حَلَفْتَ بتربةِ آبائها

حَلَفْتَ بتربةِ آبائها

ظوامي السُّيوف دوامي العوالي

ظوامي السُّيوف دوامي العوالي

You swore by the dust of her forefathers—

You swore by the dust of her forefathers,

whose swords thirst, whose lofty spears drip blood—

with thirsty swords and bloodied spearpoints,

وكلّ فتًى من بني عمِّها

وكلّ فتًى من بني عمِّها

قريب النوال بعيد المنال

قريب النوال بعيد المنال

and by every young warrior among her kinsmen,

and by every young man among her paternal cousins,

generous in giving, yet beyond reach—

ready with his bounty, yet beyond reach,

بأنّي كما يَزْعُم العاذلون

بأنّي كما يَزْعُم العاذلون

على صَبوتي بالهوى غير سالي

على صَبوتي بالهوى غير سالي

that I am, as the reproachers claim,

that I, as the reproachers claim,

still lost in my passion, not forgetful of love.

in my youthful longing, have not forgotten love.

وقلتُ لها إنَّ نار الغرام

وقلتُ لها إنَّ نار الغرام

تَشُبُّ وقلبي بها اليوم صالي

تَشُبُّ وقلبي بها اليوم صالي

And I told her: the fire of passion

And I told her that the fire of passion

blazes, and today my heart burns in it.

blazes, and today my heart burns in it.

وعندي من الوجد داءٌ عضال

وعندي من الوجد داءٌ عضال

فهلْ من دواءٍ لدائي العضال

فهلْ من دواءٍ لدائي العضال

Longing has afflicted me with an incurable disease;

And from longing I have an incurable sickness;

is there any remedy for my incurable disease?

is there, then, any remedy for my incurable sickness?

ومَن لي بصبر يريح الفؤاد

ومَن لي بصبر يريح الفؤاد

وما يخطر الصَّبر يوماً ببالي

وما يخطر الصَّبر يوماً ببالي

Who can furnish me with patience to relieve my heart,

And who can bring me patience to ease my heart?

when patience never once crosses my mind?

And patience never once crosses my mind.

وإنِّي لأسأل ظبيَ الصريم

وإنِّي لأسأل ظبيَ الصريم

وما عن سواك يكون سؤالي

وما عن سواك يكون سؤالي

Indeed, I question the gazelle of al-Ṣarīm,

And indeed I question the gazelle of the sands,

and my question can concern none but you.

and my question concerns none but you.

وأنْشُقُ منه نسيماً يَهُبُّ

وأنْشُقُ منه نسيماً يَهُبُّ

وأعْرِفُه بأريج الغوالي

وأعْرِفُه بأريج الغوالي

From him I breathe in a breeze as it blows,

And I breathe in a breeze wafting from it,

and recognize it by the fragrance of precious perfumes.

and recognize it by the fragrance of rich perfumes.

وما زلتَ حتَّى خلبت القلوب

وما زلتَ حتَّى خلبت القلوب

وحتى سحرتَ عقول الرِّجال

وحتى سحرتَ عقول الرِّجال

And you did not cease until you captivated all hearts,

And you persisted until you captivated hearts,

until you bewitched the minds of men.

and until you enchanted the minds of men.

تُرينَ أخا الوجد لينَ الكلام

تُرينَ أخا الوجد لينَ الكلام

فيطمعُ منك بأمر محال

فيطمعُ منك بأمر محال

You show the love-stricken man gentleness of speech,

You show the lovelorn man gentleness in speech,

so that he hopes for an impossible favor from you.

so he hopes for something impossible from you.

وتَلوينَ بالدَّين حتَّى يقال

وتَلوينَ بالدَّين حتَّى يقال

نجاز الغواني كثير المطال

نجاز الغواني كثير المطال

And you defer payment of the debt until it is said:

And you delay paying the debt until it is said:

the fair ones’ fulfillment is all long delay.

Fair women are slow to fulfill their promises.

بَخلتِ وما منكم الباخلون

بَخلتِ وما منكم الباخلون

فهلاّ سَمَحْتِ ولو بالخيال

فهلاّ سَمَحْتِ ولو بالخيال

You were ungenerous, though there are no misers among your people;

You were miserly, though misers are not among your people;

so why did you not grant something—even if only in a dream?

then why not be generous, even with your phantom?

ومن أين يخفى عليك الهوى

ومن أين يخفى عليك الهوى

وقد بان ما بي وأبْصَرْتِ حالي

وقد بان ما بي وأبْصَرْتِ حالي

How could love be hidden from you,

And how could love be hidden from you,

when my suffering is plain and you have seen my state?

when what ails me is plain and you have seen my state?

أما صحّ عندك قول الوشاة

أما صحّ عندك قول الوشاة

فماذا التجافي وماذا التغالي

فماذا التجافي وماذا التغالي

Have not the tale-bearers’ words proved true in your judgment?

Have the talebearers' words not proved true to you?

Then why this aloofness, and why this haughtiness?

Then why this aloofness, and why such extremes?

ولا شيء عندي وحقّ الهوى

ولا شيء عندي وحقّ الهوى

أمرُّ من الهجر بعد الوصال

أمرُّ من الهجر بعد الوصال

By the sanctity of love, nothing to me

And nothing, to me—I swear by love—

is bitterer than abandonment after union.

is more bitter than estrangement after union.