دعاني الشوق والركبان قد هجدوا

دعاني الشوق والركبان قد هجدوا

والشمس في آخر الجوزاء تنقد

والشمس في آخر الجوزاء تنقد

Longing called me while the riders had fallen asleep.

Longing called me, and the caravans had awakened,

And the sun blazed at the end of Gemini.

And the sun in the last of Gemini grew hot,

والقيظ محتدم والروح منصرم

والقيظ محتدم والروح منصرم

والرأي مختلف والحتف مطرد

والرأي مختلف والحتف مطرد

And the summer heat raged, and the breeze had ceased.

And the heat was raging, and my soul was pouring out,

And opinions were divided, and death was relentless.

My mind confused, and death ever present.

والبيد مغبرة الأرجاء مقفرةٌ

والبيد مغبرة الأرجاء مقفرةٌ

كأن أعلامها في الآل ترتعد

كأن أعلامها في الآل ترتعد

And the deserts were dusty in their reaches, desolate,

The desert was dusty, its expanse desolate,

As though their landmarks trembled in the mirage.

As if its guideposts in the dark were trembling.

فظلت طوعاً لداعي الشوق أوقظهم

فظلت طوعاً لداعي الشوق أوقظهم

وعل أكثرهم ساهون ما رقدوا

وعل أكثرهم ساهون ما رقدوا

So, willingly obeying longing's call, I kept waking them.

So I willingly obeyed the caller of longing. I woke them,

And perhaps most of them were distracted, not asleep.

Though most of them, drowsy, had not slept.

حتى إذا قلت شدوا قال بعضهم

حتى إذا قلت شدوا قال بعضهم

قد جن هذا فخلوا عنه وابتعدوا

قد جن هذا فخلوا عنه وابتعدوا

When at last I said, “Saddle up,” some of them said:

When I said, “Be prepared,” some of them said,

“This man has gone mad; leave him alone and keep away.”

“This man is possessed, so leave him and keep away.”

يدرون ما وجدوا من حر يومهم

يدرون ما وجدوا من حر يومهم

وقت النزول ولا يدرون ما أجد

وقت النزول ولا يدرون ما أجد

They know what they suffered from their day's heat

They know the heat they felt on their day

At the halt—but they do not know what I feel:

Of alighting, but do not know the heat I feel—

حر الفراق إذا ما الهجر ساعده

حر الفراق إذا ما الهجر ساعده

حر تخص به الأحشاء الكبد

حر تخص به الأحشاء الكبد

The heat of parting, when estrangement aids it,

The heat of separation when the severance assists it,

Is a heat the liver reserves for the entrails alone.

A heat that attacks the viscera and liver.