رَأَتني خَضِيبَ الرأسِ شَمَّرتُ مِئزَري

رَأَتني خَضِيبَ الرأسِ شَمَّرتُ مِئزَري

وَقَد عَهِدتني أَسوَدَ الرَأسِ مُسبِلا

وَقَد عَهِدتني أَسوَدَ الرَأسِ مُسبِلا

She saw me with dyed hair, my waist-wrapper tucked up,

When she saw me with grey hair, having tucked up my skirt,

though she had known me black-haired, letting my garment trail,

Though she had known me with black hair hanging loosely,

صَريعَ هَوىً ما يَبرَحُ العِشقُ قائِدي

صَريعَ هَوىً ما يَبرَحُ العِشقُ قائِدي

لِغَيٍّ فَلَم أَعدِل عَنِ الغَيِّ مَعدِلا

لِغَيٍّ فَلَم أَعدِل عَنِ الغَيِّ مَعدِلا

a victim of passion, with love ever my guide

Prostrate with passion that does not cease to lead me,

into waywardness, from which I never turned aside.

To folly, so I did not swerve from folly and change course,

أَطَعتُ ذَوي الأَحلام وَالرَأي وَالنُهى

أَطَعتُ ذَوي الأَحلام وَالرَأي وَالنُهى

حَديثاً وَقَد كُنتُ المَلُومَ المُعَذَّلا

حَديثاً وَقَد كُنتُ المَلُومَ المُعَذَّلا

I heeded men of sound judgment, counsel, and reason

I obeyed those with dreams, opinions and prohibitions,

recently, though I had been the one blamed and reproached.

Though I was once blamed and humiliated,

حَطُوطاً إِلى اللَذاتِ جَرَرتُ مِقوَدي

حَطُوطاً إِلى اللَذاتِ جَرَرتُ مِقوَدي

كَإِجرارِكَ الحَبلَ الجَوادَ المُجَلَّلا

كَإِجرارِكَ الحَبلَ الجَوادَ المُجَلَّلا

Plunging toward pleasures, I let my rein trail,

With the reins to pleasures I dragged along my mount,

as you let a caparisoned steed drag its rope.

As you would drag along the trained, bridled horse,

إِذا قادَهُ السُوّاسُ لا يَملِكُونَهُ

إِذا قادَهُ السُوّاسُ لا يَملِكُونَهُ

وَكانَ الَّذي يَألُونَ قَولاً لَهُ هَلا

وَكانَ الَّذي يَألُونَ قَولاً لَهُ هَلا

When the grooms lead it, they cannot control it,

When led by the groom they have no control over it

and all they can manage to say to it is 'Ho!'

And those who would chide it are confounded into silence

مُعَنّىً بِذكرى كُلِّ خَودٍ تَخالُها

مُعَنّىً بِذكرى كُلِّ خَودٍ تَخالُها

إِذا نَظَرَت حَوراءَ بِالفَرشِ مُغزِلا

إِذا نَظَرَت حَوراءَ بِالفَرشِ مُغزِلا

Tormented by memories of every tender maiden you would take,

With the memory of the cheek of every fair maiden I imagine

when she looks, for a dark-eyed doe at al-Farsh with a fawn,

When she glances, a houri, at the bed, spinning,

أَسِيلَةِ مَجرى الدَمع مَهضُومَةِ الحَشا

أَسِيلَةِ مَجرى الدَمع مَهضُومَةِ الحَشا

إِذا ما مَشَت لَم تَمشِ إِلّا تَمَيُّلا

إِذا ما مَشَت لَم تَمشِ إِلّا تَمَيُّلا

smooth where tears run, slender of waist,

With copious, flowing tears, broken in gait,

when she walks, she walks only with a sway,

Swaying, not walking straight when she steps along,

كَخُوطَةِ بانٍ بَلَّهُ صَوبُ دِيمَةٍ

كَخُوطَةِ بانٍ بَلَّهُ صَوبُ دِيمَةٍ

إِذا حَرَّكَتهُ الرِيحُ بِالماءِ أَخضَلا

إِذا حَرَّكَتهُ الرِيحُ بِالماءِ أَخضَلا

like a ban-tree shoot soaked by steady rain,

Like threads in motley cloth as the wind stirs it

when the wind stirs it, dripping with water.

In the water to and fro, greenish blue,

مُبتّلَةٍ نُفجِ الحَقيبَةِ بادِنٍ

مُبتّلَةٍ نُفجِ الحَقيبَةِ بادِنٍ

تُمِيلُ عَلى اللِيَتينِ وَحفاً مُرَجَّلا

تُمِيلُ عَلى اللِيَتينِ وَحفاً مُرَجَّلا

Well-proportioned, full-rumped, ample-bodied,

With bags full to bursting, pressing on her sides,

she lets thick, combed hair fall over both sides of her neck.

She sways upon her hips with heavily jeweled ankles

لَدى الجَمرَةِ الوُسطى فَرِيعَت وَهَلَّلَت

لَدى الجَمرَةِ الوُسطى فَرِيعَت وَهَلَّلَت

وَمَن رِيعَ في حَجٍ مِن الناس هَلَّلا

وَمَن رِيعَ في حَجٍ مِن الناس هَلَّلا

At the Middle Jamrah she was startled and proclaimed God's oneness,

At the central bonfire she shrieked and ululated,

and anyone startled on pilgrimage proclaims God's oneness.

And whoever ululates in pilgrimage with people, ululates,

وَقالَت لِأُخرى عِندَها تَعرِفينَهُ

وَقالَت لِأُخرى عِندَها تَعرِفينَهُ

أَلَيسَ بِهِ قالَت بَلى ما تَبَدَّلا

أَلَيسَ بِهِ قالَت بَلى ما تَبَدَّلا

She said to another woman beside her, 'Do you recognize him?

And she said to another woman next to her, “do you recognize him?”

Isn't it he?' She replied, 'Yes; he has not changed,

She said “Yes, he hasn’t changed,”

سِوى أَنَّهُ قَد حالَتِ الشَمسُ لَونَهُ

سِوى أَنَّهُ قَد حالَتِ الشَمسُ لَونَهُ

وَفارَقَ أَشياعَ الصِبا وَتَبَذَّلا

وَفارَقَ أَشياعَ الصِبا وَتَبَذَّلا

except that the sun has altered his complexion,

Except the sun has changed his complexion

and he has left youth's companions and taken to plain dress.

And he has left behind the comrades of his youth and scattered them

وَلاحَ قَتِيرٌ في مَفارِقِ رَأسِهِ

وَلاحَ قَتِيرٌ في مَفارِقِ رَأسِهِ

إِذا غَفَلَت عَنهُ الخَواضِبُ أَنسَلا

إِذا غَفَلَت عَنهُ الخَواضِبُ أَنسَلا

A sprinkling of gray shows at the partings of his hair;

And some grey hairs appeared where his hair parts

whenever the women applying dye neglect it, it creeps out.'

When the green youth slipped away like clouds that disperse

وَكانَ الشَبابَ الغَضَّ كَالغَيمِ خَيَّلَت

وَكانَ الشَبابَ الغَضَّ كَالغَيمِ خَيَّلَت

سَماءٌ بِهِ إِذ هَبَّت الرِيحُ فَاِنجَلى

سَماءٌ بِهِ إِذ هَبَّت الرِيحُ فَاِنجَلى

And fresh youth was like a cloud with which

When the wind blows, and the sky clears,

the sky promised rain; the wind rose, and it dispersed.

But when she wanted to discern who I was

فَلَمَّا أَرادَت أَن تَبَيَّنَ مَن أَنا

فَلَمَّا أَرادَت أَن تَبَيَّنَ مَن أَنا

وَتَعلَمَ ما قالَت لَها وَتَأَمَّلا

وَتَعلَمَ ما قالَت لَها وَتَأَمَّلا

Then, when she wished to make out who I was,

And learn what she said to her and contemplated,

and learn what the other had told her, and look closely,

She uncovered her veiled, flushed face,

أَماطَت كِساءَ الخَزِّعَن حُرِّ وَجهِها

أَماطَت كِساءَ الخَزِّعَن حُرِّ وَجهِها

وَأَدنَت عَلى الخَدَّينِ بُرداً مُهَلهَلا

وَأَدنَت عَلى الخَدَّينِ بُرداً مُهَلهَلا

she drew the silk-wool cloak away from her lovely face,

And brought her cool cheeks closer, snow-white,

and drew a loosely woven mantle close over both cheeks.

And lightning flashed in her frowning dark eyes

فَلاحَ وَمِيضُ البَرقِ في مُكفَهَّرةٍ

فَلاحَ وَمِيضُ البَرقِ في مُكفَهَّرةٍ

مِنَ المُزنِ لَمّا لاحَ فيها تَهَلَّلا

مِنَ المُزنِ لَمّا لاحَ فيها تَهَلَّلا

Then a gleam of lightning shone in a glowering cloud

When it sparked within them, glittering,

among the rainclouds, beaming as it flashed within.

Calling not for vengeance or retribution,

مِنَ اللاءِ لَم يَحجِجنَ يَبغِينَ حِسبَةً

مِنَ اللاءِ لَم يَحجِجنَ يَبغِينَ حِسبَةً

وَلَكِن لِيَقتُلنَ البَرئِ المُغَفَّلا

وَلَكِن لِيَقتُلنَ البَرئِ المُغَفَّلا

One of those women who did not make pilgrimage to seek divine reward,

But to slay the innocent, unwary one,

but rather to kill the innocent, unsuspecting man.

And casts with her eyes at hearts, when she reveals

وَتَرمي بِعَينَيها القُلُوبَ إِذا بَدَت

وَتَرمي بِعَينَيها القُلُوبَ إِذا بَدَت

لَها فِقرَةٌ لَم تُخطِ مِنهُنَّ مَقتَلا

لَها فِقرَةٌ لَم تُخطِ مِنهُنَّ مَقتَلا

And she shoots at hearts with her eyes; when there appears

A streak that has not aimed at them with murderous intent,

a target before her, she never misses a vital spot in them.

Then she said, gesturing towards me, “now I recognize him—

فَقالَت وَأَومَت نَحوَها قَد عَرَفتُهُ

فَقالَت وَأَومَت نَحوَها قَد عَرَفتُهُ

ثَكَلتُ إِذَن بَيضاءَ أُمّي وَنَوفلا

ثَكَلتُ إِذَن بَيضاءَ أُمّي وَنَوفلا

Then she said, gesturing toward her, 'I have recognized him—

May my white-faced mother be bereaved if I lie!”

or may I be bereft of Bayda, my mother, and Nawfal!'