خليلَيّ بالربع المحيل معى قِفا

خليلَيّ بالربع المحيل معى قِفا

نحىّ من ايكيك المعاهد واصرفا

نحىّ من ايكيك المعاهد واصرفا

My two friends, stop with me at the desolate campsite.

My two friends, stop by the alluring quarter with me

O my two friends, stop with me at the desolate quarter,

Let us greet the old haunts in your two groves, and turn

Let's turn away from Aikik's covenants and leave

Turn towards the familiar sites and divert the direction

صدور المطايا نحوَهُنّ فإنّما

صدور المطايا نحوَهُنّ فإنّما

لدَيهُنّ أدوائي وهُنّ لي الشّفا

لدَيهُنّ أدوائي وهُنّ لي الشّفا

The mounts' breasts toward them, for only

Turn the mounts towards them, for only

Of the riding camels' chests towards them, for indeed

There lie my ailments, and they are my cure.

With them are my cures and they are my remedy

With them are my ailments, and they are my cure.

أما هذه دور الأحبة قد عفَت

أما هذه دور الأحبة قد عفَت

أما هذه دور المودّة والصفا

أما هذه دور المودّة والصفا

Are these not the loved ones' homes, now effaced?

As for these, the houses of loved ones have become virtuous

Are these not the abodes of the loved ones that have decayed?

Are these not the homes of affection and purity?

As for these, the houses of affection and purity

Are these not the houses of affection and purity?

مغان سقاني الدهر فيها على الظما

مغان سقاني الدهر فيها على الظما

كؤوس المنى من كل أحور أهيفا

كؤوس المنى من كل أحور أهيفا

Haunts where Time, in my thirst, gave me to drink

Taverns where fate made me drink from each alluring beauty

Dwellings where Time gave me to drink, amidst thirst,

Cups of desire from every dark-eyed, slender-waisted one.

Cups of purpose on the bent elbow

Cups of desire from every wide-eyed, slender-waisted one.

فديتُكُما عوجا عليهُنّ واسحَبا

فديتُكُما عوجا عليهُنّ واسحَبا

خليلَكُما فيها على الوجه والقفا

خليلَكُما فيها على الوجه والقفا

My life for you both! Turn aside to them, and drag

I ransom you both, crookedly lean on them and pull

May I be your ransom, turn aside towards them,

Your friend through them on his face and the back of his neck.

My two friends onto them, onto the face and skull

And drag your friend there upon his face and nape.

ولا تذكرا لي من صبا من مضى به

ولا تذكرا لي من صبا من مضى به

فذكرُ الجفا أيام ذكر الصفا جفا

فذكرُ الجفا أيام ذكر الصفا جفا

And do not speak to me of the youthful love of those who passed away with it;

And do not mention to me any of the past youth that has gone by

And do not mention to me the youth of him who has passed away with it,

For recalling estrangement in days of recalling pure affection is estrangement.

For remembering estrangement in the days of remembering intimacy is estrangement

For mentioning estrangement in the days of recalling purity is estrangement.

وما كل مغنى يشتفى بمروره

وما كل مغنى يشتفى بمروره

يرى النخل من لم يدر في الدخل ما خفى

يرى النخل من لم يدر في الدخل ما خفى

Not every dwelling brings healing when one passes it.

Not every singer gets refreshed by his passing

Not every dwelling brings healing by passing it;

He sees the palms who knows not what deceit conceals.

He sees the palm trees, unaware of what is hidden in the orchards

He sees the palm trees who knows not what is hidden in the thicket.

لعمري لئن أمست عفاء لفى الحشى

لعمري لئن أمست عفاء لفى الحشى

لها منزل لم يعف قطّ وما عفا

لها منزل لم يعف قطّ وما عفا

By my life, though they have become desolate, within my heart

By my life! If she remains chaste, she will be protected in the chest

By my life, even if they have become traces of dust, within my vitals

They have a dwelling that has never faded, never vanished.

She has an abode that has never been chaste and never will be

They have a home that has never been effaced, and never will be.

أو استبدلت سعدى سواي لغيرُها

أو استبدلت سعدى سواي لغيرُها

يسيرٌ على الدهر ما خان أو وفى

يسيرٌ على الدهر ما خان أو وفى

Or if Suʿdā has chosen another in my stead, surely someone other than her

Or I replaced my bliss with another in her stead

Or if Su'da has exchanged me for another, for other than her

Is a small matter for Time, whether it betrays or keeps faith.

Easy upon the days what was loyal or betrayed

It is a light matter to Time whether it betrays or keeps faith.

كأنّي لم أسمر بها بين ماجد

كأنّي لم أسمر بها بين ماجد

جليد من الفتيان سمح لمن هفا

جليد من الفتيان سمح لمن هفا

As though I had never talked the night away there, between a noble,

As if I did not darken among the outstanding youth

As if I never conversed by night there among noble,

Stalwart youth, lenient to anyone who erred,

A frozen one from the young men, spacious to whoever inclines

Sturdy youths, forgiving to the one who erred.

وناهِدَةٍ تجلو أغَرّ كأنّما

وناهِدَةٍ تجلو أغَرّ كأنّما

بأنيابها صبّ المهَيمن قرقفا

بأنيابها صبّ المهَيمن قرقفا

And a full-breasted woman revealing a radiant smile, as though

And Naahida whose brightness appears as if

And a swelling-breasted maiden unveiling a radiant face, as if

Upon her canine teeth the All-Protecting One had poured wine.

The pouring rain poured from her teeth hail

The Almighty poured wine between her fangs.

على وجنتيها قد جرى متحيرا

على وجنتيها قد جرى متحيرا

ولبّتها ماء الملاحة والصفا

ولبّتها ماء الملاحة والصفا

Across her cheeks had flowed, bewildered,

Onto her cheeks the confused one ran

Upon her cheeks there has flowed, in bewilderment,

And across the hollow of her throat, the water of loveliness and purity.

And she was a mixture of water of salt and purity

And upon her upper chest, the water of beauty and purity.

ولم أقفُ غثر الظعن والليلُ شامل

ولم أقفُ غثر الظعن والليلُ شامل

بوهم إذا كلّ المراسيل خذرَفا

بوهم إذا كلّ المراسيل خذرَفا

Nor had I followed the dusky camel litters, while night enveloped all,

And I did not stand at the slander and blame when the night covered

And as if I did not follow the dust of the caravan while night encompassed

On a mighty camel that raced on when the swift camels tired.

With delusion, when all messengers were discharged

With a fancy, when the weary mounts rushed on.

ولم يشدُ بالأسحارِ خلفى مغرّدٌ

ولم يشدُ بالأسحارِ خلفى مغرّدٌ

يقول على آثار من ذهب العفا

يقول على آثار من ذهب العفا

Nor had a singer sung behind me in the hours before dawn,

And no singer tied behind my back at dawn

And as if no warbler sang behind me at the dawns,

Saying, 'Oblivion upon the traces of those who have gone!'

Saying upon the traces of those who walked with chastity

Saying upon the traces of those who departed: May oblivion take them.

تراه إذا بل الصقيع رداءه

تراه إذا بل الصقيع رداءه

يسهل بالاظفار عظما مزخرفا

يسهل بالاظفار عظما مزخرفا

You see him, when frost has wetted his cloak,

You see him when the frost dons its gown

You see him, when the frost wets his cloak,

Smoothing an ornamented bone with his claws.

Smooth the bones with the nails engraved

Smoothing with his claws a decorated bone.

يعللني من طاب علّا وينثنى

يعللني من طاب علّا وينثنى

إلى شدوه والصبح هاديه قد طفا

إلى شدوه والصبح هاديه قد طفا

He beguiles me with another draught of sweetness, then turns back

He makes me One Who Is of Good Lineage and turns

He distracts me with what is good, then turns back

To his song, while dawn's leading edge has surfaced.

To his melody and the dawn guiding it has emerged

To his singing, while the herald of the morning has floated up.

إذا قال لي لاح الصباح مروّعاً

إذا قال لي لاح الصباح مروّعاً

أروّعُ مفتول الذراعَينِ أكلَفا

أروّعُ مفتول الذراعَينِ أكلَفا

When he tells me, 'Morning has appeared,' alarming me,

When the appearance of dawn frightens me saying

When he said to me, "The morning has appeared," terrifying me,

I frighten the dusky, sinewy-armed one.

I frighten the outstretched armed terrifier

I terrify a strong-armed, dark-hued one.

فلما رأيت الصبح هاديه دون ما

فلما رأيت الصبح هاديه دون ما

أؤمل من وصل الأحبّة أشرفا

أؤمل من وصل الأحبّة أشرفا

Then, when I saw dawn's leading edge, barring what

So when I saw the dawn below what

So when I saw the herald of the morning, short of what

I hoped for of union with my loved ones, rise into view,

I hope for from the connection of loved ones, I inclined

I hoped for regarding the union of loved ones, looking down,

عضضت بنانى وانثنيت تلهفا

عضضت بنانى وانثنيت تلهفا

وحقّ للاعي القلب أن يتلهّفا

وحقّ للاعي القلب أن يتلهّفا

I bit my fingertips and turned away in anguish;

I bit my fingers and bent, yearning

I bit my fingertips and turned away in sorrow,

And one who is heartsick has every right to grieve.

And it is the right of the heart that comprehends to yearn

And it is the right of the heart-weary one to feel sorrow.