تَحِنُّ إِلى سَلمى بِحُرِّ بِلادِها

تَحِنُّ إِلى سَلمى بِحُرِّ بِلادِها

وَأَنتَ عَلَيها بِالمَلا كُنتَ أَقدَرا

وَأَنتَ عَلَيها بِالمَلا كُنتَ أَقدَرا

You long for Salma in the heart of her homeland,

You yearn for Salma in her homeland’s desolation

Yet at al-Mala you once had greater power over her.

While you had power over her with abodes replete

تَحِلُّ بِوادٍ مِن كَراءٍ مَضَلَّةٍ

تَحِلُّ بِوادٍ مِن كَراءٍ مَضَلَّةٍ

تُحاوِلُ سَلمى أَن أَهابَ وَأَحصَرا

تُحاوِلُ سَلمى أَن أَهابَ وَأَحصَرا

She dwells in a trackless valley of Kara;

You alight in valleys verdant, shaded, secluded

Salma seeks to make me fear and falter.

Seeking Salma, though she is distant and remote

وَكَيفَ تُرَجّيها وَقَد حيلَ دونَها

وَكَيفَ تُرَجّيها وَقَد حيلَ دونَها

وَقَد جاوَرَت حَيّاً بِتَيمَنَ مُنكَرا

وَقَد جاوَرَت حَيّاً بِتَيمَنَ مُنكَرا

And how can you hope for her, when she is kept beyond reach,

How can you wish for her when she’s out of reach

And she has settled beside an unfamiliar clan at Tayman?

Now dwelling with ill-omened clans you disdote

تَبَغّانِيَ الأَعداءُ إِمّا إِلى دَمٍ

تَبَغّانِيَ الأَعداءُ إِمّا إِلى دَمٍ

وَإِمّا عُراضِ الساعِدَينِ مُصَدَّرا

وَإِمّا عُراضِ الساعِدَينِ مُصَدَّرا

My enemies have pursued me, either toward bloodshed

My foes wish for my blood or shackled wrists

Or toward a broad-forelegged, powerful-chested lion.

My arms wrenched back, their hatred never wrote

يَظَلُّ الإِباءُ ساقِطاً فَوقَ مَتنِهِ

يَظَلُّ الإِباءُ ساقِطاً فَوقَ مَتنِهِ

لَهُ العَدوَةُ الأولى إِذا القِرنُ أَصحَرا

لَهُ العَدوَةُ الأولى إِذا القِرنُ أَصحَرا

The reeds hang down over his back;

My camel lies there, felled upon the sand

His is the first charge when his opponent comes into the open.

When horns clash, to him falls the first note

كَأَنَّ خَواتَ الرَعدِ رِزءُ زَئيرِهِ

كَأَنَّ خَواتَ الرَعدِ رِزءُ زَئيرِهِ

مِنَ اللاءِ يَسكُنَّ العَرينَ بِعُثَّرا

مِنَ اللاءِ يَسكُنَّ العَرينَ بِعُثَّرا

As though thunder's crash were a portion of his roar—

As if the thunder’s sisters, lightning’s wail

One of those that inhabit the lair at Uththar.

Quiet the lair, their cries the rocksmote

إِذا نَحنُ أَبرَدنا وَرُدَّت رِكابُنا

إِذا نَحنُ أَبرَدنا وَرُدَّت رِكابُنا

وَعَنَّ لَنا مِن أَمرِنا ما تَيَسَّرا

وَعَنَّ لَنا مِن أَمرِنا ما تَيَسَّرا

When we enter the cool of day and our riding camels are brought back,

When we slow down and our steeds draw back

And whatever is feasible in our affairs presents itself to us,

What’s destined happens, affairs twist and turn

بَدا لَكِ مِنّي عِندَ ذاكَ صَريمَتي

بَدا لَكِ مِنّي عِندَ ذاكَ صَريمَتي

وَصَبري إِذا ما الشَيءُ وَلّى فَأَدبَرا

وَصَبري إِذا ما الشَيءُ وَلّى فَأَدبَرا

Then my firm resolve will become clear to you,

My fortitude and patience will show to you

And my patience when things turn away and retreat.

When things go wrong and hopes begin to spurn

وَما أَنسَ مِنَ الأَشياءَ لا أَنسَ قَولَها

وَما أَنسَ مِنَ الأَشياءَ لا أَنسَ قَولَها

لِجارَتِها ما إِن يَعيشُ بِأَحوَرا

لِجارَتِها ما إِن يَعيشُ بِأَحوَرا

Whatever else I forget, I will not forget her words

I forget not dear ones though forget I might

To her neighbor: "He will not survive at Ahwar."

Even if my abode neighbors no soul, no concern

لَعَلَّكِ يَوماً أَن تُسِرّي نَدامَةً

لَعَلَّكِ يَوماً أَن تُسِرّي نَدامَةً

عَلَيَّ بِما جَشَّمتِني يَومَ غَضوَرا

عَلَيَّ بِما جَشَّمتِني يَومَ غَضوَرا

Perhaps one day you will conceal regret

Maybe one day you’ll regret how you pained me

Over me, for what you made me endure on the day of Ghadwar.

When you were bitter and to wound me you yearned

فَغُرِّبتِ إِن لَم تُخبِريهُم فَلا أَرى

فَغُرِّبتِ إِن لَم تُخبِريهُم فَلا أَرى

لِيَ اليَومَ أَدنى مِنكِ عِلماً وَأَخبَرا

لِيَ اليَومَ أَدنى مِنكِ عِلماً وَأَخبَرا

So may you be banished if you do not tell them; I see no one

Estrange me not, if to them you never confessed

Who knows me more intimately today, or is better informed, than you.

For I know nothing of you but lessons well-learned

قَعيدَكِ عَمرَ اللَهِ هَل تَعلَمِينَني

قَعيدَكِ عَمرَ اللَهِ هَل تَعلَمِينَني

كَريماً إِذا اِسوَدَّ الأَنامِلُ أَزهَرا

كَريماً إِذا اِسوَدَّ الأَنامِلُ أَزهَرا

I adjure you, by God's life: do you know me

Your lifelong shelter - know you me as gracious

As generous and radiant when fingertips turn black,

When darkest times or glowing days are adjourned

صَبوراً عَلى رُزءِ المَوالي وَحافِظاً

صَبوراً عَلى رُزءِ المَوالي وَحافِظاً

لِعِرضِيَ حَتّى يُؤكَلَ النَبتُ أَخضَرا

لِعِرضِيَ حَتّى يُؤكَلَ النَبتُ أَخضَرا

Patient under my kinsmen's demands, and guarding

Steadfast when deserted, protecting my honor

My honor until the plants are eaten green,

Until the meadows are grazed, and the green downturned

أَقَبُّ وَمِخماصُ الشِتاءِ مُرَزَّأٌ

أَقَبُّ وَمِخماصُ الشِتاءِ مُرَزَّأٌ

إِذا اِغبَرَّ أَولادُ الأَذِلَّةِ أَسفَرا

إِذا اِغبَرَّ أَولادُ الأَذِلَّةِ أَسفَرا

Lean-waisted and empty-bellied in winter, much drawn upon,

Enduring winter’s blizzard, its chill winds I suffer

Bright-faced when the children of the lowly turn dust-gray?

When dawn breaks and the sun peeks, night has sojourned