طَرِبنا حينَ أَدرَكَنا اِدِّكارُ

طَرِبنا حينَ أَدرَكَنا اِدِّكارُ

وَحاجاتٌ عَرَضنَ لَنا كِبارُ

وَحاجاتٌ عَرَضنَ لَنا كِبارُ

We were stirred when remembrance overtook us,

We were delighted when memories overtook us,

and great desires arose within us.

And pressing needs befell us, O elders!

لَحِقنَ بِنا وَنَحنُ عَلى ثُمَيلٍ

لَحِقنَ بِنا وَنَحنُ عَلى ثُمَيلٍ

كَما لَحِقَت بِقائِدِها القِطارُ

كَما لَحِقَت بِقائِدِها القِطارُ

They caught up with us while we were at Thumayl,

They caught up with us while we were on the heights,

as the camel train catches up with its leader.

As a train catches up with its leader.

فَرَقرَقَتِ النِطافَ عُيونُ صَحبي

فَرَقرَقَتِ النِطافَ عُيونُ صَحبي

قَليلاً ثُمَّ لَجَّ بِها اِنحِدارُ

قَليلاً ثُمَّ لَجَّ بِها اِنحِدارُ

Then my companions' eyes shimmered with teardrops

My friends' eyes brimmed over slightly,

briefly; then their downward flow grew relentless.

Then collapsed into a downpour.

فَظَلَّت عَينُ أَجلُدِنا مَروحاً

فَظَلَّت عَينُ أَجلُدِنا مَروحاً

مَروحاً في عَواقِبِهِ اِبتِدارُ

مَروحاً في عَواقِبِهِ اِبتِدارُ

So the eye of our most steadfast man kept streaming,

The eye of our most resolute remained hopeful,

streaming, its later gushes racing forth,

Hopeful though its consequences were risky,

كَشَولٍ في مُعَيَّنَةٍ مَروحٍ

كَشَولٍ في مُعَيَّنَةٍ مَروحٍ

يُشَدُّ عَلى وَهِيَّتِها المِرارُ

يُشَدُّ عَلى وَهِيَّتِها المِرارُ

like scant water in a leaking waterskin,

Like a warrior in a hopeless situation, hopeful

with a cord drawn tight over its split.

Though bitterness weighs down his weakness.

وَكُنّا جيرَةً بِشِعابِ نَجدٍ

وَكُنّا جيرَةً بِشِعابِ نَجدٍ

فَحُقَّ البَينُ وَاِنقَطَعَ الجَوارُ

فَحُقَّ البَينُ وَاِنقَطَعَ الجَوارُ

We had been neighbors in the ravines of Najd,

We were neighbors in the valleys of Najd,

then separation became certain and neighborliness ended.

Then the distance grew, and the neighborliness ceased.

سَما طَرفي غَداةَ أُثَيفِياتٍ

سَما طَرفي غَداةَ أُثَيفِياتٍ

وَقَد يَهدا التَشَوُّقُ إِذ أَغاروا

وَقَد يَهدا التَشَوُّقُ إِذ أَغاروا

My gaze rose that morning at Uthayfiyat,

I glanced with my eyelids one morning in Uthayfiyat,

though longing sometimes quiets, when they descended,

When yearning subsided as they departed

إِلى ظُعُنٍ لَأُختِ بَني غِفارٍ

إِلى ظُعُنٍ لَأُختِ بَني غِفارٍ

بِكابَةَ حَيثُ زاحَمَها العَقارُ

بِكابَةَ حَيثُ زاحَمَها العَقارُ

toward the howdah-caravan of a sister of Banu Ghifar,

To the shelter of Bani Ghifar’s sister

at Kaba, where al-Aqar pressed close against it.

At Kabat, where settlements jostled her.

يُرَجِّحنَ الحُمولَ مُصَعِّداتٍ

يُرَجِّحنَ الحُمولَ مُصَعِّداتٍ

لِعُكّاشٍ فَقَد يَبِسَ القَرارُ

لِعُكّاشٍ فَقَد يَبِسَ القَرارُ

They swayed the laden camels, heading upland

Carriers balance the loads on the hillsides

toward Ukkash, for the low ground had dried.

For a porter, since the villages had withered.

وَيَمَّمنَ الرِكابَ بَناتِ نَعشٍ

وَيَمَّمنَ الرِكابَ بَناتِ نَعشٍ

وَفينا عَن مَغارِبِها اِزوِرارُ

وَفينا عَن مَغارِبِها اِزوِرارُ

They steered the riding camels toward the Daughters of Na'sh,

The riders headed for the daughters of Nish

while we turned away from their setting-places.

While we avoided their sunsets.

نُجومٌ يَرعَوينَ إِلى نُجومٍ

نُجومٌ يَرعَوينَ إِلى نُجومٍ

كَما فاءَت إِلى الرُبَعِ الظُؤارُ

كَما فاءَت إِلى الرُبَعِ الظُؤارُ

Stars inclining toward stars,

Stars lead us to stars

as foster she-camels return to a spring-born calf.

As the Pleiades led to Al-Thurayya constellation.

فَقُلتُ وَقَلَّ ذاكَ لَهُنَّ مِنّي

فَقُلتُ وَقَلَّ ذاكَ لَهُنَّ مِنّي

سَقى بَلَداً حَلَلنَ بِهِ القِطارُ

سَقى بَلَداً حَلَلنَ بِهِ القِطارُ

So I said—and that was little enough from me for them—

So I said - and that lessened what I owed them -

May the rains water the land where they have settled.

"It quenched a land where trains stopped."

رَأَيتُ وَصُحبَتي بِخُناصِراتٍ

رَأَيتُ وَصُحبَتي بِخُناصِراتٍ

حُمولاً بَعدَ ما مَتَعَ النَهارُ

حُمولاً بَعدَ ما مَتَعَ النَهارُ

My companions and I saw, at Khunasirat,

I saw my companions with swaying litters,

laden camels after the day had risen high.

Loads, after the day’s joys had ended.

نَئينُ عَلى الرِحالِ وَقَد تَرامَت

نَئينُ عَلى الرِحالِ وَقَد تَرامَت

لِأَيدي العيسِ مَهلَكَةٌ قِفارُ

لِأَيدي العيسِ مَهلَكَةٌ قِفارُ

We groaned upon the saddles, while there stretched

Moaning over saddles while to the herdsmen’s hands

before the pale camels' forelegs a deadly, barren waste.

Sprawled the wasteland’s expanses, desolate.

كَأَنَّ أَواسِطَ الأَكوارِ فينا

كَأَنَّ أَواسِطَ الأَكوارِ فينا

بَنونَ لَنا نُلاعِبُهُم صِغارُ

بَنونَ لَنا نُلاعِبُهُم صِغارُ

As though the middles of our camel-saddles

It was as if, in our bosoms, the epochs

were little sons of ours whom we played with.

Had built nests for us, and we played with them, little.

فَلَيسَ لِنَظرَتي ذَنبٌ وَلَكِن

فَلَيسَ لِنَظرَتي ذَنبٌ وَلَكِن

سَقى أَمثالَ نَظرَتِيَ الدِرارُ

سَقى أَمثالَ نَظرَتِيَ الدِرارُ

There is no blame in my glance; yet

So my glance was not at fault, but

may abundant rains water glances such as mine.

The likes of my glance the eras had watered.

يَكادُ القَلبُ مِن طَرَبٍ إِلَيهِم

يَكادُ القَلبُ مِن طَرَبٍ إِلَيهِم

وَمِن طولِ الصَبابَةِ يُستَطارُ

وَمِن طولِ الصَبابَةِ يُستَطارُ

My heart, from yearning for them, almost—

The heart almost swoons from joy towards them,

and from prolonged longing—is swept away.

And from prolonged longing, it is exhausted.

يَظَلُّ مُجَنَّبَ الكَنَفَينِ يَهفو

يَظَلُّ مُجَنَّبَ الكَنَفَينِ يَهفو

هُفَوَّ الصَقرِ أَمسَكَهُ الإِسارُ

هُفَوَّ الصَقرِ أَمسَكَهُ الإِسارُ

It keeps fluttering, hemmed in on either side,

It remains avoiding the ridges, fluttering

like a falcon fluttering, held fast by its tether.

A falcon’s flutter, imprisoned by shackles.

وَفي الحَيِّ الَّذينَ رَأَيتُ خَودٌ

وَفي الحَيِّ الَّذينَ رَأَيتُ خَودٌ

شَموسُ الأُنسِ آنِسَةٌ نَوارُ

شَموسُ الأُنسِ آنِسَةٌ نَوارُ

Among the tribe whom I saw was a tender young woman,

In that alive one whom I saw, a cheek

shy of intimacy, yet companionable and chaste.

Whose sunshine was intimate, radiant.

بَرودُ العارِضَينِ كَأَنَّ فاها

بَرودُ العارِضَينِ كَأَنَّ فاها

بُعَيدَ النَومِ عاتِقَةٌ عُقارُ

بُعَيدَ النَومِ عاتِقَةٌ عُقارُ

Cool along her rows of teeth, as though her mouth,

The coolness of her cheek was as if, after sleep,

shortly after sleep, were aged, heady wine.

Her mouth worked at making medicine.

إِذا اِنخَضَدَ الوِسادُ بِها فَمالَت

إِذا اِنخَضَدَ الوِسادُ بِها فَمالَت

مَميلاً فَهوَ مَوتٌ أَو خِطارُ

مَميلاً فَهوَ مَوتٌ أَو خِطارُ

When the pillow yields beneath her and she leans

When the pillow crumpled under her, she leaned

with such a sway—it is death or peril.

Slanted - either death or peril.

تُرَدُّ بِفَترَةٍ عَضُدَيكَ عَنها

تُرَدُّ بِفَترَةٍ عَضُدَيكَ عَنها

إِذا اِعتَنَقَت وَمالَ بِها اِنهِصارُ

إِذا اِعتَنَقَت وَمالَ بِها اِنهِصارُ

Your upper arms are drawn back from her in languor,

You retract your arms from her slowly

when she embraces and yielding softness bends her.

If she embraces, and it tilts into an embrace.

يَكادُ الزَوجُ يَشرَبُها إِذا ما

يَكادُ الزَوجُ يَشرَبُها إِذا ما

تَلَقّاها بِنَشوَتِها اِنبِهارُ

تَلَقّاها بِنَشوَتِها اِنبِهارُ

Her husband almost drinks her in when

The husband almost drinks her up when she

breathlessness greets her amid her heady fragrance:

Meets him with her dazed dazzlement.

شَميماً تُنشَرُ الأَحشاءُ مِنهُ

شَميماً تُنشَرُ الأَحشاءُ مِنهُ

وَحُبّاً لا يُباعُ وَلا يُعارُ

وَحُبّاً لا يُباعُ وَلا يُعارُ

a scent by which the inward parts revive,

Her scent makes the innards quiver,

and a love neither sold nor lent.

And a love that cannot be sold or lent.

تَرى مِنها اِبنَ عَمِّكَ حينَ يُضحي

تَرى مِنها اِبنَ عَمِّكَ حينَ يُضحي

نَقِىَّ اللَونِ لَيسَ بِهِ غُبارُ

نَقِىَّ اللَونِ لَيسَ بِهِ غُبارُ

Because of her, you see your cousin, come morning,

You see in her your cousin when he makes sacrifice,

clear in complexion, with no dust upon him,

Pure complexioned, without any soil.

كَوَقفِ العاجِ مَسَّ ذَكِيَّ مِسكٍ

كَوَقفِ العاجِ مَسَّ ذَكِيَّ مِسكٍ

تَجيئُ بِهِ مِنَ اليَمَنِ التِجارُ

تَجيئُ بِهِ مِنَ اليَمَنِ التِجارُ

like an ivory bracelet that has touched fragrant musk,

Like ivory touched by a pleasant musk

which merchants bring from Yemen.

The merchants bring from Yemen.

إِذا نادى المُنادي باتَ يَبكي

إِذا نادى المُنادي باتَ يَبكي

حِذارَ الصُبحِ لَو نَفَعَ الحِذارُ

حِذارَ الصُبحِ لَو نَفَعَ الحِذارُ

When the caller calls, he spends the night weeping,

When the caller calls, he starts crying

in dread of dawn—if only dread could help.

Beware the dawn, though bewaring does not avail.

وَوَدَّ اللَيلُ زيدَ عَلَيهِ لَيلٌ

وَوَدَّ اللَيلُ زيدَ عَلَيهِ لَيلٌ

وَلَم يُخلَق لَهُ أَبَداً نَهارُ

وَلَم يُخلَق لَهُ أَبَداً نَهارُ

He wishes another night were added to the night,

And night wishes an extra night added to it,

and no day were ever created for him.

For it was never created a day.

يَرُدُّ تَنَفُّسَ الصُعَداءِ حَتّى

يَرُدُّ تَنَفُّسَ الصُعَداءِ حَتّى

يَكونَ مَعَ الوَتينِ لَهُ قَرارُ

يَكونَ مَعَ الوَتينِ لَهُ قَرارُ

He holds back the breath of deep sighs until

It keeps back the panting breath of the sleepless one

it finds a resting place beside the heart's artery.

Until it settles down with the pillow as a home.

كَأَنَّ سَبيكَةً صَفراءَ شيفَت

كَأَنَّ سَبيكَةً صَفراءَ شيفَت

عَلَيها ثُمَّ ليثَ بِها الخِمارُ

عَلَيها ثُمَّ ليثَ بِها الخِمارُ

As though a yellow ingot had been rubbed

As if a yellow ingot

over her; then the veil was wound around it.

Which a lion then stamped with his seal.

يَبيتُ ضَجيعُها بِمَكانِ دَلٍّ

يَبيتُ ضَجيعُها بِمَكانِ دَلٍّ

وَمِلحٍ مالِدَرَّتِهِ غِرارُ

وَمِلحٍ مالِدَرَّتِهِ غِرارُ

Her bedmate spends the night amid coquettish grace

Her lover spends the night in a trace of musk

and charm, with no lull in its outpouring.

And salt, whose pearls have melted.