لا أَستَزيدُ حَبيبي مِن مُواتاتي

لا أَستَزيدُ حَبيبي مِن مُواتاتي

وَإِن عَنُفتُ عَلَيهِ في الشِكاياتِ

وَإِن عَنُفتُ عَلَيهِ في الشِكاياتِ

I ask my beloved for no greater indulgence toward me,

I do not ask for more affection from my beloved

I ask no more favor from my beloved,

Even if I am harsh with him in my complaints.

Even if I complain to him bitterly

Though I may be harsh with him in my complaints.

هُوَ المُواصِلُ لي لَكِن يُنَغِّصُني

هُوَ المُواصِلُ لي لَكِن يُنَغِّصُني

بِطولِ فَترَةِ ما بَينَ الزِياراتِ

بِطولِ فَترَةِ ما بَينَ الزِياراتِ

He keeps his bond with me, yet distresses me

He is the one who keeps in touch with me but he pains me

He grants me union, yet he mars my joy

With the long interval between visits.

With the long intervals between visits

With the long, weary intervals between his visits.

قالوا ظَفِرتَ بِمَن تَهوى فَقُلتُ لَهُم

قالوا ظَفِرتَ بِمَن تَهوى فَقُلتُ لَهُم

الآنَ أَكثَرُ ما كانَت صَباباتي

الآنَ أَكثَرُ ما كانَت صَباباتي

They said, “You have won the one you love”; I told them:

They said you got the one you love so I said to them

They said, "You have won the one you love," but I replied,

“Now my yearnings are greater than ever.

Now my youthful passions have increased

"My passion burns now fiercer than before."

لا عُذرَ لِلصَبِّ أَن تَهوى جَوانِحُهُ

لا عُذرَ لِلصَبِّ أَن تَهوى جَوانِحُهُ

وَقَد تَطَعَّمَ فوهُ بِالمُواتاةِ

وَقَد تَطَعَّمَ فوهُ بِالمُواتاةِ

The lovesick man has no excuse for his breast to yearn,

No excuse for a young man that his soul loves

The lover has no excuse for a wandering heart

When his mouth has already tasted willing affection.”

When his mouth has gotten used to affection

Once his lips have tasted the sweetness of consent.

وَداهِريٍّ سَما في فَرعِ مَكرُمَةٍ

وَداهِريٍّ سَما في فَرعِ مَكرُمَةٍ

مِن مَعشَرٍ خُلِقوا في الجودِ غاياتِ

مِن مَعشَرٍ خُلِقوا في الجودِ غاياتِ

And a Dahiri who rose to the heights of honor,

He is one of lofty lineage, a branch of the generous tribe

And a noble companion, high on the branch of honor,

From a people made the very pinnacles of generosity—

Who were created to embody the essence of generosity

From a people fashioned to be the summit of generosity—

نادَيتُهُ بَعدَما مالَ النُجومُ وَقَد

نادَيتُهُ بَعدَما مالَ النُجومُ وَقَد

صاحَ الدَجاجُ بِبُشرى الصُبحِ مَرّاتِ

صاحَ الدَجاجُ بِبُشرى الصُبحِ مَرّاتِ

I called to him after the stars had declined, and already

I called him after the stars had set and the rooster

I called to him when the stars had begun to set,

The roosters had crowed dawn’s glad tidings several times.

Had crowed the good tidings of dawn repeatedly

And the roosters crowed the tidings of dawn time and again.

فَقُلتُ وَاللَيلُ يَجلوهُ الصَباحُ كَما

فَقُلتُ وَاللَيلُ يَجلوهُ الصَباحُ كَما

يَجلو التَبَسُّمُ عَن غُرِّ الثَنِيّاتِ

يَجلو التَبَسُّمُ عَن غُرِّ الثَنِيّاتِ

So I said, as dawn cleared away the night, just as

And I said, as the night fades into dawn, just as

I spoke, while morning unveiled the night

A smile reveals gleaming incisors:

A smile chases gloom from the frown

Just as a smile reveals the gleam of white teeth:

يا أَحمَدَ المُرتَجى في كُلِّ نائِبَةٍ

يا أَحمَدَ المُرتَجى في كُلِّ نائِبَةٍ

قُم سَيِّدي نَعصِ جَبّارَ السَمَواتِ

قُم سَيِّدي نَعصِ جَبّارَ السَمَواتِ

“O Ahmad, relied upon in every calamity,

O Ahmed, the hoped for in every tribulation

"O Ahmed, my hope in every calamity,

Rise, my lord; let us disobey the Almighty of the heavens.

Rise, my master, defy the tyrant of the heavens

Rise, my master, let us disobey the Lord of the Heavens!

وَهاكَها قَهوَةً صَهباءَ صافِيَةً

وَهاكَها قَهوَةً صَهباءَ صافِيَةً

مَنسوبَةً لِقُرى هيتٍ وَعاناتِ

مَنسوبَةً لِقُرى هيتٍ وَعاناتِ

And here, take it—a clear, tawny wine,

Attributed to the villages of Hiet and Anat

Here, take it—a wine, golden-red and pure,

From the villages of Hit and Anat.”

I provoke him with its heat and deter him

Sourced from the villages of Hit and 'Ana."

أَلُزُّهُ بِحُمَيّاها وَأَزجُرُهُ

أَلُزُّهُ بِحُمَيّاها وَأَزجُرُهُ

بِاللينِ طَوراً وَبِالتَشديدِ تاراتِ

بِاللينِ طَوراً وَبِالتَشديدِ تاراتِ

I press him with its fiery strength and chide him,

With gentleness at times, and harshness at others

I plied him with its heat and urged him on,

Gently at times, and sternly at others,

Until he sings, and before the third cup

Now with gentleness, and now with stern insistence,

حَتّى تَغَنّى وَما تَمَّ الثَلاثُ لَهُ

حَتّى تَغَنّى وَما تَمَّ الثَلاثُ لَهُ

حُلوُ الشَمائِلِ مَحمودَ السَجِيّاتِ

حُلوُ الشَمائِلِ مَحمودَ السَجِيّاتِ

Until he sang, before he had finished three cups—

The sweet disposition, Mahmoud of excellent traits

Until he began to sing—before three cups were done—

Sweet in manner, praiseworthy in character:

Oh, if only my share of my money and my children

That man of sweet disposition and praiseworthy nature:

يا لَيتَ حَظِّيَ مِن مالي وَمِن وَلَدي

يا لَيتَ حَظِّيَ مِن مالي وَمِن وَلَدي

أَنّي أُجالِسُ لُبنى بِالعَشِيّاتِ

أَنّي أُجالِسُ لُبنى بِالعَشِيّاتِ

“Ah, would that my share of my wealth and my offspring

Were to sit with the doe-eyed ladies in the evenings

"Oh, would that my only lot from wealth and kin

Were to sit with Lubna in the evenings.”

Were that I might sit with Lubna in the evenings!"