وَلَقَد مُتّ غَيرَ أَنِّيَ حَيُّ

وَلَقَد مُتّ غَيرَ أَنِّيَ حَيُّ

يَومَ بانَت بِوُدِّها خَنساءُ

يَومَ بانَت بِوُدِّها خَنساءُ

And indeed I died, though I am alive,

Though I am dead, yet I live

The day Khansa departed with her love,

The day she revealed her love to me,

مِن بَني عامِرٍ شِقُّ نَفسي

مِن بَني عامِرٍ شِقُّ نَفسي

قِسمَةً مِثلَما يُشَقُّ الرِداءُ

قِسمَةً مِثلَما يُشَقُّ الرِداءُ

Of Banu Amir, half my soul,

A girl from the tribe of Banu 'Amir,

Divided as a cloak is torn.

My soul was torn like a cloak.

أَشرَبَت لَونَ صُفرَة في بَياضٍ

أَشرَبَت لَونَ صُفرَة في بَياضٍ

وَهيَ في ذاكَ لَدنَةٌ غَيداءُ

وَهيَ في ذاكَ لَدنَةٌ غَيداءُ

A yellow hue suffused her whiteness,

Her face turned sallow in its fairness,

And with that, she is supple and gracefully slender.

Yet in that she's gentle and bright,

كُلُّ عَينٍ مِمَّن يَراها مِنَ النا

كُلُّ عَينٍ مِمَّن يَراها مِنَ النا

سِ إِلَيها مُديمَةٌ حَولاءُ

سِ إِلَيها مُديمَةٌ حَولاءُ

Every eye among the people who see her

All eyes that see her among people

Stares at her unceasingly, turned cross-eyed.

Are turned longingly upon her.

فَاِنتَهوا إِنَّ لِلشَدائِد أَهلاً

فَاِنتَهوا إِنَّ لِلشَدائِد أَهلاً

وَذَروا ما تُزَيِّنُ الأَهواءُ

وَذَروا ما تُزَيِّنُ الأَهواءُ

So desist: hardships have their own people,

So leave off, for hardships have a limit,

And leave what passions make alluring.

And leave what fancy adorns.

لَيتَ شَعري وَأَينَ مِنّي لَيتٌ

لَيتَ شَعري وَأَينَ مِنّي لَيتٌ

إِن لَيتاً وَإِن لَوّاً عَناءُ

إِن لَيتاً وَإِن لَوّاً عَناءُ

Would that I knew—but what can wishing do for me?

Would that I knew, would that I knew,

Indeed, 'would that' and 'if only' are anguish.

If 'would that' and 'if only' bring distress.

أَيُّ ساعٍ سَعى لِيَقطَعَ شِربي

أَيُّ ساعٍ سَعى لِيَقطَعَ شِربي

حينَ لاحَت لِلصابِحِ الجَوزاءُ

حينَ لاحَت لِلصابِحِ الجَوزاءُ

Who strove to cut off my drinking,

At what hour did fate cut short my drink,

When al-Jawza appeared to the morning drinker,

When dawn gleamed for the watchman?

وَاِستَظَلَّ العُصفورُ كُرهاً مِعَ الضَب

وَاِستَظَلَّ العُصفورُ كُرهاً مِعَ الضَب

ب وَأَوفى في عودِهِ الحِرباءُ

ب وَأَوفى في عودِهِ الحِرباءُ

And the sparrow reluctantly sought shade with the spiny-tailed lizard,

The sparrow took unwilling shelter

And the chameleon climbed high on its branch,

With the hyena and the howler kept his tryst,

وَنَفى الجُندُبُ الحَصى بِكُراعَي

وَنَفى الجُندُبُ الحَصى بِكُراعَي

ه وأذكَت نيرانَها المَعزاءُ

ه وأذكَت نيرانَها المَعزاءُ

And the grasshopper scattered pebbles with its two legs,

The cricket swept the pebbles with his arms

And the stony ground kindled its fires,

And kindled their fires, the nanny-goat.

مِن سُمومٍ كَأَنَّها حَرُّ نارٍ

مِن سُمومٍ كَأَنَّها حَرُّ نارٍ

سَعَفتَها ظَهيرَةٌ غَرّاءُ

سَعَفتَها ظَهيرَةٌ غَرّاءُ

From a scorching wind like the heat of a fire

With deadly poison like burning flame

Fed by a dazzling noonday.

Whose twigs the yellow noonday scorched.

وَإِذا أَهلُ بَلدَةٍ أَنكَروني

وَإِذا أَهلُ بَلدَةٍ أَنكَروني

عَرَفَتني الدَوُيَّةُ المَلساءُ

عَرَفَتني الدَوُيَّةُ المَلساءُ

And when a town's people did not recognize me,

And when the people of a town denied me,

The smooth desert recognized me.

The sand grouse of the valley knew me,

عَرَفَت ناقَتي الشَمائِلَ مِنّي

عَرَفَت ناقَتي الشَمائِلَ مِنّي

فَهيَ إِلّا بُغامها خَرساءُ

فَهيَ إِلّا بُغامها خَرساءُ

My she-camel knew my ways,

My she-camel knew my wrappings from me,

So, apart from her lowing, she was mute.

Though she is dumb save for her moaning.

عَرَفَت لَيلَها الطَويلَ وَلَيلى

عَرَفَت لَيلَها الطَويلَ وَلَيلى

إِنَّ ذا اللَيلَ لِلعُيونِ غِطاءُ

إِنَّ ذا اللَيلَ لِلعُيونِ غِطاءُ

She knew her long night and mine:

The long night and Layla knew it -

Indeed, this night is a covering for the eyes.

Truly the night is but a covering for eyes.