هَجَرَتْنَا وَهَجَرْنَا زَيْنَبَا

هَجَرَتْنَا وَهَجَرْنَا زَيْنَبَا

وَصَحَا الْقَلْبُ الَّذِي كَانَ صَبَا

وَصَحَا الْقَلْبُ الَّذِي كَانَ صَبَا

She abandoned us, and we abandoned Zaynab.

We parted, and parted from Zainab

And the heart that had fallen in love grew sober.

And the heart that was youthful grew up

طَالَمَا سُقْتُ فُؤَادِي نَحْوَهَا

طَالَمَا سُقْتُ فُؤَادِي نَحْوَهَا

فَنَبَتْ عَنْهُ مِطَالًا، وَنَبَا

فَنَبَتْ عَنْهُ مِطَالًا، وَنَبَا

How often I drove my heart toward her,

Long have I watered my heart towards her

so she turned from it, stalling, and it recoiled.

So it yielded from it growths, and blossomed

وَدَعَوْتُ الْوَجْدَ لِلَّهْوِ بِهَا

وَدَعَوْتُ الْوَجْدَ لِلَّهْوِ بِهَا

فَأَبَتْ دَلًّا عَلَيْهِ، وَأَبَى

فَأَبَتْ دَلًّا عَلَيْهِ، وَأَبَى

And I invited passion to make merry with her,

And I called passion for the amusement with her

but she coyly refused it, and it too refused.

But my heart declined a guide to it, and refused

نَعَبَ الْبَيْنُ بِنَا، سُقْيًا لَهُ!

نَعَبَ الْبَيْنُ بِنَا، سُقْيًا لَهُ!

فَاسْتَعَدْتُ الْبَيْنَ لَمَّا نَعَبَا

فَاسْتَعَدْتُ الْبَيْنَ لَمَّا نَعَبَا

Parting cawed over us—may rain bless it!

Separation afflicted us, watering it!

So I asked Parting to repeat its cry when it cawed.

So I endured separation when it afflicted

وَمَضَى الشَّوْقُ فَمَا جَادَتْ لَهُ

وَمَضَى الشَّوْقُ فَمَا جَادَتْ لَهُ

مُقْلَتِي بِالدَّمْعِ لَمَّا ذَهَبَا

مُقْلَتِي بِالدَّمْعِ لَمَّا ذَهَبَا

And longing departed; no tears for it

And longing passed but

did my eye shed when it went.

My eyelids did not weep when it went

عَلِقَتْ غَيْرِي وَتَرْجُو صِلَتِي؟

عَلِقَتْ غَيْرِي وَتَرْجُو صِلَتِي؟

عَجَبًا مِمَّا تُرَجِّي عَجَبَا!

عَجَبًا مِمَّا تُرَجِّي عَجَبَا!

She loves another, yet hopes for my affection?

Another is attached to you and hopes for my connection?

How strange, what she hopes for—how strange!

Strange is what you hope for, strange!

هَلْ يَحُلُّ الْغِمْدَ سَيْفَانِ مَعًا؟

هَلْ يَحُلُّ الْغِمْدَ سَيْفَانِ مَعًا؟

أَوْ يَضُمُّ الْغِيلُ إِلَّا أَغْلَبَا؟

أَوْ يَضُمُّ الْغِيلُ إِلَّا أَغْلَبَا؟

Can two swords occupy one scabbard together?

Can two swords sheathe one scabbard?

Or does the thicket shelter any but a thick-necked lion?

Or does the robe wrap any but the victor?

إِنَّ هَذَا الْحُسْنَ كَالْمَاءِ، إِذَا

إِنَّ هَذَا الْحُسْنَ كَالْمَاءِ، إِذَا

كَثُرَ النَّاهِلُ مِنْهُ نَضَبَا

كَثُرَ النَّاهِلُ مِنْهُ نَضَبَا

Indeed, this beauty is like water: when

This beauty is like water, if

many drink from it, it runs dry.

Many draw from it, it is depleted

وَهْوَ مِثْلُ الزَّهْرِ، إِنْ أَكْثَرْتِ مِنْ

وَهْوَ مِثْلُ الزَّهْرِ، إِنْ أَكْثَرْتِ مِنْ

شَمِّهِ يَا زَيْنُ، أَمْسَى حَطَبَا

شَمِّهِ يَا زَيْنُ، أَمْسَى حَطَبَا

And it is like a flower: if you overindulge in

And it is like a flower, if you over

smelling it, O Zayn, it becomes firewood.

Smell it, O Zainab, it becomes firewood

وَهْوَ مِثْلُ الْمَالِ، إِنْ أَسْرَفْتِ فِي

وَهْوَ مِثْلُ الْمَالِ، إِنْ أَسْرَفْتِ فِي

بَذْلِهِ لِلسَّائِلِيهِ، سُلِبَا

بَذْلِهِ لِلسَّائِلِيهِ، سُلِبَا

And it is like wealth: if you are extravagant in

And it is like wealth, if you are extravagant

giving it to those who ask for it, it is taken away.

In spending it on beggars, it is stolen

قَدُّكِ الْمَائِسُ قَدْ بَغَّضَ لِي

قَدُّكِ الْمَائِسُ قَدْ بَغَّضَ لِي

كُلَّ غُصْنٍ بَيْنَ أَنْفَاسِ الصَّبَا

كُلَّ غُصْنٍ بَيْنَ أَنْفَاسِ الصَّبَا

Your swaying figure has made me hate

Your excellence the wine has made me hate

every bough amid the breaths of the east wind.

Every branch between the breaths of the zephyr

وَجَنَى خَدَّيْكِ قَدْ زَهَّدَنِي

وَجَنَى خَدَّيْكِ قَدْ زَهَّدَنِي

فِي حَدِيثِ الْوَرْدِ يُزْهَى فِي الرُّبَا

فِي حَدِيثِ الْوَرْدِ يُزْهَى فِي الرُّبَا

And the fruit of your cheeks has made me indifferent

And your cheek’s harvest has made me abstain

to talk of roses flaunting their beauty on the hills.

From talk of roses flourishing in the meadow

أَبْصَرُوا الْبَدْرَ فَقَالُوا: وَجْهُهَا!

أَبْصَرُوا الْبَدْرَ فَقَالُوا: وَجْهُهَا!

فَتَغَشَّيْتُ بِثَوْبِي هَرَبَا

فَتَغَشَّيْتُ بِثَوْبِي هَرَبَا

They saw the full moon and said, 'Her face!'

They saw the full moon and said: her face!

So I covered myself with my robe to escape.

So I was veiled in my garment in escape

فَاحْتَجِبْ يَا بَدْرُ عَنْ أَعْيُنِنَا

فَاحْتَجِبْ يَا بَدْرُ عَنْ أَعْيُنِنَا

وَعَزِيزٌ عِنْدَنَا أَنْ تُحْجَبَا!

وَعَزِيزٌ عِنْدَنَا أَنْ تُحْجَبَا!

So veil yourself, O full moon, from our eyes,

So veil yourself, O moon, from our eyes

though it pains us that you should be veiled!

And it is hard for us if you are veiled!

أَنَا يَا زَيْنَبُ مَاءٌ، فَإِذَا

أَنَا يَا زَيْنَبُ مَاءٌ، فَإِذَا

هِجْتِنِي صِرْتُ لَظًى مُلْتَهِبَا

هِجْتِنِي صِرْتُ لَظًى مُلْتَهِبَا

I am water, O Zaynab; but when

I, O Zainab, am water, so if

you provoke me, I become a blazing flame.

You stir me, I become turbid and kindled

أَرْكَبُ الْمَرْكَبَ صَعْبًا خَشِنًا

أَرْكَبُ الْمَرْكَبَ صَعْبًا خَشِنًا

إِنْ دَعَتْنِي هِمَّتِي أَنْ أرْكَبَا

إِنْ دَعَتْنِي هِمَّتِي أَنْ أرْكَبَا

I ride the mount, however unruly and rough,

I mount the ship difficult, rough

if my ambition calls me to ride,

If my resolve calls me to mount

ضَارِبًا فِي سُبُلِ الْمَجْدِ وَلَوْ

ضَارِبًا فِي سُبُلِ الْمَجْدِ وَلَوْ

رَصَفُوهَا بِالْعَوَالِي وَالظُّبَا

رَصَفُوهَا بِالْعَوَالِي وَالظُّبَا

pressing on along the paths of glory, even if

Sailing the paths of glory even if

they pave them with spear-points and sword-edges.

They paved it with highs and lowness