عَجباً لِمَن يومَ النَّوى يَتجلَّدُ

عَجباً لِمَن يومَ النَّوى يَتجلَّدُ

وغَرامهُ وَقفٌ عليهِ مُخَلَّدُ

وغَرامهُ وَقفٌ عليهِ مُخَلَّدُ

I marvel at one who bears up on the day of parting,

How strange is he who on the day of purpose is firm,

While his passion is an endowment settled on him forever.

Yet his love for her stands still immortalized.

تَسري الرِّكابُ بِمن يحبُّ وَلمَ يمُت

تَسري الرِّكابُ بِمن يحبُّ وَلمَ يمُت

أَتُرَى حَديُدٌ قلبَهُ أَم جلمَدُ

أَتُرَى حَديُدٌ قلبَهُ أَم جلمَدُ

The camels journey by night with the one he loves, yet he has not died.

The travelers journey on, loving one not dead,

Do you suppose his heart is iron, or solid stone?

Is his heart iron or frozen numb?

ما نَفعهُ ببقائهِ وشَقاؤهُ

ما نَفعهُ ببقائهِ وشَقاؤهُ

مُتضاعفٌ وَعناؤهُ مُتجدِّدُ

مُتضاعفٌ وَعناؤهُ مُتجدِّدُ

What good does remaining alive do him, when his suffering

Of no use was his survival and agony,

Is multiplied, and his anguish renewed?

Recurring, his trouble multiplied twofold.

هيَ مهجةٌ لا بدَّ مشنها فَليجدُ

هيَ مهجةٌ لا بدَّ مشنها فَليجدُ

عَجلاً بهَا إِن كانَ ممَّن يُسعدُ

عَجلاً بهَا إِن كانَ ممَّن يُسعدُ

It is but a soul, with no escaping its loss; let him yield it

It is a passion, no doubt one must taste it,

Without delay, if he is among the fortunate.

So let him hasten if he's one to be made happy.

بأبي الرَّكائبَ إِنَّ فوقَ حُدُوجها

بأبي الرَّكائبَ إِنَّ فوقَ حُدُوجها

كِللاً تُزَرُّ على البُدورِ وتُعقدُ

كِللاً تُزَرُّ على البُدورِ وتُعقدُ

My father be a ransom for the camels! Above their litters

By my father the riders, above her cheeks

Are canopies fastened and tied over full moons.

Are pearls adorning moons that are strung.

لا تَشتكي عيِسٌ تسيرُ بمِثلها

لا تَشتكي عيِسٌ تسيرُ بمِثلها

كلاً ولا يَنأى علَيها فَدفدُ

كلاً ولا يَنأى علَيها فَدفدُ

Pale camels carrying the likes of her do not complain

The fawn of the thicket does not complain of her pace,

Of weariness; no vast desert plain seems distant to them.

Nor does the full moon cease beaming at her.

شَجرٌ تَميلث على طلائحَ رُزَّحِ

شَجرٌ تَميلث على طلائحَ رُزَّحِ

وَثمارُهَا هِيفٌ كَواعبُ نُهَّد

وَثمارُهَا هِيفٌ كَواعبُ نُهَّد

Trees sway above worn-out, exhausted mounts,

A tree leaning over the cheeks of a gazelle,

And their fruits are slender-waisted, nubile, full-breasted maidens.

Its fruits soft hippies with swaying breasts.

من كلِّ زائدةِ الجَمالِ وَوَجهُهَا

من كلِّ زائدةِ الجَمالِ وَوَجهُهَا

لِضيائهِ الشَّمسُ الُمنيرةُ تَسجُدُ

لِضيائهِ الشَّمسُ الُمنيرةُ تَسجُدُ

Each of surpassing beauty; her face

Of all the excess beauty and her face,

Has a radiance before which the shining sun bows down.

To its brilliance even the shining sun bows.

حَسُنَت فمَلَّكها الجَمالَ مُخَلخَلٌ

حَسُنَت فمَلَّكها الجَمالَ مُخَلخَلٌ

وَمُسوَّرق وُمدَملجٌ ومُقلَّدُ

وَمُسوَّرق وُمدَملجٌ ومُقلَّدُ

She was lovely: an ankleted ankle gave her dominion over beauty,

So fair that beauty itself surrendered to her,

As did a bracelet-bound wrist, an armleted arm, and a necklace-adorned neck.

Adorned, bejeweled and arrayed.

قَمَرُ السَّماءِ الُمستنيرُ إذَا بدَت

قَمَرُ السَّماءِ الُمستنيرُ إذَا بدَت

وإذَا رنَت ظَبيُ الكِناسِ الأَغيدُ

وإذَا رنَت ظَبيُ الكِناسِ الأَغيدُ

The radiant moon of heaven when she appears,

The moon in the glowing sky when it appears,

And when she gazes, the graceful gazelle of the thicket.

And when she sings, the birds in the thicket trill.

نَقضت عُهودَ مَواثقي وأَحالَها ال

نَقضت عُهودَ مَواثقي وأَحالَها ال

إِعراضُ عَمَّا كُنتُ مِنها أَعهدُ

إِعراضُ عَمَّا كُنتُ مِنها أَعهدُ

She broke the pledges of my covenants; what changed them was

She broke her vows and covenants and turned them

Her turning away from what I had once known of her.

To rejection of what I had grown accustomed to.

ما ذاكَ إلاَّ أَنَّ غُصنَ قَوامِها

ما ذاكَ إلاَّ أَنَّ غُصنَ قَوامِها

نَضِرٌ بأَنفَاسِ الصبِّا يَتأوَّدُ

نَضِرٌ بأَنفَاسِ الصبِّا يَتأوَّدُ

That is only because the branch of her figure

That is only because the stalk of her figure

Is lush, swaying in the breaths of the east wind.

Is verdant with the breaths of the morning breeze.

وعَقيلةٍ مِن حَيِّ ذُهلٍ ساءَها

وعَقيلةٍ مِن حَيِّ ذُهلٍ ساءَها

كَوني يَقومُ بِيَ الزَّمانُ وَيقعُدُ

كَوني يَقومُ بِيَ الزَّمانُ وَيقعُدُ

And a noble lady of the clan of Dhuhl was distressed

And a faultless one from a tribe of Duhl, it saddened her

That time kept raising me up and bringing me down.

That time stands still with me and is seated.

قالَت إلى كَم ذا السُّرى وإلى مَتى

قالَت إلى كَم ذا السُّرى وإلى مَتى

يَجري بِعزمتِكَ الذًَّميل وَيَركدُ

يَجري بِعزمتِكَ الذًَّميل وَيَركدُ

She said: How long this night journey, and until when

She said how long will this concealment last,

Will the camels trot on, then halt, at your resolve?

And when will your hesitant resolve find footing?

قُلتُ اتركيني والبلادَ فَلَم أَضِف

قُلتُ اتركيني والبلادَ فَلَم أَضِف

إلاَّ على مَن يُستَماحُ وَيُقصَدُ

إلاَّ على مَن يُستَماحُ وَيُقصَدُ

I said: Leave me to the lands, for I have lodged

I said leave me be, and the homelands,

Only with one whose bounty is sought, whom people seek.

For I have not squatted except at the courted and visited.

قَالت وَهل في الأرضِ إِن عُدمَ النَّدى

قَالت وَهل في الأرضِ إِن عُدمَ النَّدى

مَن عِندهُ بَذلُ الرَّغائبِ يوجدُ

مَن عِندهُ بَذلُ الرَّغائبِ يوجدُ

She said: If generosity is gone, is there on earth

She said: Is there on earth, without dew, one who can be found

Anyone to be found who offers coveted gifts?

Whose hands' generosity fulfills hopes and wants?

مَن ذا يُجيرُ مِنَ الخُطوبِ وجَورِها

مَن ذا يُجيرُ مِنَ الخُطوبِ وجَورِها

فأَجَبتُها الَمِلكُ العَزيزُ مُحمَّدُ

فأَجَبتُها الَمِلكُ العَزيزُ مُحمَّدُ

Who grants refuge from calamities and their tyranny?

Who will protect from disasters and their tyranny?

I answered her: King al-Aziz Muhammad,

I answered: the mighty king Muhammed.

الظَّاهريُّ مَناقِباً لا تَنطَوي

الظَّاهريُّ مَناقِباً لا تَنطَوي

والنَّاصرِيُّ مَآثراً لا تُجحدُ

والنَّاصرِيُّ مَآثراً لا تُجحدُ

Al-Zahiri in virtues that cannot be concealed,

Al-Dhahir in virtues that cannot be contained,

And al-Nasiri in glorious deeds that cannot be denied.

Al-Nasir in glories that cannot be denied.

أَحللت آمالي بهِ مُسترفِداً

أَحللت آمالي بهِ مُسترفِداً

بِراً فَغادرَني أَبرُّ وأَرفِدُ

بِراً فَغادرَني أَبرُّ وأَرفِدُ

I lodged my hopes with him, seeking

I pinned my hopes on him profiting

Kindness; he left me doing good and giving generously.

A dutiful son, and I became the most dutiful.

وَقصدتهُ أَبغي مَواهبَ كفِّهِ

وَقصدتهُ أَبغي مَواهبَ كفِّهِ

فَغدوتُ في سامي ذَرَاهُ أُقصدُ

فَغدوتُ في سامي ذَرَاهُ أُقصدُ

And I sought him, desiring the gifts of his hand,

I went to him seeking the bounty of his palms

So, in his lofty shelter, I became one whom others seek.

And came to be in his lofty presence sought.

ودنوتُ مِنهُ في الخَسِيسِ مَكانتَي

ودنوتُ مِنهُ في الخَسِيسِ مَكانتَي

واليَومَ مِن دوِني السُّها والفَرقدُ

واليَومَ مِن دوِني السُّها والفَرقدُ

And I drew near to him when my station was low,

From him I drew near in my lowly status,

And today al-Suha and al-Farqad lie beneath me.

Today without me steeds race and flee.

كُنتُ الوَحيدَ فَردَّني وكأَنَّني

كُنتُ الوَحيدَ فَردَّني وكأَنَّني

قَد عاشَ جَدَّي خالدٌ أَو مَزيَد

قَد عاشَ جَدَّي خالدٌ أَو مَزيَد

I was alone; he restored me, as though

I was the only one so he turned me away as though

My forefather Khalid or Mazyad had come alive again.

My ancestors were Khalid or Mazyad.

أَمنَ الضَّلالَ الُمستضيءُ بنورهِ

أَمنَ الضَّلالَ الُمستضيءُ بنورهِ

وثَنَى أَعادِيهُ بهِ الُمستنجِدُ

وثَنَى أَعادِيهُ بهِ الُمستنجِدُ

Whoever took light from his radiance was safe from error,

Safe from misguidance, enlightened by his light,

And whoever sought his aid turned back his enemies.

Made strong against his enemies by his support.

وَحَوَى الَمعالي الُمقتفِي آثارَهَ

وَحَوَى الَمعالي الُمقتفِي آثارَهَ

ونَجَا بصائبِ رَأيهِ الُمسترشدُ

ونَجَا بصائبِ رَأيهِ الُمسترشدُ

And whoever followed his footsteps attained lofty honors,

He sheltered the seeker of his glorious path,

And whoever sought guidance was saved by his sound judgment.

And the guided succeeded by his wise counsel.