وَمَا زَالَ مِن قَلبِي لسَودَةَ ناصِرٌ

وَمَا زَالَ مِن قَلبِي لسَودَةَ ناصِرٌ

يَكونُ عَلَى نَفسِي لَها وَوَزيرُ

يَكونُ عَلَى نَفسِي لَها وَوَزيرُ

And within my heart there has always been a champion for Sawda,

The helper in my heart for Sauda is unceasing,

who sides with her against me, and serves as her helper.

He advises my soul regarding her affairs.

فَما مُزنَةٌ بَحرِيَّةٌ لاحَ بَرقُها

فَما مُزنَةٌ بَحرِيَّةٌ لاحَ بَرقُها

تَهَلَّلَ فِي غمٍّ لَهُن صَبيرُ

تَهَلَّلَ فِي غمٍّ لَهُن صَبيرُ

So neither a sea-borne raincloud whose lightning flashed,

No flashing lightning lit up the dark clouds,

with a cloudbank gleaming amid the clouds' gloom,

Nor did patience illuminate the gloom.

وَلا الشَّمسُ فِي يَومِ الدُّجُنَّةِ أَشرَقَت

وَلا الشَّمسُ فِي يَومِ الدُّجُنَّةِ أَشرَقَت

وَلا البَدرُ فِي المِيساقِ حين يُنيرُ

وَلا البَدرُ فِي المِيساقِ حين يُنيرُ

nor the sun when it shone on a day of gloom,

Neither did the sun shine on the gloomy day,

nor the full moon at its fullness, when it shines,

Nor the full moon radiate its light in the darkness.

وَلا شادِنٌ تَرنُو بِهِ أُم شادِنٍ

وَلا شادِنٌ تَرنُو بِهِ أُم شادِنٍ

بِجَوٍّ أَنيقِ النبتِ وَهوَ خَضيرُ

بِجَوٍّ أَنيقِ النبتِ وَهوَ خَضيرُ

nor a fawn at which a mother gazelle gazes,

Neither did the mother of chicks warble for her chicks,

in a valley of lovely herbage, lush and green,

In pleasant weather when the vegetation is green.

بِأَحسَنَ مِن سُعدَى غَداةَ بَدَت لَنا

بِأَحسَنَ مِن سُعدَى غَداةَ بَدَت لَنا

بِوَجهٍ عَلَيهِ نَضرةٌ وَسُرورُ

بِوَجهٍ عَلَيهِ نَضرةٌ وَسُرورُ

is lovelier than Su'da on the morning she appeared to us,

More beautiful than Sauda on the morning she appeared,

with a face radiant with freshness and joy.

With a face of radiance and joy.

لَعَمرك أَنِّي حين أكنِي بِغَيرِها

لَعَمرك أَنِّي حين أكنِي بِغَيرِها

وَأتركُ إِعلاناً بِها لَصَبورُ

وَأتركُ إِعلاناً بِها لَصَبورُ

By your life, when I allude to her under another name,

By your life! When I pine for another,

and refrain from naming her openly, I am truly patient.

And refrain from professing love for her, I have patience.

أَغارُ عَلَيها أَن تُقَبِّلَ بَعلَها

أَغارُ عَلَيها أَن تُقَبِّلَ بَعلَها

لَعمرُ أَبِيها إِنَّني لَغَيورُ

لَعمرُ أَبِيها إِنَّني لَغَيورُ

I am jealous of her kissing her husband;

I am jealous that she kisses her husband,

by her father's life, I am truly jealous.

By the life of her father, I am jealous indeed!

أَقولُ لِعَمرٍ وَهوَ يَلحَى عَلَى الصِّبا

أَقولُ لِعَمرٍ وَهوَ يَلحَى عَلَى الصِّبا

وَنَحنُ بِأَعلَى السَيِّرَينِ نَسيرُ

وَنَحنُ بِأَعلَى السَيِّرَينِ نَسيرُ

I say to Amr, while he chides me for youthful passion,

I say to Amr as he insists on youth,

as we travel in the upper reaches of as-Sayyirayn,

While we walk the highest path.

عَشِيَّةَ لا حِلمٌ يَردُّ عَنِ الصّبا

عَشِيَّةَ لا حِلمٌ يَردُّ عَنِ الصّبا

وَلا صَاحِبي فِيما لقيت عَذورُ

وَلا صَاحِبي فِيما لقيت عَذورُ

one evening, when no good sense turns me from youthful passion,

In the evening, neither reason holds back youth,

nor does my companion excuse me for what I have suffered:

Nor do my friends excuse what I have encountered.

لَقَد مَنَعَت مَعروفَها أُمُّ جَعفَرٍ

لَقَد مَنَعَت مَعروفَها أُمُّ جَعفَرٍ

فَإِنِّي إِلَى مَعروفِها لَفَقيرُ

فَإِنِّي إِلَى مَعروفِها لَفَقيرُ

Umm Ja'far has indeed withheld her kindness,

The kindness of Um Jafar was denied me,

and I am sorely in need of her kindness.

Yet for her kindness I am ever in need.

وَقَد جَعَلت مِما لقِيتُ مِن الَّذي

وَقَد جَعَلت مِما لقِيتُ مِن الَّذي

وَجَدت بيَ الأَرضَ الفَضاءَ تَمورُ

وَجَدت بيَ الأَرضَ الفَضاءَ تَمورُ

And she has made, through what I have suffered, through what

I have made what I endured from her who

I have felt, the vast earth sway beneath me.

On earth I found to be perfidious and treacherous,

أَطاعَت بِنا مَن قَد قَطَعتُ مِن اجلِها

أَطاعَت بِنا مَن قَد قَطَعتُ مِن اجلِها

ثَلاثاً تِباعاً أنها لكفورُ

ثَلاثاً تِباعاً أنها لكفورُ

She heeded, against us, those I had cast off for her sake—

She who obeyed the one whose love

three in succession; she is truly ungrateful.

Made me walk three steps for her sake, yet she is ungrateful.

فَلا تَلحَيَن بَعدِي مُحِبّاً وَلا تُعِن

فَلا تَلحَيَن بَعدِي مُحِبّاً وَلا تُعِن

عَلى لَومِه إِنَّ المُحِبَّ ضَريرُ

عَلى لَومِه إِنَّ المُحِبَّ ضَريرُ

So never reproach a lover after me, nor help

So do not insist, after me, on a lover,

in blaming him; the lover is afflicted.

And do not support blaming him, for a lover is deceived.

أَزورُ بُيُوتاً لاصِقاتٍ بِبَيتِها

أَزورُ بُيُوتاً لاصِقاتٍ بِبَيتِها

وَنَفسِي فِي البَيتِ الَّذِي لا أَزورُ

وَنَفسِي فِي البَيتِ الَّذِي لا أَزورُ

I visit houses adjoining her house,

I visit houses adjacent to her house,

yet my soul is in the house I do not visit.

While my soul remains in the house I do not visit.

أَدورُ وَلَولا أَن أرَ أُمَّ جَعفَرٍ

أَدورُ وَلَولا أَن أرَ أُمَّ جَعفَرٍ

بِأَبياتِكُم ما دُرتُ حَيثُ أَدورُ

بِأَبياتِكُم ما دُرتُ حَيثُ أَدورُ

I roam; but for seeing Umm Ja'far

I wander, and were it not that I see Um Jafar,

among your houses, I would not roam where I roam.

In your homes, I would not wander where I wander.