إِنَّ قَلبي عَن تُكتَمٍ غَيرُ سالِ

إِنَّ قَلبي عَن تُكتَمٍ غَيرُ سالِ

تَيَّمَتني وَما أَرادَت وِصالي

تَيَّمَتني وَما أَرادَت وِصالي

Indeed, my heart has not forgotten Tuktam.

My heart cannot conceal its love though I wished to hide it

She enslaved me with love, yet did not desire union with me.

She allured me, though union was not her desire

هَل تَرى عيرَها تُجيزُ سِراعاً

هَل تَرى عيرَها تُجيزُ سِراعاً

كَالعَدَولِيِّ رائِحاً مِن أُوالِ

كَالعَدَولِيِّ رائِحاً مِن أُوالِ

Do you see her caravan passing swiftly,

Do you see her caravan passing speedily by

like an Adulian ship departing from Uwal?

Like a fleeing oryx from the first watering place?

نَزَلوا مِن سُوَيقَةِ الماءِ ظُهراً

نَزَلوا مِن سُوَيقَةِ الماءِ ظُهراً

ثُمَّ راحوا لِلنَعفِ نَعفِ مَطالِ

ثُمَّ راحوا لِلنَعفِ نَعفِ مَطالِ

They descended from Suwayqat al-Ma' at noon,

They alighted at the spring to rest awhile

then set out for the spur, the spur of Matal.

Then travelled on to a waving meadow

ثُمَّ أَضحَوا عَلى الدَثينَةِ لا يَألونَ

ثُمَّ أَضحَوا عَلى الدَثينَةِ لا يَألونَ

أَن يَرفَعوا صُدورَ الجِمالِ

أَن يَرفَعوا صُدورَ الجِمالِ

Then, by morning, they were at al-Dathina, sparing no effort

There they lingered, ceaselessly raising

to lift the camels' chests.

The burdens from the camel's hump

ثُمَّ كانَ الحِساءُ مِنهُم مُصيفاً

ثُمَّ كانَ الحِساءُ مِنهُم مُصيفاً

ضارِباتِ الخُدورِ تَحتَ الهَدالِ

ضارِباتِ الخُدورِ تَحتَ الهَدالِ

Then al-Hisa' became their summer abode,

Their cooking pots soon bubbled over

the women pitching curtained tents beneath drooping boughs.

Under the cooking shed's shade

فَزِعَت تُكتَمُ وَقالَت عَجيباً

فَزِعَت تُكتَمُ وَقالَت عَجيباً

أَن رَأَتني تَغَيَّرَ اليَومَ حالي

أَن رَأَتني تَغَيَّرَ اليَومَ حالي

Tuktam was startled and said, 'How strange!'

Amazed, Tuktam cried "How strange today

because she saw how my condition had changed today.

That you see me changed!"

يا اِبنَةَ الخَيرِ إِنَّما نَحنُ رَهنٌ

يا اِبنَةَ الخَيرِ إِنَّما نَحنُ رَهنٌ

لِصُروفِ الأَيّامِ بَعدَ اللَيالي

لِصُروفِ الأَيّامِ بَعدَ اللَيالي

O daughter of goodness, we are but hostages

"O virtuous one! We are only captives

to the vicissitudes of days that follow nights.

To the days' vicissitudes after the nights."

جَلَّحَ الدَهرُ وَاِنتَحى لي وَقِدماً

جَلَّحَ الدَهرُ وَاِنتَحى لي وَقِدماً

كانَ يُنحي القُوى عَلى أَمثالي

كانَ يُنحي القُوى عَلى أَمثالي

Time has ravaged and taken aim at me; long ago

Time has been harsh and shown me its might

it brought its powers to bear against those like me.

As once it humbled the strong like me

أَقصَدَتني سِهامُهُ إِذ رَأَتني

أَقصَدَتني سِهامُهُ إِذ رَأَتني

وَتَوَلَّت عَنهُ سُلَيمى نِبالي

وَتَوَلَّت عَنهُ سُلَيمى نِبالي

Its arrows struck me down when they saw me,

Its arrows have pierced me since it saw

and my arrows, Sulayma, turned away from it.

That Solaima's arrows left me alone

لا عَجيبٌ فيما رَأَيتِ وَلَكِن

لا عَجيبٌ فيما رَأَيتِ وَلَكِن

عَجَبٌ مِن تَفَرُّطِ الآجالِ

عَجَبٌ مِن تَفَرُّطِ الآجالِ

There is nothing strange in what you saw; and yet

This which you saw is nothing strange

the marvel is the swift approach of death's appointed hours.

But wonder at the waning of life's days

تُدرِكُ التِمسَحَ المُوَلَّعَ في اللُج

تُدرِكُ التِمسَحَ المُوَلَّعَ في اللُج

جَةِ وَالعُصمَ في رُؤوسِ الجِبالِ

جَةِ وَالعُصمَ في رُؤوسِ الجِبالِ

They overtake the mottled crocodile in the deep

Fate will strike down the climber on the steep hill

waters, and the white-footed mountain goats on the mountain peaks,

And the hermit atop the mountain's peak

وَالفَريدَ المُسَفَّعَ الوَجهِ ذا الجُدَّةِ

وَالفَريدَ المُسَفَّعَ الوَجهِ ذا الجُدَّةِ

يَختارُ آمِناتِ الرِمالِ

يَختارُ آمِناتِ الرِمالِ

and the solitary beast, dark-marked of face, bearing a stripe,

And the unique one with the frowning face

choosing safe places among the sands.

Who chose the secure sands as home

وَتَصَدّى لِتَصرَعَ البَطَلَ الأَر

وَتَصَدّى لِتَصرَعَ البَطَلَ الأَر

وَعَ بَينَ العَلهاءِ وَالسِربالِ

وَعَ بَينَ العَلهاءِ وَالسِربالِ

And they come forth to fell the hero,

And stood up to fell the valiant, lofty hero

the dauntless one, between his neck-sinew and his tunic.

Between the bleak wilderness and prairie