نَأَتكَ أُمامَةُ إِلّا سُؤالاً

نَأَتكَ أُمامَةُ إِلّا سُؤالاً

وَإِلّا خَيالاً يُوافي خَيالا

وَإِلّا خَيالاً يُوافي خَيالا

Umamah has withdrawn from you, save for an inquiry,

Umma came to me with nothing but questions,

and save for a phantom that comes to meet a phantom.

And nothing but an imagination meeting imagination.

يُوافي مَع اللَيلِ ميعادُها

يُوافي مَع اللَيلِ ميعادُها

وَيَأبى مَعَ الصُبحِ إِلّا زِيالا

وَيَأبى مَعَ الصُبحِ إِلّا زِيالا

Her appointed visit comes with the night,

Her tryst accompanies the night,

and at dawn will accept nothing but parting.

And with dawn, nothing remains but traces.

فَذَلِكَ تَبذُلُ مِن وُدِّها

فَذَلِكَ تَبذُلُ مِن وُدِّها

وَلَو شَهِدَت لَم تُواتِ النَوالا

وَلَو شَهِدَت لَم تُواتِ النَوالا

That is all she offers of her affection;

That is how she gives of her love,

even were she present, she would grant no favor.

And if she witnessed, she would not grant union.

وَقَد ريعَ قَلبي إِذ أَعلَنوا

وَقَد ريعَ قَلبي إِذ أَعلَنوا

وَقيلَ أَجَدَّ الخَليطُ اِحتِمالا

وَقيلَ أَجَدَّ الخَليطُ اِحتِمالا

And my heart was alarmed when they made it known,

My heart shuddered when they declared,

and it was said: 'The company is intent on departure.'

And it was said the mixed throng endured.

وَحَثَّ بِها الحادِيانِ النَجاءَ

وَحَثَّ بِها الحادِيانِ النَجاءَ

مَعَ الصُبحِ لَمّا اِستَشاروا الجِمالا

مَعَ الصُبحِ لَمّا اِستَشاروا الجِمالا

And the two camel-drivers urged her swiftly onward,

The two suitors urged departure

at dawn, when they set the camels moving.

With the dawn when they consulted beauty.

بَوازِلَ تُحدى بِأَحداجِها

بَوازِلَ تُحدى بِأَحداجِها

وَيُحذَينَ بَعدَ نِعالٍ نِعالا

وَيُحذَينَ بَعدَ نِعالٍ نِعالا

Full-grown camels, driven by song beneath their litters,

She mounts the howdah with her anklets,

and shod with one set of shoes after another.

And they walk, after sandals, with sandals.

فَلَمّا نَأَوا سَبَقَت عَبرَتي

فَلَمّا نَأَوا سَبَقَت عَبرَتي

وَأَذرَت لَها بَعدَ سَجلٍ سِجالا

وَأَذرَت لَها بَعدَ سَجلٍ سِجالا

So when they went far away, my tears rushed forth,

When they departed, my tears preceded

and poured for her bucketful after bucketful.

And I scattered for her, after struggle, contention.

تَراها إِذا اِحتَثَّها الحادِيا

تَراها إِذا اِحتَثَّها الحادِيا

نِ بِالخَبتِ يُرقِلنَ سَيراً عِجالا

نِ بِالخَبتِ يُرقِلنَ سَيراً عِجالا

You see them, when the two camel-drivers urge them on,

You see them, when the suitor urges them on,

on the low plain, trotting along in haste.

Moving slowly with coyness and haste.

فَبِالظِلِّ بُدِّلنَ بَعدَ الهَجيرِ

فَبِالظِلِّ بُدِّلنَ بَعدَ الهَجيرِ

وَبَعدَ الحِجالِ أَلِفنَ الرِحالا

وَبَعدَ الحِجالِ أَلِفنَ الرِحالا

So after the midday heat, they were given shade,

With shade they were replaced after departure,

and after curtained chambers, grew used to camel-saddles.

And after dispute, they loved the litter.

وَفيهِنَّ خَولَةُ زَينُ النِسا

وَفيهِنَّ خَولَةُ زَينُ النِسا

ءِ زادَت عَلى الناسِ طُرّاً جَمالا

ءِ زادَت عَلى الناسِ طُرّاً جَمالا

And among them is Khawlah, the adornment of women,

Among them is Khaulah, beauty of women,

who surpassed all people in beauty.

Who excelled people in grace and perfection.

لَها عَينُ حَوراءَ في رَوضَةٍ

لَها عَينُ حَوراءَ في رَوضَةٍ

وَتَقرو مَعَ النَبتِ أَرطىً طِوالا

وَتَقرو مَعَ النَبتِ أَرطىً طِوالا

She has the eye of a dark-eyed antelope in a meadow,

She has the eyes of a houri in a garden,

that seeks out tall arta shrubs among the herbage.

And she walks tall with the plants.

وَتُجري السِواكَ عَلى بارِدٍ

وَتُجري السِواكَ عَلى بارِدٍ

يُخالُ السَيالَ وَلَيسَ السَيالا

يُخالُ السَيالَ وَلَيسَ السَيالا

And she runs the tooth-stick over cool teeth,

She passes the toothstick over one who is cold

taken for sayal wood, although they are not sayal.

Whose drink resembles but is not drink.

كَأَنَّ المُدامَ بُعَيدَ المَنامِ

كَأَنَّ المُدامَ بُعَيدَ المَنامِ

عَلَيها وَتَسقيكَ عَذباً زُلالا

عَلَيها وَتَسقيكَ عَذباً زُلالا

As though wine, just after sleep,

As if the wine is far from where he sleeps,

were upon them, and she gives you sweet, clear water.

While she gives you fresh, pure drink.

كَأَنَّ الذَوائِبَ في فَرعِها

كَأَنَّ الذَوائِبَ في فَرعِها

حِبالٌ تُوَصِّلُ فيها حِبالا

حِبالٌ تُوَصِّلُ فيها حِبالا

As though the braids in her hair

As if the braids in her branches

were ropes she joins with other ropes.

Are ropes connecting ropes within her.

وَوَجهٌ يَحارُ لَهُ الناظِرونَ

وَوَجهٌ يَحارُ لَهُ الناظِرونَ

يَخالونَهُم قَد أَهَلّوا هِلالا

يَخالونَهُم قَد أَهَلّوا هِلالا

And a face that bewilders those who look upon it—

A face that bewilders all who look

they imagine they have sighted a crescent moon.

Thinking the crescent has appeared to them.

إِلى كَفَلٍ مِثلِ دِعصِ النَقا

إِلى كَفَلٍ مِثلِ دِعصِ النَقا

وَكَفٍّ تُقَلِّبُ بيضاً طِفالا

وَكَفٍّ تُقَلِّبُ بيضاً طِفالا

With a rump like a rounded mound of dune-sand,

To a cheek like the baby camel's hump

and a hand that flexes tender, white fingers.

And a hand that turns the egg of an infant.

فَبانَت وَما نِلتُ مِن وُدِّها

فَبانَت وَما نِلتُ مِن وُدِّها

قِبالاً وَلا ما يُساوي قِبالا

قِبالاً وَلا ما يُساوي قِبالا

So she departed, and I gained none of her affection—

She appeared but I got from her love

not a sandal-thong, nor anything worth a thong.

Neither union nor what equals union.

وَكَيفَ تَبُتّينَ حَبلَ الصَفا

وَكَيفَ تَبُتّينَ حَبلَ الصَفا

ءِ مِن ماجِدٍ لا يُريدُ اِعتِزالا

ءِ مِن ماجِدٍ لا يُريدُ اِعتِزالا

And how can you sever the cord of pure affection

How can you mend the cord of harmony

with a noble man who desires no separation?

Of one glorious who does not want separation?

أَرادَ النَوالَ فَمَنَّيتِهِ

أَرادَ النَوالَ فَمَنَّيتِهِ

وَأَضحى الَّذي قُلتِ فيهِ ضَلالا

وَأَضحى الَّذي قُلتِ فيهِ ضَلالا

He sought a favor, so you raised his hopes,

He wanted union, so I wished him well,

and what you said about it proved an illusion.

And what I said became misguidance.

فَتىً يَبتَني المَجدَ مِثلُ الحُسا

فَتىً يَبتَني المَجدَ مِثلُ الحُسا

مِ أَخلَصَهُ القَينُ يَوماً صِقالاً

مِ أَخلَصَهُ القَينُ يَوماً صِقالاً

A youth who builds glory, like a keen sword

A noble the glory suits like excellence

which the smith once perfected by polishing.

Whose loyalty one day polished him.

يَقودُ الكُماةَ لِيَلقى الكُماةَ

يَقودُ الكُماةَ لِيَلقى الكُماةَ

يُنازِلُ ما إِن أَرادوا النِزالا

يُنازِلُ ما إِن أَرادوا النِزالا

He leads armored warriors to meet armored warriors;

He leads the brave to meet the brave,

he fights whenever they desire combat.

Engaging whoever wants to fight.

يُشَبِّهُ فُرسانَهُم في اللِقاءِ

يُشَبِّهُ فُرسانَهُم في اللِقاءِ

إِذا ما رَحى المَوتِ دارَت حِيالا

إِذا ما رَحى المَوتِ دارَت حِيالا

He confounds their horsemen in the clash,

He makes their horsemen in the clash

when death's millstone turns without grain.

Turn back when death's mill turns.

وَتَمشي رِجالاً إِلى الدارِعينَ

وَتَمشي رِجالاً إِلى الدارِعينَ

كَأَعناقِ خَورٍ تُزجّي فِصالا

كَأَعناقِ خَورٍ تُزجّي فِصالا

And you advance on foot toward the armored men,

And walks men to the armed

like the necks of milch-camels urging their weaned calves onward.

Like the necks of khurr urging the separated.

وَتَكسو القَواطِعَ هامَ الرِجا

وَتَكسو القَواطِعَ هامَ الرِجا

لِ وَتَحمي الفَوارِسُ مِنّا الرِجالا

لِ وَتَحمي الفَوارِسُ مِنّا الرِجالا

And you clothe the cutting blades with men's heads,

And clothes the warriors, the necks of men,

and our horsemen shield the men on foot.

As the horsemen protect men.

وَيَأبى لِيَ الضَيمَ ما قَد مَضى

وَيَأبى لِيَ الضَيمَ ما قَد مَضى

وَعِندَ الخِصامِ فَنَعلو جِدالا

وَعِندَ الخِصامِ فَنَعلو جِدالا

And what has gone before will not let me suffer humiliation,

And the injustice of what has passed refuses me

and in disputes we prevail in argument,

And in dispute, we raise contention.

بِقَولٍ يَذَلُّ لَهُ الرائِضو

بِقَولٍ يَذَلُّ لَهُ الرائِضو

نَ وَيَفضُلُهُم إِن أَرادوا فِضالا

نَ وَيَفضُلُهُم إِن أَرادوا فِضالا

with speech to which the tamers submit,

With words that humble the contenders

and which surpasses them if they seek superiority.

And surpass them if they want favor.

وَهاجِرَةٍ كَأُوارِ الجَحي

وَهاجِرَةٍ كَأُوارِ الجَحي

مِ قَطَعتُ إِذا الجُندُبُ الجَونُ قالا

مِ قَطَعتُ إِذا الجُندُبُ الجَونُ قالا

And a midday heat like the blaze of Hell,

An emigrant like the sands of Mahra

I crossed when the black locust took its noon rest.

When the little owl cuts through barrenness.

وَلَيلٍ تَعَسَّفتُ دَيجورَهُ

وَلَيلٍ تَعَسَّفتُ دَيجورَهُ

يَخافُ بِهِ المُدلِجونَ الخَبالا

يَخافُ بِهِ المُدلِجونَ الخَبالا

And a night whose pitch darkness I blindly traversed,

And a night whose darkness I manipulated,

in which night travelers fear madness.

Feared by those who ignite the evil.