أَمِن مَنزِلٍ قَفرٍ تَعَفَّت رُسومَهُ

أَمِن مَنزِلٍ قَفرٍ تَعَفَّت رُسومَهُ

شَمالٌ تُغاديهِ وَنَكباءُ حَرجَفُ

شَمالٌ تُغاديهِ وَنَكباءُ حَرجَفُ

Was it because of a deserted dwelling whose traces were effaced

From a deserted house whose traces faded

by a north wind visiting it each morning and a fierce, cold crosswind,

With the north winds blowing, mournful, grieving

فَأَصبَحَ قَفراً بَعدَما كانَ آهِلاً

فَأَصبَحَ قَفراً بَعدَما كانَ آهِلاً

وَجُملُ المُنى تَشتو بِهِ وَتُصَيِّفُ

وَجُملُ المُنى تَشتو بِهِ وَتُصَيِّفُ

leaving it deserted after it had been inhabited,

It became deserted after being inhabited

where Juml, my heart's desire, used to winter and summer,

And the caravans of longing wandered it, summering and wintering

ظَلَلتُ وَمُستَنٌّ مِنَ الدَمعِ هامِلٌ

ظَلَلتُ وَمُستَنٌّ مِنَ الدَمعِ هامِلٌ

مِنَ العَينِ لَمّا عُجتُ بِالدارِ يَنزِفُ

مِنَ العَينِ لَمّا عُجتُ بِالدارِ يَنزِفُ

that I lingered, while a freely flowing stream of tears

I remained in its shade while tears continually poured

poured from my eye when I turned aside at the dwelling?

From my eyes when I returned and found the house in ruins

أَمُنصِفَتي جُملٌ فَتَعدِلَ بَينَنا

أَمُنصِفَتي جُملٌ فَتَعدِلَ بَينَنا

إِذا حَكَمَت وَالحاكِمُ العَدلُ يُنصِفُ

إِذا حَكَمَت وَالحاكِمُ العَدلُ يُنصِفُ

Will Juml do me justice and judge fairly between us

Will the caravans judge fairly between us

when she gives judgment? A just judge deals fairly.

When even the fairest judge cannot judge fairly?

تَعَلَّقتُها وَالجِسمُ مِنّي مُصَحَّحٌ

تَعَلَّقتُها وَالجِسمُ مِنّي مُصَحَّحٌ

فَما زالَ يَنمي حُبُّ جُملٍ وَأَضعُفُ

فَما زالَ يَنمي حُبُّ جُملٍ وَأَضعُفُ

I fell in love with her while my body was sound;

I clung to them while my body was strengthened

love for Juml never ceased to grow, while I weakened,

So my love for the caravans only grew stronger and weaker was I

إِلى اليَوم حَتّى سَلَّ جِسمي وَشَفَّني

إِلى اليَوم حَتّى سَلَّ جِسمي وَشَفَّني

وَأَنكَرتُ مِن نَفسي الَّذي كُنتُ أَعرِفُ

وَأَنكَرتُ مِن نَفسي الَّذي كُنتُ أَعرِفُ

down to this day, till it wasted my body and wore me thin,

Until this very day when my body grew thin and healed me

and I no longer recognized in myself what I once knew.

And I forgot what I used to know

قَناةٌ مِنَ المُرّانِ ما فَوقَ حَقوِها

قَناةٌ مِنَ المُرّانِ ما فَوقَ حَقوِها

وَما تَحتَهُ مِنها نَقاً يَتَقَصَّفُ

وَما تَحتَهُ مِنها نَقاً يَتَقَصَّفُ

Above her waist she is an ashwood spear-shaft,

A canal of running water neither below nor

and below it, a sandhill that crumbles.

Above its rights does it flow clearly

لَها مُقلَتا ريمٍ وَجيدُ جِدايَةٍ

لَها مُقلَتا ريمٍ وَجيدُ جِدايَةٍ

وَكَشحٌ كَطَيِّ السابِرِيَّةِ أَهيَفُ

وَكَشحٌ كَطَيِّ السابِرِيَّةِ أَهيَفُ

She has the eyes of a white gazelle and the neck of a young gazelle,

It has the eyes of a white antelope and the chest of a wild cow

and a slender waist like a fold of Sabiri cloth.

And legs like that of a swift ostrich

وَلَستُ بِناسٍ أَهلَها حينَ أَقبَلوا

وَلَستُ بِناسٍ أَهلَها حينَ أَقبَلوا

وَجالوا عَلَينا بِالسُيوفِ وَطَوَّفوا

وَجالوا عَلَينا بِالسُيوفِ وَطَوَّفوا

Nor shall I forget her kinsmen when they came

I am not one of its people when they came

and wheeled upon us with swords and circled round.

And walked around us with swords drawn

وَقالوا جَميلٌ باتَ في الحَيِّ عِندَها

وَقالوا جَميلٌ باتَ في الحَيِّ عِندَها

وَقَد جَرَّدوا أَسيافَهُم ثُمَّ وَقَّفوا

وَقَد جَرَّدوا أَسيافَهُم ثُمَّ وَقَّفوا

They said, 'Jamil spent the night with her in the camp,'

And said: “It is beautiful in the neighborhood where it stays tonight”

having drawn their swords and then taken their stand.

And they unsheathed their swords and stood

وَفي البَيتِ لَيثُ الغابِ لَولا مَخافَةٌ

وَفي البَيتِ لَيثُ الغابِ لَولا مَخافَةٌ

عَلى نَفسِ جَملٍ وَالإِلَه لَأُرعِفوا

عَلى نَفسِ جَملٍ وَالإِلَه لَأُرعِفوا

And in the house was a lion of the thicket; but for fear

In the house is the lion of the jungle, if not for the fear

for Juml's life—by God—their noses would have bled.

For the life of the caravan, by God I would have fled

هَمَمتُ وَقَد كادَت مِراراً تَطَلَّعَت

هَمَمتُ وَقَد كادَت مِراراً تَطَلَّعَت

إِلى حَربِهِم نَفسي وَفي الكَفِّ مُرهَفُ

إِلى حَربِهِم نَفسي وَفي الكَفِّ مُرهَفُ

I was minded to act; time and again my soul had nearly risen

I hesitated, and my soul almost looked

to fight them, with a keen sword in my hand.

Eagerly to their battle, sword in hand

وَما سَرَّني غَيرُ الَّذي كانَ مِنهُمُ

وَما سَرَّني غَيرُ الَّذي كانَ مِنهُمُ

وَمِنّي وَقَد جاؤوا إِلَيَّ وَأَوجَفوا

وَمِنّي وَقَد جاؤوا إِلَيَّ وَأَوجَفوا

Nothing pleased me but what they did

And nothing pleased me more than what was between them

and what I did, when they came to me and rushed forward.

And me, when they came to me, provoking

فَكَم مُرتَجٍ أَمراً أُتيحَ لَهُ الرَدى

فَكَم مُرتَجٍ أَمراً أُتيحَ لَهُ الرَدى

وَمِن خائِفٍ لَم يَنتَقِصهُ التَخَوُّفُ

وَمِن خائِفٍ لَم يَنتَقِصهُ التَخَوُّفُ

For many a man hoping for something has had death allotted to him,

So how often does an irresolute man have the chance for glory

and many a fearful man has not been diminished by fear.

Yet fear does not diminish his apprehension

أَإِن هَتَفَت وَرقاءُ ظِلتَ سَفاهَةً

أَإِن هَتَفَت وَرقاءُ ظِلتَ سَفاهَةً

تبكي عَلى جُملٍ لِوَرقاءَ تَهتِفُ

تبكي عَلى جُملٍ لِوَرقاءَ تَهتِفُ

If a gray dove calls, do you foolishly go on

Do the leaves shed tears in foolishness

weeping for Juml because a gray dove is calling?

Weeping for the caravan as they whisper?

فَلَو كانَ لي بِالصَرمِ يا صاحِ طاقَةٌ

فَلَو كانَ لي بِالصَرمِ يا صاحِ طاقَةٌ

صَرَمتُ وَلَكِنّي عَنِ الصَرمِ أَضعفُ

صَرَمتُ وَلَكِنّي عَنِ الصَرمِ أَضعفُ

Had I the strength to sever ties, my friend,

If only I had the strength, O friend, I would have fought

I would sever them, but I am too weak to break away.

But alas, I am too weak for fighting

لَها في سَوادِ القَلبِ بِالحُبِّ مَنعَةٌ

لَها في سَوادِ القَلبِ بِالحُبِّ مَنعَةٌ

هِيَ المَوتُ أَو كادَت عَلى المَوتِ تُشرِفُ

هِيَ المَوتُ أَو كادَت عَلى المَوتِ تُشرِفُ

Through love she has an unassailable hold in my heart's dark core;

In the darkness of my heart it has a refuge of love

it is death, or almost rises above death.

It is death, or close to death, drawing near

وَما ذَكَرَتكِ النَفسُ يا بثنَ مَرَّةً

وَما ذَكَرَتكِ النَفسُ يا بثنَ مَرَّةً

مِنَ الدَهرِ إِلّا كادَتِ النَفسُ تُتلَفُ

مِنَ الدَهرِ إِلّا كادَتِ النَفسُ تُتلَفُ

And never did my soul remember you, O Buthn, even once

My soul did not mention you, O she camel

in all time, without my soul nearly perishing,

A time in life except my soul almost perished

وَإِلا اِعتَرَتني زَفرَةٌ وَاِستِكانَةٌ

وَإِلا اِعتَرَتني زَفرَةٌ وَاِستِكانَةٌ

وَجادَ لَها سَجلٌ مِنَ الدَمعِ يَذرِفُ

وَجادَ لَها سَجلٌ مِنَ الدَمعِ يَذرِفُ

and without a sigh and helpless surrender overtaking me,

Unless a groan and lament overtook me

and a brimming bucket of tears pouring forth for her.

And a stream of tears flowed

وَما اِستَطرَفَت نَفسي حَديثاً لِخلَّةٍ

وَما اِستَطرَفَت نَفسي حَديثاً لِخلَّةٍ

أُسِرّ بِهِ إِلّا حَديثُكِ أَطرَفُ

أُسِرّ بِهِ إِلّا حَديثُكِ أَطرَفُ

Nor has my soul found a sweetheart's conversation delightful,

Nor did my soul find any conversation with a friend

and taken joy in it, without yours being more delightful still.

Amusing, except your conversation, most witty

وَبَينَ الصَفا وَالمَروَتَينِ ذَكَرتُكُم

وَبَينَ الصَفا وَالمَروَتَينِ ذَكَرتُكُم

بِمُختَلِفٍ وَالناسُ ساعٍ وَموجِفُ

بِمُختَلِفٍ وَالناسُ ساعٍ وَموجِفُ

And between al-Safa and the two Marwas I remembered you all,

And between Safa and Marwa I remembered you

at a crossing, while people hastened and rushed.

In different states while people rush, jostling

وَعِندَ طَوافي قَد ذَكَرتُكِ مَرَّةً

وَعِندَ طَوافي قَد ذَكَرتُكِ مَرَّةً

هِيَ المَوتُ بَل كادَت عَلى المَوتِ تَضعفُ

هِيَ المَوتُ بَل كادَت عَلى المَوتِ تَضعفُ

And once, during my circumambulation, I remembered you;

And during my circumambulation I remembered you once

it was death—nay, almost double death.

It is death, no, close to death I grew