تُرى عَلِمتْ ذاتُ الدمالِج حَالتي

تُرى عَلِمتْ ذاتُ الدمالِج حَالتي

فتسْمَحُ لي من طيفها بمحالِ

فتسْمَحُ لي من طيفها بمحالِ

I wonder, has the wearer of armlets learned my plight,

Does the owner of the tender cheeks know my state,

so she might grant me, through her dream-image, the impossible?

So she may allow me to glimpse her radiance?

وهل عندها علمٌ بضعف تحمُّليِ

وهل عندها علمٌ بضعف تحمُّليِ

عشية زُمّتْ للوداع جِمالي

عشية زُمّتْ للوداع جِمالي

And does she know how weak my endurance was

Does she know how little endurance I have

the evening my camels were haltered for farewell?

On an evening when she has adorned for farewell?

ترحلتُ عن تلك الديارِ ولم أكنْ

ترحلتُ عن تلك الديارِ ولم أكنْ

بناسٍ ولا عن أهْلِهنّ بسالي

بناسٍ ولا عن أهْلِهنّ بسالي

I departed from those dwellings, yet I was not

I left those abodes though I was

forgetful, nor free of longing for their people.

Neither weary of the people nor detached from its folk.

وعنّفَني سَعدٌ خليلي في البّكا

وعنّفَني سَعدٌ خليلي في البّكا

إلاَ ما لسَعدٍ يوم ذاك ومالي

إلاَ ما لسَعدٍ يوم ذاك ومالي

Saʿd, my close friend, rebuked me for weeping;

Saad, my friend, chided me for weeping

but what had Saʿd to do with me that day?

Yet what was Saad's concern that day or mine?

يذكّرني البرقُ اليماني زينباً

يذكّرني البرقُ اليماني زينباً

فأحْسِبُه من ثغرها المتلالي

فأحْسِبُه من ثغرها المتلالي

The Yemeni lightning reminds me of Zaynab,

The Yemeni lightning reminds me of Zainab,

so I think it comes from her gleaming mouth.

So I imagine it is from her smiling mouth.

واحتوا إلى الحي الذي فيه زينبٌ

واحتوا إلى الحي الذي فيه زينبٌ

وإن لم تجد أيديهم بنوالِ

وإن لم تجد أيديهم بنوالِ

And [I yearn] for the clan where Zaynab dwells,

They pitched their tents in the quarter where Zainab dwells

even if their hands have bestowed no bounty.

Yet if their hands do not find rest, what of it?

عُقَيلية تدعو هلاَلَ بن عامِر

عُقَيلية تدعو هلاَلَ بن عامِر

فَوا تعبي من عامرٍ وهلالِ

فَوا تعبي من عامرٍ وهلالِ

A woman of ʿUqayl, she calls upon Hilāl ibn ʿĀmir;

My Uqaili woman calls on Hilal ibn ‘Amir.

alas for my weariness from ʿĀmir and Hilāl!

Alas for my weariness with ‘Amir and Hilal!

مَحلٌ بوادي الطّلِح الضالُ أهلُها

مَحلٌ بوادي الطّلِح الضالُ أهلُها

بنفسي مِنْ طلح مُحَلٌ وضآل

بنفسي مِنْ طلح مُحَلٌ وضآل

Her people dwell in the valley of acacia and wild lote trees;

An abode in Wadi Tilah whose people are lost.

I would give my life for a dweller amid acacia and wild lote trees.

By my life, from Tilah it is only decline!

تعجَّب مني إذ عبرتُ بربعها

تعجَّب مني إذ عبرتُ بربعها

صَمتني فلمّا إنْ بكيتُ بكى لي

صَمتني فلمّا إنْ بكيتُ بكى لي

He marveled at me when I passed her dwelling—

He wondered at me when I passed through its outskirts.

[at my silence]; then, when I wept, he wept for me.

He was silent, but when I wept he wept for me, saying:

كذا لك لم أنفك تجري مدامعي

كذا لك لم أنفك تجري مدامعي

إذا ما رأيتُ الدورَ وَهي خوالي

إذا ما رأيتُ الدورَ وَهي خوالي

Thus, for you, my tears have never ceased to flow,

“Thus it is, your tears flow without cease

whenever I see the dwellings deserted.

Whenever you see the houses and they are empty.”

وما وَجَد الفتيان وَجْدي بزينب

وما وَجَد الفتيان وَجْدي بزينب

قديما ولاَ ضلاّ كمثل ضلالي

قديما ولاَ ضلاّ كمثل ضلالي

And the two youths never felt my passion for Zaynab

The youths have never known my passion for Zainab

in days gone by, nor did they stray as I have.

Nor strayed like my straying in time past.

ولا سلَك الكعْبان في الشعر مسلكي

ولا سلَك الكعْبان في الشعر مسلكي

ولا جال فيه النابغان مجالي

ولا جال فيه النابغان مجالي

Nor did the two Kaʿbs follow my path in poetry,

Nor have the noble poets threaded my course in verse

nor did the two Nābighas range through it as I have.

Nor roamed my domains in it.

فان يَزْوِعَنّي الباخلونَ نوالَهُم

فان يَزْوِعَنّي الباخلونَ نوالَهُم

فكم صُنتُ وجهي عَنْهُم وسؤالي

فكم صُنتُ وجهي عَنْهُم وسؤالي

So if the miserly withhold their bounty from me—

If the misers deny me their company,

how often I have kept my face and my requests from them!

How often have I guarded my face from them and asking!

وَلمْ لا أُوالي تغلب ابنةِ وائل

وَلمْ لا أُوالي تغلب ابنةِ وائل

متى شئتُ أندى مَرْتعٍ وظِلالِ

متى شئتُ أندى مَرْتعٍ وظِلالِ

And why should I not ally myself with Taghlib, daughter of Wāʾil,

Why should I not befriend Taghlib ibnat Wa’il

whenever I desire the dewiest pasture and shade?

Whenever I wish for fresh pasture and shade?

من جاهِ عبد اللهِ جاهي إذا نبا

من جاهِ عبد اللهِ جاهي إذا نبا

زمانٌ ومِنْ مَالِ ابن احمد مالي

زمانٌ ومِنْ مَالِ ابن احمد مالي

My standing comes from ʿAbd Allāh's standing in harsh

From the glory of Abdullah is my glory, if time grows long,

times; and my wealth comes from Ibn Aḥmad's wealth.

And from the wealth of Ibn Ahmad, my wealth.