ذَكَرتُكِ وَالنّجمُ اليَمانِى كأَنَّهُ

ذَكَرتُكِ وَالنّجمُ اليَمانِى كأَنَّهُ

وَقَد عارَضَ الشِّعرَى قَرِيعُ هِجَانِ

وَقَد عارَضَ الشِّعرَى قَرِيعُ هِجَانِ

I remembered you, while the Yemeni star seemed

I remembered you, and the Yemeni star was as if

a stud among purebred white camels, facing Sirius.

It had contended with Sirius, igniting passion’s fire.

فَقُلتُ لأَصحَابِى ولاحَت غَمامَةٌ

فَقُلتُ لأَصحَابِى ولاحَت غَمامَةٌ

بِنَجدٍ أَلا لِلهِ ماتَرَيَانِ

بِنَجدٍ أَلا لِلهِ ماتَرَيَانِ

So I said to my companions, as a cloud appeared

So I said to my friends when a cloud appeared

in Najd: 'Ah, for God's sake, what do you two see?'

In Nejd, “By God, do you not see?”

فَقالا نَرَى بَرقاً تَقطَّعُ دُونَهُ

فَقالا نَرَى بَرقاً تَقطَّعُ دُونَهُ

مِنَ الطَّرفِ أَبصارٌ رَوَانِى

مِنَ الطَّرفِ أَبصارٌ رَوَانِى

They both said, 'We see lightning beyond the reach

They said, “We see lightning rending it,

of the gazes of intently watching eyes.'

Dazzling sights beyond the eyes’ endurance.”

أَفِى كُلِّ يَومٍ أَنتَ رامٍ بِلادها

أَفِى كُلِّ يَومٍ أَنتَ رامٍ بِلادها

بِعَينَينِإِنساناهُما غَرِقا

بِعَينَينِإِنساناهُما غَرِقا

Do you aim toward her lands every day

Must you every day roam her lands,

with two eyes whose pupils have drowned?

With two eyes of a man drowned in them?

فَعَينَىَّ يا عَينَىَّ حَتَّامَ أَنتُما

فَعَينَىَّ يا عَينَىَّ حَتَّامَ أَنتُما

بِهِجرانِ أُمِّ الغَمرِ تَختَلِجانِ

بِهِجرانِ أُمِّ الغَمرِ تَختَلِجانِ

So, my eyes—O my eyes—how long will you two

My eyes, O my eyes, you Ultimacy, you are

quiver over Umm al-Ghamr's desertion?

Agitated by parting from Umm al-Ghamr.

أَما أَنتُما إِلاّ عَلَىَّ طَلِيعَةٌ

أَما أَنتُما إِلاّ عَلَىَّ طَلِيعَةٌ

عَلَى قُربِ أَعدائِى وَبُعدِ مَكانِى

عَلَى قُربِ أَعدائِى وَبُعدِ مَكانِى

Are you two anything but scouts against me,

Are you not just scouts against me

with my enemies near and my dwelling far away?

Nearby my enemies, far from my abode?

إِذا اغرَورَقَت عَيناىَ قالَ صَحابَتِى

إِذا اغرَورَقَت عَيناىَ قالَ صَحابَتِى

إِلى كَم تَرَى عَيناكَ تَبتَدِرَانِ

إِلى كَم تَرَى عَيناكَ تَبتَدِرَانِ

When my eyes brim with tears, my companions say,

When my eyes grow pale, my friends say

'How long, do you think, will your eyes race to weep?'

“To what do your eyes keep hastening?”

عَذَرتُكِ يا عَينِى الصَّحيحَةَ بالبُكَا

عَذَرتُكِ يا عَينِى الصَّحيحَةَ بالبُكَا

فَمالَكِ يا عَوراءُ وَالهَمَلانِ

فَمالَكِ يا عَوراءُ وَالهَمَلانِ

I have excused you, O my sound eye, for weeping;

I pardoned you, O my right eye, for weeping

but what have you, O blind eye, to do with streaming tears?

So what ails you, O defective one, O bleary one?

أَلا فَاحمِلانِى بارَكَ اللهُ فِيكُما

أَلا فَاحمِلانِى بارَكَ اللهُ فِيكُما

إِلى حاضِرِى الماءِ الّذِى تَرِدَانِ

إِلى حاضِرِى الماءِ الّذِى تَرِدَانِ

Come, carry me—may God bless you both—

No! Bear me, God bless you both,

to the people at the watering place you two visit.

To my fresh water which you seek.

فإنَّ عَلَى الماءِ الّذِى تَردانِهِ

فإنَّ عَلَى الماءِ الّذِى تَردانِهِ

غَرِيماً لَوَانِى الَّينَ مُنذ زَمانِ

غَرِيماً لَوَانِى الَّينَ مُنذ زَمانِ

For at the watering place you two visit

For by the water you seek

there is a debtor who has long delayed paying me,

Is a lover whose color has faded for ages—

لَطيفَ الحَشَا عَذبَ اللَّمَى طَيِّبَ النَّثا

لَطيفَ الحَشَا عَذبَ اللَّمَى طَيِّبَ النَّثا

لَهُ عِلَلٌ ما تَنقَضِى لأَوانِ

لَهُ عِلَلٌ ما تَنقَضِى لأَوانِ

slender-waisted, with sweet dusky lips and a pleasant scent,

Of soft down, sweet drink, good smell—

who has excuses that never come to an end.

He has charms that do not cease for a time.