وَلَمّا لَحِقنا بِالحُمولِ وَدونَهَا

وَلَمّا لَحِقنا بِالحُمولِ وَدونَهَا

خَميصُ الحَشا تُوهِى القَميصَ عواتِقُه

خَميصُ الحَشا تُوهِى القَميصَ عواتِقُه

And when we caught up with the laden camels, before them stood

When we reached the sand dunes below them

a lean-waisted man whose shoulders strained his shirt,

The gown of beauty concealed her shoulders' grace

قَليلُ قَذَى العَينَينِ نَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ

قَليلُ قَذَى العَينَينِ نَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ

هُوَ المَوتُ غِن لم تُصرَعَنّا بَوَائِقُه

هُوَ المَوتُ غِن لم تُصرَعَنّا بَوَائِقُه

with scarcely a speck in his eyes—we know that he

A little dust in the eyes reveals to us

is death itself, even if his ravages have not felled us.

That it is death if its straps did not make us collapse

وَقَفنا فَسَلَّمنا فَسلَّمَ كارهاً

وَقَفنا فَسَلَّمنا فَسلَّمَ كارهاً

علينا وتَبريحٌ مِنَ الغَيظِ خانِقُه

علينا وتَبريحٌ مِنَ الغَيظِ خانِقُه

We stopped and greeted him; reluctantly he greeted

We stopped and greeted, so she reluctantly

us, while the torment of rage choked him.

Greeted us back with suffocating anger

فَسَاءلتُهُ تّى اطمَأنَّ وَقد بَدَا

فَسَاءلتُهُ تّى اطمَأنَّ وَقد بَدَا

لنا بَرَدٌ مِنهُ تَطيرُ صَواعِقُه

لنا بَرَدٌ مِنهُ تَطيرُ صَواعِقُه

So I questioned him until he calmed, though there had appeared

I asked her again and again until she calmed down

before us a hailstorm from him, its thunderbolts flying.

And a coldness from her flew towards us like lightning bolts

فَسايَرتُهُ مِيلَينِ يا لَيتَ أَنَّنى

فَسايَرتُهُ مِيلَينِ يا لَيتَ أَنَّنى

عَلَى سُخطِهِ حتّى المَماتِ أُرافِقُه

عَلَى سُخطِهِ حتّى المَماتِ أُرافِقُه

Then I traveled beside him for two miles—oh, if only I

I walked with her gently, oh I wish

could accompany him, despite his displeasure, until death!

I could endure her anger until death accompanies me

فَلمّا رَأت أن لا جَوابَ وَأنّما

فَلمّا رَأت أن لا جَوابَ وَأنّما

مَدَى الصَّرمِ مَضروبٌ علينا سُرادِقُه

مَدَى الصَّرمِ مَضروبٌ علينا سُرادِقُه

Then, when she saw there was no reply, and that only

When she saw no answer, but rather

the span of estrangement had its pavilion pitched over us,

The drawn sword hanging over us like a canopy

رَمَتنِى بِطَرفٍ كَمِيَّا رَمَت بِهِ

رَمَتنِى بِطَرفٍ كَمِيَّا رَمَت بِهِ

لَبُلَّ نَجِيعاً نَحرُهُ وَبَنائِقُه

لَبُلَّ نَجِيعاً نَحرُهُ وَبَنائِقُه

she struck me with a glance—had she struck an armored warrior with it,

She glanced at me with eyes that glanced

his throat and shirt-gussets would have been drenched in blood—

To melt my throat and jugular altogether

بِنُورٍ بَدَا من حاجِبَيهَا كأنَّهُ

بِنُورٍ بَدَا من حاجِبَيهَا كأنَّهُ

بُروقُ الحَيا تُهدَى لِنَجدٍ شَقائِقُه

بُروقُ الحَيا تُهدَى لِنَجدٍ شَقائِقُه

with light shining from her two brows, as though it were

With a light that shone from her eyebrows as if

the lightning of rain, its streaks sent toward Najd.

It was the lightning of life sent down to Najd's meadows

وَرُحنا وكلٌّ نَفسُهُ قَد تَصَعَّدَت

وَرُحنا وكلٌّ نَفسُهُ قَد تَصَعَّدَت

إِلى النَّحرِ حتَّى ضَمَّها مُتَضَايِقُه

إِلى النَّحرِ حتَّى ضَمَّها مُتَضَايِقُه

And we departed, each one's soul having risen

We left and each one’s soul had flared up

to the throat, until its narrow passage enclosed it,

To the throat until congested by distress

مِنَ الوَجدِ إِلاّ أَنَّ مَن فَاضَ دَمعُهُ

مِنَ الوَجدِ إِلاّ أَنَّ مَن فَاضَ دَمعُهُ

أراحَ وَظِلُّ المَوتِ تَغشَى بَوارِقُه

أراحَ وَظِلُّ المَوتِ تَغشَى بَوارِقُه

from longing—except that whoever's tears overflowed

Except those whose tears had overflowed

found relief, while the flashes of death's shadow enveloped us.

Were relieved while the shadow of death covered the innocent

مَنَحتُ صَرِيحَ الوُدِّ لَيلى كَرامةً

مَنَحتُ صَرِيحَ الوُدِّ لَيلى كَرامةً

لِلَيلى ولكنّى لِغَيرِك ماذِقُه

لِلَيلى ولكنّى لِغَيرِك ماذِقُه

I bestowed pure love on Layla, in honor

I gave honesty to Layla as a gift

of Layla; but for anyone other than you, I dilute it.

Out of respect for Layla but I do not taste it for another

فَلَم تَجزِني بالوُدِّ لَيلى وَلَم تَخَف

فَلَم تَجزِني بالوُدِّ لَيلى وَلَم تَخَف

مَلاَمَكَ فى عَهدٍ علينا وَثائِقُه

مَلاَمَكَ فى عَهدٍ علينا وَثائِقُه

Yet Layla did not repay me with love, nor did she fear

Layla did not reward me with love, and did not fear

your reproach over a covenant whose bonds held us.

Blaming me despite our binding covenant