حَمَلَ القَلبُ مِن حُمَيدَةَ ثِقلا

حَمَلَ القَلبُ مِن حُمَيدَةَ ثِقلا

إِنَّ في ذاكَ لِلفُؤادِ لَشُغلا

إِنَّ في ذاكَ لِلفُؤادِ لَشُغلا

His heart has burdened him heavily on Humayda’s account;

The heart has taken on a burden from Humayda.

surely that is enough to keep the heart engrossed.

Indeed, in that the heart is fully occupied,

عَن سِواها فَلا تَظُنَّنَّ أُنثى

عَن سِواها فَلا تَظُنَّنَّ أُنثى

أَنَّ في القَلبِ عَن حُمَيدَةَ فَضلا

أَنَّ في القَلبِ عَن حُمَيدَةَ فَضلا

Let no other woman besides her cross your mind,

away from all but her; so let no woman suppose

as though the heart had room beyond Humayda.

that the heart has room to spare beyond Humayda.

قَد حَوَتهُ وَأَغلَقتُ دُونَ وُدِّي

قَد حَوَتهُ وَأَغلَقتُ دُونَ وُدِّي

فَهوَ في سِجنِها عَنِ الناسِ قُفلا

فَهوَ في سِجنِها عَنِ الناسِ قُفلا

She has captured it and locked my love behind its doors;

She has possessed it, and I have barred access to my love;

so it lies in her prison, barred away from all mankind.

so it is locked in her prison, away from other people.

إِذا فَعَلتِ الَّذي فَعَلتِ فَقُولي

إِذا فَعَلتِ الَّذي فَعَلتِ فَقُولي

حَمدَ خَيراً وَأَتبَعي القَولَ فِعلا

حَمدَ خَيراً وَأَتبَعي القَولَ فِعلا

If you have done what you have done, then speak

If you have done what you have done, then speak

a kindly word of praise—and follow word with deed.

kindly, Hamd, and follow words with action.

وَصِلِيني فَأُشهِدُ اللَه أَن لا

وَصِلِيني فَأُشهِدُ اللَه أَن لا

أَبتَغي مِن سِواكِ ما عِشتُ وَصلا

أَبتَغي مِن سِواكِ ما عِشتُ وَصلا

Grant me your love, and I call God to witness that I shall not

And grant me union, for I call God to witness that I will not

seek union with anyone but you as long as I live—

seek union from anyone but you as long as I live,

ما دَعا نائِحُ الحَمامِ بِوادٍ

ما دَعا نائِحُ الحَمامِ بِوادٍ

ذي أَراكٍ وَهَزَّتِ الرِيحُ أَثلا

ذي أَراكٍ وَهَزَّتِ الرِيحُ أَثلا

as long as the mourning dove cries in a valley

as long as the lamenting dove calls in a valley

grown with arak, and the wind stirs the tamarisks.

with arak trees, and the wind shakes tamarisks.

جَعَلَ اللَهُ وَجهَ كُلِّ حَسُودٍ

جَعَلَ اللَهُ وَجهَ كُلِّ حَسُودٍ

لا أَراه لَها مِنَ الناس أَهلا

لا أَراه لَها مِنَ الناس أَهلا

May God make the face of every envious man

May God turn the face of every envious man—

whom I deem unworthy of her among mankind,

whom I deem unworthy of her among people,

أَو حَسُودٍ بَغاكِ يَوماً بِسُوءٍ

أَو حَسُودٍ بَغاكِ يَوماً بِسُوءٍ

كاشِحٍ مُبغِضٍ لِرِجلِكِ نَعلا

كاشِحٍ مُبغِضٍ لِرِجلِكِ نَعلا

or any envier who ever seeks you harm—

or any envious man who ever sought to harm you,

that rancorous hater—a sole beneath your saddle.

spiteful and hateful—into a sandal for your foot.

قَلتُ إِذا أَقبَلَت تَهادى وَزُهرٌ

قَلتُ إِذا أَقبَلَت تَهادى وَزُهرٌ

كَنِعاجِ المَلا تَعَسَّفنَ رَملا

كَنِعاجِ المَلا تَعَسَّفنَ رَملا

I said, when she approached, swaying amid radiant women

I said as she approached, swaying, with radiant women

like wild ewes of the open waste straying across the sand.

like antelope does of al-Mala crossing the sand,

وَتَنَقَّبنَ بِالبُرُودِ وَأَبدَي

وَتَنَقَّبنَ بِالبُرُودِ وَأَبدَي

نَ عُيُوناً حُورَ المَدامِعِ نُجلا

نَ عُيُوناً حُورَ المَدامِعِ نُجلا

They veiled themselves in striped mantles, yet revealed

who veiled themselves in striped cloaks and revealed

eyes wide and dark, their whites brilliantly clear.

wide eyes, dark-pupilled and white at the corners:

مَرحَباً مَرحَباً بِأُمِّ جُبَيرٍ

مَرحَباً مَرحَباً بِأُمِّ جُبَيرٍ

وَبِأَترابِها وَأَهلاً وَسَهلا

وَبِأَترابِها وَأَهلاً وَسَهلا

Welcome, welcome to Umm Jubayr,

Welcome, welcome to Umm Jubayr,

and to her companions—welcome and ease!

and to her companions—welcome, and be at ease!

لَم أُرَحِّبُ بِأَن سَخَطتِ وَلَكِن

لَم أُرَحِّبُ بِأَن سَخَطتِ وَلَكِن

مَرحَباً إِن رَضِيتِ عَنّا وَأَهلا

مَرحَباً إِن رَضِيتِ عَنّا وَأَهلا

I did not welcome your displeasure, but

I did not welcome your displeasure; rather,

welcome, if you are pleased with us, and welcome indeed:

welcome, if you are pleased with us—welcome!

أَحسَنُ الناسِ مَجلِساً وَحَديثاً

أَحسَنُ الناسِ مَجلِساً وَحَديثاً

وَقَواماً وَأَكمَلُ الناسِ عَقلا

وَقَواماً وَأَكمَلُ الناسِ عَقلا

the finest of all people in company and conversation,

The finest of people in company and conversation,

in stature too, and the most perfect of all in judgment.

and in figure, and the most perfect of people in intellect.