رِقَابَ العُقلِ إِنَّ لَنَا وُلُوعَا

رِقَابَ العُقلِ إِنَّ لَنَا وُلُوعَا

بِجِيرَتِكُنَّ مِن مَآقِيهَا الدُّمُوعَا

بِجِيرَتِكُنَّ مِن مَآقِيهَا الدُّمُوعَا

O Riqāb al-ʿUql, we have a passion

The minds' necks are burdened with passion

for your neighbors—tears from their eye-corners.

For your neighborhood, with its tearful troubles.

وَذادَ عَنِ الجُفونِ النَّوم شَجوي

وَذادَ عَنِ الجُفونِ النَّوم شَجوي

وَأَجرَى مِن مَآقِيها الدُّمُوعَا

وَأَجرَى مِن مَآقِيها الدُّمُوعَا

And my sorrow drove sleep away from the eyelids,

Sleep is chased from my eyelids by my nightly yearning,

and made tears flow from their corners,

And tears flow from the watering places.

وأوقَدَ في الجَوَانِحِ نَارَ شَوقٍ

وأوقَدَ في الجَوَانِحِ نَارَ شَوقٍ

تُذَكِّرُنَا المَغاني والرُّبُوعَا

تُذَكِّرُنَا المَغاني والرُّبُوعَا

and kindled within the ribs a fire of longing

In my heart, the fires of passion are kindled

that recalls to us the dwellings and encampments,

Reminding me of songs and meadows.

وأطلاَلاً حَوَالَيكُنَّ كُنَّا

وأطلاَلاً حَوَالَيكُنَّ كُنَّا

نُغَازِلَ بَينَها الرَّشَا المَرُوعَا

نُغَازِلَ بَينَها الرَّشَا المَرُوعَا

and ruins around you, where we used to

Among your ruins we were

woo the startled young gazelle among them.

Teasing the timid, startled deer.

فَيرمِينَا فَيًَصرَعُنَا بِعَيني

فَيرمِينَا فَيًَصرَعُنَا بِعَيني

مَهَاةٍ مُطفِلٍ وَقتَا الهُجُوعَا

مَهَاةٍ مُطفِلٍ وَقتَا الهُجُوعَا

It would shoot at us and fell us with the two eyes

With glances, they strike us down

of a white oryx with young, at the hour of sleep,

In the stillness of night, during times of rest.

ونَغمَةٍ شَادِنٍ أحوَى صَرِيعٍ

ونَغمَةٍ شَادِنٍ أحوَى صَرِيعٍ

تَرَى الوَرِعَ الحَلِيم لَهَا صَرِيعَا

تَرَى الوَرِعَ الحَلِيم لَهَا صَرِيعَا

and the voice of a dusky, stricken young gazelle:

A singing tone brought down a slain man

you see the devout, forbearing man stricken by it.

To whom the devout and wise had also fallen.

عَواذِلَنَا المَلامَةَ ما استَطَعتُم

عَواذِلَنَا المَلامَةَ ما استَطَعتُم

فَمَا كَانَ الشَّجِىُّ لَكُم مُطِيعَا

فَمَا كَانَ الشَّجِىُّ لَكُم مُطِيعَا

Our reproachers, blame us as much as you can;

Our ladies blamed us saying: “You could not restrain yourselves.”

for the grief-stricken was never obedient to you.

But passion is not obedient for you.

وإِنَّا قَد عَلِمنَا أنَّ رُشداً

وإِنَّا قَد عَلِمنَا أنَّ رُشداً

جُمُودُ الدَّمعِ لَكِن ما أُستُطِيعَا

جُمُودُ الدَّمعِ لَكِن ما أُستُطِيعَا

And we have indeed learned that wisdom lies

And we knew that being steadfast

in stilling tears, yet it could not be done.

Is wise, though tears cannot be restrained.

تَدَرَّعنَا عَنِ الفَتَيَاتِ لَكِن

تَدَرَّعنَا عَنِ الفَتَيَاتِ لَكِن

قَنَا الألحَاظِ أنفَذَتِ الدُّرُوعَا

قَنَا الألحَاظِ أنفَذَتِ الدُّرُوعَا

We armored ourselves against the maidens, but

We armored ourselves against the girls, but

the spears of glances pierced the armor.

The piercing glances penetrated the armor.

ورُعنَا كُلَّ مَن يَهوَى ورُغنَا

ورُعنَا كُلَّ مَن يَهوَى ورُغنَا

وأَبدَينَا التَّصَوُّفَ والخُشُوعَا

وأَبدَينَا التَّصَوُّفَ والخُشُوعَا

And we frightened everyone who loved, and slipped away,

We refrained from passionate love and pretended

and displayed Sufi devotion and humility.

To be mystics full of piety.

فَلَمَّا أن دَهَانَا الوَجدُ صَرنَا

فَلَمَّا أن دَهَانَا الوَجدُ صَرنَا

كَأنَّا لَن نَرُوغَ ولَن نَرُوعَا

كَأنَّا لَن نَرُوغَ ولَن نَرُوعَا

Then, when longing overwhelmed us, we became

But when passion imbued us, we acted

as though we would neither evade nor frighten.

As if we’d never flee or avoid it.

ورُمنَا خِيفَةً مِنهُنَّ سِلماً

ورُمنَا خِيفَةً مِنهُنَّ سِلماً

فَأرسَلنَ الغَدَائِرَ والفُرُوعَا

فَأرسَلنَ الغَدَائِرَ والفُرُوعَا

And, in fear of them, we sought peace,

Fearing them, we threw our arrows

so they let loose their braids and tresses.

And they returned branches and leaves.

واقسَمَتِ الغَدَائِرُ والثَّنَايَا

واقسَمَتِ الغَدَائِرُ والثَّنَايَا

عَلَى أن لاَ نَلُوغَ ولَن نَلُوعَا

عَلَى أن لاَ نَلُوغَ ولَن نَلُوعَا

And the braids and front teeth swore

The branches and folds swore

that we would not stray, nor burn with longing.

That we’d never attain them or even hope to.

فَلَمَّا أن رَأينَ أبَنَّ فِينَا

فَلَمَّا أن رَأينَ أبَنَّ فِينَا

هَوَاهُنَّ المُبِيدَ المُستَشِيعَا

هَوَاهُنَّ المُبِيدَ المُستَشِيعَا

Then, when they saw that there had settled within us

But when they saw that their love

the ruinous, spreading love for them,

Had become rooted deeply within us,

لَعِبنَ بِنَا وقُلنَ لَنَا خَسِرتُم

لَعِبنَ بِنَا وقُلنَ لَنَا خَسِرتُم

أجَبتُم دَاعِىَ الغَىِّ السَّمِيعَا

أجَبتُم دَاعِىَ الغَىِّ السَّمِيعَا

they toyed with us and told us: You have lost;

They toyed with us and said: “You have failed,

you answered the resounding call to error.

Responding to the call of reckless passion.”

كذَاك الحُبُّ يَسهُلُ في ابتِدَاهُ

كذَاك الحُبُّ يَسهُلُ في ابتِدَاهُ

ويُلفي بَعدَهُ شَجَناً شَنِيعَا

ويُلفي بَعدَهُ شَجَناً شَنِيعَا

Such is love: easy at its beginning,

That’s how love seems easy at first

and afterward one finds dreadful grief.

Then overwhelms you with terrible longing.

وَيدخُلُ كَيِّساً واذَا تَرَقَّى

وَيدخُلُ كَيِّساً واذَا تَرَقَّى

تَعَنَّفَ لاَ شَفِيقَ ولاَ شَفِيعَا

تَعَنَّفَ لاَ شَفِيقَ ولاَ شَفِيعَا

And it enters shrewdly, and when it gains ground,

It enters gently then, when it grows stronger,

it turns brutal, with none to pity or intercede.

Becomes violent, pitiless, and merciless.

سَأَطوي البِيدَ قَاصِدَهَا بِوَهمٍ

سَأَطوي البِيدَ قَاصِدَهَا بِوَهمٍ

يَبُذٌّ الصَّعلَ عَدواً حِينَ رِيعَا

يَبُذٌّ الصَّعلَ عَدواً حِينَ رِيعَا

I shall cross the desert wastes, bound for her on a mighty camel,

I will endure my love’s goal with delusions

that outstrips the small-headed ostrich at a run when it is startled.

That slander the firm when they are weak.

نَمَتهُ شَدَ قمِياتٌ هِجَانٌ

نَمَتهُ شَدَ قمِياتٌ هِجَانٌ

وقَد كَانَ الجَدِيلُ لَهَا قَرِيعَا

وقَد كَانَ الجَدِيلُ لَهَا قَرِيعَا

White, purebred she-camels of Shadqam's line bred him,

They slept while resounding songs and clamors

and al-Jadīl had been their stud.

Had been their boon companions.