أَلا يا لَقَومي لِلهَوى المُتَقَسِّمِ

أَلا يا لَقَومي لِلهَوى المُتَقَسِّمِ

وَلِلقَلبِ في ظَلماءِ سَكرَتِهِ العَمي

وَلِلقَلبِ في ظَلماءِ سَكرَتِهِ العَمي

Ah, my people, for this rending love,

O my people, for passion apportioned,

And for the heart, blind in the darkness of its intoxication,

And the heart in darkness of its drunkenness blind,

وَلِلحَينِ أَنّى ساقَني فَأَتاحَني

وَلِلحَينِ أَنّى ساقَني فَأَتاحَني

لِأَحبُلِها مِن بَينِ مُثرٍ وَمُعدِمِ

لِأَحبُلِها مِن بَينِ مُثرٍ وَمُعدِمِ

And for doom—how it drove me and delivered me

And the moment when it led me and made me

To her snares, from among the wealthy and the destitute.

Prey to its snares amid bloom and ruin,

أَقادَ دَمي بَكرٌ عَلى غَيرِ ظِنَّةٍ

أَقادَ دَمي بَكرٌ عَلى غَيرِ ظِنَّةٍ

وَلَم يَتَأَثَّم قاتِلاً غَيرَ مُنعِمِ

وَلَم يَتَأَثَّم قاتِلاً غَيرَ مُنعِمِ

Bakr surrendered my blood to vengeance, without suspicion,

My blood was shed by Bakr unawares

And felt no guilt, a killer showing no kindness.

My slayer exulting, no boon conferring,

فَقُلتُ لِبَكرٍ عاجِباً أَتَجَلَّدَت

فَقُلتُ لِبَكرٍ عاجِباً أَتَجَلَّدَت

لَكَ الخَيرُ أَم لا تُطمِعُ الصَيدَ أَسهُمي

لَكَ الخَيرُ أَم لا تُطمِعُ الصَيدَ أَسهُمي

Then, astonished, I said to Bakr, 'Has she steeled herself?

And I said to Bakr, surprised, "You were bold!

May good be yours—or do my arrows promise no game?'

"Is it your glory, or no wild game winging arrows at?"

وَما ذاكَ إِلّا تَعلَمُ النَفسُ أَنَّهُ

وَما ذاكَ إِلّا تَعلَمُ النَفسُ أَنَّهُ

إِلى مِثلِها يَصبو فُؤادُ المُتَيَّمِ

إِلى مِثلِها يَصبو فُؤادُ المُتَيَّمِ

And that is only because the soul knows that

That but the soul knowing itself desires

The love-stricken heart yearns for one like her.

Its like, and the heart of the bereft aspires,

وَإِنّي لَها مِن فَرعِ فِهرِ بنِ مالِكٍ

وَإِنّي لَها مِن فَرعِ فِهرِ بنِ مالِكٍ

ذُراهُ وَفَرعِ المَجدِ لِلمُتَوَسِّمِ

ذُراهُ وَفَرعِ المَجدِ لِلمُتَوَسِّمِ

And I am hers, from the high branch of Fihr ibn Malik—

For I am a branch of Fahr of Banu Malik

Its summits, and glory's branch, to the discerning eye.

His renown, and branch of glory ever striving,

عَلى أَنَّها قالَت لَهُ لَستُ نائِلاً

عَلى أَنَّها قالَت لَهُ لَستُ نائِلاً

لَنا ظِنَّةً إِلّا لِقاءً بِمَوسِمِ

لَنا ظِنَّةً إِلّا لِقاءً بِمَوسِمِ

Though she told him, 'I shall earn no

Though she said I could not attain their tryst

Suspicion for us, only a meeting at the pilgrimage season.'

They hope not, save at the hajj to meet and converse,

وَقُلتُ لِبَكرٍ حينَ رُحنا عَشيَّةً

وَقُلتُ لِبَكرٍ حينَ رُحنا عَشيَّةً

عَنِ السِرِّ لا تَقصُر وَلا تَتَقَدَّمِ

عَنِ السِرِّ لا تَقصُر وَلا تَتَقَدَّمِ

And I told Bakr, when we set out one evening,

And I said to Bakr as we left at night,

'About the secret, neither fall short nor go too far.'

"Do not fall short, or run ahead from the secret."

لَعَلّي سَتُنبيني الجَواري مِنَ الَّتي

لَعَلّي سَتُنبيني الجَواري مِنَ الَّتي

رَأَت عِندَها قَلبي فَلَم تَتَأَلَّمِ

رَأَت عِندَها قَلبي فَلَم تَتَأَلَّمِ

Perhaps the maidens will tell me of the woman

That slave-girls may hint to me of she

Who saw my heart in her keeping, yet felt no pain.

Who saw my heart, and yet felt no distress,

فَلَيتَ مِنىً لَم تَجمَعِ العامَ بَينَنا

فَلَيتَ مِنىً لَم تَجمَعِ العامَ بَينَنا

وَلَم يَكُ لي حَجٌّ وَلَم نَتَكَلَّمِ

وَلَم يَكُ لي حَجٌّ وَلَم نَتَكَلَّمِ

If only Mina had not brought us together this year,

Would I had not met her that year,

Nor had I made the pilgrimage, nor had we spoken.

No pilgrimage made, nor talked together,

وَلَيتَ الَّتي عاصَيتُ فيها عَواذِلي

وَلَيتَ الَّتي عاصَيتُ فيها عَواذِلي

لَها قَبِلَت عَقلاً وَلَم تَحتَمِل دَمي

لَها قَبِلَت عَقلاً وَلَم تَحتَمِل دَمي

And would that she, for whom I defied my reproachers,

Would her I disobeyed and whose censors I defied

Had accepted blood-money for herself, and not borne the burden of my blood.

Had discretion, and not shed my blood,

فَرُحنا بِقَصرٍ نَتَّقي العَينَ وَالرِيا

فَرُحنا بِقَصرٍ نَتَّقي العَينَ وَالرِيا

وَقَولَ العَدوِّ الكاشِحِ المُتَنَمِمِ

وَقَولَ العَدوِّ الكاشِحِ المُتَنَمِمِ

So we went to a palace, guarding against eyes and public display,

We came to a castle, from eyes and slander aloof

And the talk of the spiteful, tale-bearing enemy.

And the vitriol-tongued enemy's censure,

وَفي العَينِ مَرجوٌّ وَآخَرُ يُتَّقى

وَفي العَينِ مَرجوٌّ وَآخَرُ يُتَّقى

فَيالَكَ أَمراً بَينَ بُؤسِ وَأَنعَمُ

فَيالَكَ أَمراً بَينَ بُؤسِ وَأَنعَمُ

In the eye is something hoped for, and something else to fear;

With a hopeful glance, and another to beware,

What a plight, between misery and blessings!

What an affair between misery and bliss!

فَلَمّا اِكفَهَرَّ اللَيلُ قالَت لِخُرَّدٍ

فَلَمّا اِكفَهَرَّ اللَيلُ قالَت لِخُرَّدٍ

كَواعِبَ في رَيطٍ وَعَصبٍ مُسَهَّمِ

كَواعِبَ في رَيطٍ وَعَصبٍ مُسَهَّمِ

Then, when the night grew gloomy, she spoke to bashful maidens,

When night darkened she said to Kharrud

Budding-breasted, in fine wraps and arrow-patterned striped cloth,

Like wild cows in a shackled drove marked,

نَواعِمَ قُبَّ بُدَّنٍ صُمُتِ البُرى

نَواعِمَ قُبَّ بُدَّنٍ صُمُتِ البُرى

وَيَملَأنَ عَينَ الناظِرِ المُتَوَسِّمِ

وَيَملَأنَ عَينَ الناظِرِ المُتَوَسِّمِ

Delicate, slender-waisted, full-bodied, their anklets silent,

Graceful bodies, silent wastes,

And filling the eye of the discerning onlooker,

Filling the gazer's eye, ever striving,

رَواجِحَ أَكفالٍ تَباهَينَ قَولُها

رَواجِحَ أَكفالٍ تَباهَينَ قَولُها

لَدَيهِنَّ مَقبولٌ عَلى كُلِّ مَزعَمِ

لَدَيهِنَّ مَقبولٌ عَلى كُلِّ مَزعَمِ

Heavy of haunch, vying in pride; her words

With swinging chins, their talk a boast

Were accepted among them, whatever the claim:

Accepted by them whatever the contention,

لَقَد خَلَجَت عَيني وَأَحسِبُ أَنَّها

لَقَد خَلَجَت عَيني وَأَحسِبُ أَنَّها

لِقُربِ أَبي الخَطّابِ ذَلِكَ مَزعَمي

لِقُربِ أَبي الخَطّابِ ذَلِكَ مَزعَمي

'My eye has indeed twitched, and I think it is

My eyes twitched, and I fancied

Because Abu al-Khattab is near—that is my guess.'

'Twas the Caliph's closeness they claimed,

فَقُلنَ لَها أُمنيَّةٌ أَو مَزَحَةٌ

فَقُلنَ لَها أُمنيَّةٌ أَو مَزَحَةٌ

أَرَدتَ بِها عَيبَ الحَديثِ المُرَجَّمِ

أَرَدتَ بِها عَيبَ الحَديثِ المُرَجَّمِ

Then they said to her, 'A wish, or a jest

They said, "A wish or a jest

By which you meant to disparage conjectural talk?'

Whose disgraceful import you would convey?"

فَقالَت لَهُنَّ اِذهَبنَ آمِرُنا مَعاً

فَقالَت لَهُنَّ اِذهَبنَ آمِرُنا مَعاً

لِأَمرِكِ مَجنوبٌ تَبوعٌ فَقَدِّمي

لِأَمرِكِ مَجنوبٌ تَبوعٌ فَقَدِّمي

Then she told them, 'Go; our commander, along with us,

She said, "Go together, I command you,

Is led by your command, an obedient follower—so send ahead

For your sake submissive, obedient, precede me,"

أَمامَكِ مَن يَرعى الطَريقَ فَأَرسَلَت

أَمامَكِ مَن يَرعى الطَريقَ فَأَرسَلَت

فَتاةً حَصاناً عَذبَةَ المُتَبَسَّمِ

فَتاةً حَصاناً عَذبَةَ المُتَبَسَّمِ

Someone before you to watch the road'; then she sent

"Before you one to scout the way," and sent

A chaste young woman with a sweet smile.

A girl, a lively witted one, smiling,

وَقالَت لَها اِمضي فَكوني أَمامَنا

وَقالَت لَها اِمضي فَكوني أَمامَنا

لِحِفذِ الَّذي نَخشى وَلا تَتَكَلَّمي

لِحِفذِ الَّذي نَخشى وَلا تَتَكَلَّمي

And told her, 'Go on, and stay ahead of us,

And said, "Walk ahead, be before us

To guard against what we fear, and do not speak.'

From the sneak I dread, do not speak,"

فَقامَت وَلَم تَفعَل وَنامَت فَلَم تُطِق

فَقامَت وَلَم تَفعَل وَنامَت فَلَم تُطِق

فَقُلنَ لَها قومِ فَقامَت وَلَم لَمِ

فَقُلنَ لَها قومِ فَقامَت وَلَم لَمِ

So she rose but did nothing; she slept and lacked the strength.

She rose and did not, and slept, unable,

Then they said to her, 'Rise'; she rose, but did not—did not—

They said, "Rise!" She rose, not a word,

تُبِن غَيرَ أَن قَد أَومَأَت فَعَمَدنَها

تُبِن غَيرَ أَن قَد أَومَأَت فَعَمَدنَها

كَشارِبِ مَكنونِ الشَرابِ المُخَتَّمِ

كَشارِبِ مَكنونِ الشَرابِ المُخَتَّمِ

Make herself clear, save that she gestured; so they supported her,

Save gestured as if she were drunk, so they seized her

Like a drinker of treasured, sealed wine.

Like one drinking forbidden drafts sealed,

فَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا باحَ كُلٌّ بِسِرِّهِ

فَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا باحَ كُلٌّ بِسِرِّهِ

وَأَبدى لَها مِنّي السُرورَ تَبَسُّمي

وَأَبدى لَها مِنّي السُرورَ تَبَسُّمي

And when we met, each revealed their secret,

When we met at dawn, each with secret intent

And my smile showed her the joy within me.

For her I showed my joy, smiling,

فَيا لَكَ ليلاً بِتُّ فيهِ مُوَسَّداً

فَيا لَكَ ليلاً بِتُّ فيهِ مُوَسَّداً

إِذا شِئتُ بَعدَ النَومِ أَكرَمَ مِعصَمِ

إِذا شِئتُ بَعدَ النَومِ أَكرَمَ مِعصَمِ

Oh, what a night! I spent it pillowed,

Oh night I spend wakeful, pillow-propped

Whenever I wished after sleep, upon the noblest wrist.

Whenever I wish, after sleep, most generous host,

وَأُسقى بِعَذبٍ بارِدِ الريقِ واضِحٍ

وَأُسقى بِعَذبٍ بارِدِ الريقِ واضِحٍ

لَذيذِ الثَنايا طَيِّبِ المُتَنَسَّمِ

لَذيذِ الثَنايا طَيِّبِ المُتَنَسَّمِ

And I am given drink from a sweet, bright mouth, its saliva cool,

Given sweet cool saliva, clear draught

Its front teeth delicious, its breath fragrant.

Delicious, redolent, perfumed,