حَيِّ المَنازِلَ قَد تُرِكنَ خَرابا

حَيِّ المَنازِلَ قَد تُرِكنَ خَرابا

بَينَ الجُرَيرِ وَبَينَ رُكنِ كُسابا

بَينَ الجُرَيرِ وَبَينَ رُكنِ كُسابا

Greet the dwellings, already left in ruins,

The dwellings are left in ruins

between al-Jurayr and the flank of Kusab,

Between Jurayr and the corner of Kusab

بِالثَنيِ مِن مَلِكانِ غَيَّرَ رَسمَها

بِالثَنيِ مِن مَلِكانِ غَيَّرَ رَسمَها

مَرُّ السَحابِ المُعقِباتِ سَحابا

مَرُّ السَحابِ المُعقِباتِ سَحابا

at the bend of Malikan; their trace was altered

The path there is changed by the bend

by passing clouds, one following another,

Of passing clouds followed by clouds

وَذُيولُ مُعصِفَةِ الرِياحِ فَرَسمُها

وَذُيولُ مُعصِفَةِ الرِياحِ فَرَسمُها

خَلَقٌ تُشَبِّهُهُ العُيونُ كِتابا

خَلَقٌ تُشَبِّهُهُ العُيونُ كِتابا

and the trailing skirts of raging winds; so their trace

And the tails of the raging winds shape it

is worn, and eyes liken it to writing.

Into a creation that eyes resemble writing

كَسَتِ الرِياحُ جَديدَها مِن تُربِها

كَسَتِ الرِياحُ جَديدَها مِن تُربِها

دُقَقاً فَأَصبَحَتِ العِراصُ يَبابا

دُقَقاً فَأَصبَحَتِ العِراصُ يَبابا

The winds clothed their fresh surfaces with their soil's

The winds wore away its newness from its soil

fine dust, and the courtyards became a barren waste.

Into fine particles, so it became dispersing debris

وَلَقَد أَراها مَرَّةً مَأهولَةً

وَلَقَد أَراها مَرَّةً مَأهولَةً

حَسَناً نَباتُ مَحَلِّها مِعشابا

حَسَناً نَباتُ مَحَلِّها مِعشابا

And indeed I once saw them inhabited,

And I saw it once inhabited

with lovely growth at their site, lush with grass.

With beautiful vegetation in its place

دارُ الَّتي قالَت غَداةَ لَقيتُها

دارُ الَّتي قالَت غَداةَ لَقيتُها

عِندَ الجِمارِ فَما عَيِيتُ جَوابا

عِندَ الجِمارِ فَما عَيِيتُ جَوابا

The home of her who said, the morning I met her

The house that one morning when I met

at al-Jimar—and I was not at a loss for a reply—

At the embers, I did not tire of answering

هَذا الَّذي باعَ الصَديقَ بِغَيرِهِ

هَذا الَّذي باعَ الصَديقَ بِغَيرِهِ

وَيُريدُ أَن أَرضى بِذاكَ ثَوابا

وَيُريدُ أَن أَرضى بِذاكَ ثَوابا

"This is the one who sold his friend for another,

This one who sold his friend for another

and wants me to be content with that as recompense."

And wants me to be pleased with that reward

قُلتُ اِسمَعي مِنّي المَقالَ فَمَن يُطِع

قُلتُ اِسمَعي مِنّي المَقالَ فَمَن يُطِع

بِصَديقِهِ المُتَمَلِّقَ الكَذّابا

بِصَديقِهِ المُتَمَلِّقَ الكَذّابا

I said, "Hear these words from me, for anyone who heeds

I said, listen to me, who would obey

the lying flatterer concerning his friend,

His flattering and lying friend

وَتَكُن لَدَيهِ حِبالُهُ أُنشوطَةً

وَتَكُن لَدَيهِ حِبالُهُ أُنشوطَةً

في غَيرِ شَيءٍ يَقطَعِ الأَسبابا

في غَيرِ شَيءٍ يَقطَعِ الأَسبابا

and whose bonds are to him a slipknot,

And have his ropes knotted for him

severs the ties for no reason.

Without cutting off the causes

إِذ كُنتِ حاوَلتِ العِتابَ لِتَعلَمي

إِذ كُنتِ حاوَلتِ العِتابَ لِتَعلَمي

ما عِندَنا فَلَقَد أَطَلتِ عِتابا

ما عِندَنا فَلَقَد أَطَلتِ عِتابا

Since you sought to reproach me in order to learn

When you tried blaming to know

what we feel, you have indeed prolonged your reproach.

What we have, you prolonged the blame

أَو كانَ ذَلِكَ لِلبِعادِ فَإِنَّما

أَو كانَ ذَلِكَ لِلبِعادِ فَإِنَّما

يَكفيكِ ضَربُكِ دونَنا الجِلبابا

يَكفيكِ ضَربُكِ دونَنا الجِلبابا

Or if that was meant for parting, then all

Or was that because of the distance, then

you need is to draw your cloak between yourself and us.

It suffices you, the cloak covers us both

وَأَرى بِوَجهِكِ شَرقَ نورٍ بَيِّنٍ

وَأَرى بِوَجهِكِ شَرقَ نورٍ بَيِّنٍ

وَبِوَجهِ غَيرِكِ طَخيَةً وَضَبابا

وَبِوَجهِ غَيرِكِ طَخيَةً وَضَبابا

And in your face I see the radiance of a clear light,

And I see in your face an evident radiance

and in another's face, darkness and mist."

And in another's face, stain and fog