حَيِّ الحُمولَ بِجانِبِ العَزلِ

حَيِّ الحُمولَ بِجانِبِ العَزلِ

إِذ لا يُلائِمُ شَكلَها شَكلي

إِذ لا يُلائِمُ شَكلَها شَكلي

Greet the laden camels beside al-ʿAzl,

Live your lives alongside solitude,

since my disposition does not accord with hers.

For her form suits not my shape.

ماذا يَشُقّ عَلَيكَ مِن ظَعنٍ

ماذا يَشُقّ عَلَيكَ مِن ظَعنٍ

إِلّا صِباكَ وَقِلَّةُ العَقلِ

إِلّا صِباكَ وَقِلَّةُ العَقلِ

What makes departure hard for you

What hardship is there for you in railing,

but your youthful passion and lack of sense?

Save your own youth and lack of sense?

مَنّيتَنا بِغَدٍ وَبَعدَ غَدٍ

مَنّيتَنا بِغَدٍ وَبَعدَ غَدٍ

حَتّى بَخَلتَ كَأَسوَءِ البُخلِ

حَتّى بَخَلتَ كَأَسوَءِ البُخلِ

You fed us hopes of tomorrow and the day after,

You wished us well for a day or two

until you showed the very worst of stinginess.

Then grew miserly, like the worst misers.

يا رُبَّ غانِيَةٍ صَرَمْتُ حِبالَها

يا رُبَّ غانِيَةٍ صَرَمْتُ حِبالَها

وَمَشَيتُ مُتَّئِداً عَلى رُسلي

وَمَشَيتُ مُتَّئِداً عَلى رُسلي

Ah, many a beauty's bonds I have severed,

O rider of a wild she-camel, I have loosed its halters

and walked unhurriedly, at my ease.

And walked gracefully on my feet.

لا أَستَقيدُ لِمَن دَعا لِصِباً

لا أَستَقيدُ لِمَن دَعا لِصِباً

قَسراً وَلا أَصطادُ بِالخَتلِ

قَسراً وَلا أَصطادُ بِالخَتلِ

I do not yield to anyone's call to youthful passion

I do not accept the authority of the one who calls me ‘fool’ by force,

under compulsion, nor do I hunt by guile.

Nor hunt with a pack of dogs.

وَتَنوفَةٍ حَرداءَ مُهلِكَةٍ

وَتَنوفَةٍ حَرداءَ مُهلِكَةٍ

جاوَرتُها بِنَجائِبٍ فُتلِ

جاوَرتُها بِنَجائِبٍ فُتلِ

And many a barren, deadly wilderness—

I frequented a desolate, scabby, ruinous Taneefah

I camped beside it with well-bred, strong-limbed camels.

With hand-woven curtains as frail as spiders’ webs

فَيَبِتنَ يَنهَسنَ الجَبوبَ بِها

فَيَبِتنَ يَنهَسنَ الجَبوبَ بِها

وَأَبيتُ مُرتَفِقاً عَلى رَحلِ

وَأَبيتُ مُرتَفِقاً عَلى رَحلِ

There they spend the night gnawing at the hard ground,

So they pass their night tearing up the ground around it,

while I pass the night propped on my elbow upon a saddle,

While I spend my night restfully upon my riding beast

مُتَوَسِّداً عَضباً مَضارِبُهُ

مُتَوَسِّداً عَضباً مَضارِبُهُ

في مَتنِهِ كَمَدَبَّةِ النَملِ

في مَتنِهِ كَمَدَبَّةِ النَملِ

pillowed on a sharp sword, whose stroke-marks

Using as a pillow my, whose baudrons

upon its blade are like the trails of ants.

Nether them seethes like an ant colony

يُدعى صَقيلاً وَهوَ لَيسَ لَهُ

يُدعى صَقيلاً وَهوَ لَيسَ لَهُ

عَهدٌ بِتَمويهٍ وَلا صَقلِ

عَهدٌ بِتَمويهٍ وَلا صَقلِ

It is called 'Polished,' though it has had

Called Saqeel, though never adorned

no acquaintance with plating or polishing.

With embellishment or burnishing.

عَفَتِ الدِيارُ فَما بِها أَهلي

عَفَتِ الدِيارُ فَما بِها أَهلي

وَلَوَت شُموسُ بَشاشَةَ البَذلِ

وَلَوَت شُموسُ بَشاشَةَ البَذلِ

The dwellings are effaced; my people are not there,

My land has been vacated, and none of my family remain,

and Shumūs has withheld her cheerful generosity.

The suns have veiled the brightness of generosity.

نَظَرَت إِلَيكَ بِعَينِ جازِئَةٍ

نَظَرَت إِلَيكَ بِعَينِ جازِئَةٍ

حَوراءَ حانِيَةٍ عَلى طِفلِ

حَوراءَ حانِيَةٍ عَلى طِفلِ

She looked at you with the eye of a doe content with pasture,

A doe-eyed girl looked at you

dark-eyed, bending tenderly over her fawn.

A singer focusing on her son

فَلَها مُقَلَّدُها وَمُقلَتُها

فَلَها مُقَلَّدُها وَمُقلَتُها

وَلَها عَلَيهِ سَراوَةُ الفَضلِ

وَلَها عَلَيهِ سَراوَةُ الفَضلِ

She has that doe's neck and eye,

She has her crown and her ringlets

yet surpasses it in noble grace.

And she exceeds you in bounty and merit.

أَقبَلتُ مُقتَصِداً وَراجَعَني

أَقبَلتُ مُقتَصِداً وَراجَعَني

حِلمي وَسُدِّدَ لِلتُقى فِعلي

حِلمي وَسُدِّدَ لِلتُقى فِعلي

I turned to moderation, and back to me came

I set forth judiciously but my forbearance turned me back,

my sober judgment; my conduct was guided toward piety.

Steering my deeds toward piety.

وَاللَهُ أَنجَحُ ما طَلَبتَ بِهِ

وَاللَهُ أَنجَحُ ما طَلَبتَ بِهِ

وَالبِرُّ خَيرُ حَقيبَةِ الرَحلِ

وَالبِرُّ خَيرُ حَقيبَةِ الرَحلِ

And God is the surest means to what you seek,

God prospers what you seek to obtain thereby

and righteousness the best baggage for the saddle.

Righteousness is best provision for the road.

وَمِنَ الطَريقَةِ جائِرٌ وَهُدى

وَمِنَ الطَريقَةِ جائِرٌ وَهُدى

قَصدُ السَبيلِ وَمِنهُ ذو دَخلِ

قَصدُ السَبيلِ وَمِنهُ ذو دَخلِ

Some ways go astray; guidance is

Of doctrines some may lead astray, some give guidance,

the straight road, while some ways harbor deceit.

Moderation is the path, and yet some may diverge therefrom.

إِنّي لَأَصرِمُ مَن يُصارِمُني

إِنّي لَأَصرِمُ مَن يُصارِمُني

وَأُجِدُّ وَصلَ مَنِ اِبتَغى وَصلي

وَأُجِدُّ وَصلَ مَنِ اِبتَغى وَصلي

I surely cut ties with whoever cuts ties with me,

I break with whoever breaks with me,

and renew the bond with whoever seeks my friendship.

And eagerly seek to mend ties with those who pursue reconciliation with me.

وَأَخي إِخاءٍ ذي مُحافَظَةٍ

وَأَخي إِخاءٍ ذي مُحافَظَةٍ

سَهلَ الخَليقَةِ ماجِدِ الأَصلِ

سَهلَ الخَليقَةِ ماجِدِ الأَصلِ

And many a brother in friendship, steadfast in loyalty,

The brother of true brotherhood, of noble descent,

gentle in temper, noble in lineage,

Easygoing, majestic lineage.

حُلوٍ إِذا ما جِئتُ قالَ أَلا

حُلوٍ إِذا ما جِئتُ قالَ أَلا

في الرُحبِ أَنتَ وَمَنزِلُ السَهلِ

في الرُحبِ أَنتَ وَمَنزِلُ السَهلِ

sweet-natured; whenever I came he said: 'Behold,

When I come he says, ‘behold!

you have ample room and an easy lodging!'

Before you lie open plains and plains’ broad expanse’

نازَعتُهُ كَأسَ الصَبوحِ وَلَم

نازَعتُهُ كَأسَ الصَبوحِ وَلَم

أَجهَل مُجِدَّةَ عِذرَةِ الرَجُلِ

أَجهَل مُجِدَّةَ عِذرَةِ الرَجُلِ

I shared with him the cup of morning wine, nor

I shared with him the morning cup, and did not

did I disregard the man's earnest excuse.

Ignore the decorum sanctioned for men.

إِنّي بِحَبلِكَ واصِلٌ حَبلي

إِنّي بِحَبلِكَ واصِلٌ حَبلي

وَبِريشِ نَبلِكَ رائِشٌ نَبلي

وَبِريشِ نَبلِكَ رائِشٌ نَبلي

Indeed, I join my rope to yours,

With your rope I link to my rope,

and feather my arrows with the feathers of yours,

With the feathers of your arrows I quiver my arrows.

ما لَم أَجِدكَ عَلى هُدى أَثَرٍ

ما لَم أَجِدكَ عَلى هُدى أَثَرٍ

يَقرو مَقَصَّكَ قائِفٌ قَبلي

يَقرو مَقَصَّكَ قائِفٌ قَبلي

so long as I do not find you upon a trail

When I do not find you upon a rightly guided course—

where a tracker traces your footsteps before me.

Your sword case reproached by one who precedes me—

وَشَمائِلي ما قَد عَلِمتَ وَما

وَشَمائِلي ما قَد عَلِمتَ وَما

نَبَحَت كِلابُكَ طارِقاً مِثلي

نَبَحَت كِلابُكَ طارِقاً مِثلي

And my ways are as you already know; never

The attributes I know well, and others

have your dogs barked at a night-visitor like me.

Your dogs bark not having perceived the like of me.