أَنْتَ الحَبِيبُ وَإِنْ سَلَبْتَ رُقَادِي

أَنْتَ الحَبِيبُ وَإِنْ سَلَبْتَ رُقَادِي

وأَطْعْتَ فِيَّ تَعَرُّضَ الحُسَّادِ

وأَطْعْتَ فِيَّ تَعَرُّضَ الحُسَّادِ

You are the beloved, though you have robbed me of sleep,

You are the beloved, even if you have stolen my sleep,

and, in our affair, heeded the envious who assailed me.

and heeded the envious in their attacks on me.

لاَ كَانَ قَلْبٌ ضَلَّ فِيكَ بِوَجْدِهِ

لاَ كَانَ قَلْبٌ ضَلَّ فِيكَ بِوَجْدِهِ

إِنْ مَال عَنْكَ إِلى هُدَىً ورَشَادِ

إِنْ مَال عَنْكَ إِلى هُدَىً ورَشَادِ

May this heart of mine—lost in passion for you—be no more,

May a heart led astray by its passion for you cease to be,

if it turns from you toward guidance and sound reason.

if it turns from you toward guidance and sound judgment.

مَلَكَتْ خُدُودُكَ أَسْوَدَيَّ فَمَاؤُهَا

مَلَكَتْ خُدُودُكَ أَسْوَدَيَّ فَمَاؤُهَا

مِنْ مُقْلَتِي وَلَهيبُهَا بِفُؤَادِي

مِنْ مُقْلَتِي وَلَهيبُهَا بِفُؤَادِي

Your cheeks have mastered my two dark pupils: their moisture

Your cheeks have claimed my two dark ones—eye and heart; their water

comes from my eye, while their flame burns in my heart.

comes from my eye, and their flame is in my heart.

وَا رَحْمَتَاهُ لِمُقْلَةٍ بِدُموُعِهَا

وَا رَحْمَتَاهُ لِمُقْلَةٍ بِدُموُعِهَا

غَرْقَى وَنَاظِرُهَا لِوَجْهِكَ صَادِي

غَرْقَى وَنَاظِرُهَا لِوَجْهِكَ صَادِي

Ah, pity an eye that, in its own tears,

Ah, pity an eye that, in its own tears,

lies drowned, while its pupil thirsts for your face.

is drowned, while its pupil thirsts for your face.

قَسَماً بِسَالِفِ عيشَةٍ سَلَفَتْ لَنَا

قَسَماً بِسَالِفِ عيشَةٍ سَلَفَتْ لَنَا

بِسُلاَفَةٍ أَوْ شَادِنٍ أَوْ شَادِي

بِسُلاَفَةٍ أَوْ شَادِنٍ أَوْ شَادِي

I swear by the bygone life that passed for us

I swear by the life that once was ours,

with vintage wine, a young gazelle, or a singer;

with choice wine, or a young gazelle, or a singer,

وَبِطيِبِ لَيْلاَتِ العَقِيقِ وَمَا جَنَتْ

وَبِطيِبِ لَيْلاَتِ العَقِيقِ وَمَا جَنَتْ

تِلْكَ الظِبَاءُ بهِ عَلى الآسَادِ

تِلْكَ الظِبَاءُ بهِ عَلى الآسَادِ

and by the sweetness of al-ʿAqīq’s nights, and by what

and by the sweetness of al-Aqiq's nights, and the harm

those gazelles wrought there against the lions;

those gazelles inflicted there upon the lions:

لاَ حِلْتُ عَنْ وَادِي الاُثَيْلِ بَسَلْوَةٍ

لاَ حِلْتُ عَنْ وَادِي الاُثَيْلِ بَسَلْوَةٍ

تُنْسِي عُهُودَ أُهَيْلِ ذَاكَ الوَادِي

تُنْسِي عُهُودَ أُهَيْلِ ذَاكَ الوَادِي

may I never turn from Wadi al-Uthayl for any solace

I shall not forsake the valley of al-Uthayl for solace

that makes me forget my bonds with that valley’s dear folk.

that makes me forget the pledges of that valley's dear folk.

حَيٌّ بهِ مَاتَ السُّلُوُ أَمَا تَرَى

حَيٌّ بهِ مَاتَ السُّلُوُ أَمَا تَرَى

لُبْسَ الجُفُونِ عَلَيهِ ثَوْبَ حِدَادِ

لُبْسَ الجُفُونِ عَلَيهِ ثَوْبَ حِدَادِ

One lives there; through him, consolation died—do you not see

There is a clan for whose sake forgetfulness has died—do you not see

the eyelids clothed in mourning for it?

the eyelids wearing a robe of mourning for it?

وَمُحَجَّبٍ مَا الوَجْدُ فِيهِ مُحَجَّباً

وَمُحَجَّبٍ مَا الوَجْدُ فِيهِ مُحَجَّباً

عَنْ عَاذِليِّ وَلاَ التَّصَبُّرُ بَادِي

عَنْ عَاذِليِّ وَلاَ التَّصَبُّرُ بَادِي

And by a veiled one—my passion for him is not veiled

And a veiled beloved—my passion for him is not veiled

from my reproachers, nor does any show of patience appear.

from my reproachers, nor is any show of patience apparent.

مَهْمَا انْثَى فَأَنَا الطَّعِينُ بِقَامَةٍ

مَهْمَا انْثَى فَأَنَا الطَّعِينُ بِقَامَةٍ

هَيْفَاءَ تَهْزَأَُ بِالقَنَا المَيَّادِ

هَيْفَاءَ تَهْزَأَُ بِالقَنَا المَيَّادِ

Whenever he sways, I am the one pierced by a form—

Whenever he sways, I am pierced by a form

slender, and mocking the swaying lances.

slender-waisted, mocking the swaying spears.

وَإِذَا رَنَا فَأَنَأ القَتِيلُ بِمُقْلَةٍ

وَإِذَا رَنَا فَأَنَأ القَتِيلُ بِمُقْلَةٍ

نَجْلاَءَ أمض مِنْ حُدُودِ حِدَادِ

نَجْلاَءَ أمض مِنْ حُدُودِ حِدَادِ

And whenever he gazes, I am the one slain by an eye—

And when he gazes, I am slain by an eye

wide, and more piercing than the edges of sharpened steel.

wide, sharper than keen cutting edges.