ما عَلى حاديهُمُ لَو كانَ عاجا

ما عَلى حاديهُمُ لَو كانَ عاجا

فَقَضى حين مَضى للصبِّ حاجا

فَقَضى حين مَضى للصبِّ حاجا

What harm would it have done their camel-driver if he had turned aside

No blame upon their inspiration though it seemed impossible,

and, as he passed, fulfilled the lovesick lover's needs?

When youth departed to seek youth he was most eager,

ظعنوا وَالقَلبُ يَقفو إِثرَهُم

ظعنوا وَالقَلبُ يَقفو إِثرَهُم

تَبِعَ العيسَ بُكوراً واِدِّلاجا

تَبِعَ العيسَ بُكوراً واِدِّلاجا

They departed, and my heart follows in their wake;

They set forth while my heart raced after them,

it followed the pale camels at daybreak and on their night journeys.

At dawn it trailed the caravan through the darkness.

سَلَكوا من بطن فجٍّ سُبُلاً

سَلَكوا من بطن فجٍّ سُبُلاً

لا عَدى صَوبُ الحيا تلك الفِجاجا

لا عَدى صَوبُ الحيا تلك الفِجاجا

They took paths from the depths of a mountain pass;

They took paths in the belly of gaping lowlands,

may rain's downpour never pass those mountain passes by.

Along trails where the highborn never tread.

هم أَراقوا بِنَواهم أَدمُعي

هم أَراقوا بِنَواهم أَدمُعي

وأَهاجوا لاعجَ الوَجدِ فَهاجا

وأَهاجوا لاعجَ الوَجدِ فَهاجا

By their departure, they made my tears flow

They shed tears in their resolve till I wept,

and stirred longing's burning torment, so it raged.

And kindled for their noblest passions the fieriest flames.

كَم أداجي في هواهُم كاشِحاً

كَم أداجي في هواهُم كاشِحاً

أَعجزَ الكتمانُ مَن حبَّ فَداجى

أَعجزَ الكتمانُ مَن حبَّ فَداجى

How often, for love of them, I feign friendliness toward a foe!

How I yearned in their love till my bones protruded,

Concealment defeated one who loved and so dissembled.

When love takes hold, discretion is of no avail.

وعَذولاً يُظهرُ النُصحَ بهم

وعَذولاً يُظهرُ النُصحَ بهم

فإِذا نَهنَهتُهُ زاد لجاجا

فإِذا نَهنَهتُهُ زاد لجاجا

And a reproacher who professes sincere counsel about them:

And they acted heedless, though my counsel was sincere,

when I restrain him, he grows more obstinate.

If I chided they but gained in defiance.

طارَحَتني الورقُ فيهم شَجَناً

طارَحَتني الورقُ فيهم شَجَناً

وَالصبا أَوحَت شَجاً وَالبَرقُ ناجى

وَالصبا أَوحَت شَجاً وَالبَرقُ ناجى

The gray doves exchanged laments with me over them;

The leaves tossed me about in longing for them,

and the east wind whispered sorrow, and the lightning confided.

While the lightning in darkness called to the clouds.

يا بَريقاً لاحَ من حيِّهمُ

يا بَريقاً لاحَ من حيِّهمُ

يَصدعُ الجوَّ ضياءً واِبتلاجا

يَصدعُ الجوَّ ضياءً واِبتلاجا

O flash of lightning that shone from their encampment,

O brilliant glimpse that gleamed from their dwellings,

cleaving the air with light and radiance!

Ripping through the gloom in a blaze of adornment.

أَنتَ جدَّدتَ بتَذكارِهُمُ

أَنتَ جدَّدتَ بتَذكارِهُمُ

للحشى وَجداً وَللطَرف اِختلاجا

للحشى وَجداً وَللطَرف اِختلاجا

You, through remembrance of them, have renewed

You revived in recalling them such piercing sorrow,

longing in my breast and trembling in my eye.

And set both my eyes and heart trembling.

هاتِ فاِشرَح لي أَحاديثَهُم

هاتِ فاِشرَح لي أَحاديثَهُم

إِنَّها كانَت لما أَشكو عِلاجا

إِنَّها كانَت لما أَشكو عِلاجا

Come, then recount their tales to me;

Come, unfold their tales that I may find solace,

indeed, they were a remedy for what I suffer.

For my malady grows the more it is doctored.

عَلَّها تُبرئ وَجداً كامِناً

عَلَّها تُبرئ وَجداً كامِناً

كلَّما عالجتهُ زاد اِعتِلاجا

كلَّما عالجتهُ زاد اِعتِلاجا

Perhaps they will cure a hidden longing:

Mayhap their words will heal the secret longing

whenever I treat it, it grows more turbulent.

That festers all the more as it's tended.

ما لِقَلبي والصَبا وَيحَ الصَبا

ما لِقَلبي والصَبا وَيحَ الصَبا

كُلَّما مرَّت به زادَ اِهتِياجا

كُلَّما مرَّت به زادَ اِهتِياجا

What has my heart to do with the east wind? Alas for the east wind!

Why does my heart swoon for the days of youth?

Whenever it passes over my heart, its agitation grows.

Each time they pass it shakes with greater fervor.

خَطرَت سَكرى بريّا نَشرِهم

خَطرَت سَكرى بريّا نَشرِهم

وَتَحَلَّت منهمُ عِقداً وتاجا

وَتَحَلَّت منهمُ عِقداً وتاجا

It sauntered, drunk on their sweet fragrance,

From their throng sprang a drunken, bewitching thrill

and adorned itself with a necklace and crown from them.

And I gathered in their midst a wreath and crown.

يحسدُ الرَوضُ شذاها سَحَراً

يحسدُ الرَوضُ شذاها سَحَراً

فَترى الأَغصانَ سِرّاً تَتَناجى

فَترى الأَغصانَ سِرّاً تَتَناجى

The garden envies its fragrance before dawn,

The garden envied their scent at dawn,

so you see the branches whispering together in secret.

And you'd think the branches whispered together.

آهِ مِن قَومٍ سَقَوني في الهَوى

آهِ مِن قَومٍ سَقَوني في الهَوى

صِرفَ حبٍّ لم أَذق مَعه مِزاجا

صِرفَ حبٍّ لم أَذق مَعه مِزاجا

Ah, for those who, in love, gave me to drink

Ah, that tribe whose love has left me distraught

pure love, with which I tasted no admixture.

In passions so pure, no joy compares!

خَلَّفوا جِسمي وَقَلبي معهُم

خَلَّفوا جِسمي وَقَلبي معهُم

كيفما عاجَت حُداةُ الرَكبِ عاجا

كيفما عاجَت حُداةُ الرَكبِ عاجا

They left my body behind, while my heart is with them;

They left my body and heart amongst them

whichever way the caravan's camel-drivers turned, it turned.

However the riders' course may veer and swerve.

أَتراهُم عَلِموا كَيفَ دَجا

أَتراهُم عَلِموا كَيفَ دَجا

مَربَعٌ كانوا لناديهِ سِراجا

مَربَعٌ كانوا لناديهِ سِراجا

Do you suppose they knew how darkness fell

Could it be they knew how I languished in gloom

on a dwelling where they had been the gathering's lamp?

Like a lantern lighting their gatherings with rays?

أَم دَروا أَنّا وردنا بَعدَهم

أَم دَروا أَنّا وردنا بَعدَهم

سائغَ العَذبِ من البَلوى أجاجا

سائغَ العَذبِ من البَلوى أجاجا

Or did they know that after them we came to drink

Or did they guess that when we met thereafter

sweet, palatable water, made briny by affliction?

The sweetest nectar was now bitter aloes?

وهم غايةُ آمالي هُمُ

وهم غايةُ آمالي هُمُ

سارَ في حبِّهمُ ذِكري فَراجا

سارَ في حبِّهمُ ذِكري فَراجا

And they—they are the utmost of my hopes.

For they are my hopes' fulfillment, and their fame

My name spread through love of them and gained renown.

Spread its wings through the lands in liberty.

لا عَراهُم حادِثُ الدَهرِ ولا

لا عَراهُم حادِثُ الدَهرِ ولا

بَرحَت أَيّامُهم تُبدي اِبتِهاجا

بَرحَت أَيّامُهم تُبدي اِبتِهاجا

May no calamity of time befall them, and may

Time has not changed them, nor have their days

their days never cease to show joy.

Ceased to display the blissful laugh of joy.