أَثلَ جودي عَلى المُتَيَّمِ أَثلا

أَثلَ جودي عَلى المُتَيَّمِ أَثلا

لا تَزيدي فُؤَادَهُ بِكِ خَبلا

لا تَزيدي فُؤَادَهُ بِكِ خَبلا

Athl, be generous to the love-stricken, Athl;

Your generosity surpasses the generous

Do not deepen his heart’s madness over you.

Do not make his heart sick for you

أَثلَ إِنّي وَالراَقِصاتِ بِجَمعٍ

أَثلَ إِنّي وَالراَقِصاتِ بِجَمعٍ

يَتَبارَينَ في الأَزِمَّةِ فُتلا

يَتَبارَينَ في الأَزِمَّةِ فُتلا

Athl, I swear by the dancing camels at Jamʿ,

My generosity, I and the dancing girls

Stout-limbed, vying under the reins,

Compete at times of crisis and war

سانِحاتٍ يَقطَعنَ مِن عَرفاتٍ

سانِحاتٍ يَقطَعنَ مِن عَرفاتٍ

بَينَ أَيدي المَطيِّ حَزناً وَسَهلا

بَينَ أَيدي المَطيِّ حَزناً وَسَهلا

Passing from left to right, traversing from Arafat

Graceful ones cutting through Arafat

Rough ground and smooth, ahead of the riding-camels;

Before the riders in sadness and plains

والأَكُفِّ المُضَمَّراتِ عَلى الرُك

والأَكُفِّ المُضَمَّراتِ عَلى الرُك

نِ بِشُعثٍ سَعَوا إِلى البَيتِ رَجلى

نِ بِشُعثٍ سَعَوا إِلى البَيتِ رَجلى

And by the lean hands upon the Corner,

And the veiled palms on the steed

Of disheveled pilgrims who hastened to the House on foot:

With disheveled hair, my feet hastened home

لا أَخونُ الصَديقَ في السِرِّ حَتّى

لا أَخونُ الصَديقَ في السِرِّ حَتّى

يُنقَلَ البَحرُ بِالغَرابيلِ نَقلا

يُنقَلَ البَحرُ بِالغَرابيلِ نَقلا

I will not betray a friend’s confidence until

I do not betray a friend in secret

The sea is carried away in sieves,

Until the sea is transported in containers

أَو تَمُرُّ الجِبالُ مَرَّ سَحابٍ

أَو تَمُرُّ الجِبالُ مَرَّ سَحابٍ

مُرتَقٍ قَد وَعى مِنَ الماءِ ثِقلا

مُرتَقٍ قَد وَعى مِنَ الماءِ ثِقلا

Or the mountains drift like clouds,

Or mountains pass like heavy

Rising, laden with a heavy load of water.

Laden clouds

أَنعَمَ اللَهُ لي بِذا الوَجهِ عَيناً

أَنعَمَ اللَهُ لي بِذا الوَجهِ عَيناً

وَبِهِ مَرحَباً وَأَهلاً وَسَهلا

وَبِهِ مَرحَباً وَأَهلاً وَسَهلا

May God gladden my eyes with this face,

God has blessed me with this face, welcome

And to it, a warm and hearty welcome!

Hello and easy

حينَ قالَت لا تُفشينَّ حَديثي

حينَ قالَت لا تُفشينَّ حَديثي

يا بنَ عَمّي أَقسَمتُ قُلتُ أَجَل لا

يا بنَ عَمّي أَقسَمتُ قُلتُ أَجَل لا

When she said, “Do not divulge my words,

When she said do not spread my talk

My cousin, I adjure you!” I said, “Yes—I will not.”

Dear cousin, I swore yes, no

إِتَّقي اللَهَ واِقبَلي العُذرَ مِنيِّ

إِتَّقي اللَهَ واِقبَلي العُذرَ مِنيِّ

وَتَجافي عَن بَعضِ ما كانَ زَلّا

وَتَجافي عَن بَعضِ ما كانَ زَلّا

Fear God, and accept my excuse;

Fear God and accept the apology from me

And overlook some of the lapses that occurred.

And avoid some of what was wrong

لا تَصُدّي فَتَقتُلينيَ ظُلماً

لا تَصُدّي فَتَقتُلينيَ ظُلماً

لَيسَ قَتلُ المُحِبِّ لِلحِبِّ حِلّا

لَيسَ قَتلُ المُحِبِّ لِلحِبِّ حِلّا

Do not turn away and thereby kill me unjustly;

Do not turn away and wrongfully kill me

Killing the lover is not lawful for the beloved.

Killing the lover is not permitted

ما أَكُن سُؤتُكُم بِهِ فَلَكِ العُت

ما أَكُن سُؤتُكُم بِهِ فَلَكِ العُت

بى لَدينا وَحَقَّ ذاكَ وَقَلّا

بى لَدينا وَحَقَّ ذاكَ وَقَلّا

Whatever wrong I may have done you, you shall have amends

I was not bad to you, so for you is the

From us; that is your due, and little enough.

Blame for that and little

لَم أُرَ حِّب بِأَن سَخِطتِ وَلَكِن

لَم أُرَ حِّب بِأَن سَخِطتِ وَلَكِن

مَرحَباً أَن رَضيتِ عَنّا وَأَهلا

مَرحَباً أَن رَضيتِ عَنّا وَأَهلا

I did not welcome your displeasure, but

I have not seen love that you were angry but

Your satisfaction with us is most heartily welcome!

Welcome, you were pleased with us and hello

إِنَّ شَخصاً رَأَيتُهُ لَيلَةَ البَد

إِنَّ شَخصاً رَأَيتُهُ لَيلَةَ البَد

رِ عَليهِ اِنثَنى الجَمالُ وَحَلّا

رِ عَليهِ اِنثَنى الجَمالُ وَحَلّا

Indeed, a figure I saw on the night of the full moon

A person I saw the night of Bader

Was enfolded by beauty, which settled upon it.

Upon him beauty leaned and lodged

جَعَلَ اللَهُ كُلَّ أُنثى فِداءً

جَعَلَ اللَهُ كُلَّ أُنثى فِداءً

لَكِ بَل خَدَّها لِرِجلِك نَعلا

لَكِ بَل خَدَّها لِرِجلِك نَعلا

May God make every woman a ransom

May God ransom you with every female

For you—nay, her cheek a sandal for your foot.

Nay, He made her cheek to your shoe a shoe lace

وَجهُكِ البَدرُ لَو سَأَلتُ بِهِ المُز

وَجهُكِ البَدرُ لَو سَأَلتُ بِهِ المُز

نَ مِنَ الحُسنِ والجَمالِ اِستَهَلّا

نَ مِنَ الحُسنِ والجَمالِ اِستَهَلّا

Your face is the full moon; were I to beseech the rainclouds by it,

Your face is the full moon, if I asked beauty

They would pour down rain for its loveliness and beauty.

And perfection from it, it would start

إِنَّ عِندَ الطَوافِ حينَ أَتَتهُ

إِنَّ عِندَ الطَوافِ حينَ أَتَتهُ

لَجَمالاً فَعماً وَخُلقاً رِفَلّا

لَجَمالاً فَعماً وَخُلقاً رِفَلّا

Indeed, at the circumambulation, when she came to it,

When she came to circumambulate

There was overflowing beauty and a stately form.

For beauty, blindness and vulgarity

وَكُسينَ الجَمالَ إِن غِبنَ عَنها

وَكُسينَ الجَمالَ إِن غِبنَ عَنها

فَإِذا ما بَدَت لَهُنَّ اضمَحَلّا

فَإِذا ما بَدَت لَهُنَّ اضمَحَلّا

And they are clothed in beauty when away from her;

They wore the dress of beauty if it was

But whenever she appears before them, it vanishes.

Absent from them, when it appeared to them, it withered