وَدَّعتُ نَجداً بَعدَ هَجرٍ هَجَرتُهُ

وَدَّعتُ نَجداً بَعدَ هَجرٍ هَجَرتُهُ

قَدِيماً فَحَيّانِي سَقَتهُ الغَمائِمُ

قَدِيماً فَحَيّانِي سَقَتهُ الغَمائِمُ

I bade Najd farewell after an estrangement in which I had forsaken it

I bade Najd farewell after having forsaken it

long ago; then it greeted me—may the rainclouds water it.

long before; then it greeted me—may the clouds water it.

أَلاَ يَا أُمَيمَ القَلبِ نَرضى إِذا بَدَا

أَلاَ يَا أُمَيمَ القَلبِ نَرضى إِذا بَدَا

لَنَا مِنكِ وُدٌّ مِثلُ وُدّيكِ دَائِمُ

لَنَا مِنكِ وُدٌّ مِثلُ وُدّيكِ دَائِمُ

Ah, Umaym, darling of my heart: we are content whenever there appears

Ah, Umaym of my heart, we are content whenever there appears

from you an affection for us like my own enduring love for you.

a lasting love from you toward us, like my love for you.

هَجَرتُكِ أَيّاماً بِذِى الغَمرِ إِنّني

هَجَرتُكِ أَيّاماً بِذِى الغَمرِ إِنّني

عَلَى هَجرِ أَيّامٍ بذِى الغَمرَِ نادِمُ

عَلَى هَجرِ أَيّامٍ بذِى الغَمرَِ نادِمُ

I shunned you for days at Dhu al-Ghamr; indeed, I

I shunned you for days at Dhu al-Ghamr; indeed, I am

regret my days of shunning you at Dhu al-Ghamr.

remorseful for those days of estrangement at Dhu al-Ghamr.

هَجَرتُكَ إِشفاقاً عَلَيكِ مِنَ الرّدى

هَجَرتُكَ إِشفاقاً عَلَيكِ مِنَ الرّدى

وَخَوفَ الأعادِى وَاجتِنَابَ النَّمائِمِ

وَخَوفَ الأعادِى وَاجتِنَابَ النَّمائِمِ

I shunned you out of fear for you, lest ruin strike,

I shunned you for fear that death might befall you,

fearing our enemies and seeking to avoid malicious tales.

for fear of enemies, and to avoid malicious gossip.

فَلَمَّا انقَضَت أَيّامُ ذِى الغَمرِ وَارتَمَت

فَلَمَّا انقَضَت أَيّامُ ذِى الغَمرِ وَارتَمَت

بِكِ الدّارُ لاَمَتنى عَلَيكِ اللَّوَائِمُ

بِكِ الدّارُ لاَمَتنى عَلَيكِ اللَّوَائِمُ

But when the days at Dhu al-Ghamr ended, and the land bore

When the days at Dhu al-Ghamr ended, and far away

you far away, the women who censure me reproached me over you.

your dwelling bore you, reproachful women blamed me over you.

وَإِنّى وَذَاكَ الهَجرَ لَو تَعلَمينَهُ

وَإِنّى وَذَاكَ الهَجرَ لَو تَعلَمينَهُ

كَعَازِبةٍ عَن طِفلِهَا وَهىَ رَائِمُ

كَعَازِبةٍ عَن طِفلِهَا وَهىَ رَائِمُ

And indeed I, during that estrangement—if only you knew it—

And I, in that estrangement—if you but knew it—

was like a mother-beast parted from her young, yearning for it.

am like a mother far from her young, yet yearning for it.

مَتى تَطرَحى قَولَ الوُشَاةِ وَتُخلِصى

مَتى تَطرَحى قَولَ الوُشَاةِ وَتُخلِصى

لنا الوُدَّ يَذهَب عَنكِ مِنّا الذَّمائِمُ

لنا الوُدَّ يَذهَب عَنكِ مِنّا الذَّمائِمُ

Whenever you cast aside the talebearers’ words and make

Whenever you cast aside the slanderers’ words and make sincere

your love sincere for us, all our reproaches of you will vanish.

your love for us, our reproaches against you will cease.

وَمَا بَينَ تَفرِيقِ النَّوَى بَينَ مَن تَرَى

وَمَا بَينَ تَفرِيقِ النَّوَى بَينَ مَن تَرَى

مِنَ الحيِّ إِلاّ أَن تَهُبَّ السَّمائِمُ

مِنَ الحيِّ إِلاّ أَن تَهُبَّ السَّمائِمُ

Nothing stands between separation’s scattering of those you see

Nothing remains before distance parts those you see

among the clan except the blowing of the scorching winds.

of the tribe but for the scorching winds to rise.

وَرُبَّ خَليلٍ سَوفَ تَفجَعُهُ النَّوى

وَرُبَّ خَليلٍ سَوفَ تَفجَعُهُ النَّوى

بِخُلصَانِهِ لَو قَد تَغَنّى الحَمائِمُ

بِخُلصَانِهِ لَو قَد تَغَنّى الحَمائِمُ

Many a close friend will soon be bereaved by separation

Many a friend will be bereaved by separation

of his dearest companions, once the doves begin to sing.

of his closest companions, once the doves have sung.

وَلَيسَ عَلَينَا أَن تَبينَ بِكِ النَّوى

وَلَيسَ عَلَينَا أَن تَبينَ بِكِ النَّوى

فَتَنأَي ولاَ مِن أَن تَموتَ النّمائِمُ

فَتَنأَي ولاَ مِن أَن تَموتَ النّمائِمُ

It is not that separation should carry you away that weighs on us,

It does not weigh on us if distance carries you away,

so that you go far, nor that the malicious tales should die away;

so you go far, nor if malicious tales die;

وَلكِن عَلَينَا أَن تَجُودِى بنائلٍ

وَلكِن عَلَينَا أَن تَجُودِى بنائلٍ

لِغَيرِى وَيَلحَانى عَلَيكِ اللَّوَائِمُ

لِغَيرِى وَيَلحَانى عَلَيكِ اللَّوَائِمُ

what weighs on us is that you should bestow a gift

but it weighs on us that you bestow a gift

upon someone other than me, while the censurers blame me over you.

on someone other than me, while reproachful women blame me over you.

فَما أَعلَمَ الواشِينَ بِالسِّرِّ بَينَنَا

فَما أَعلَمَ الواشِينَ بِالسِّرِّ بَينَنَا

وَنَحنُ كِلانَا لِلمَوَدَّةِ كاتِمُ

وَنَحنُ كِلانَا لِلمَوَدَّةِ كاتِمُ

How well the talebearers know the secret between us,

Then what informed the slanderers of the secret between us,

though both of us conceal our love!

when each of us keeps our love concealed?

وَمَا نَلتَقى إِلاّ الفُجَاءَةَ بَعدَ ما

وَمَا نَلتَقى إِلاّ الفُجَاءَةَ بَعدَ ما

نَرى أَنَّ أَدنى عَهدِنا المُتَقادِمُ

نَرى أَنَّ أَدنى عَهدِنا المُتَقادِمُ

We meet only by sudden chance, after

We meet only by chance, after

we find that even our latest tryst has grown old.

we see that our most recent meeting is long past.

وَمَا نَلتَقى إِلاّ لِماماً عَلَى عِدىً

وَمَا نَلتَقى إِلاّ لِماماً عَلَى عِدىً

عِدَادَ الثُّرَيّا وَهىَ مِنكِ الغَنائمُ

عِدَادَ الثُّرَيّا وَهىَ مِنكِ الغَنائمُ

And we meet only at rare intervals, despite our enemies—

We meet only now and then, despite enemies

as rarely as the Pleiades return—and those meetings are spoils won from you.

as numerous as the Pleiades—those meetings are spoils won from you.

أُدَارِى بِهِجرَانيكِ صِيداً كأَنَّمَا

أُدَارِى بِهِجرَانيكِ صِيداً كأَنَّمَا

بآنفِهِم مِن أَن يَرَونى الغَمائِمُ

بآنفِهِم مِن أَن يَرَونى الغَمائِمُ

By shunning you I placate proud men, as though

I placate proud men by shunning you, as though

clouds gathered over their very noses at the sight of me.

muzzles covered their noses at the sight of me.

فأشهَدُ عِندَ اللهِ لاَ زِلتُ لاَئماً

فأشهَدُ عِندَ اللهِ لاَ زِلتُ لاَئماً

لِنفسِىَ ما دَامَت بِمَرَّ الكَظائِمُ

لِنفسِىَ ما دَامَت بِمَرَّ الكَظائِمُ

So I swear before God: may I never cease reproaching

I testify before God: I shall never cease reproaching

myself, as long as al-Kaza’im endures at Marr,

myself, as long as the underground watercourses remain at Marr,

لِمَنعَى مالاً مِن أُمَيمَةَ بَعدَ ما

لِمَنعَى مالاً مِن أُمَيمَةَ بَعدَ ما

دُعِيتُ إِليها إِنّ شَجوِى لَدَائِمُ

دُعِيتُ إِليها إِنّ شَجوِى لَدَائِمُ

for withholding money from Umayma, after

for withholding money from Umayma, after

I was summoned to her; truly, my sorrow endures.

I was invited to her; truly, my sorrow is unending.

تباعَدتُ حَتَّى حِيلَ بيني وبينَهَا

تباعَدتُ حَتَّى حِيلَ بيني وبينَهَا

كما مِن مَكانِ الفَرقَدَينِ النَّعائِمُ

كما مِن مَكانِ الفَرقَدَينِ النَّعائِمُ

I kept my distance until a barrier was raised between her and me,

I drew away until I was kept apart from her,

as far as al-Na‘ā’im lies from the station of the twin Farqad stars.

as the Naʿāʾim stars lie far from the station of the two Farqad stars.