يا راكبا من عندنا هيزعية — Shibli Al Atrash

يا راكباً من عِندنا هيزعية

حراً لَها من خَمسة عوام حاله

O rider of a swift she-camel from our place,

Purebred, she has remained unbred for five years.

تَهدى هداك اللَه خذلي رِسالَتي

مِن قسطموني مَد عَالشام حايله

Make your way—may God guide you—and carry my message for me.

From Kastamonu, urge the unbred she-camel toward al-Sham.

يا راكبه جُود جديلة زمامها

تَراها مثل ربد النَعام الجَفايله

O her rider, hold the braided cord of her rein firmly.

Behold her, like dusky ostriches fleeing in alarm.

يا طارشي بَس أَنتَ جدي طَريقها

وَهِيَ مثل شاحوفة للي سايله

O my messenger, you need only guide her along her path.

She is like a skiff, for anyone asking about her.

يا راكبه من عُقب عشرين ليلة

إِن جيت بر الشام نشد وَسايله

O her rider, after twenty nights,

If you reach the land of al-Sham, inquire and ask.

نشد عَن اللي يطرب البال شوفهم

اللي عَلى كسم الغَوا يسبل جَدايله

Ask about those whose sight delights the heart,

The one who lets her braids fall over her alluring form.

وَاشكي لمضنون الهَوى علة الجَوى

وَقلو دموعي فَوق خَدي جَدايله

And complain to my cherished beloved of love's burning sickness.

And tell him my tears run in braids upon my cheek.

يا طارشي بيضا رداحا مِن المَها

أَم الحلق أَم العُيون الذَبايله

O my messenger, she is a fair, full-figured oryx,

The earringed one, the one with languid eyes.

ما ظن بر الشام حاوي مثالها

مهره رباعيه نَعت من كحايله

I doubt the land of al-Sham contains her equal.

A four-year-old filly, likened to the Kuhaylan mares.

لَها وَجنة حَمرا لَها رَقبة المَها

لَها مبسم ريان تحت الغَلايله

She has a rosy cheek and the neck of an oryx.

She has a full, fresh mouth beneath her veils.

لَها طُول غُصن البان لَو صفقو الهَوى

لَو شفتها حَطَت بِقَلبك غَلايله

Her stature is a bān branch when the breeze sways it.

Were you to see her, she would kindle longing in your heart.

لَها عَين حر الصَيد تَرمي نِبالها

وَالخَشم ضبان السُيوف الصَقايله

She has a noble hunting falcon's eye that shoots its arrows.

And her nose is like the edges of polished swords.

لَها مَطلع العُيوق غرة جَبينها

وَلا عَن حَصر تَوصيف جسما وَسقايله

Her brow's bright blaze is the rising of al-ʿAyyuq.

No description can encompass her body and its grace.

لَها مبسم مَلموم ناهي مدور

أَلذ مِن شَهد الخَلايا مسايله

She has a small, exquisite, rounded mouth.

What flows from it is sweeter than honey from the combs.

وَلي هم بركني مِن البُعد وَالجَفا

وَلا لي عَلى غَير الحَبايب مسايله

A grief from distance and estrangement has brought me to my knees.

I ask after none but my loved ones.

لَها كذلتاً ريش الربيدي مضمخا

عَلى مَطلَع العيوق تَرخي شَلايله

Her perfumed forelock is like the plumage of a dusky ostrich.

She lets its tresses hang over the rising-place of al-ʿAyyuq.

وَلي جَرح حَد السَيف في ضامر الحَشا

عَيا عَلى الحكماء ضبا يشلايله

A sword-edge wound lies in my wasted breast.

Binding its torn edges has baffled the physicians.

لَها خال مِن بَعض الجَمالات وَالحسن

وَلهُ خال بعدو بَعد من دَق نايله

She has a mole among her beauties and charms,

And another mole farther beyond it, from Nayila's tattooing.

لي وَجد طافح يَحرق الصم وَالحَصى

لا صار ماني شوفة الولف نايله

My overflowing longing burns solid rock and pebbles,

Whenever I cannot gain a sight of my beloved.

لَها وَجه مثل البَدر بِالنُور وَالبَها

وَجبينها العيوق يرهج شَعايله

Her face is like the full moon in light and splendor.

Her brow is al-ʿAyyuq, with its rays ablaze.

لي قَلب مثل الفَحم مِن شدة النَوى

مَحروق عا فَقد الحَبايب شَعايله

My heart is like charcoal from the anguish of separation,

Burning in flames over the loss of loved ones.

لَها صَدر لَوح رخام مَصقول بِالبَها

مَضموخ ينعش مثل رَوض النفايله

Her chest is a slab of marble, polished with splendor,

Perfumed and refreshing, like a meadow of clover.

لي جسم مَضني عادم الحيل وَالقوى

وَإِن عاد دَهري العود مِنه نَفايله

My body is wasted, bereft of strength and power.

Even if my days go on, this frame is only splinters.

لَها نهد مثل الطَلع مشفى عَلى البَدَن

عَالدوم صالي زارك الثَوب شايله

Her breast is like a palm blossom, rising high upon her body,

Always firm, straining against the dress and lifting it.

لي هَم مِن فَقد المُحبين ضامني

لَو أَني جبل ما ظنتي عاد شايله

Grief at the loss of loved ones grips me.

Even were I a mountain, I doubt I could still bear it.

لَها طُول غُصن البان لَو مال وَاِنثَنى

عَلى أَجنى شَيء مِن الهَبايب مايله

Her stature is a bān branch as it inclines and bends,

Swaying to the slightest breath of breeze.

لي نَفس وَلهانة مِن البُعد وَالجَفا

إِلى اللقا وَالقُرب يا ناس مايله

My soul is distraught with longing through distance and estrangement,

Yearning for reunion and nearness, O people.

بعدي عَن الأَوطان يا مُهجة الحَشا

لا تحسبوني يا حَبيبي رحايله

My distance from home, O lifeblood of my heart—

Do not think me, my beloved, one who leaves by choice.

عيوا متعبين المحاكي وَجلمدوا

عَلى غَير قَصدي نَسفوا عَالرحايله

They refused, wearing out whoever spoke to them, and hardened like stone.

Against my will, they flung us onto the saddles.

شلنا عَلى مظهورهم يا حبيبنا

وَفتنا على جهة مغرب شمايله

We were borne on their backs, O our beloved,

And traveled toward the northwest.

ما ظَن أَفارق منوة الرُوح وَالحَشا

مَضنون رُوح القَلب حُلو الشَمايله

I never thought I would part from the desire of my soul and heart,

My heart's cherished soul, sweet in disposition.

فتنا الرياض اللي بِها ذبال المَها

لَكن أَتانا الدَهر صَوال عايله

We left the gardens where those languid-eyed oryx dwell,

But fate came upon us with an unjust onslaught.

رُحنا وَنار القَلب يَلظى لَهيبها

حِنا وَمعنا وقم ميتين عابله

We departed while the fire in my heart blazed.

We, with a mighty band of two hundred alongside us.

نَزَلنا عِندَ مَن لا يَفهموا لُغة العَرَب

يا ريت ما كُنا عَلَيهُم نَزايله

We lodged among those who do not understand the Arabic tongue.

If only we had never been their guests.

وَجدي مقيم بديرة الشام بغيتي

يا حيف عيوق الثريا نَزايله

My longing abides in al-Sham, with the one I seek.

Alas, al-ʿAyyuq of the Pleiades is brought low.

لَكن بِأَرض الشام فُتنا عقولنا

وَجينا عَلى أَرض المَعادي هبايله

But we left our minds in the land of al-Sham,

And came to the enemy's land bereft of our wits.

ماسلاك أَنا يا مَنوة الرُوح وَالحَشا

لَو راح جسمي برد مثل الهَبايله

I will not forget you, O desire of my soul and heart,

Even if my body turns cold like a senseless figure.

لَو راح جسمي في هَواهم تلذذي

نَفسي مِن الهجران وَالشَوق بايله

Even if my body perishes, my delight is in their love.

My soul is worn out by estrangement and longing.

ضَناني الوَجد وَالهَم وَالغَم وَالنَوى

وَلا كانَ بَينا غامض البال بايله

Longing, worry, grief, and separation have wasted me,

Though no hidden trouble of the heart had come between us.

إِن عشت أَنا مِن عُقب عيوقة الغَوا

يَبكون راح العُمر مِن غَير طايله

If I live on after losing beauty's radiant star,

They will weep: a lifetime gone to no avail.

علواه لَو هِيَ بِالمَنايا وَليفنا

وَيكون لي عامنظرك يَد طايله

If only our beloved could be reached, even through death,

And my hand could reach far enough to behold you.

لاحظ أَنا مالي وَرزقي وَقنيتي

وَاعاشرك يا بو العُيون الذَبايله

I would put up my wealth, my livelihood, and my possessions,

And live with you, O you with languid eyes.

وَأَقول لِلقَلب الحَزين الموجع

أَفرح بَعد ذاكَ الحُزن وَالذبايله

And tell my sorrowful, aching heart,

'Rejoice after that grief and languishing.'

وَإِن كانَ تَم الهَجر وَالبُعد وَالجَفا

هَذي دُموعي فَوق خَدي رَسايله

And if abandonment, distance, and estrangement endure,

These tears upon my cheek are messages.

مَن لامَني يَبلاه رَبي بِبلوتي

بسر النَبي المُصطَفى مَع رَسايله

May my Lord afflict whoever blames me with my affliction,

By the mystery of the Chosen Prophet and his messages.

صَلوا عَلى من شرف الأَرض ذكره

المُصطَفى المُختار سَيد القَبايله

Send blessings on him whose remembrance ennobled the earth,

The Chosen One, the Elect, lord of the tribes.

يَفرج لَنا وَاللي هَفوا مِن ربوعنا

وَيَعود فينا عَالديار القَبايله

May He bring relief to us and those who have left our homelands,

And bring us back to the lands of the tribes.