أصلاً برزتِ لنا بلا ميعادِ

أصلاً برزتِ لنا بلا ميعادِ

وكأنَّ عينَكِ صارمُ الجلّادِ

وكأنَّ عينَكِ صارمُ الجلّادِ

At dusk you appeared before us, with no meeting arranged.

You appeared to us with no forewarning

And your eye seemed the executioner's keen sword.

As though your eyes were the executioner's blade

لحظت فحيَّتها القلوبُ فلم تكن

لحظت فحيَّتها القلوبُ فلم تكن

إلا المقدَّمَ مرَّ بالأجناد

إلا المقدَّمَ مرَّ بالأجناد

She glanced; the hearts saluted her, and she was

They glanced, so hearts came alive, but were not

none other than the commander passing among the troops.

Except the vanguard passing through the regiments

عربيَّةٌ هاتيكَ لا حَبشيَّةٌ

عربيَّةٌ هاتيكَ لا حَبشيَّةٌ

سيفُ بن ذي يزنٍ عليها عاد

سيفُ بن ذي يزنٍ عليها عاد

That one is Arab, not an Abyssinian

An Arab woman you are, not Abyssinian

whom Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan assails.

Sword of the clan of Yazin upon her return

بأساً وحلماً يا سعادُ وقدوةً

بأساً وحلماً يا سعادُ وقدوةً

ببني أميِّةَ أو بني عبّاد

ببني أميِّةَ أو بني عبّاد

Show valor and forbearance, O Su'ad, and take your example

With might and clemency, O Saad, and exemplar

from the sons of Umayya or the sons of 'Abbad.

To the sons of Umayya or sons of Abbad

أوَ تستفِزُّكِ عِزَّةٌ عربيةٌ

أوَ تستفِزُّكِ عِزَّةٌ عربيةٌ

جمعت شعوبَ الأرضِ في بغداد

جمعت شعوبَ الأرضِ في بغداد

And does Arab glory stir you,

Or does Arab honor incite you

which gathered the peoples of the earth in Baghdad?

Having gathered the peoples of earth in Baghdad

لا تجعلي منصورَها سفّاحها

لا تجعلي منصورَها سفّاحها

وبكِ احتمى مهديُّها والهادي

وبكِ احتمى مهديُّها والهادي

Do not make its Mansur its Saffah;

Do not make its defender its butcher

and in you its Mahdi and al-Hadi sought refuge.

And by you the rightly-guided and al-Hadi took refuge

لحظاتُ عينكِ نسخةٌ مأخوذةٌ

لحظاتُ عينكِ نسخةٌ مأخوذةٌ

عن أمرِ سلطانٍ لأهلِ بلاد

عن أمرِ سلطانٍ لأهلِ بلاد

Your eye's glances are a copy taken

Glances of your eyes are a copy taken

from a sultan's command to the people of a land.

From command of a sultan to people of the land

وكأنَّ خيلَ أبي عبيدةَ أقبلت

وكأنَّ خيلَ أبي عبيدةَ أقبلت

فيها لِفَتحِ قريحتي وفؤادي

فيها لِفَتحِ قريحتي وفؤادي

And it is as though Abu 'Ubayda's cavalry advanced

As though the horses of Abu Ubayda came

within them, to conquer my poetic gift and my heart.

To conquer my Qarah and innermost being

فهبي الأمانَ لقائلٍ في أسرهِ

فهبي الأمانَ لقائلٍ في أسرهِ

عيناكِ آسرتانِ للقوّاد

عيناكِ آسرتانِ للقوّاد

So grant safe-conduct to one who says in his captivity:

So grant security to one captive in your bondage

Your two eyes take commanders captive.

Your eyes, two captors of the debauched

واللهِ لا أشكو لأني عالمٌ

واللهِ لا أشكو لأني عالمٌ

أن قد خُلِقتُ لهذه الأصفاد

أن قد خُلِقتُ لهذه الأصفاد

By God, I do not complain, for I know

By God, I do not complain for I know

that I was indeed created for these shackles.

I was created for these shackles

جازَيتِني وكما ظلمتُ ظَلمتِني

جازَيتِني وكما ظلمتُ ظَلمتِني

والظّلمُ مقبولٌ من الأنداد

والظّلمُ مقبولٌ من الأنداد

You repaid me: just as I did wrong, you wronged me;

You have rewarded me as I wronged and wronged me

and injustice is acceptable from equals.

Wrong is acceptable from peers

كم ناهدٍ نظرت إليَّ بمقلةٍ

كم ناهدٍ نظرت إليَّ بمقلةٍ

نظرت بها رِئمٌ إِلى صيّاد

نظرت بها رِئمٌ إِلى صيّاد

Many a budding-breasted maiden looked at me with an eye

How many coquettes glanced at me disdainfully

with which a white gazelle looked toward a hunter.

With a glance with which censors look on hunters

والطّيبُ يملأ ثوبَها وكأنها

والطّيبُ يملأ ثوبَها وكأنها

زَهرُ المعابدِ في ضُحى الأعياد

زَهرُ المعابدِ في ضُحى الأعياد

And perfume fills her garment, as though she were

And the fragrance fills her garment as though she were

temple blossoms in the late morning of feast days.

Flower of temples in the prime of holidays

فملكتُ قلباً طاهراً وحرمتُهُ

فملكتُ قلباً طاهراً وحرمتُهُ

عَطفي وليني بعدَ لينِ قياد

عَطفي وليني بعدَ لينِ قياد

So I won a pure heart and denied it

So I possessed a pure heart and deprived it

my affection and gentleness, once it had yielded to the reins.

Of my kindness and softness after the pliancy of leadership