ألا ليت شعري هل أبيتن ليلةً

ألا ليت شعري هل أبيتن ليلةً

بسعدٍ ولما تخل من أهلها سعد

بسعدٍ ولما تخل من أهلها سعد

Ah, if only I knew: shall I ever spend a night

Alas! I wonder, did they spend a night in Sa'd

in Saʿd, while Saʿd is still inhabited by its people?

When its people departed, and Sa'd was devoid of joy?

وهل أقبلن النجد أعناق أينقٍ

وهل أقبلن النجد أعناق أينقٍ

وقد سار مسياً ثم صبّحها النجد

وقد سار مسياً ثم صبّحها النجد

And shall I turn the necks of she-camels toward Najd,

Did the mounts of Anaq turn their necks toward the valley,

when the hardy man has traveled at dusk and watered them at dawn?

As Musayya marched on, and at dawn the valley overflowed?

وهل أخبطن القوم والريح طلة

وهل أخبطن القوم والريح طلة

فروع ألاءٍ حفه عقدٌ جعدُ

فروع ألاءٍ حفه عقدٌ جعدُ

And shall I beat for the people, with the wind moist with dew,

Did the tribe beat the bushes for game

the branches of alāʾ trees, encircled by closely rippled sandhills?

While branches of aloes were stirred by plaited braids?

وكنت أرى نجداً وريا من الهوى

وكنت أرى نجداً وريا من الهوى

فما من هوائي اليوم ريا ولا نجد

فما من هوائي اليوم ريا ولا نجد

I once counted Najd and Rayyā among my loves,

I used to see valley and meadow from passion,

but neither Rayyā nor Najd is among my loves today.

But today I have neither passion nor valley nor meadow.

فدعني من ريا ونجدٍ كليهما

فدعني من ريا ونجدٍ كليهما

ولكنني غادٍ إذا ما غدا الجند

ولكنني غادٍ إذا ما غدا الجند

So spare me Rayyā and Najd, both of them;

Leave me alone about meadow and valley alike,

yet I shall set out at dawn when the troops do.

But I will wander when the army wanders.

أقول لعياشٍ صحبنا وجابرٍ

أقول لعياشٍ صحبنا وجابرٍ

وقد حال دوني هضب عارمة الفرد

وقد حال دوني هضب عارمة الفرد

I say to our companions, ʿAyyāsh and Jābir,

I say to my companions 'Ayyash and Jabir,

with the solitary massif of ʿĀrimah barring my way:

As a towering obstacle parts me from them:

قفا فانظرا نحو الحمى اليوم نظرةً

قفا فانظرا نحو الحمى اليوم نظرةً

فإن غداة اليوم من عهده العهد

فإن غداة اليوم من عهده العهد

Stop, both of you, and cast a glance today toward the protected pastures,

"Look toward the preserve today with a glance,

for this morning will be our last remembered sight of them.

For tomorrow's morning is the appointed time."

فلما رأينا قلة البشر أعرضت

فلما رأينا قلة البشر أعرضت

لنا وجبال الحزن غيبها البعد

لنا وجبال الحزن غيبها البعد

Then, when we saw the summit of al-Bishr come into view

When we saw how few people there were,

before us, while distance hid the mountains of al-Ḥazn,

The mountains of sorrow turned away from us and were hidden by distance.

وأعرض ركنٌ من سواجٍ كأنه

وأعرض ركنٌ من سواجٍ كأنه

لعينيك في آل الضحى فرسٌ ورد

لعينيك في آل الضحى فرسٌ ورد

and a flank of Suwāj appeared, as though

A reddish hill was like a mare of the tribe

it were a bay horse to your eyes in the midmorning mirage,

To your eyes, among the kinfolk, when the morning appeared.

أصاب جهول القوم تتئيم مابه

أصاب جهول القوم تتئيم مابه

فحن ولم يملكه ذو القوة الجلد

فحن ولم يملكه ذو القوة الجلد

a doubled pang struck the company's headstrong one;

It reached the ignorant men, who were displeased with what had happened,

so he cried in longing, and even the strong, steadfast man could not restrain him.

And he who was powerful could not restrain himself.