شَكَوتُ إِلى سِربِ القَطا إِذ مَرَرنَ بي

شَكَوتُ إِلى سِربِ القَطا إِذ مَرَرنَ بي

فَقُلتُ وَمِثلي بِالبُكاءِ جَديرُ

فَقُلتُ وَمِثلي بِالبُكاءِ جَديرُ

I poured out my grief to a flock of sandgrouse as they passed me,

I complained to a flock of sandgrouse as they passed me.

and said—for one such as I has every right to weep:

So I said—and one like me is worthy of weeping—

أَسِربَ القَطا هَل مِن مُعيرٍ جَناحَهُ

أَسِربَ القَطا هَل مِن مُعيرٍ جَناحَهُ

لَعَلّي إِلى مَن قَد هَوَيتُ أَطيرُ

لَعَلّي إِلى مَن قَد هَوَيتُ أَطيرُ

“O flock of sandgrouse, is there one among you who will lend me his wing,

O flock of sandgrouse, is there one who will lend his wing,

that perhaps I may fly to the one I have loved?”

so that I might fly to the one I have loved?

فَجاوَبنَني مِن فَوقِ غُصنِ أَراكَةٍ

فَجاوَبنَني مِن فَوقِ غُصنِ أَراكَةٍ

أَلا كُلُّنا يا مُستَعيرُ مُعيرُ

أَلا كُلُّنا يا مُستَعيرُ مُعيرُ

They answered me from atop the branch of an arak tree:

So they answered me from atop the branch of an arak tree:

“Indeed, all of us, O borrower, are lenders.

Indeed, all of us, O borrower, are lenders.

وَأَيُّ قَطاةٍ لَم تُعِركَ جَناحَها

وَأَيُّ قَطاةٍ لَم تُعِركَ جَناحَها

فَعاشَت بِضُرٍّ وَالجَناحُ كَسيرُ

فَعاشَت بِضُرٍّ وَالجَناحُ كَسيرُ

Whichever sandgrouse does not lend you her wing—

And any sandgrouse that will not lend you her wing—

may she live in misery, her wing broken!”

then may she live in misery, her wing broken.

وَإِلّا فَمَن هَذا يُؤَدّي رِسالَةً

وَإِلّا فَمَن هَذا يُؤَدّي رِسالَةً

فَأَشكُرَهُ إِنَّ المُحِبَّ شَكورُ

فَأَشكُرَهُ إِنَّ المُحِبَّ شَكورُ

“If not, then who here will carry a message

And if not, who is there to carry a message,

so that I may thank him? Surely the lover is ever grateful.

so I may thank him? Indeed, a lover is grateful.

إِلى اللَهِ أَشكو صَبوَتي بَعدَ كُربَتي

إِلى اللَهِ أَشكو صَبوَتي بَعدَ كُربَتي

وَنيرانُ شَوقي ما بِهِنَّ فُتورُ

وَنيرانُ شَوقي ما بِهِنَّ فُتورُ

To God I complain of my passion after all my anguish,

To God I complain of my passion after my anguish;

and the fires of my longing—there is no abating in them.

and the fires of my longing know no waning.

فَإِنّي لَقاسي القَلبِ إِن كُنتَ صابِراً

فَإِنّي لَقاسي القَلبِ إِن كُنتَ صابِراً

غَداةَ غَدٍ فيمَن يَسيرُ تَسيرُ

غَداةَ غَدٍ فيمَن يَسيرُ تَسيرُ

Surely I am hard of heart if you can remain steadfast;

For I am indeed hard of heart, if you are patient,

tomorrow morning, among those who journey, you shall journey.

tomorrow morning you will travel among those who travel.

فَإِن لَم أَمُت غَمّاً وَهَمّاً وَكُربَةً

فَإِن لَم أَمُت غَمّاً وَهَمّاً وَكُربَةً

يُعاوِدُني بَعدَ الزَفيرِ زَفيرُ

يُعاوِدُني بَعدَ الزَفيرِ زَفيرُ

And if I do not die of grief, care, and anguish,

And if I do not die of grief, worry, and anguish,

after one sigh, another sigh returns to me.

one sigh comes upon me after another.

إِذا جَلَسوا في مَجلِسٍ نَدَروا دَمي

إِذا جَلَسوا في مَجلِسٍ نَدَروا دَمي

فَكَيفَ تُراها عِندَ ذاكَ تُجيرُ

فَكَيفَ تُراها عِندَ ذاكَ تُجيرُ

Whenever they sit in council, they declare my blood forfeit;

When they sit in council, they declare my blood forfeit;

how then do you suppose she can grant me refuge?

how, then, do you think she will protect me at that moment?

وَدونَ دَمي هَزُّ الرِماحِ كَأَنَّها

وَدونَ دَمي هَزُّ الرِماحِ كَأَنَّها

تَوَقَّدُ جَمرٍ ثاقِبٍ وَسَعيرُ

تَوَقَّدُ جَمرٍ ثاقِبٍ وَسَعيرُ

Yet in defense of my life spears are brandished as though they were

And in defense of my blood, spears are brandished, as though they were

the flare of piercing embers and a raging blaze.

a blaze of piercing embers and raging fire.

وَزُرقُ مَقيلِ المَوتِ تَحتَ ظُباتِها

وَزُرقُ مَقيلِ المَوتِ تَحتَ ظُباتِها

وَنَبلٌ وَسُمرٌ ما لَهُنَّ مُجيرُ

وَنَبلٌ وَسُمرٌ ما لَهُنَّ مُجيرُ

Blue-steel spears—beneath their blades death makes its noonday rest—

And blue-tipped spears, beneath whose points death rests at noon,

and arrows and brown-shafted lances, from which there is no protector.

and arrows and brown spears, against which none gives protection.

إِذا غُمِزَت أَصلابُهُنَّ تَرَنَّمَت

إِذا غُمِزَت أَصلابُهُنَّ تَرَنَّمَت

مُعَطَّفَةٌ لَيسَت بِهِنَّ كُسورُ

مُعَطَّفَةٌ لَيسَت بِهِنَّ كُسورُ

When their shafts are flexed, they sing,

When their backs are pressed, they sing,

bending, with no break or flaw in them.

curved, yet with no fractures in them.

قَطَعنَ الحَصى وَالرَملَ حَتّى تَفَلَّقَت

قَطَعنَ الحَصى وَالرَملَ حَتّى تَفَلَّقَت

قَلائِدُ في أَعناقِها وَضُفورُ

قَلائِدُ في أَعناقِها وَضُفورُ

They crossed the gravel and the sand until

They crossed the gravel and sand until there snapped

the necklaces at their necks, and their braids, came apart.

necklaces about their necks and braids.

وَقالَت أَخافُ المَوتَ إِن يَشحَطِ النَوى

وَقالَت أَخافُ المَوتَ إِن يَشحَطِ النَوى

فَيا كَبِداً مِن خَوفِ ذاكَ تَغورُ

فَيا كَبِداً مِن خَوفِ ذاكَ تَغورُ

She said, “I fear death if separation casts us far apart.”

And she said: I fear death if separation stretches far.

O my liver, how it sinks for fear of that!

And oh, a liver sinking deep from fear of that!

سَلوا أُمَّ عَمروٍ هَل يُنَوَّلُ عاشِقٌ

سَلوا أُمَّ عَمروٍ هَل يُنَوَّلُ عاشِقٌ

أَخو سَقَمٍ أَم هَل يُفَكُّ أَسيرُ

أَخو سَقَمٍ أَم هَل يُفَكُّ أَسيرُ

Ask Umm ʿAmr whether a lover may be granted her favor—

Ask Umm Amr: will a lover be granted a favor,

a man sick with love—or whether a captive may be freed.

one afflicted with sickness—or will a captive be freed?

أَلا قُل لِلَيلى هَل تُراها مُجيرَتي

أَلا قُل لِلَيلى هَل تُراها مُجيرَتي

فَإِنّي لَها فيما لَدَيَّ مُجيرُ

فَإِنّي لَها فيما لَدَيَّ مُجيرُ

Come, tell Layla: do you think she will shelter me?

Come, say to Layla: do you think she will be my protector?

For in everything within my power, I would shelter her.

For I am her protector with whatever I possess.

أَظَلُّ بِحُزنٍ إِن تَغَنَّت حَمامَةٌ

أَظَلُّ بِحُزنٍ إِن تَغَنَّت حَمامَةٌ

مِنَ الوُرقِ مِطرابُ العَشِيِّ بَكورُ

مِنَ الوُرقِ مِطرابُ العَشِيِّ بَكورُ

I remain in sorrow whenever a dove sings,

I remain in sorrow if a dove sings,

one of the gray doves, a songstress at evening and earliest dawn.

one of the gray doves, a singer at dusk and an early riser.

بَكَت حينَ دَرَّ الشَوقُ لي وَتَرَنَّمَت

بَكَت حينَ دَرَّ الشَوقُ لي وَتَرَنَّمَت

فَلا صَحَلٌ تُربي بِهِ وَصَفيرُ

فَلا صَحَلٌ تُربي بِهِ وَصَفيرُ

She wept when longing welled up in me, and sang,

She wept when longing welled up in me, and trilled.

with neither rasp nor whistle to swell her song.

She adds neither hoarseness nor whistling to her song.

لَها رُفقَةٌ يُسعِدنَها فَكَأَنَّما

لَها رُفقَةٌ يُسعِدنَها فَكَأَنَّما

تَعاطَينَ كَأساً بَينَهُنَّ تَدورُ

تَعاطَينَ كَأساً بَينَهُنَّ تَدورُ

She has companions who join her lament, as though

She has companions who join her lament, as though

they were passing around a cup among themselves.

they were sharing a cup that passes round among them.

بِجِزعٍ مِنَ الوادي فَضاءٍ مَسيلُهُ

بِجِزعٍ مِنَ الوادي فَضاءٍ مَسيلُهُ

وَأَعلاهُ أَثلٌ ناعِمٌ وَسَديرُ

وَأَعلاهُ أَثلٌ ناعِمٌ وَسَديرُ

At a bend in the valley, where the watercourse opens wide,

At a bend in the valley, whose watercourse is spacious,

and above it stand soft tamarisks and luxuriant growth.

and whose upper reaches hold lush tamarisks and a palm grove,

بِهِ بَقَرٌ لا يَبرَحُ الدَهرَ ساكِناً

بِهِ بَقَرٌ لا يَبرَحُ الدَهرَ ساكِناً

وَآخَرُ وَحشِيُّ السِخالِ يَثورُ

وَآخَرُ وَحشِيُّ السِخالِ يَثورُ

Wild cattle dwell there, never stirring from their home,

wild cattle dwell, forever remaining at rest,

while another wild calf springs up.

and another, whose young are wild, rises up.