لِمَن دِمَنٌ بَينَ الغُوَيرِ وَأَربُعُ

لِمَن دِمَنٌ بَينَ الغُوَيرِ وَأَربُعُ

تَوَهَّمَها جَفنٌ مِنَ الدَّمعِ مُترَعُ

تَوَهَّمَها جَفنٌ مِنَ الدَّمعِ مُترَعُ

Whose are the old camp-traces and dwelling sites amid al-Ghuwayr,

For whom are tears between yearning and regret,

dimly discerned by an eye brimming with tears?

Imagined by an eyelid overflowing with tears?

مَحاها صُبوحُ الغَين بَعدَ غُبوقِهِ

مَحاها صُبوحُ الغَين بَعدَ غُبوقِهِ

وَهَبَّت بِها ريحُ الصَّبا وَهيَ زَعزَعُ

وَهَبَّت بِها ريحُ الصَّبا وَهيَ زَعزَعُ

The cloud's morning draught erased them after its evening draught,

The morning of beauty erased them after its darkness,

and the east wind blew through them in violent gusts.

And the breeze of morning blew them away, tottering.

يَقولُ صَحابي هَل نَسيمُ حَديقَةٍ

يَقولُ صَحابي هَل نَسيمُ حَديقَةٍ

تَنَفَّسَ أَم ذِكرُ الهَوى يَتَضَوَّعُ

تَنَفَّسَ أَم ذِكرُ الهَوى يَتَضَوَّعُ

My companions ask, "Has a garden breeze

My friend says, “Is this the breeze of a garden

breathed forth, or is love's remembrance wafting fragrance?"

Breathing, or the memory of love languishing?”

فَأَقسَمتُ ما أَدري أَرَكبٌ تَناشَدوا

فَأَقسَمتُ ما أَدري أَرَكبٌ تَناشَدوا

عَلى الدّارِ أَم لَحنُ الحَمائِمِ تَسجَعُ

عَلى الدّارِ أَم لَحنُ الحَمائِمِ تَسجَعُ

So I swore, "I cannot tell—is it riders reciting verses to one another

I swore I did not know - are the riders chanting

at the dwelling, or the melody of cooing doves?

About the abode, or is it the melody of doves cooing?

وَنارٌ عَلى الجَرعاءِ يَدعو بِها الدُّجا

وَنارٌ عَلى الجَرعاءِ يَدعو بِها الدُّجا

إِلى الطَّرفِ أَم بيضُ القَواضِبِ تَلمَعُ

إِلى الطَّرفِ أَم بيضُ القَواضِبِ تَلمَعُ

And is it a fire on al-Jar'a, with which darkness beckons

A fire over the dunes calls the camels

to the eye, or are bright sword-blades flashing?"

To the valley, or is it the whiteness of boats glistening?

وَقُلتُ لِسَعدٍ وَالنُّعامى تَنوشُهُ

وَقُلتُ لِسَعدٍ وَالنُّعامى تَنوشُهُ

وَقَد أَثمَلَ الرَّكبَ الحَنينُ المُرَجَّعُ

وَقَد أَثمَلَ الرَّكبَ الحَنينُ المُرَجَّعُ

And I said to Sa'd, as the south wind buffeted him,

And I said to Sa’d while the ostriches were drinking it,

while echoed cries of longing had intoxicated the riders:

And yearning had made the riders turn back:

تَصامَم عَنِ الأَنضاء أَو فَالتَمِس لَها

تَصامَم عَنِ الأَنضاء أَو فَالتَمِس لَها

فُؤاداً يُعاطيها الغَرامَ وَيَجزَعُ

فُؤاداً يُعاطيها الغَرامَ وَيَجزَعُ

"Feign deafness to the worn-out mounts, or find for them

“Be determined to abandon the maidens, or find

a heart that shares their passionate longing and grieves.

A heart that will indulge them, and grieve.

وَدَع عَنكَ إِيماضَ البُروقِ فَإِنَّها

وَدَع عَنكَ إِيماضَ البُروقِ فَإِنَّها

صَوارِمُ في سِرِّ الجَوائِحِ تَقطَعُ

صَوارِمُ في سِرِّ الجَوائِحِ تَقطَعُ

And dismiss the flashes of lightning, for they

And leave off brandishing lightnings, for they

are keen swords cutting in the hidden depths of affliction."

Are swords cutting the mysteries of calamities.

فَلَمَّا أَبى إِلّا نِزاعاً فُؤادُهُ

فَلَمَّا أَبى إِلّا نِزاعاً فُؤادُهُ

شَجاني جَواهُ فَالعَزولُ المُفَجَّعُ

شَجاني جَواهُ فَالعَزولُ المُفَجَّعُ

But when his heart would accept nothing but yearning,

When his heart insisted on strife,

his burning sorrow grieved me; the aloof one was grief-stricken.

Its ardour stirred me, and the one who turns away grieves.

وَهَبَّت لَهُ ريحُ الصَّبا فَأَرَيتَهُ

وَهَبَّت لَهُ ريحُ الصَّبا فَأَرَيتَهُ

فُؤادَ الحَزينِ كَيفَ يَمضي وَيَرجِعُ

فُؤادَ الحَزينِ كَيفَ يَمضي وَيَرجِعُ

And the east wind blew for him, so you showed him

The morning breeze blew toward him, so I saw

the sorrowful one's heart—how it goes and returns.

The sorrowful heart - how it goes and returns!

خَليلَيَّ إِن لَم تَعرِفا زَفرَةَ النَّوى

خَليلَيَّ إِن لَم تَعرِفا زَفرَةَ النَّوى

وَلَم تُسعِداني فانظُرا كَيفَ أَصنَعُ

وَلَم تُسعِداني فانظُرا كَيفَ أَصنَعُ

My two dear friends, if you do not know the sigh of separation

My two friends, if you do not recognize the sigh of passion,

and do not comfort me, then watch what I do.

And do not gladden me, then look how I act.

تَجاهَلتُ حَتّى أَنكَرَتني خَفاجَةٌ

تَجاهَلتُ حَتّى أَنكَرَتني خَفاجَةٌ

وَقالَت بِما ضَلَّ الأَعَزُّ المُشَيَّعُ

وَقالَت بِما ضَلَّ الأَعَزُّ المُشَيَّعُ

I feigned ignorance until Khafaja no longer recognized me,

I feigned ignorance until a lovesick woman denied me,

and said, "What has led the most honored, fearless man astray?"

Saying, ‘How the dearest departed guest has strayed!’

وَأَصبَحتُ أَرجو أَن تَعودَ أَنايَتي

وَأَصبَحتُ أَرجو أَن تَعودَ أَنايَتي

وَلَيسَ لِمَن تَطوي المَنِيَّةُ مَرجعُ

وَلَيسَ لِمَن تَطوي المَنِيَّةُ مَرجعُ

And now I hope that my composure will return,

I began hoping my happiness would return,

yet one whom death folds away has no return.

But there is no return for one covered by death.

تَوَقَّد أَسى ما ذَلِكَ العَهدُ عائِدٌ

تَوَقَّد أَسى ما ذَلِكَ العَهدُ عائِدٌ

عَلَيكَ وَلا في قُربِ غَيداء مَطمَعُ

عَلَيكَ وَلا في قُربِ غَيداء مَطمَعُ

Blaze with sorrow: that former time will not return

Sorrow blazed - is that time coming back to you?

to you, nor is there hope of nearness to a graceful beauty.

Nor is there hope of a lovely creature near.

بَني عامِرٍ يُلقونَ بي جَمرَةَ العِدى

بَني عامِرٍ يُلقونَ بي جَمرَةَ العِدى

وَأَنصُرُكُم وَاليَومَ بِالنَّقعِ أَشفَعُ

وَأَنصُرُكُم وَاليَومَ بِالنَّقعِ أَشفَعُ

O sons of 'Amir, they cast me against the foes' fiery core,

O clan of ‘Amir, they inflict on me the embers of enmity,

and I aid you; today I intercede through the dust.

And I support you, though today I mediate with wounds.

وَيُسهِرُني مَن شَفَّ جِسمي فِراقُهُ

وَيُسهِرُني مَن شَفَّ جِسمي فِراقُهُ

فَأَنظُرُ طَرفاً في العَشيرَةِ يَهجَعُ

فَأَنظُرُ طَرفاً في العَشيرَةِ يَهجَعُ

And the one whose parting wasted my body keeps me awake,

The one whose absence healed my body keeps me awake,

so I watch an eye among the clan slumbering.

So I look for someone in the tribe who slumbers.

تَحاموا وُرودَ الصَّبرِ أَو فَاتبَعوا فَتى

تَحاموا وُرودَ الصَّبرِ أَو فَاتبَعوا فَتى

يَقومُ بِما قامَ الكَريمُ السّمَيدَعُ

يَقومُ بِما قامَ الكَريمُ السّمَيدَعُ

Avoid coming to patience's waters, or follow a youth

Wear the roses of patience, or follow the noble steadfast youth

who undertakes what the noble, generous chief undertook.

Who acts as the generous eminent one acted.”