قِف بِالدِيارِ عَفا مِن أَهلِها الأَثَرُ

قِف بِالدِيارِ عَفا مِن أَهلِها الأَثَرُ

عَفّى مَعالِمَها الأَرواحُ وَالمَطَرُ

عَفّى مَعالِمَها الأَرواحُ وَالمَطَرُ

Halt at the dwellings; their people's trace has faded.

Stop at the abodes whose traces have been effaced

The winds and rain have effaced their landmarks.

By spirits and rain that have obliterated its features

بِالعَرصَتَينِ فَمَجرى السَيلِ بَينَهُما

بِالعَرصَتَينِ فَمَجرى السَيلِ بَينَهُما

إِلى القَرينِ إِلى ما دونَهُ البُسُرُ

إِلى القَرينِ إِلى ما دونَهُ البُسُرُ

At al-'Arsatayn, then the torrent-bed between them,

Between the two meadows flows a torrent between them

As far as al-Qarin, to al-Busur lying below it.

To the hills, to what lies beyond the mounds

تَبدو لِعَينَيكَ مِنها كُلَّما نَظَرَت

تَبدو لِعَينَيكَ مِنها كُلَّما نَظَرَت

مَعاهِدُ الحَيِّ دَوداةٌ وَمُحتَضَرُ

مَعاهِدُ الحَيِّ دَوداةٌ وَمُحتَضَرُ

Among them, whenever you look, there appear before your eyes

To your eyes whenever you look appear from it

The tribe's old haunts: Dawdah and Muhtadar,

The dwellings of the living as whitened bones and decaying

وَرُكَّدٌ حَولَ كابٍ قَد عَكَفنَ بِهِ

وَرُكَّدٌ حَولَ كابٍ قَد عَكَفنَ بِهِ

وَزَينَةٌ ماثِلٌ مِنهُ وَمُنعَفِرُ

وَزَينَةٌ ماثِلٌ مِنهُ وَمُنعَفِرُ

And motionless hearthstones clustered round a heap of ash,

And coagulated around a goblet they have devoted themselves to

And Zaynah, some upright and some lying in the dust.

Adorned and decked out yet fragmented from it

مَنازِلُ الحَيِّ أَقوَت بَعدَ ساكِنِها

مَنازِلُ الحَيِّ أَقوَت بَعدَ ساكِنِها

أَمسَت تَرودُ بِها الغِزلانُ وَالبَقَرُ

أَمسَت تَرودُ بِها الغِزلانُ وَالبَقَرُ

The tribe's dwellings lie deserted after their inhabitants left;

The homes of the living have, after their inhabitants,

Now gazelles and wild cattle roam through them.

Become pasture for gazelles and cows

تَبَدَّلوا بَعدَها داراً وَغَيَّرَها

تَبَدَّلوا بَعدَها داراً وَغَيَّرَها

صَرفُ الزَمانِ وَفي تَكرارِهِ غِيَرُ

صَرفُ الزَمانِ وَفي تَكرارِهِ غِيَرُ

They took another home thereafter, and these were changed

They have changed them to another abode and altered it

By time's vicissitudes; its recurring turns bring change.

The cycle of time in its recurrence alters

وَقَفتُ فيها طَويلاً كَي أُسائِلَها

وَقَفتُ فيها طَويلاً كَي أُسائِلَها

وَالدارُ لَيسَ لَها عِلمٌ وَلا خَبَرُ

وَالدارُ لَيسَ لَها عِلمٌ وَلا خَبَرُ

I stood there long, to question it,

I stood among them long that I might question them

But the dwelling has neither knowledge nor tidings.

But the abode has no knowledge or information

دارُ الَّتي قادَني حَينٌ لِرُؤيَتِها

دارُ الَّتي قادَني حَينٌ لِرُؤيَتِها

وَقَد يَقودُ إِلى الحَينِ الفَتى القَدَرُ

وَقَد يَقودُ إِلى الحَينِ الفَتى القَدَرُ

The home of her whom doom led me to behold—

The abode that a moment guided me to see

And fate may lead a young man to his doom.

And destiny may lead the youth to the moment

خَودٌ تُضيءُ ظَلامَ البَيتِ صورَتُها

خَودٌ تُضيءُ ظَلامَ البَيتِ صورَتُها

كَما يُضيءُ ظَلامَ الحِندِسِ القَمَرُ

كَما يُضيءُ ظَلامَ الحِندِسِ القَمَرُ

A tender maiden, whose form lights the darkness of the house,

A cheek whose image illuminates the darkness of the house

As the moon lights the blackness of deepest night.

As the moon illuminates the darkness of the watchtower

مَجدولَةُ الخَلقِ لَم توضَع مَناكِبُها

مَجدولَةُ الخَلقِ لَم توضَع مَناكِبُها

مِلءُ العِناقِ أَلوفٌ جَيبُها عَطِرُ

مِلءُ العِناقِ أَلوفٌ جَيبُها عَطِرُ

Well-knit in form, her shoulders are not low-set,

Perfectly formed, its shoulders were not created

Filling an embrace, affectionate, her bosom fragrant.

To fill the bosom - it is perfume its pockets scatter

مَمكورَةُ الساقِ مَقصومٌ خَلاخِلُها

مَمكورَةُ الساقِ مَقصومٌ خَلاخِلُها

فَمُشبَعٌ نَشِبٌ مِنها وَمُنكَسِرُ

فَمُشبَعٌ نَشِبٌ مِنها وَمُنكَسِرُ

Her calves are rounded, her anklets broken:

Curved of leg, its anklets finely clipped

Some filled tight and caught fast, others snapped.

Satisfying, supple, made tender and broken

هَيفاءُ لَفّاءُ مَصقولٌ عَوارِضُها

هَيفاءُ لَفّاءُ مَصقولٌ عَوارِضُها

تَكادُ مِن ثِقَلِ الأَردافِ تَنبَتِرُ

تَكادُ مِن ثِقَلِ الأَردافِ تَنبَتِرُ

Slender-waisted, full-thighed, her side teeth gleaming,

Slender, twisting, its brows smoothly arched

She almost breaks in two from the weight of her buttocks.

Nearly sprouting wings from the heaviness of its buttocks

تَفتُرُ عَن واضِحِ الأَنيابِ مُتَّسِقٍ

تَفتُرُ عَن واضِحِ الأَنيابِ مُتَّسِقٍ

عَذبِ المُقَبَّلِ مَصقولٍ لَهُ أُشُرُ

عَذبِ المُقَبَّلِ مَصقولٍ لَهُ أُشُرُ

She smiles, revealing bright, evenly arrayed canines,

Parted over polished white teeth in order

Sweet to kiss and polished, with finely serrated edges.

Sweet to kiss, for it the lips have polish

كَالمِسكِ شَيبَ بِذَوبِ النَحلِ يَخلِطُهُ

كَالمِسكِ شَيبَ بِذَوبِ النَحلِ يَخلِطُهُ

ثَلجٌ بِصَهباءَ مِمّا عَتَّقَت جَدَرُ

ثَلجٌ بِصَهباءَ مِمّا عَتَّقَت جَدَرُ

Like musk mixed with bees' honey, which is blended

Like musk white hair mingled with bees' wax

By snow with tawny wine that Jadar has aged.

Snow blended with the grayness of crumbling walls

تِلكَ الَّتي سَلَبَتني العَقلَ وَاِمتَنَعَت

تِلكَ الَّتي سَلَبَتني العَقلَ وَاِمتَنَعَت

وَالغانِياتُ وَإِن واصَلنَنا غُدُرُ

وَالغانِياتُ وَإِن واصَلنَنا غُدُرُ

That is she who robbed me of reason and withheld herself;

She who robbed me of my reason and refused

And beauties, even when they grant us union, are faithless.

Though singers may join us, betrayal remains

قَد كُنتُ في مَعزِلٍ عَنها فَقَيَّضَني

قَد كُنتُ في مَعزِلٍ عَنها فَقَيَّضَني

لِلحَينِ حينَ دَعاني لِلشَفا النَظَرُ

لِلحَينِ حينَ دَعاني لِلشَفا النَظَرُ

I had been apart from her, but was consigned

I had been secluded from her but a moment destined me

To doom when my gaze called me to the brink.

For the appointed time when a look summoned me to healing

إِنّي وَمَن أَعمَلَ الحُجّاجُ خَيفَتَهُ

إِنّي وَمَن أَعمَلَ الحُجّاجُ خَيفَتَهُ

خَوصَ المَطايا وَما حَجّوا وَما اِعتَمَروا

خَوصَ المَطايا وَما حَجّوا وَما اِعتَمَروا

Indeed, by Him for fear of whom pilgrims urge onward

I and whoever the pilgrims' driver terrified

Their narrow-eyed mounts, and by their greater and lesser pilgrimages,

With slender stallions never made pilgrimage or glory

لا أَصرِفُ الدَهرَ وُدّي عَنكِ أَمنَحُهُ

لا أَصرِفُ الدَهرَ وُدّي عَنكِ أَمنَحُهُ

أُخرى أُواصِلُها ما أَورَقَ الشَجَرُ

أُخرى أُواصِلُها ما أَورَقَ الشَجَرُ

I will never turn my love from you to bestow it

I don't divert my love for you or give it

On another woman I would court, while trees still bear leaves.

To another I join though the trees have leafed

أَنتِ المُنى وَحَديثُ النَفسِ خالِيَةً

أَنتِ المُنى وَحَديثُ النَفسِ خالِيَةً

وَفي الجَميعِ وَأَنتِ السَمعُ وَالبَصَرُ

وَفي الجَميعِ وَأَنتِ السَمعُ وَالبَصَرُ

You are my longing and my soul's discourse in solitude,

You are the hope, my soul's discourse without

And in company; you are my hearing and my sight.

In all, you are hearing and sight

يا لَيتَ مَن لامَنا في الحُبِّ مَرَّ بِهِ

يا لَيتَ مَن لامَنا في الحُبِّ مَرَّ بِهِ

مِمّا نُلاقي وَإِن لَم نُحصِهِ العُشُرُ

مِمّا نُلاقي وَإِن لَم نُحصِهِ العُشُرُ

Would that whoever blamed us for love might experience

Would that he who blamed us for love had undergone

A tenth of what we endure, though we have not reckoned it,

Some of what we undergo though not a tenth

حَتّى يَذوقَ كَما ذُقنا فَيَمنَعَهُ

حَتّى يَذوقَ كَما ذُقنا فَيَمنَعَهُ

مِمّا يَلَذُّ حَديثُ النَفسِ وَالسَهَرُ

مِمّا يَلَذُّ حَديثُ النَفسِ وَالسَهَرُ

So he might taste as we have tasted, and be kept

So he might taste what we tasted and prevent him

From pleasure by inward thoughts and sleeplessness.

From what ravishes the soul and wakefulness

دَسَّت إِلَيَّ رَسولاً لا تَكُن فَرِقاً

دَسَّت إِلَيَّ رَسولاً لا تَكُن فَرِقاً

وَاِحذَر وُقيتَ وَأَمرُ الحازِمِ الحَذَرُ

وَاِحذَر وُقيتَ وَأَمرُ الحازِمِ الحَذَرُ

She secretly sent me a messenger: Do not be afraid,

Send me no messenger, do not abandon me

And be wary—may you be protected! A prudent man's course is caution.

And beware of your promised time and prudent caution

إِنّي سَمِعتُ رِجالاً مِن ذَوي رَحِمي

إِنّي سَمِعتُ رِجالاً مِن ذَوي رَحِمي

هُمُ العَدُوُّ بِظَهرِ الغَيبِ قَد نَذَروا

هُمُ العَدُوُّ بِظَهرِ الغَيبِ قَد نَذَروا

I have heard that men among my kin,

I have heard men of my family who are

Enemies behind your back, have already sworn

Enemies behind my back have vowed

أَن يَقتُلوكَ وَقاكَ القَتلَ قادِرُهُ

أَن يَقتُلوكَ وَقاكَ القَتلَ قادِرُهُ

وَاللَهُ جارُكَ مِمّا أَجمَعَ النَفَرُ

وَاللَهُ جارُكَ مِمّا أَجمَعَ النَفَرُ

To kill you; may He who has power over death shield you from it.

To kill you - but He who can protect you from murder protects you

And God is your protector from what those men have planned.

And God is your protector against the group's resolve

السِرُّ يَكتُمُهُ الإِثنانِ بَينَهُما

السِرُّ يَكتُمُهُ الإِثنانِ بَينَهُما

وَكُلُّ سِرٍّ عَدا الإِثنَينِ مُنتَشِرُ

وَكُلُّ سِرٍّ عَدا الإِثنَينِ مُنتَشِرُ

Two people conceal a secret between themselves;

A secret two conceal between them

And every secret that goes beyond two spreads.

And every secret beyond two spreads

وَالمَرءُ إِن هُوَ لَم يَرقُب بِصَبوَتِهِ

وَالمَرءُ إِن هُوَ لَم يَرقُب بِصَبوَتِهِ

لَمحَ العُيونِ بِسوءِ الظَنِّ يَشتَهِرُ

لَمحَ العُيونِ بِسوءِ الظَنِّ يَشتَهِرُ

And if a man, in his infatuation, does not heed

If a man does not watch his composure

The glances of eyes with suspicion, he will be found out.

Eyes detect the evil of suspicion and he is notorious