أَلَم تَسأَلِ الأَطلالَ وَالمَنزِلَ الخَلَق

أَلَم تَسأَلِ الأَطلالَ وَالمَنزِلَ الخَلَق

بِبُرقَةِ أَعواءٍ فَيُخبِرَ إِن نَطَق

بِبُرقَةِ أَعواءٍ فَيُخبِرَ إِن نَطَق

Have you not questioned the ruins and the worn-out dwelling

Did you not ask the ruins and the old abode

at Burqat A‘wā’, that it might tell you, if it could speak?

With lightning flashes of clouds, if it would speak?

ذَكَرتُ بِهِ هِنداً وَظِلتُ كَأَنَّني

ذَكَرتُ بِهِ هِنداً وَظِلتُ كَأَنَّني

أَخو نَشوَةٍ لاقى الحَوانيتَ فَاِغتَبَق

أَخو نَشوَةٍ لاقى الحَوانيتَ فَاِغتَبَق

I remembered Hind there and remained as though I were

I remembered her in India, and I was as if

a drunken man who found the taverns and drank in the evening;

I was a brother to Nushwah who met the Jinn and embraced.

وَمَوقِفَها وَهناً عَلَينا وَدَمعُها

وَمَوقِفَها وَهناً عَلَينا وَدَمعُها

سَريعٌ إِذا كَفَّت تَحَدُّرَهُ اِتَّسَق

سَريعٌ إِذا كَفَّت تَحَدُّرَهُ اِتَّسَق

and her standing before us late at night, while her tears

Her stance towards us was weakness and her tears

fell swiftly—when she checked their flow, they gathered;

Flowed swiftly when she held them back aligned.

وَموقِفَ أَترابٍ لَها إِذ رَأَينَني

وَموقِفَ أَترابٍ لَها إِذ رَأَينَني

بَكينَ وَأَبدَينَ المَعاصِمَ وَالحَدَق

بَكينَ وَأَبدَينَ المَعاصِمَ وَالحَدَق

and her companions of the same age standing there, when they saw me:

And the stance of her female companions when they saw me

they wept and revealed their wrists and eyes.

Crying, revealing their wrists and throats.

رَأَينَ لَها شَجواً فَعُجنَ لِشَجوِها

رَأَينَ لَها شَجواً فَعُجنَ لِشَجوِها

جَميعاً وَأَقلَتنَ التَنازُعَ وَالنَزَق

جَميعاً وَأَقلَتنَ التَنازُعَ وَالنَزَق

They saw her sorrow and turned toward her grief,

They saw her have sorrow, so they all sympathized with her sorrow

all together, and abandoned quarrelling and rashness.

And lessened contention and spite.

إِذِ الحَبلُ مَوصولٌ وَإِذ وُدُّنا مَعاً

إِذِ الحَبلُ مَوصولٌ وَإِذ وُدُّنا مَعاً

جَميعاً وَإِذ تُعطى التَراسُلَ وَالمَلَق

جَميعاً وَإِذ تُعطى التَراسُلَ وَالمَلَق

When the bond was unbroken, and when our love was shared

When the rope was connected, and when our love was together,

by us both, and when she was given friendly exchanges and flattery.

And when correspondence and tokens were given.

وَقُلنَ اِمكُثي ما شِئتِ لا مَن أَمامَنا

وَقُلنَ اِمكُثي ما شِئتِ لا مَن أَمامَنا

نَخافُ وَلا نَخشى مِنَ الآخِرِ اللَحَق

نَخافُ وَلا نَخشى مِنَ الآخِرِ اللَحَق

And they said, ‘Stay as long as you wish; no one ahead of us

And they said, "Stay as long as you wish. We do not fear

do we fear, nor do we dread the one following behind.’

What is to come nor dread what will overtake."