تَظَلُّ اِبنَةُ الضَمري في ظِلِّ نِعمَة

تَظَلُّ اِبنَةُ الضَمري في ظِلِّ نِعمَة

إِذا ما مَشَت مِن فوقِ صَرحٍ مُمَرَّدِ

إِذا ما مَشَت مِن فوقِ صَرحٍ مُمَرَّدِ

Al-Damri's daughter remains sheltered in luxury,

The daughter of conscience remains in the shadow of blessing

whenever she walks atop a smooth-surfaced palace.

When she walked atop a lofty palace

يِجيءُ بِرَيّاها الصَبّا كُلَّ لَيلَةٍ

يِجيءُ بِرَيّاها الصَبّا كُلَّ لَيلَةٍ

وَتَجمَعُنا الأَحلامُ في كَلِّ مَرقَدِ

وَتَجمَعُنا الأَحلامُ في كَلِّ مَرقَدِ

The east wind brings her fragrance every night,

The morning breeze brings her scent every night

and dreams unite us in every sleeping place.

And dreams gather us in every bed

ونُضحي وَأثباجُ المضيّ مَقِيلُنا

ونُضحي وَأثباجُ المضيّ مَقِيلُنا

بِجَذبٍ بنا في الصَيهَدِ المُتَوَقِّدِ

بِجَذبٍ بنا في الصَيهَدِ المُتَوَقِّدِ

We pass the morning, the backs of [mounts?] our midday resting place,

We offer ourselves as sacrifices and the blazing hearth kindles us

as we are dragged along through the blazing desert waste.

With a pull towards the burning trap

أَقيدي دَمًا يا أُمَّ عمروٍ هرَقتِهِ

أَقيدي دَمًا يا أُمَّ عمروٍ هرَقتِهِ

فَيَكفيك فِعلُ القاتِلِ المُتَعَمِّدِ

فَيَكفيك فِعلُ القاتِلِ المُتَعَمِّدِ

Grant requital for the blood you spilled, O Umm Amr,

Take vengeance, O mother of Amr whose blood was shed

for the act of a willful killer is enough for you.

So the deed of the intentional killer will suffice you

وَلن يَتَعَدّى ما بَلَغتُم بِراكبٍ

وَلن يَتَعَدّى ما بَلَغتُم بِراكبٍ

زِوَرَّةَ أَسفارٍ تَروحُ وَتَغتَدي

زِوَرَّةَ أَسفارٍ تَروحُ وَتَغتَدي

And none shall surpass what you have inflicted on a rider

And they will not exceed what they have reached with a rider

of a sturdy journey-camel that travels evening and morning.

Of frequent journeys coming and going

فَظَلَّت بِأَكنافِ الغُراباتِ تَبتَغي

فَظَلَّت بِأَكنافِ الغُراباتِ تَبتَغي

مِظَنَّتها وَاِستَمَرَأت كُلَّ مُرتَدِ

مِظَنَّتها وَاِستَمَرَأت كُلَّ مُرتَدِ

So she spent the day around al-Ghurabat, seeking

So she remained at the edges of the wastelands searching

her likely haunt, and found every roaming ground agreeable.

For her rendezvous and got used to every fugitive

وَذا خُشُبٍ مِن آخِرِ الليلِ قَلَّبَت

وَذا خُشُبٍ مِن آخِرِ الليلِ قَلَّبَت

وَتَبغي بِه لَيلاً عَلى غَيرِ مَوعِدِ

وَتَبغي بِه لَيلاً عَلى غَيرِ مَوعِدِ

Toward night's end she traversed Dhu Khushub,

With pieces of wood from the end of night she turned

seeking there by night, without an appointed meeting,

And sought by it a night without appointment

مُناقِلَةً عُرضَ الفَيافي شِمِلَّةً

مُناقِلَةً عُرضَ الفَيافي شِمِلَّةً

مَطِيَّةَ قَذافٍ عَلى الهَولِ مَبعَدِ

مَطِيَّةَ قَذافٍ عَلى الهَولِ مَبعَدِ

swift-stepping across the deserts' breadth, light and fleet,

Conveying the expanse of wilderness, covering herself

the mount of a daring traveler, far-ranging in the face of terror.

Riding a fast steed fleeing the horror

فَمَرَّت بِليلٍ وَهيَ شَدفاءُ عاصِف

فَمَرَّت بِليلٍ وَهيَ شَدفاءُ عاصِف

بِمُنخَرَقِ الدَوداءِ مَرَّ الخَفَيدَدِ

بِمُنخَرَقِ الدَوداءِ مَرَّ الخَفَيدَدِ

She passed by night, swaying and swift as a gale,

So she passed a night as an angry gale

through the gap in al-Dawda, like a fleet male ostrich.

Piercing the darkness going to al-Khadid

وَقالَ خَليلَي قَد وَقعتَ بِما تَرى

وَقالَ خَليلَي قَد وَقعتَ بِما تَرى

وَأَبلَغتَ عُذرًا في البغايَةِ فَاِقصِدِ

وَأَبلَغتَ عُذرًا في البغايَةِ فَاِقصِدِ

My friend said, “You have fallen into the plight you see,

And my friend said, "You have fallen into what you see

and done enough in your quest to be excused; now show restraint.

And have given an excuse in wrongdoing so head straight

فَحَتَّامَ جوبُ البيدِ بِالعيسِ تَرتَمي

فَحَتَّامَ جوبُ البيدِ بِالعيسِ تَرتَمي

تَنائِفَ ما بَينَ البُحَيرِ فَصَرخَدِ

تَنائِفَ ما بَينَ البُحَيرِ فَصَرخَدِ

How much longer this crossing of deserts on pale camels, hurtling

So Hattem threw spears at the beasts flocking

through the waterless wastes between al-Buhayr and Sarkhad?”

Between al-Buhayr screaming aloud

فَقُلتُ لَهُ لَم تَقضِ ما عَمَدَت لَهُ

فَقُلتُ لَهُ لَم تَقضِ ما عَمَدَت لَهُ

وَلَم تَأتِ أَصرامًا بِبُرقَةِ مُنشَدِ

وَلَم تَأتِ أَصرامًا بِبُرقَةِ مُنشَدِ

I told him, “She has not fulfilled the purpose she set out for,

So I said to him, "You have not fulfilled what you intended

nor reached the encampments at Burqat Munshid.”

And have not come with captives taken at spearpoint

فَأَصبَحَ يِرتَدُ الجَميمَ بِرابِغٍ

فَأَصبَحَ يِرتَدُ الجَميمَ بِرابِغٍ

إلى بُرقَةِ الخَرجاءَ مِن ضَحوَةِ الغد

إلى بُرقَةِ الخَرجاءَ مِن ضَحوَةِ الغد

So by morning he was ranging through al-Jamim at Rabigh,

So he returned dragging his robe in the morning

toward Burqat al-Kharja, from the next day's midmorning.

To Burqah of al-Kharja from early next day

لَعَمري لَقد بانَت وَشَطَّ مَزارُها

لَعَمري لَقد بانَت وَشَطَّ مَزارُها

عُزيزَةَ لا تَفقِد وَلا تَتَبَعَّدِ

عُزيزَةَ لا تَفقِد وَلا تَتَبَعَّدِ

By my life, she has departed, and her dwelling is far away—

By my life, her abode has become clear and her grave manifest

Uzayza! May you not be lost, nor grow distant.

A dear woman who is neither lost nor distant

إِذا أَصبَحَت في الجِلسِ في أَهلِ قَريَةٍ

إِذا أَصبَحَت في الجِلسِ في أَهلِ قَريَةٍ

وَأَصبَحَ أَهلي بَينَ شَطبٍ فَبَدبَدِ

وَأَصبَحَ أَهلي بَينَ شَطبٍ فَبَدبَدِ

When morning finds her in the uplands among a village's folk,

When she sits in a gathering among the people of a village

it finds my people between Shatb and Badbad.

While my family is between exterior facades and ruins

وَإِنّي لآتيكُم وَإِنّي لَراجِعٌ

وَإِنّي لآتيكُم وَإِنّي لَراجِعٌ

بِغَيرِ الجَوى مِن عِندِكُم لَم أُزَوَّدِ

بِغَيرِ الجَوى مِن عِندِكُم لَم أُزَوَّدِ

I do indeed come to you, and indeed return,

And I come to you, and I will certainly return

supplied with nothing from you but love's burning anguish.

Without satisfaction from you, I have not been provisioned

إِذا دَبَرانٌ مِنكِ يوماً لَقِتُهُ

إِذا دَبَرانٌ مِنكِ يوماً لَقِتُهُ

أُؤَمِّلُ أَن أَلقاكِ بَعدُ بِأَسعُدِ

أُؤَمِّلُ أَن أَلقاكِ بَعدُ بِأَسعُدِ

If one day I encounter your Aldebaran,

If one day we part from you, and I meet him

I hope to meet you afterward under auspicious stars.

I hope to meet you again in greater bliss

فَإِن تَسلُ النَفسُ أَو تَدَعِ الهَوى

فَإِن تَسلُ النَفسُ أَو تَدَعِ الهَوى

فَبِاليأسِ تَسلو عَنكِ لا بِالتَجَلُّدِ

فَبِاليأسِ تَسلو عَنكِ لا بِالتَجَلُّدِ

If the soul forgets, or abandons its passion,

But if the soul despairs or passion ceases

it forgets you through despair, not through fortitude.

Despair of you, not with endurance

وَكُلُّ خَليلٍ راءَني فَهوَ قائِلٌ

وَكُلُّ خَليلٍ راءَني فَهوَ قائِلٌ

مِن اجلِكِ هَذا هامَةُ اليومِ أَو غَدِ

مِن اجلِكِ هَذا هامَةُ اليومِ أَو غَدِ

And every friend who has seen me says,

And every friend who saw me says

“Because of you, this man will be a death-owl today or tomorrow.”

"For your sake this lovesick one raves today or tomorrow"