قف سائلاً بلوى الكثيبِ الأيمنِ

قف سائلاً بلوى الكثيبِ الأيمنِ

داراً عفت فكأنَّها لم تُسكنِ

داراً عفت فكأنَّها لم تُسكنِ

Stop at the bend of the right-hand dune and question

Stand asking the right sand dune the afflictions,

a dwelling whose traces have vanished, as though it had never been inhabited.

A house whose traces vanished as though never dwelled,

وحذارِ أَحداقَ الظبِّاءِ فَلم تزل

وحذارِ أَحداقَ الظبِّاءِ فَلم تزل

حُمرُ المنايا في سَوادِ الأعيُنِ

حُمرُ المنايا في سَوادِ الأعيُنِ

And beware the eyes of gazelles, for still

And beware the gazelles' bright eyes that still

crimson deaths dwell in the blackness of their eyes.

Have death's redness in the darkness of their pupils,

أعلمتَ كَم كابدتُ يومَ الُمنحنَى

أعلمتَ كَم كابدتُ يومَ الُمنحنَى

كمداً عليهِ غدت ضُلوعي تنحني

كمداً عليهِ غدت ضُلوعي تنحني

Do you know how much I endured on the day at the bend—

Do you know how on the day of parting I suffered,

a grief over which my ribs came to bend?

Bending over my camel till my ribs bent over?

ظَغنَت ركائبُهم فلا ظِلَّي نَدٍ

ظَغنَت ركائبُهم فلا ظِلَّي نَدٍ

من بَعدِ فُرقتِهم ولا عَيشي هني

من بَعدِ فُرقتِهم ولا عَيشي هني

Their riding-camels departed; my shade is no longer cool

Their riding beasts departed while no shade of a tent remained for me

after parting from them, nor is my life sweet.

Nor a life of ease after their going.

رَحلوا بواضحةِ الجَبينِ إِذا بدت

رَحلوا بواضحةِ الجَبينِ إِذا بدت

فلِمُجتلٍ وإِذا انَثنَت فلمُجتني

فلِمُجتلٍ وإِذا انَثنَت فلمُجتني

They departed with a radiant-browed woman; when she appears,

They traveled, their foreheads shining when unveiled,

she is for a beholder; and when she bends, for a gatherer.

So for a guide, and when veiled for a bending twig.

هَيفا القوام يهزُّ من أعطافِها

هَيفا القوام يهزُّ من أعطافِها

سُكرُ الشَّبيبةِ غُصنَ قَدِّ ليِّنِ

سُكرُ الشَّبيبةِ غُصنَ قَدِّ ليِّنِ

Slender of figure, there sways within her curves,

Slender and fawn-like, shaking from her shoulders

stirred by youth's intoxication, the branch of her supple form.

The intoxication of youth like a bending branch,

تُرخي ذوائبَها إِذا خطرت ضحىً

تُرخي ذوائبَها إِذا خطرت ضحىً

فترَى الصبَّاح يجرُّ ذيلَ الَموهنِ

فترَى الصبَّاح يجرُّ ذيلَ الَموهنِ

She lets down her tresses when she walks gracefully at midmorning,

She lets down her tresses when she walks at dawn,

and you see morning trailing the hem of deep night.

And you see morning dragging the train of stars.

يا ظبيةً عُشَّاقُها في حُسنها

يا ظبيةً عُشَّاقُها في حُسنها

لا يظفرونَ بغيرٍ حظِّ الألسنِ

لا يظفرونَ بغيرٍ حظِّ الألسنِ

O gazelle, whose lovers, from her beauty,

Gazelle, whose lovers find in her beauty

gain nothing beyond the tongues' share.

Naught but the attainment of their tongues' tips,

أَمَّا الغرامُ كما عهدتِ فإنَّهُ

أَمَّا الغرامُ كما عهدتِ فإنَّهُ

باقٍ وأمَّا الصَّبرُ عنكِ فَقَد فني

باقٍ وأمَّا الصَّبرُ عنكِ فَقَد فني

As for passion, as you knew it, it

As for love, it remains as you knew it,

endures; but patience away from you has perished.

But as for patience over you, it is gone.

أرجو خيالَكِ والرُّقادُ مُشرَّدٌ

أرجو خيالَكِ والرُّقادُ مُشرَّدٌ

عنِّي لَقَد أمَّلتُ ما لم يُمكنِ

عنِّي لَقَد أمَّلتُ ما لم يُمكنِ

I hope for your dream-image, though sleep is banished

I long for your image though slumber is denied me,

from me; indeed, I have hoped for what cannot be.

I hoped for what could not be.

أنا مثلُ خَصركِ من سُلُوي مُقترِ

أنا مثلُ خَصركِ من سُلُوي مُقترِ

وكمثلِ ردفِكِ من صَباباتي غَني

وكمثلِ ردفِكِ من صَباباتي غَني

I am, like your waist, poor in solace,

I am like your waist from the excess of my leanness,

and, like your buttocks, rich in my ardent longings.

And like your buttocks from my overflowing riches.