer its firstborn animals and sacrificial victims.

If they perform the rituals and sacrifices.

وَمَنزِلَةٍ بِالحَجِّ أُخرى عَرَفتُها

وَمَنزِلَةٍ بِالحَجِّ أُخرى عَرَفتُها

لَها بُقَعَةٌ لا يُستَطاعُ بُروحُها

لَها بُقَعَةٌ لا يُستَطاعُ بُروحُها

And another station at the pilgrimage I have known;

And I know another status with the pilgrimage,

It has a site that cannot be abandoned.

It has an area that cannot be reached by walking.

بِوُدِّكِ ما قَومي عَلى أَن تَرَكتِهِم

بِوُدِّكِ ما قَومي عَلى أَن تَرَكتِهِم

سُلَيمى إِذا هَبَّت شَمالٌ وَريحُها

سُلَيمى إِذا هَبَّت شَمالٌ وَريحُها

My people are to your liking, though you have left them,

With your love, no matter if my people abandoned me,

Sulayma, when the north wind rises with its blast;

My shelter if a north wind blew and its gusts.

إِذا النَجمُ أَمسى مَغرِبَ الشَمسِ رائِباً

إِذا النَجمُ أَمسى مَغرِبَ الشَمسِ رائِباً

وَلَم يَكُ بَرقٌ في السَماءِ يُليحُها

وَلَم يَكُ بَرقٌ في السَماءِ يُليحُها

When the star grows hazy at the sun's setting,

When the stars set where the sun sets writhing,

And no lightning in the sky lights it up;

With no lightning in the sky to illuminate it,

وَغابَ شُعاعُ الشَمسِ في غَيرِ جُلبَةٍ

وَغابَ شُعاعُ الشَمسِ في غَيرِ جُلبَةٍ

وَلا غَمرَةٍ إِلّا وَشيكاً مُصوحُها

وَلا غَمرَةٍ إِلّا وَشيكاً مُصوحُها

And the sun's rays vanish with no bank of clouds,

And the sun’s rays disappeared without a cover,

Nor enveloping cloud except one soon to disperse;

Save an impending darkness soon to overcast,

وَهاجَ عَماءٌ مُقشَعِرٌ كَأَنَّهُ

وَهاجَ عَماءٌ مُقشَعِرٌ كَأَنَّهُ

نَقيلَةُ نَعلٍ بانَ مِنها سَريحُها

نَقيلَةُ نَعلٍ بانَ مِنها سَريحُها

And a shivering cloud-bank rises, as though it were

And a blinding fog rose, as though

A sandal's leather patch whose thong has come away.

It were a slipping sandal whose thong was severed,

إِذا عُدِمَ المَحلوبُ عادَت عَلَيهِمُ

إِذا عُدِمَ المَحلوبُ عادَت عَلَيهِمُ

قُدورٌ كَثيرٌ في القِصاعِ قَديحُها

قُدورٌ كَثيرٌ في القِصاعِ قَديحُها

When milk is lacking, there come to their aid

When the milk ran short, many pots returned to them

Pots whose ladled contents abound in the bowls.

In the cooking pot, plentiful its ladle.

يَثوبُ إِلَيها كُلُّ ضَيفٍ وَجانِبٍ

يَثوبُ إِلَيها كُلُّ ضَيفٍ وَجانِبٍ

كَما رَدَّ دَهداهَ القِلاصِ نَضيحُها

كَما رَدَّ دَهداهَ القِلاصِ نَضيحُها

Every guest and outsider flocks back to them,

Every guest and neighbor returns to it,

As their water-drawing camel brings back the herd of young she-camels.

As the suckling camel returns to the milker.

بِأَيديهِمُ مَقرومَةٌ وَمَغالِقٌ

بِأَيديهِمُ مَقرومَةٌ وَمَغالِقٌ

يَعودُ بِأَرزاقِ العِيالِ مَنيحُها

يَعودُ بِأَرزاقِ العِيالِ مَنيحُها

In their hands are notched lots and winning arrows;

In their hands are shrivelled and closed,

Even their blank lot brings back provisions for the dependents.

Returning with provisions for the dependents.

وَمَلمومَةٍ لا يَخرِقُ الطَرفُ عَرضَها

وَمَلمومَةٍ لا يَخرِقُ الطَرفُ عَرضَها

لَها كَوكَبٌ فَخمٌ شَديدٌ وُضوحُها

لَها كَوكَبٌ فَخمٌ شَديدٌ وُضوحُها

And a massed host whose breadth the eye cannot pierce,

And frowning, whose virtue is not pierced by glances,

It has a mighty star, its brilliance intense.

It has a lofty, very bright star.

تَسيرُ وَتُزجي السَمَّ تَحتَ نُحورِها

تَسيرُ وَتُزجي السَمَّ تَحتَ نُحورِها

كَريهٌ إِلى مَن فاجَأَتهُ صَبوحُها

كَريهٌ إِلى مَن فاجَأَتهُ صَبوحُها

It marches, driving poison beneath its throats,

It moves about, pouring poison beneath its throat,

Its morning draught hateful to whoever it surprises.

Hateful to whomever its early morning surprises.

عَلى مُقذَحِرّاتٍ وَهُنُّ عَوابِسٌ

عَلى مُقذَحِرّاتٍ وَهُنُّ عَوابِسٌ

ضَبائِرُ مَوتٍ لا يُراحُ مُريحُها

ضَبائِرُ مَوتٍ لا يُراحُ مُريحُها

On hulking mounts, grim-faced,

Haughty and scowling, shrouds of death,

Massed bands of death, whose giver of rest is given none.

With no comforter to relieve it.

نَبَذنا إِلَيهِم دَعوَةً يالَ مالِكٍ

نَبَذنا إِلَيهِم دَعوَةً يالَ مالِكٍ

لَها إِربَةٌ إِن لَم تَجِد مَن يُريحُها

لَها إِربَةٌ إِن لَم تَجِد مَن يُريحُها

We flung toward them the summons: 'O people of Malik!'

We sent them an invitation—oh Lord of Malik!—

It carries a need if it finds no one to relieve it.

Difficult for it if it finds no comforter.

فَسُرنا عَلَيهِم سَورَةً ثَعلَبِيَّةً

فَسُرنا عَلَيهِم سَورَةً ثَعلَبِيَّةً

وَأَسيافُنا يَجري عَلَيهِم نُضوحُها

وَأَسيافُنا يَجري عَلَيهِم نُضوحُها

Then we surged against them with a Tha'labi onslaught,

So we marched against them with the Tha‘labi surah

And the spray from our swords flows over them.

And our swords flowed upon them gushing,

وَأَرماحُنا يَنهَزنَهُم نَهزَ جُمَّةٍ

وَأَرماحُنا يَنهَزنَهُم نَهزَ جُمَّةٍ

يَعودُ عَلَيهِم وِردُنا فَنَميحُها

يَعودُ عَلَيهِم وِردُنا فَنَميحُها

And our spears plunge into them as into a well's deep pool;

And our spears thrust them with repeated stabs,

Our watering-round returns to them, and we draw from it.

And our returning assault bloodied them.

فَدارَت رَحانا ساعَةً وَرَحاهُمُ

فَدارَت رَحانا ساعَةً وَرَحاهُمُ

وَدَرَّت طِباقاً بَعدَ بَكُءٍ لُقوحُها

وَدَرَّت طِباقاً بَعدَ بَكُءٍ لُقوحُها

Then our mill and theirs turned for a while,

Our millstone turned a while grinding them,

And its milch-camel yielded stream upon stream after scant milk.

And circulated after their weeping was done.

فَما أَتلَفَت أَيديهُمُ مِن نُفوسِنا

فَما أَتلَفَت أَيديهُمُ مِن نُفوسِنا

وَإِن كَرُمَت فَإِنَّنا لا نَنوحُها

وَإِن كَرُمَت فَإِنَّنا لا نَنوحُها

Whatever lives of ours their hands destroyed,

Their hands did not destroy any of our souls,

Precious though they were, we do not lament them.

Though they were generous, and we do not lament them.

فَقُلنا هِيَ النُهبى وَحَلَّ حَرامُها

فَقُلنا هِيَ النُهبى وَحَلَّ حَرامُها

وَكانَت حِمى ما قَبلَنا فَنُبيحُها

وَكانَت حِمى ما قَبلَنا فَنُبيحُها

So we said: it is plunder, and its forbidden things are lawful;

So we said, “It is the spoils,” and made its forbiddenness lawful,

It had been protected ground before us, but we lay it open.

For it was protected before we bayed it.

فَأُبنا وَآبوا كُلَّنا بِمَضيضَةٍ

فَأُبنا وَآبوا كُلَّنا بِمَضيضَةٍ

مُهَمَّلَةٍ أَجراحُنا وَجُروحُها

مُهَمَّلَةٍ أَجراحُنا وَجُروحُها

So we returned, and they returned, all of us with stinging pain,

Then we and they, all of us, parted bitterly,

Our wounds and theirs left untended.

Neglected are our wounds and their stabs.

وَكُنّا إِذا أَحلامُ قَومٍ تَغَيَّبَت

وَكُنّا إِذا أَحلامُ قَومٍ تَغَيَّبَت

نَشِحُّ عَلى أَحلامِنا فَنُريحُها

نَشِحُّ عَلى أَحلامِنا فَنُريحُها

And when a people's good sense deserted them,

When the dreams of a people disappear,

We guarded our own good sense jealously and gave it rest.

We yearn for our dreams, so we can comfort them.