عسَاها بعدَ رحْلَتِنا عسَاها

عسَاها بعدَ رحْلَتِنا عسَاها

تعاودني وترعَى منْ رعاها

تعاودني وترعَى منْ رعاها

Perhaps she, after our departure—perhaps she

Perhaps after our journey, perhaps

will return to me and care for one who cared for her.

She will return to me and tend to those she tended

عَسَاهَا تذكرُ الذّممَ اللواتي

عَسَاهَا تذكرُ الذّممَ اللواتي

بنهلة إذ حشاي على حشاها

بنهلة إذ حشاي على حشاها

Perhaps she remembers the pledges made

Perhaps she will remember the debts that

at Nahla, when my bosom rested upon hers;

In Nahla, when my tent pole leaned upon its pole

وليلةَ وسَّديني دملجاها

وليلةَ وسَّديني دملجاها

وبتَّ مقبلا يا سعْدُ فاها

وبتَّ مقبلا يا سعْدُ فاها

and the night her two armlets served as my pillow,

And the night I made her a refuge

and you spent the night, O Sa'd, kissing her mouth;

And in the morning, oh happiness of her mouth

ويومَ أتت وفي يدها زجاجٌ

ويومَ أتت وفي يدها زجاجٌ

به خَمْرٌ حَكَتْه وَجْنَتَاها

به خَمْرٌ حَكَتْه وَجْنَتَاها

and the day she came, a glass in her hand,

And the day she came, and in her hand a bottle

holding wine that her two cheeks resembled.

In it wine she had fermented and harvested

نعمتُ ليالياً بجوار لَيلى

نعمتُ ليالياً بجوار لَيلى

ومضروبٌ خِبايَ إلى خباهَا

ومضروبٌ خِبايَ إلى خباهَا

I enjoyed blissful nights beside Layla,

I enjoyed nights in the company of Layla

with my tent pitched beside hers.

And my tents were pitched next to her tents

وكنتُ أزورها واللّيلُ داج

وكنتُ أزورها واللّيلُ داج

وأسقى البابليّةَ من لماها

وأسقى البابليّةَ من لماها

I would visit her while the night was dark,

And I used to visit her while the night was dark

and be given Babylonian wine from her dark lips.

And quenched the Babylonians from her well

وبعدَ حضورها غبنا وشطتْ

وبعدَ حضورها غبنا وشطتْ

بكل قبيلة منّا نواها

بكل قبيلة منّا نواها

After being with her, we were apart; far away

And after she left us and journeyed on

from us, through every tribe, her departure took her.

To every tribe among us she bid farewell

وحَلت في بلادٍ لا تراني

وحَلت في بلادٍ لا تراني

بها أمُّ البنين ولا أراها

بها أمُّ البنين ولا أراها

She settled in lands where I cannot be seen

And settled in lands where I cannot see her

by Umm al-Banin, nor can I see her there.

Neither the mother of sons nor the one I love

إلى الله الشكايةُ من زمان

إلى الله الشكايةُ من زمان

به الأيامُ أبدتْ لي جفاها

به الأيامُ أبدتْ لي جفاها

To God I complain of an age

To God is my lament over a time

in which the days have shown me their unkindness:

In which days have shown me their harshness

زمان لا ترى فيه غَنِيا

زمان لا ترى فيه غَنِيا

يُشامُ مُروَأةً إلاّ أتاها

يُشامُ مُروَأةً إلاّ أتاها

an age in which you see no wealthy man

A time in which you see no rich man

looked to for generosity without his showing it.

Who suckles a baby except the one who bore her

وكان الناس يرعى البعض بعضا

وكان الناس يرعى البعض بعضا

وحتى الذئب يستبقي الشياها

وحتى الذئب يستبقي الشياها

People once cared for one another,

And people used to herd one another

and even the wolf would spare the sheep.

Even the wolf would spare the lambs

وكانت قبل ذا خنساء صخْرٍ

وكانت قبل ذا خنساء صخْرٍ

إذا افتقرت دعت صخراً أخاها

إذا افتقرت دعت صخراً أخاها

Before this, Khansa, Sakhr's sister,

And before this there was Khensa of Sakhra

would call on her brother Sakhr whenever she was in need.

When she grew poor she would call Sakhra her brother

يُخَيّرها كرائمَ ما حَواه

يُخَيّرها كرائمَ ما حَواه

ويسألها ويكشف ما عَنَاها

ويسألها ويكشف ما عَنَاها

He would let her choose the finest of all he possessed,

Giving her the choice of the best he owned

and inquire of her, relieving whatever troubled her.

And asking her and disclosing her secrets