فلي كَبِدٌ ما انفَكَّ عَنْها غَلِيلُها

فلي كَبِدٌ ما انفَكَّ عَنْها غَلِيلُها

ولي أعْظَمٌ لا شَكَّ زادَ نُحُولُها

ولي أعْظَمٌ لا شَكَّ زادَ نُحُولُها

For I have a liver whose burning thirst has never left it,

My heart is burdened, and its sorrows never cease,

And my bones have surely grown more wasted.

And my humility has certainly grown more profound.

وقد شِمتُ بَرْقاً بالعقيقةِ مَوْهِنا

وقد شِمتُ بَرْقاً بالعقيقةِ مَوْهِنا

وأعجبُ من لَمْعِ البروقِ كَليْلُها

وأعجبُ من لَمْعِ البروقِ كَليْلُها

And I watched lightning at al-ʿAqiqah late at night,

I saw lightning flash in the carnelian stones,

And more wondrous than lightning's gleam are its dim flashes.

And I marvel at the light more than its nightfall.

ولي عَبْرةٌ طولَ الزمانِ أصونُها

ولي عَبْرةٌ طولَ الزمانِ أصونُها

وها أنا في الأهواءِ كُرْهاً أذيلها

وها أنا في الأهواءِ كُرْهاً أذيلها

And I have a tear I guard throughout time,

I have sorrow that lasts my whole life through;

And here I am, amid passions, unwillingly shedding it.

I guard it though the winds make me drag its train.

وكَلَّفْتُ نفسي الصبرَ وهي تَرُدّهُ

وكَلَّفْتُ نفسي الصبرَ وهي تَرُدّهُ

وَنُحت ولو يَشْفِي النفوسَ عويلُها

وَنُحت ولو يَشْفِي النفوسَ عويلُها

And I charged my soul with patience, though it rejects it,

I tasked myself with patience though it recoiled—

And I wailed—if only their wailing could heal souls.

Even if weeping brings relief unto souls.

وما زلت أبدي زفرةً إثْرَ زفرةٍ

وما زلت أبدي زفرةً إثْرَ زفرةٍ

ولوعةَ تَذْكارٍ كثيرٌ قليلُها

ولوعةَ تَذْكارٍ كثيرٌ قليلُها

And I have never ceased to utter sigh after sigh,

Still I heave sigh after sigh

And the anguish of remembrance, whose least is much.

Though just a few, for many are their repetitions.

وبَيْنَ ضُلُوعي جَذْوةٌ مُسْتَحِرَّةٌ

وبَيْنَ ضُلُوعي جَذْوةٌ مُسْتَحِرَّةٌ

وقد أسْعَرَتْها عُلوة وَطُلولُها

وقد أسْعَرَتْها عُلوة وَطُلولُها

And between my ribs is a fiercely burning ember,

Within my ribs there glows an ardent ember

And ʿUlwah and her campsite ruins have kindled it.

Fanned to flame by passion and yearning both.

فنظمي علا كلَّ القريض لأنه

فنظمي علا كلَّ القريض لأنه

بعُلوة غَزْلي في قَوافٍ أقولُها

بعُلوة غَزْلي في قَوافٍ أقولُها

So my verse has risen above all poetry, because

So my verse ascends beyond all poetry,

My love poetry is of ʿUlwah, in rhymes I utter.

For by the heights of my love-verse I speak it,

ولو أنها زالتْ من العينِ لم تَزَلْ

ولو أنها زالتْ من العينِ لم تَزَلْ

بقلبي ففيهِ ظِلُّها وظَلِيلُها

بقلبي ففيهِ ظِلُّها وظَلِيلُها

And even if she has vanished from sight, she still remains

And if she’s gone from sight, still in my heart

In my heart, for in it are her shadow and deep shade.

Her shade remains, her close companion.

وعلوة مَحْيَائي وروحي وَمَسْكَني

وعلوة مَحْيَائي وروحي وَمَسْكَني

وعلوةُ دُنيائي ونَفْسِي رَسُولُها

وعلوةُ دُنيائي ونَفْسِي رَسُولُها

And ʿUlwah is my life, my spirit, and my dwelling;

She is my pride, my soul, my dwelling-place,

And ʿUlwah is my world, and my soul her messenger.

My worldly life, my very soul her envoy;

لها مقلةٌ بالسِّحْرِ فهي كَحِيلَةٌ

لها مقلةٌ بالسِّحْرِ فهي كَحِيلَةٌ

وأقْتَلُ أحداقِ العذارى كَحِيْلُها

وأقْتَلُ أحداقِ العذارى كَحِيْلُها

Her eye is kohled with magic,

With a glance of magic—what a sorceress!

And the deadliest of maidens' eyes are the kohl-darkened ones.

I’d slay the most languid of maidens with her glance.

لها قامةٌ كالسَّمْهَرِيّ وخَصْرُها

لها قامةٌ كالسَّمْهَرِيّ وخَصْرُها

نَحِيْلٌ وفَاقَتْ بالخصور نُحُوْلُها

نَحِيْلٌ وفَاقَتْ بالخصور نُحُوْلُها

Her stature is like a Samhari spear, and her waist

Her figure’s like a fawn’s, her waist so slim

Is slim; her slenderness surpasses all other waists.

It shames the most slender, surpassing all in grace.

وفَرْعٌ لها كالليلِ مَعْ جِيْدِ واردٍ

وفَرْعٌ لها كالليلِ مَعْ جِيْدِ واردٍ

وأحسنُ أجيادِ الحسانِ طويلُها

وأحسنُ أجيادِ الحسانِ طويلُها

And she has tresses like night, beside a long neck,

A branch is hers, dark as the night, when the full moon rises,

And the fairest of beauties' necks are the long ones.

The best of noble steeds, the longest neck in profile.

وصَدْرٌ رَحِيبٌ فوقَ ثِقْل رَوَادِفٍ

وصَدْرٌ رَحِيبٌ فوقَ ثِقْل رَوَادِفٍ

وأفضلُ أردافِ النساءِ ثَقِيْلُها

وأفضلُ أردافِ النساءِ ثَقِيْلُها

And a broad bosom above heavy haunches,

A chest so open over heavy buttocks—

And the finest of women's haunches are the heavy ones.

The finest hips of women, the fullest cheeks.

ولا عيبَ فيها غير أنَّ زكيةً

ولا عيبَ فيها غير أنَّ زكيةً

إذا نُسِبَتْ في العالمينَ أصولُها

إذا نُسِبَتْ في العالمينَ أصولُها

And she has no flaw, save that pure

She’s flawless but for her lineage, when it’s named,

Are her ancestral roots, when traced among humankind.

Among all people, is of dubious origin.

وليس كُثَيْرٌ هامَ مِثْلي بِعَزَّةٍ

وليس كُثَيْرٌ هامَ مِثْلي بِعَزَّةٍ

وليس بِبُثْنى هام مثلي جَمِيلُها

وليس بِبُثْنى هام مثلي جَمِيلُها

Nor did Kuthayyir love ʿAzzah as madly as I,

Not many crave with passion such as mine,

Nor did her Jamil love Buthna as madly as I.

Not two are passionate for her, none love so well.

وكم ليلةٍ غَرَّا حَمِدْتُ بها السُّرى

وكم ليلةٍ غَرَّا حَمِدْتُ بها السُّرى

ولا حانَ للأفلاكِ فيها أفُولها

ولا حانَ للأفلاكِ فيها أفُولها

And many a radiant night I praised the night journey,

How many a night I stayed up thanking fate!

Nor were the heavenly spheres yet due to set within it.

The spheres above knew no setting, no going down.

وألوي بأعناقِ المَطيّ زِمامَه

وألوي بأعناقِ المَطيّ زِمامَه

بأرضٍ يُخِيفُ الأسْدَ فيها أفولُها

بأرضٍ يُخِيفُ الأسْدَ فيها أفولُها

And I twist its rein around the riding camels' necks,

I held the horses’ reins, driving them

In a land where their setting frightens lions.

Over land where lions cower at their stamping.

تَقُدُّ أديمَ الأرضِ نكحُ مَنَاسمٍ

تَقُدُّ أديمَ الأرضِ نكحُ مَنَاسمٍ

بِمَهْمَهَمٍ قا حارَ فيها دَلِيْلُها

بِمَهْمَهَمٍ قا حارَ فيها دَلِيْلُها

The coupling of hoofpads cleaves the earth's skin [sense unclear],

They stirred up the dust of the earth with bobbing forelocks

In a wilderness—[unclear fragment]—where its guide is bewildered.

Snorting in confusion when the guide went astray.

تجوب القيافي نحوَ عُلْوَةَ قَصدُها

تجوب القيافي نحوَ عُلْوَةَ قَصدُها

يُغَالِطُ مَسْراها لعمري مَقِيْلُها

يُغَالِطُ مَسْراها لعمري مَقِيْلُها

They traverse the desert wastes, their goal toward ʿUlwah;

They ranged the plains toward her, their goal Ulwa—

Their midday halt, by my life, confounds their night journey.

By my life, the terrain misled their guide!

تخوضُ غمارَ الآلِ مثل سفينةٍ

تخوضُ غمارَ الآلِ مثل سفينةٍ

ببحرٍ متى نِيْطَتْ عليه حمولُها

ببحرٍ متى نِيْطَتْ عليه حمولُها

They wade through the mirage's depths like a ship

They plowed the billows like a ship

At sea, whenever its cargo is fastened aboard.

On an ocean—were her tackling loosed she would sink.

وإني عليها والمُهَنَّدُ في يدي

وإني عليها والمُهَنَّدُ في يدي

وخطيّةٌ قد يَنْطحُ النَّجْمُ طولُها

وخطيّةٌ قد يَنْطحُ النَّجْمُ طولُها

And I ride them, the Indian-steel sword in my hand,

I by her, brandishing my spear,

And a Khattian spear whose length may butt against the stars.

A sin the length of Sirius, pointing heavenward!

ونُطْقِي عَلا الجوزاءَ شأناً وَرُتْبةً

ونُطْقِي عَلا الجوزاءَ شأناً وَرُتْبةً

ويُظْهِرُ عِتْقَ الصافناتِ صَهِيْلُها

ويُظْهِرُ عِتْقَ الصافناتِ صَهِيْلُها

And my speech has risen above al-Jawza in eminence and rank,

My words ascended past Suhail in rank and station,

And the poised steeds' neighing reveals their noble breeding.

Displaying the gems of pure maidens in their whinnying.

وإنْ قلَّ مالي لا تَقِلَّ مَكارِمي

وإنْ قلَّ مالي لا تَقِلَّ مَكارِمي

وأكثرُها في العالمينَ جَليِلُها

وأكثرُها في العالمينَ جَليِلُها

And even if my wealth dwindles, my noble deeds do not,

If I’m impoverished, my character is not made poor—

And most of them are illustrious among humankind.

The best of it, in both worlds, is always precious.