عوجا نُحَيِّ الطَلَلَ المُحوِلا

عوجا نُحَيِّ الطَلَلَ المُحوِلا

وَالرَبعَ مِن أَسماءَ وَالمَنزِلا

وَالرَبعَ مِن أَسماءَ وَالمَنزِلا

Turn aside, you two; let us greet the ruins deserted for a year,

Turn aside to the abandoned abode

And Asma's encampment and dwelling,

And the quarter from Asma and the dwelling

وَمَجلِسَ النِسوَةِ بَعدَ الكَرى

وَمَجلِسَ النِسوَةِ بَعدَ الكَرى

أَمِنَّ فيهِ الأَبطَحَ الأَسهَلا

أَمِنَّ فيهِ الأَبطَحَ الأَسهَلا

And the women's sitting-place after sleep;

And the sitting place of the women after separation

There they felt safe on the smooth, gravelly valley floor,

Is it not the easiest terrain therein?

بِجانِبِ البَوباةِ لَم يَعدُهُ

بِجانِبِ البَوباةِ لَم يَعدُهُ

تَقادُمُ العَهدِ بِأَن يُؤهَلا

تَقادُمُ العَهدِ بِأَن يُؤهَلا

Beside al-Bawbah; it has not escaped

Beside Al-Bawaba it does not regard

The long lapse of time since it was inhabited.

The succession of time to rehabilitate it

إِيايَ لا إِيّاكُما هَيَّجَ ال

إِيايَ لا إِيّاكُما هَيَّجَ ال

مَنزِلُ لِلشَوقِ فَلا تَعجَلا

مَنزِلُ لِلشَوقِ فَلا تَعجَلا

It was me, not you two, that was stirred by the—

It is me, not you two, that kindled

dwelling to longing; so do not hurry.

A dwelling for yearning so do not hasten

إِن كُنتُما خِلوَينِ مِن حاجَتي ال

إِن كُنتُما خِلوَينِ مِن حاجَتي ال

يَومَ فَإِنَّ الحَقَّ أَن تُجمِلا

يَومَ فَإِنَّ الحَقَّ أَن تُجمِلا

If you two have no share in my longing this—

If you two are free of my need

day, then it is only right that you show kindness.

One day, for the truth is to beautify

ذَكَّرَني المَنزِلُ ما غِبتُما

ذَكَّرَني المَنزِلُ ما غِبتُما

عَنهُ فَعوجا ساعَةً وَاِسأَلا

عَنهُ فَعوجا ساعَةً وَاِسأَلا

The dwelling reminded me of what you two had been absent

The dwelling reminded me of what I missed

from; so turn aside a while, and ask.

About it so turn aside for an hour and ask

إِن يُصبِحَ المَنزِلُ مِن أَهلِهِ

إِن يُصبِحَ المَنزِلُ مِن أَهلِهِ

وَحشاً مَغاني رَسمِهِ مُمحِلا

وَحشاً مَغاني رَسمِهِ مُمحِلا

If the dwelling has become, without its people,

If the dwelling becomes vacant of its people

desolate, its ruined sites barren,

Melodies of its portrayal erased

فَقَد أَراهُ وَبِهِ رَبرَبٌ

فَقَد أَراهُ وَبِهِ رَبرَبٌ

مِثلُ المَها يَقرو المَلا المُبقِلا

مِثلُ المَها يَقرو المَلا المُبقِلا

Yet I once saw it with a herd there,

For I see it and in it a particle

Like oryx, ranging over the grass-grown plain,

Like the waving water of the withered meadow

أَيامَ أَسماءُ بِهِ شادِنٌ

أَيامَ أَسماءُ بِهِ شادِنٌ

خودٌ تُراعي رَشَأً أَكحَلا

خودٌ تُراعي رَشَأً أَكحَلا

In the days when Asma was there, a young gazelle,

The days of Asma in it, fertile

A tender maiden watching a fawn with dark-rimmed eyes.

Luxuriant, grazing tender green

قالَت لِتِربَينِ لَها عِندَنا

قالَت لِتِربَينِ لَها عِندَنا

هَل تَعرِفانِ الرَجُلَ المُقبِلا

هَل تَعرِفانِ الرَجُلَ المُقبِلا

She said to two companions her own age, beside us,

She said to her two foster daughters

'Do you two know the man approaching?'

Do you recognize the approaching man?

قالَت فَتاةٌ عِندَها مُعصِرٌ

قالَت فَتاةٌ عِندَها مُعصِرٌ

تُديرُ حَوراوَينِ لَم تَخذُلا

تُديرُ حَوراوَينِ لَم تَخذُلا

A girl beside her, just reaching womanhood, said,

A girl with her said, A crusher

Turning two eyes of bright white and deep black that did not fail her:

Turning threshing floors that did not fail

هَذا أَبو الخَطّابِ قالَت نَعَم

هَذا أَبو الخَطّابِ قالَت نَعَم

قَد جاءَ مَن نَهوى وَما أَغفَلا

قَد جاءَ مَن نَهوى وَما أَغفَلا

'This is Abu al-Khattab.' She said, 'Yes,

This is Abu Al-Khattab, she said yes

The one we love has come—and how heedless he is!'

The one we love has come and did not neglect