عَبدَ إِنّي إِلَيكَ بِالأَشواقِ

عَبدَ إِنّي إِلَيكَ بِالأَشواقِ

لِتَلاقٍ وَكَيفَ لي بِالتَلاقي

لِتَلاقٍ وَكَيفَ لي بِالتَلاقي

ʿAbda, truly I am all longing for you—

Abda, I am filled with longing for you,

longing to meet; but how can I ever meet you?

For a meeting—but how can I meet you?

أَنا وَاللَهِ أَشتَهي سِحرَ عَينَي

أَنا وَاللَهِ أَشتَهي سِحرَ عَينَي

كِ وَأَخشى مَصارِعَ العُشّاقِ

كِ وَأَخشى مَصارِعَ العُشّاقِ

By God, I yearn for the enchantment of those eyes—

By God, I desire the enchantment of your eyes,

—of yours, yet fear the fatal falls of lovers.

And fear the deaths of lovers.

وَأَهابُ الحَرسِيَّ مُحتَسِبَ الجُن

وَأَهابُ الحَرسِيَّ مُحتَسِبَ الجُن

دِ يَلُفُّ البَريءَ بِالفُسّاقِ

دِ يَلُفُّ البَريءَ بِالفُسّاقِ

And I dread the guardsman, the army’s provost—

And I dread the guardsman, the army’s overseer,

who sweeps the innocent in among the libertines.

Who lumps the innocent with the dissolute.

فَاِصبِري مِثلَما صَبَرتُ فَإِنَّ ال

فَاِصبِري مِثلَما صَبَرتُ فَإِنَّ ال

صَبرَ حَظٌّ مِن صالِحِ الأَخلاقِ

صَبرَ حَظٌّ مِن صالِحِ الأَخلاقِ

So be patient, as I have been; for—

So be patient as I have been, for

patience is a share of virtuous character.

Patience is part of virtuous character.

إِنَّني مِن بَني عُقَيلِ بنِ كَعبٍ

إِنَّني مِن بَني عُقَيلِ بنِ كَعبٍ

مَوضِعَ السَيفِ مِن طُلى الأَعناقِ

مَوضِعَ السَيفِ مِن طُلى الأَعناقِ

Indeed, I am of the descendants of ʿUqayl ibn Kaʿb;

Indeed, I am to the sons of Uqayl son of Ka‘b

My station is the sword’s among the adornments worn at the neck.

What the sword is to the napes of necks.