ألمياءُ ما العذبُ النميرُ مُبرّداً

ألمياءُ ما العذبُ النميرُ مُبرّداً

على ظمأ مِن سائرٍ متُهجّرِ

على ظمأ مِن سائرٍ متُهجّرِ

O dark-lipped beauty, sweet, abundant water, cooling

O Lamya, not even sweet, pure water, served cool

the thirst of a traveler journeying through the noonday heat—

to slake the thirst of a traveler journeying in the midday heat,

رأى علمَ الماءِ الذي هو واردٌ

رأى علمَ الماءِ الذي هو واردٌ

فيمَّمهُ بالبازلِ المتحسِّرِ

فيمَّمهُ بالبازلِ المتحسِّرِ

one who has sighted the landmark of the water he is bound for

who saw the landmark of the water he was bound for

and made straight toward it on his weary, full-grown camel—

and headed toward it on the weary, full-grown camel—

فغابت له الشمسُ المنيرةُ بعدما

فغابت له الشمسُ المنيرةُ بعدما

أراقَ بقايا مائهِ المتكدّرِ

أراقَ بقايا مائهِ المتكدّرِ

and then the radiant sun set on him, after

then the shining sun set on him, after

he had poured away the remnants of his turbid water;

he had poured away the remnants of his murky water;

وباتَ يعسُّ الأرضَ مِن غيرِ ما هوىً

وباتَ يعسُّ الأرضَ مِن غيرِ ما هوىً

ويُعمِلُ أعمالَ الخبيرِ المُبصّرِ

ويُعمِلُ أعمالَ الخبيرِ المُبصّرِ

and through the night he scoured the earth, against his wishes,

and he spent the night searching the land, without any wish to do so,

employing the methods of the experienced, discerning man,

and performing the tasks of an experienced, clear-sighted man.

فلما تولّى ليلُهُ متحدراً

فلما تولّى ليلُهُ متحدراً

وأقبلَ بادي صُبحهِ المتنوّرِ

وأقبلَ بادي صُبحهِ المتنوّرِ

until, as his night passed away, declining toward its end,

Then, when his night withdrew, sinking away,

and the first gleam of his radiant dawn approached,

and the first light of his radiant dawn came on,

تذكّرَ أن ضلَّ عن أرضِ مائهِ

تذكّرَ أن ضلَّ عن أرضِ مائهِ

وقد حِيلَ بينَ الماءِ والمُتذكّرِ

وقد حِيلَ بينَ الماءِ والمُتذكّرِ

he remembered that he had strayed from the ground of his water,

he remembered he had strayed from the place of his water,

when already he who remembered had been cut off from the water.

and the remembering man had been cut off from the water;

فأقبلَ مِن خوفِ النّوى مُتحذّرا

فأقبلَ مِن خوفِ النّوى مُتحذّرا

على حين لا يُجدي أسى المُتحذّرِ

على حين لا يُجدي أسى المُتحذّرِ

So he went on, wary from fear of the long separation,

so he pressed on, wary for fear of separation,

at a time when remorse does the rueful no good—

when the wary man's sorrow could avail nothing—

بأطيبَ مِن سلسالِ ريقكِ موهِناً

بأطيبَ مِن سلسالِ ريقكِ موهِناً

على كَبدِ حرّى وقلبٍ مُسعَّرِ

على كَبدِ حرّى وقلبٍ مُسعَّرِ

is no sweeter than the flowing stream of your saliva, drunk deep

is sweeter than the limpid flow of your saliva late at night

upon a thirst-scorched liver and a heart set ablaze.

upon a parched liver and a heart set aflame.