لِعَزَّةَ مِن أَيّامِ ذي الغُصنِ هاجَني

لِعَزَّةَ مِن أَيّامِ ذي الغُصنِ هاجَني

بَضاحي قَرارِ الرَوضَتَينِ رُسومُ

بَضاحي قَرارِ الرَوضَتَينِ رُسومُ

From ‘Azza's days at Dhu al-Ghusn, I was stirred

For the honor of the days of him of the branch, desires have stirred me,

by traces in the open hollow of al-Rawdatayn.

The traces of the two gardens' decision trouble me,

فَروضَةُ أَلجامٍ تَهيجُ لِيَ البُكا

فَروضَةُ أَلجامٍ تَهيجُ لِيَ البُكا

وَرَوضاتُ شوطىعَهدُهُنَّ قَديمُ

وَرَوضاتُ شوطىعَهدُهُنَّ قَديمُ

And the meadow of Aljam stirs me to weeping,

So a garden of cups excites me to tears,

and the meadows of Shawta—their memory is old.

While the gardens of my life with them is an old pact,

هِيَ الدارُ وَحشاً غَيرَ أَن قَد يَحِلُّها

هِيَ الدارُ وَحشاً غَيرَ أَن قَد يَحِلُّها

وَيَغنى بِها شَخصٌ عَلَيَّ كَريمُ

وَيَغنى بِها شَخصٌ عَلَيَّ كَريمُ

It is the dwelling, desolate, save that there sometimes settles

It is a house made desolate but a generous soul may settle it

and dwells someone dear to me.

And sing of it, over me being so noble,

فَما بِرِباعِ الدارِ أَن كُنتُ عالِماً

فَما بِرِباعِ الدارِ أَن كُنتُ عالِماً

وَلا بِمَحَلِّ الغانِياتِ أَهيمُ

وَلا بِمَحَلِّ الغانِياتِ أَهيمُ

So it is not the dwelling's quarters, which I knew,

So I had no knowledge of the house's yards,

nor the abode of lovely women that I pine for.

Nor did I rave about the singing girls,

سَأَلتُ حَكيماً أَينَ صارَت بِها النَوى

سَأَلتُ حَكيماً أَينَ صارَت بِها النَوى

فَخَبَّرَني ما لا أُحِبُّ حَكيمُ

فَخَبَّرَني ما لا أُحِبُّ حَكيمُ

I asked Hakim where separation had carried her;

I asked a wise man where the loved ones had gone

and Hakim told me what I did not wish to hear.

And he told me what I do not like, O wise one!

أَجَدّوا فَأَمّا آلُ عَزَّةَ غَدوَةً

أَجَدّوا فَأَمّا آلُ عَزَّةَ غَدوَةً

فَبانوا وَأَمّا واسِطٌ فَمُقيمُ

فَبانوا وَأَمّا واسِطٌ فَمُقيمُ

They hastened away; as for ‘Azza's people, at dawn

They went travelling, and the family of Honour left at dawn

they departed, while Wasit remained.

And stayed away, while the middle folk remained,

فَمَضا لِلنَوى لا بارَكَ اللَهُ في النَوى

فَمَضا لِلنَوى لا بارَكَ اللَهُ في النَوى

وَعَهدُ النَوى عِندَ المُحِبِّ ذَميمُ

وَعَهدُ النَوى عِندَ المُحِبِّ ذَميمُ

So, anguish at separation! May God not bless separation!

They left for the loved ones - may Allah not bless the loved ones!

And separation's covenant is hateful to the lover.

And the pact with loved ones is despicable to a lover,

لَعَمري لَئِن كانَ الفُؤادُ مِنَ النَوى

لَعَمري لَئِن كانَ الفُؤادُ مِنَ النَوى

بَغى سَقَماً إِنّي إِذَن لَسَقيمُ

بَغى سَقَماً إِنّي إِذَن لَسَقيمُ

By my life, if the heart, through separation,

By my life, if the heart suffers lovesickness for the loved ones,

has sought sickness, then I am sick indeed.

Then I indeed am sick,

فَإِمّا تَرَيني اليَومَ أُبدي جَلادَةً

فَإِمّا تَرَيني اليَومَ أُبدي جَلادَةً

فَإِنّي لَعَمري تحتَ ذاكَ كَليمُ

فَإِنّي لَعَمري تحتَ ذاكَ كَليمُ

So if you see me today displaying fortitude,

So if you see me today showing patience,

then, by my life, beneath it I am wounded.

Still, by my life, under that I am submissive,

وَما ظَعَنَت طَوعاً وَلَكِن أَزالَها

وَما ظَعَنَت طَوعاً وَلَكِن أَزالَها

زَمانٌ نَبا بِالصالِحينَ مَشومُ

زَمانٌ نَبا بِالصالِحينَ مَشومُ

She did not leave willingly; rather, she was driven away

And my misery was not voluntary but time,

by an ill-omened age that was harsh to the righteous.

Boding ill to good men, took it away.

فَواحَزنا لَمّا تَفَرَّقَ واسِطٌ

فَواحَزنا لَمّا تَفَرَّقَ واسِطٌ

وَأَهلُ الَّتي أَهذي بِها وَأَحومُ

وَأَهلُ الَّتي أَهذي بِها وَأَحومُ

Alas, my sorrow at the parting of Wasit

So pity me when the middle folk split up

and the people of her whom I rave about and hover around!

And those I rave about and pine for;

وَقالَ لِيَ البَلاغُ وَيحَكَ إِنَّها

وَقالَ لِيَ البَلاغُ وَيحَكَ إِنَّها

بِغَيرِكَ حَقّاً يا كَثيرُ تَهيمُ

بِغَيرِكَ حَقّاً يا كَثيرُ تَهيمُ

And the message said to me: Alas for you! She

And speech told me - woe to you - she belongs

truly pines for someone other than you, Kuthayyir.

In truth, O Kuthayyir, to another that you rave about!

أَتَشخَصُ والشخص الَّذي أَنتَ عادِلُ

أَتَشخَصُ والشخص الَّذي أَنتَ عادِلُ

بِهِ الخُلدَ بِينَ العائِداتِ سَقيمُ

بِهِ الخُلدَ بِينَ العائِداتِ سَقيمُ

Do you depart, while the one you hold equal

Do you dare when the one you equal

to eternal life lies sick among her women visitors?

In eternity among lovers has grown feeble?

يُذَكِّرُنيها كُلُّ ريحٍ مَريضَةٍ

يُذَكِّرُنيها كُلُّ ريحٍ مَريضَةٍ

لَها بِالتِلاعِ القاوِياتِ نَسيمُ

لَها بِالتِلاعِ القاوِياتِ نَسيمُ

Every languid wind reminds me of her,

She reminds me, every sick wind

with its gentle breath in the deserted gullies.

That blows on the high, crumbling ruins, has a gentle breeze,

تَمُرُّ السُنونَ الماضِياتُ وَلا أَرى

تَمُرُّ السُنونَ الماضِياتُ وَلا أَرى

بِصَحنِ الشَبا أَطلالَهُنَّ تَريمُ

بِصَحنِ الشَبا أَطلالَهُنَّ تَريمُ

The passing years go by, yet I do not see

The years gone by pass without my seeing

their ruins move from the open plain of al-Shaba.

In the palm trees' courtyard their long-gone traces.

وَلَستُ اِبنَةَ الضَمرِيِّ مِنكَ بِناقِمٍ

وَلَستُ اِبنَةَ الضَمرِيِّ مِنكَ بِناقِمٍ

ذُنوبَ العِدى إِنّي إِذَن لَظَلومُ

ذُنوبَ العِدى إِنّي إِذَن لَظَلومُ

And, daughter of al-Damri, I do not hold against you

Nor am I, for you, Umayma's daughter, a avenger of wrongs -

the enemies' sins; then I would indeed be unjust.

Truly then I am unjust!

وَإِنّي لَذو وَجدٍ لَئِن عادَ وَصلُها

وَإِنّي لَذو وَجدٍ لَئِن عادَ وَصلُها

وَإِنّي عَلى رَبّي إِذَن لَكَريمُ

وَإِنّي عَلى رَبّي إِذَن لَكَريمُ

And I am full of longing; should union with her return,

But I have a passion - if her favours return

I shall then surely be dear to my Lord.

Then truly to my Lord I am generous!

إِذا بَرَقَت نَحوَ البُوَيبِ سَحابَةٌ

إِذا بَرَقَت نَحوَ البُوَيبِ سَحابَةٌ

لِعَينَيكَ مِنها لا تَجِفُّ سُجومُ

لِعَينَيكَ مِنها لا تَجِفُّ سُجومُ

When a cloud flashes lightning toward al-Buwayb,

When a cloud lightens in Buwaib's direction

your eyes shed for it streams of tears that never dry.

May showers from it not dry up for your eyes,

وَلَستُ بِراءٍ نَحوَ مِصرَ سَحابَةً

وَلَستُ بِراءٍ نَحوَ مِصرَ سَحابَةً

وَإِن بَعُدَت إِلّا قَعَدتُ أَشيمُ

وَإِن بَعُدَت إِلّا قَعَدتُ أَشيمُ

And I never see a cloud toward Egypt,

I am not averse when a cloud heads for Egypt

however distant, without sitting to watch its lightning.

And even if distant, still I sit keening,

فَقَد يوجَدُ النَكسُ الدَنِيُّ عَنِ الهَوى

فَقَد يوجَدُ النَكسُ الدَنِيُّ عَنِ الهَوى

عَزوفاً وَيَصبو المَرءُ وَهوَ كَريمُ

عَزوفاً وَيَصبو المَرءُ وَهوَ كَريمُ

For a craven, lowly man may be found, where love is concerned,

So the base outcast may refrain from love

aloof, while a man may fall in love and still be noble.

In disdain, while the noble man raves on,

وَقالَ خَليلي ما لَها إِذ لَقيتَها

وَقالَ خَليلي ما لَها إِذ لَقيتَها

غَداةَ الشَبا فيها عَلَيكَ وُجومُ

غَداةَ الشَبا فيها عَلَيكَ وُجومُ

And my close friend said: What was wrong with her when you met her

My friend said, 'Why did gloom cover her face

that morning at al-Shaba, with her sullen silence toward you?

When she met you in morning's first light?'

فَقُلتُ لَهُ إِنَّ المَوَدَّةَ بَينَنا

فَقُلتُ لَهُ إِنَّ المَوَدَّةَ بَينَنا

عَلى غَيرِ فحشٍ وَالصَفاءُ قَديمُ

عَلى غَيرِ فحشٍ وَالصَفاءُ قَديمُ

Then I said to him: The affection between us

I said, 'Love between us is unsullied

is free of indecency, and our sincerity is longstanding.

And our close friendship is of old.'

وَإِنّي وَإِن أَعرَضتُ عَنها تَجَلُّداً

وَإِنّي وَإِن أَعرَضتُ عَنها تَجَلُّداً

عَلى العَهدِ فيما بَينَنا لَمُقيمُ

عَلى العَهدِ فيما بَينَنا لَمُقيمُ

And I, though I have turned away from her to steel myself,

Though I turned from her, exerting myself

surely remain true to the covenant between us.

To keep our pact, still I remained loyal,

وَإِنَّ زَماناً فَرَّقَ الدَهرَ بَينَنا

وَإِنَّ زَماناً فَرَّقَ الدَهرَ بَينَنا

وَبَينَكُم في صَرفِهِ لَمَشومُ

وَبَينَكُم في صَرفِهِ لَمَشومُ

And a time that has parted us forever

Time has separated us - time's caprice bodes ill,

from you, in its changing fortunes, is surely ill-omened.

And between you and I it is inauspicious,

أَفي الدَينِ هَذا إِنَّ قَلبَك سالِمٌ

أَفي الدَينِ هَذا إِنَّ قَلبَك سالِمٌ

صَحيحٌ وَقَلبي مِن هَواكِ سَقيمُ

صَحيحٌ وَقَلبي مِن هَواكِ سَقيمُ

Is this in keeping with faith: your heart is unharmed,

If this faith of yours is secure

healthy, while my heart is sick with love for you?

And my heart for love of you is sick,

وَإِنَّ بِجَوفي مِنكِ داءٌ مُخامِراً

وَإِنَّ بِجَوفي مِنكِ داءٌ مُخامِراً

وَجَوفُكِ مِمّا بي عَلَيك سَليمُ

وَجَوفُكِ مِمّا بي عَلَيك سَليمُ

And deep within me a sickness from you has taken hold,

In my heart I have a lingering sickness from you

while your inward self is untouched by what I suffer for you.

While your heart has safety from what is in me,

لَعَمرُكِ ما أَنصَفتِني في مَوَدَّتي

لَعَمرُكِ ما أَنصَفتِني في مَوَدَّتي

وَلَكِنَّني يا عَزُّ عَنكِ حَليمُ

وَلَكِنَّني يا عَزُّ عَنكِ حَليمُ

By your life, you have not been fair to me in my love,

By your life, you did not do justice to my love!

yet, ‘Azz, I am forbearing toward you.

But still, O Pride, I am forbearing to you.

عَلَيَّ دِماءُ البُدنِ إِن كانَ حُبُّها

عَلَيَّ دِماءُ البُدنِ إِن كانَ حُبُّها

عَلى النَأيِ أَو طولَ الزَمانِ يَريمُ

عَلى النَأيِ أَو طولَ الزَمانِ يَريمُ

I owe the blood of sacrificial camels if my love for her

My body's blood be upon me if love for her

fades with distance or the long passage of time.

In avoidance or length of time should become frail!

وَأُقسِمُ ما اِستَبدَلتُ بَعدَكِ خُلَّةً

وَأُقسِمُ ما اِستَبدَلتُ بَعدَكِ خُلَّةً

وَلا لَكِ عِندي في الفُؤادِ قَسيمُ

وَلا لَكِ عِندي في الفُؤادِ قَسيمُ

And I swear that after you I have taken no other beloved,

I swear I have not replaced your sweet company since,

nor does anyone share your place in my heart.

Nor for you in my heart found any partner.