وَقَد أُغلِقَت حَلَقاتُ الشَبابِ

وَقَد أُغلِقَت حَلَقاتُ الشَبابِ

فَأَنّى لِيَ اليَومَ أَن أَستَفيصا

فَأَنّى لِيَ اليَومَ أَن أَستَفيصا

And the rings of youth have been locked shut;

The gatherings of youth are now closed,

so how can I break free today?

How can I rejoice today?

فَتِلكَ الَّتي حَرَّمَتكَ المَتاعَ

فَتِلكَ الَّتي حَرَّمَتكَ المَتاعَ

وَأَودَت بِقَلبِكَ إِلّا شَقيصا

وَأَودَت بِقَلبِكَ إِلّا شَقيصا

For she is the one who denied you pleasure,

It is she who denied you pleasure,

and destroyed your heart, save a small fragment.

And left your heart in misery.

وَإِنَّكَ لَو سِرتَ عُمرَ الفَتى

وَإِنَّكَ لَو سِرتَ عُمرَ الفَتى

لِتَلقى لَها شَبَهاً أَو تَغوصا

لِتَلقى لَها شَبَهاً أَو تَغوصا

And indeed, were you to travel a young man's lifetime

If you lived the life of a young man,

to find her equal, or dive into the depths,

You would find her likeness somewhere.

رَجَعتَ لِما رُمتَ مُستَحسِناً

رَجَعتَ لِما رُمتَ مُستَحسِناً

تَرى لِلكَواعِبِ كَهراً وَبيصا

تَرى لِلكَواعِبِ كَهراً وَبيصا

you would return admiring what you had sought,

You went back pleased with what you desired,

seeing the full-breasted maidens clearly outshone.

To see the slave girls angry and sullen.

فَإِن كُنتَ مِن وُدِّها يائِساً

فَإِن كُنتَ مِن وُدِّها يائِساً

وَأَجمَعتَ مِنها بِحَجٍّ قَلوصا

وَأَجمَعتَ مِنها بِحَجٍّ قَلوصا

So if you have despaired of her affection,

If you despair of her love,

and readied a young she-camel for a journey away from her,

And have lost all hope,

فَقَرِّب لِرَحلِكَ جُلذِيَّةً

فَقَرِّب لِرَحلِكَ جُلذِيَّةً

هَبوبَ السُرى لا تَمَلُّ النَصيصا

هَبوبَ السُرى لا تَمَلُّ النَصيصا

then bring up a sturdy she-camel for your saddle,

Then prepare your mount for departure,

swift on night journeys, never tiring of a hard-driven pace.

Blowing freely, never tiring.

يُشَبِّهُها صُحبَتي مَوهِناً

يُشَبِّهُها صُحبَتي مَوهِناً

إِذا ما اِستَتَبَّت أَتانا نَحوصا

إِذا ما اِستَتَبَّت أَتانا نَحوصا

My companions liken her, late at night,

She reminded me of a weak companion,

when she settles into her stride, to a barren she-ass.

Like a she-camel limping along.

إِلَيكَ اِبنَ جَفنَةَ مِن شُقَّةٍ

إِلَيكَ اِبنَ جَفنَةَ مِن شُقَّةٍ

دَأَبتُ السُرى وَحَسَرتُ القَلوصا

دَأَبتُ السُرى وَحَسَرتُ القَلوصا

To you, son of Jafna, from afar,

To you, Ibn Jafnah complains

I kept journeying by night and wore out the young she-camel.

I yearned yet met refusal.

تَشَكّى إِلَيَّ فَلَم أُشكِها

تَشَكّى إِلَيَّ فَلَم أُشكِها

مَناسِمَ تَدمى وَخُفّاً رَهيصا

مَناسِمَ تَدمى وَخُفّاً رَهيصا

She complained to me, but I gave her no relief:

She complained to me but I did not complain to her,

bleeding toe-tips and a stone-bruised foot-pad.

Spreading smiles while my spirit cringed.

يَراكَ الأَعادي عَلى رَغمِهِم

يَراكَ الأَعادي عَلى رَغمِهِم

تَحُلُّ عَلَيهِم مَحَلّاً عَويصا

تَحُلُّ عَلَيهِم مَحَلّاً عَويصا

Your enemies see you, against their will,

Your enemies see you prevail over them

taking a position over them that is hard to overcome,

Assailing them boldly and fiercely,

كَحَيَّةِ سَلعٍ مِنَ القاتِلاتِ

كَحَيَّةِ سَلعٍ مِنَ القاتِلاتِ

تَقُدُّ الصَرامَةُ عَنكَ القَميصا

تَقُدُّ الصَرامَةُ عَنكَ القَميصا

like a serpent of Salʿ, of the deadly kind.

Like a deadly viper of Salu,

Your fierce resolve tears the shirt off you.

Whose bite strips away the shirt.

إِذا ما بَدا بَدوَةً لِلعُيونِ

إِذا ما بَدا بَدوَةً لِلعُيونِ

تَذَكَّرَ ذو الضَغنِ مِنهُ المَحيصا

تَذَكَّرَ ذو الضَغنِ مِنهُ المَحيصا

When he appears, even once, before their eyes,

When she displays her beauty to eyes,

the man with a grudge recalls a way to flee from him.

The lovesick remembers only torment.