يَا بُؤسَ لِلقَلْبِ بَعْد اليَوْمِ ما آبَهْ

يَا بُؤسَ لِلقَلْبِ بَعْد اليَوْمِ ما آبَهْ

 ذِكرَى حَبيبٍ ببعضِ الأرْضِ قد رَابهْ

ذِكرَى حَبيبٍ ببعضِ الأرْضِ قد رَابهْ

Woe to the heart after today, for what has befallen it:

Oh the sorrow of the heart after today, no longer caring

The memory of a beloved somewhere on earth has troubled it.

For the memory of a loved one in some corner of the earth distanced

قالّتْ سُلَيْمى أرَاكَ اليومَ مُكْتَئِباً

قالّتْ سُلَيْمى أرَاكَ اليومَ مُكْتَئِباً

والرَّأْسُ بَعدي رَأيتُ الشّيْبَ قد عابه

والرَّأْسُ بَعدي رَأيتُ الشّيْبَ قد عابه

Sulayma said, "I see you downcast today;

Sulayma said, today I see you melancholic

And since I left, I have seen gray hair mar your head

And after me, I see the gray hair has marked you

وحَارَ بَعْدَ سَوَادِ الرَّأْسِ جُمَّتَهُ

وحَارَ بَعْدَ سَوَادِ الرَّأْسِ جُمَّتَهُ

كمِعْقَبِ الرَّيطِ إذْ نَشَّرْتَ هُدَّابهْ

كمِعْقَبِ الرَّيطِ إذْ نَشَّرْتَ هُدَّابهْ

And whiten its full locks after their former blackness,

And after the blackness of your hair confounded its neatness

Like the border of fine cloth when you spread out its fringe."

As with its mane scattered, when you let down its braids

ومَرْقَبٍ تَسْكُنُ العِقْبانُ قُلَّتَهُ

ومَرْقَبٍ تَسْكُنُ العِقْبانُ قُلَّتَهُ

أشْرَفْتُهُ مُسْفِراً والنَّفْسُ مُهْتَابَهْ

أشْرَفْتُهُ مُسْفِراً والنَّفْسُ مُهْتَابَهْ

And many a lookout whose summit eagles inhabit

And a watchtower where ravens rest its fewness

I climbed at daybreak, my soul afraid.

I looked upon it bare while my soul recoiled

عَمْداً لأرْقُبَ مَا لِلجَوِّ مِنْ نَعَمٍ

عَمْداً لأرْقُبَ مَا لِلجَوِّ مِنْ نَعَمٍ

فَناظِرٌ رائِحاً مِنْهُ وعُزَّابَهْ

فَناظِرٌ رائِحاً مِنْهُ وعُزَّابَهْ

Deliberately, to watch what livestock al-Jaww held,

Intent to watch what the weather grants of blessings

Watching its homeward herds and those grazing far afield.

So a viewer going to it while its inhabitants left

وقدْ نَزَلْتُ إلى رَكْبٍ مُعَقَّلَةٍ

وقدْ نَزَلْتُ إلى رَكْبٍ مُعَقَّلَةٍ

شُعْثِ الرُّووسِ كأنَّ فَوْقَهُمْ غابَهْ

شُعْثِ الرُّووسِ كأنَّ فَوْقَهُمْ غابَهْ

And I descended to a band of riders with hobbled mounts,

And I descended to a caravan ragged

Their heads disheveled, as though a forest stood above them.

With disheveled hair as if above them a cloud

لَمَّا رَكِبْنا رَفَعناهُنَّ زَفْزَفَةً

لَمَّا رَكِبْنا رَفَعناهُنَّ زَفْزَفَةً

حَتى احْتَوَيْنَا سَوَاماً ثمَّ أرْبَابَهْ

حَتى احْتَوَيْنَا سَوَاماً ثمَّ أرْبَابَهْ

When we mounted, we urged them onward at a rushing pace,

When we rode, we raised them with a whimper

Until we seized grazing herds, and then their owners.

Until we encompassed beasts, then their owners