1. صاح استمعْ خبراً يبدي لك العبرا

    أمسى حديثَ بني الأشواق والسمرا

    Friend, hear a tale that reveals its lessons to you,

    Now the talk of longing's children and their evening tale.

  2. فتى من الترك في وادي دمشق رأى

    بين الرياض فتاة تخجل القمرا

    A young man of the Turks, in the valley of Damascus, saw

    Among the gardens a maiden who put the moon to shame.

  3. أحبها وأحبته فما لبثا

    أن أحدث الحب في قلبيهما شررا

    He loved her and she loved him; it was not long

    Before love kindled sparks in their two hearts.

  4. تواعدا بالتلاقي فوق منعرج

    عن الورى كان بالأشجار مستترا

    They arranged to meet upon a bend,

    Screened from the world by trees.

  5. وكان في الحي واشٍ من عداتهما

    فظٌّ غليظ يحب الشر والضررا

    In the neighborhood was a talebearer, an enemy of theirs,

    Harsh and coarse, who loved evil and harm.

  6. درى الشقيُّ بسر الوعد بينهما

    وليته ألهم الإرشاد حين درى

    The wretch learned the secret of their rendezvous;

    Would that he had received right guidance when he learned it!

  7. فبات في الموعد المضروب مرتقباً

    لقياهما ثائر الأحقاد منتظرا

    He spent the night at the appointed meeting place, watching

    For their encounter, seething with rancor as he waited.

  8. حتى إذا سادت الظلماء لاح له

    ظل يسير الهوينا مقبلاً حذرا

    Until, when darkness reigned, there appeared to him

    A shadow walking slowly toward him, wary.

  9. فصاح من ذلك الساري فروَّعها

    لِما بدا من تعدِّيه وما ظهرا

    He shouted, 'Who is that night traveler?' and frightened her

    With the aggression he so plainly displayed.

  10. فأدبرت نحو دار الصب باحثة

    عنه فما علمت من أمره خبرا

    She turned away toward her lover's house, searching

    For him, but could learn no news of him.

  11. لكنها إذ رأت مفتاح مضجعه

    في بابه دخلته تتقي الخطرا

    But when she saw the key to his bedchamber

    In its door, she entered it to escape danger.

  12. وبعد ذا رأت الغدار مقترباً

    من دار صاحبها كالسيل منحدرا

    Afterward she saw the traitor drawing near

    To her beloved's house, sweeping down like a torrent.

  13. واستبطأت أوبة المحبوب فادرعت

    بدرعه وانتضت بتّاره الذكرا

    She found her beloved slow to return, so she clad herself

    In his armor and unsheathed his keen, well-tempered sword.

  14. ونازلت ذلك الباغي فما لبثت

    أن جندلته قتيلاً لم ينل وطرا

    She fought that aggressor; it was not long

    Before she felled him dead, his desire unfulfilled.

  15. وأطفأت بالدم المسفوك منه لظى ال

    حقد الذي كان في جنبيهِ مستعرا

    With the blood spilled from him she quenched the blaze of

    The hatred that had raged within his breast.

  16. وغادرت في فيافي البر جثتَه

    فأنشب الوحش فيها الناب والظفرا

    She left his corpse in the wilderness,

    And wild beasts sank fang and claw into it.

  17. وكان صاحبها في البيت منفرداً

    جم الغرام يقاسي الشوق والفِكَرا

    Meanwhile, her beloved was alone in the house,

    Deep in love, suffering longing and troubled thoughts.

  18. وقام يستطلع الأحوال مضطرباً

    كأنه بتَعَدِّي المعتدي شعرا

    He rose, distraught, to discover what was happening,

    As though he had sensed the aggressor's assault.

  19. ضل الطريق التي فيها الفتاة سرت

    فلم يمتع بمرأى وجهها النظرا

    He missed the path along which the maiden had gone by night,

    So he could not delight his eyes with the sight of her face.

  20. ثم انثنى فرأى شيئاً يلوح له

    كالبرق يلمع في وسط الفلا سحرا

    Then he turned back and saw something gleaming before him,

    Flashing like lightning in the midst of the waste before dawn.

  21. وكان مَرْئِيُّهُ عقداً لسوسنَ في

    أثناء فتكتها بالمعتدي انتثرا

    What he saw was Sawsan's necklace, which, during

    Her slaying of the aggressor, had come apart.

  22. فحار لما رآه فوق رابية

    مخضوبة بدم المقتول حين جرى

    He was bewildered when he saw it upon a mound

    Stained with the slain man's blood as it flowed.

  23. وقال يا عقد أنَّى فرّ قاتلها

    بل كيف فارقت ذاك الجيد والنحَرا

    He said, 'O necklace, where has her killer fled?

    No—how did you leave that neck and breast?'

  24. وهام مضطرب الأفكار يبحث عن

    ذاك العدو فلا يلقى له أثرا

    Distraught in thought, he wandered, searching for

    That enemy, but found no trace of him.

  25. حتى انتهى فرأى في قربه شبحاً

    لما رآه عليه مقبلاً نفرا

    At last he arrived and saw a figure nearby,

    Which recoiled when it saw him approaching.

  26. فارتاب في أمر هذا الظل يحسبه ال

    وغد الذي لدم الحسناء قد هدرا

    He grew suspicious of this shadow, taking it for the

    Villain who had spilled the fair maiden's blood.

  27. فقال من وبحد السيف بادرها

    وليتها جاوبته قبلما ابتدرا

    He said, 'Who?' and struck her with his sword's edge;

    Would that she had answered him before he rushed at her!

  28. خرت صريعة سيف الصبّ صارخة

    وسط الفلاة صراخاً يفلق الحجرا

    She fell, slain by her lover's sword, crying out

    In the wilderness with a cry that would split stone:

  29. قتلتني ساهياً فاقبل مسامحتي

    فلا ترد قضاء اللّه والقدرا

    'You have killed me unwittingly; accept my forgiveness,

    And do not resist God's decree and destiny.'

  30. فاصح وا أسفي هل أنت صاحبتي

    لا عيش لي وبماضي سيفه انتحرا

    He cried, 'Oh, my grief! Are you my beloved?

    There is no life for me!' And with his keen sword he killed himself.

  31. بدا الصباح وهبَّ الناس وانتشروا

    فذاع أمرهما في الحي واشتهرا

    Morning broke; the people rose and spread abroad,

    So their story spread through the neighborhood, and both became well known.

  32. واراهما جدث في وجهه كتبوا

    بيتاً من الشعر يبكي الجن والبشرا

    A grave concealed them both; upon its face they wrote

    A verse that makes jinn and humankind weep:

  33. مثوى حبيبين لم يسمح بضمهما

    قصرٌ فضمَّهما قبر به قُبِرا

    'The resting place of two lovers whose union was denied by

    A palace: a grave embraced them, and in it they were buried.'