أَآبَ الهَمُّ إِذ نامَ الرُقودُ

أَآبَ الهَمُّ إِذ نامَ الرُقودُ

وَطالَ اللَيلُ واِمتَنَع الهُجودُ

وَطالَ اللَيلُ واِمتَنَع الهُجودُ

Has sorrow returned when the sleepers slept?

When care descended as slumber departed,

And night has lengthened, and slumber will not come.

And the night grew long, secluding intimacy,

هَوىً لِلعَينِ بَينَ صَفا أُضاخٍ

هَوىً لِلعَينِ بَينَ صَفا أُضاخٍ

وَحَيثُ سَما لِوارِدَةَ العَمودُ

وَحَيثُ سَما لِوارِدَةَ العَمودُ

From longing for the wide-eyed women between Ṣafā Uḍākh

I let my eyes wander between pure whiteness

and where al-ʿAmūd rises by Wāridah.

And where the pillar rises to support the roof.

وَلَو نِلتُ الخُلودَ وَلا أَراكُم

وَلَو نِلتُ الخُلودَ وَلا أَراكُم

بِذاكَ الجِزعِ لامتَنَعَ الخُلودُ

بِذاكَ الجِزعِ لامتَنَعَ الخُلودُ

Even if I gained immortality but did not see you

And if I gained immortality without seeing you again

at that valley bend, immortality would elude me.

With that intensity, immortality would be rejected.

أَراقِبُ مِرزَمَ الجَوزاءِ حَتّى

أَراقِبُ مِرزَمَ الجَوزاءِ حَتّى

تَضَمَّنَهُ مِن الأُفقِ السُجودُ

تَضَمَّنَهُ مِن الأُفقِ السُجودُ

I watch Orion’s Mirzam until

I watch the Pleiades until dawn enfolds it

it bows down, enfolded by the horizon.

From the horizon in prostration.

وَعارضَ بَعدَ مَسقَطِهِ سُهَيلٌ

وَعارضَ بَعدَ مَسقَطِهِ سُهَيلٌ

يَلوحُ كَأَنَّهُ بِدَمٍ طَريدُ

يَلوحُ كَأَنَّهُ بِدَمٍ طَريدُ

And after its setting, Suhayl comes into view,

Suhail rises afterward from its setting

gleaming like a fugitive pursued for bloodshed.

Gleaming as though it were freshly shed blood.

وَدونَ مَزارِكُم لِسُرى المَطايا

وَدونَ مَزارِكُم لِسُرى المَطايا

مِنَ الأَعلامِ أَشباهُ وَبيدُ

مِنَ الأَعلامِ أَشباهُ وَبيدُ

Between me and visiting you, on the mounts’ night journey,

And below where you camp, the tents’ peaks

lie look-alike peaks and deserts.

Resemble aloes and the withered raeda plant.

كَأَنَّ أَرومَها وَالآلُ طافٍ

كَأَنَّ أَرومَها وَالآلُ طافٍ

عَلى أَرجائِها نَبَطٌ قُعودُ

عَلى أَرجائِها نَبَطٌ قُعودُ

As though their bases, while the mirage floats

As though their guy-ropes and tent pegs

around their edges, were seated Nabataeans.

Were a settled Nabataean tribe surrounding them.

وَمن هَضبِ القَليبِ مُقَنَّعاتٌ

وَمن هَضبِ القَليبِ مُقَنَّعاتٌ

وَمَذعاءُ اللَقيطَةِ وَالكَؤودُ

وَمَذعاءُ اللَقيطَةِ وَالكَؤودُ

And among al-Qalīb’s hills are veiled peaks,

From Hejaz’s sands, veiled women appear,

and Madhʿāʾ al-Laqīṭah and al-Kaʾūd.

As do young maidens and heavily veiled brides.

بَدَت فَتَبَرَّجَت لَكَ أُمُّ بَدرٍ

بَدَت فَتَبَرَّجَت لَكَ أُمُّ بَدرٍ

وَكَيداً بِالتَبَرُّجِ ما تَكيدُ

وَكَيداً بِالتَبَرُّجِ ما تَكيدُ

Umm Badr appeared, then displayed her beauty to you.

The full moon revealed herself, flirting with you,

And what a scheme she plots through that display!

Scheming harmfully as she flirted.

فَلَمّا أَن لَجَحتُ نأت وَصَدَّت

فَلَمّا أَن لَجَحتُ نأت وَصَدَّت

وَمِنهُنَّ التَباعِدُ وَالصُدودُ

وَمِنهُنَّ التَباعِدُ وَالصُدودُ

But when I persisted, she withdrew and turned away;

When I drew near and she frowned and pulled away,

and theirs are aloofness and rejection.

Keepings her distance disdainfully.

فَكَيفَ قَتَلتِني يا أُمَّ بَدرٍ

فَكَيفَ قَتَلتِني يا أُمَّ بَدرٍ

وَلا قَتلٌ عَلَيكِ وَلا حُدودُ

وَلا قَتلٌ عَلَيكِ وَلا حُدودُ

How, then, have you killed me, O Umm Badr,

How could you kill me, O mother of Badr,

yet incur neither death in requital nor prescribed punishment?

When you owe me no blood nor legal penalties?

فَما اِحتَجَبَت فَتَوئسُ أُمُّ بَدرٍ

فَما اِحتَجَبَت فَتَوئسُ أُمُّ بَدرٍ

قُلوبَ الطامِعينَ وَما تَجودُ

قُلوبَ الطامِعينَ وَما تَجودُ

Umm Badr does not veil herself, which would dishearten

Without concealing herself, Umm Badr saddens

the hearts of those who hope; yet she gives nothing.

The hearts of hopeful lovers but is no spendthrift with her gifts.

وَطَرفي إِذا رَميتُ بِهِ كَليلٌ

وَطَرفي إِذا رَميتُ بِهِ كَليلٌ

وَطَرفُكِ إِذ رَمَيتِ بِهِ حَديدُ

وَطَرفُكِ إِذ رَمَيتِ بِهِ حَديدُ

My gaze, whenever I shoot with it, is blunt;

My glance, when I cast it, is infirm,

but yours, when you shot with it, was sharp.

While your glance, when you cast it, is steel.

وَإِنَّ العامِريَةَ أُمَّ بَدرٍ

وَإِنَّ العامِريَةَ أُمَّ بَدرٍ

لآنِسَةٌ مُباعِدَةٌ صَيودُ

لآنِسَةٌ مُباعِدَةٌ صَيودُ

And indeed the ʿĀmirī woman, Umm Badr,

Indeed, O mother of Badr, al-‘Amariyya

is winsome, aloof, and a huntress.

Is a bosom friend, though she keeps her distance, wandering freely.