أَعَبدَةُ قَد غَلَبتِ عَلى فُؤادي

أَعَبدَةُ قَد غَلَبتِ عَلى فُؤادي

بِدَلِّكِ فَاِرجِعي بَعضَ الفُؤادِ

بِدَلِّكِ فَاِرجِعي بَعضَ الفُؤادِ

O ‘Abda, you have conquered my heart

The worshippers have overcome my heart,

With your coy charm; give back a part of my heart.

So return some of my heart with your replacement.

جَمَعتِ القَلبَ عِندَكِ أُمَّ عَمروٍ

جَمَعتِ القَلبَ عِندَكِ أُمَّ عَمروٍ

وَكانَ مُطَرَّحاً في كُلِّ وادِ

وَكانَ مُطَرَّحاً في كُلِّ وادِ

You gathered my heart to yourself, Umm ‘Amr,

You gathered the heart with you, mother of Amr,

And it had been cast aside in every valley.

While it was scattered in every valley.

إِذا نادى المُنادي بِاِسمِ أُخرى

إِذا نادى المُنادي بِاِسمِ أُخرى

عَلى اِسمِكِ راعَني ذاكَ المُنادي

عَلى اِسمِكِ راعَني ذاكَ المُنادي

When a caller calls another woman's name

When the caller calls out another name,

That matches yours, that caller startles me.

Your name startled me, that caller.

كَما أَفسَدتِني عَرَضاً فَهاتي

كَما أَفسَدتِني عَرَضاً فَهاتي

صَلاحي قَد قَدَرتِ عَلى فَسادي

صَلاحي قَد قَدَرتِ عَلى فَسادي

As you ruined me in passing, so bring

Just as you corrupted me outwardly, give me

My healing—you have had the power to ruin me.

My rectitude, for you had power over my corruption.

مَلَكتِ فَأَحسِني وَتَخَلَّصيني

مَلَكتِ فَأَحسِني وَتَخَلَّصيني

مِنَ البَلوى بِحُبِّكِ وَالبِعادِ

مِنَ البَلوى بِحُبِّكِ وَالبِعادِ

You have mastered me; so be kind and deliver me

You possess me so treat me well, and deliver me

From the torment of loving you and of separation.

From afflictions with your love and distance.

فَإِنّي مِنكِ يا بَصَري وَسَمعي

فَإِنّي مِنكِ يا بَصَري وَسَمعي

وَمِن قَلبي حَمَيتُكِ في جِهادِ

وَمِن قَلبي حَمَيتُكِ في جِهادِ

For I, because of you, O my sight and hearing,

For I am yours, my sight and hearing,

And because of my heart—may I shield you!—am in a struggle.

And I have protected you in my heart with struggle.

يَميلُ إِلَيكُمُ وَأَميلُ عَنكُم

يَميلُ إِلَيكُمُ وَأَميلُ عَنكُم

فَآتي جُهدَهُ دونَ اِجتِهادي

فَآتي جُهدَهُ دونَ اِجتِهادي

It inclines toward you, while I turn away from you,

I incline toward you and incline away from you

So I follow its striving rather than my own.

So I come short without my own striving.

وَلَو أَسطيعُ ما عَذَّبتُ نَفسي

وَلَو أَسطيعُ ما عَذَّبتُ نَفسي

بِذِكرِكِ غَيرَ مُنصَرِفٍ بِزادِ

بِذِكرِكِ غَيرَ مُنصَرِفٍ بِزادِ

And if I could, I would not torment myself

If I could, I would not torture myself

By remembering you, yet coming away with no provisions.

With remembering you, not turning away with provision.

وَلَكِنَّ الأَماني قَرَّبَتني

وَلَكِنَّ الأَماني قَرَّبَتني

فَدَلَّ بِها إِلى حَتفي قِيادي

فَدَلَّ بِها إِلى حَتفي قِيادي

But hopes have drawn me near,

But my wishes brought me close

So, through them, my reins led me to my doom.

So they led me to my demise with that guide.

أَلِفتُكِ يا عُبَيدَةُ إِنَّ شَوقاً

أَلِفتُكِ يا عُبَيدَةُ إِنَّ شَوقاً

وَطَيفاً مِنكِ قَد أَلِفا وِسادي

وَطَيفاً مِنكِ قَد أَلِفا وِسادي

I have grown attached to you, O ‘Ubayda; indeed, longing

I grew accustomed, O Ubeydah, to a longing

And a phantom of you have grown familiar with my pillow.

And an apparition of you that grew accustomed to my pillow.

أَلا تَجزينَني بِالشَوقِ شَوقاً

أَلا تَجزينَني بِالشَوقِ شَوقاً

هَداكِ إِلى الجَزاءِ بِذاكَ هادِ

هَداكِ إِلى الجَزاءِ بِذاكَ هادِ

Will you not repay my longing with longing?

Will you not reward my longing with longing?

May a guide lead you to repay me thus.

Your guidance led you to reward with that guide.

بَلَغتِ تَجَلُّدي بِصُدودِ يَومٍ

بَلَغتِ تَجَلُّدي بِصُدودِ يَومٍ

وَلَم تَغني بِذاكَ وَلَم تَكادي

وَلَم تَغني بِذاكَ وَلَم تَكادي

You exhausted my endurance with one day's shunning,

You reached with endurance the adversity of a day

Yet you were not content with that, nor nearly so.

But that did not avail you and you did not build.

أَطَعتِ بِنا الوُشاةَ وَقَد عَصَينا

أَطَعتِ بِنا الوُشاةَ وَقَد عَصَينا

إِلَيكِ الناصِحينَ مَعَ الأَعادي

إِلَيكِ الناصِحينَ مَعَ الأَعادي

You heeded the slanderers concerning us, though we defied

You obeyed the schemers against us and we disobeyed

For your sake, the counselors along with the foes.

The advisers along with the enemies.

كَأَنّي مِن تَذَكُّرِكُم سَليمٌ

كَأَنّي مِن تَذَكُّرِكُم سَليمٌ

أُضِلَّ دَواؤُهُ غَيرَ السُهادِ

أُضِلَّ دَواؤُهُ غَيرَ السُهادِ

As though, from remembering you, I were snakebitten,

It is as if I am cured by remembering you

Whose remedy was lost, except for sleeplessness.

While his medicine is misguided without drowsiness.

رَضينا مِن نَوالِكِ أَن تَرُدّي

رَضينا مِن نَوالِكِ أَن تَرُدّي

عَلَيَّ وَلَم أَمُت غَمّاً رُقادي

عَلَيَّ وَلَم أَمُت غَمّاً رُقادي

We are content with this from your bounty: that you restore

We were content with your refusal to return

My sleep to me, while I have not yet died of grief.

To me, and I did not die of sorrow in my slumber.

أَلا يا لَيتَ شِعري يَومَ تَبدو

أَلا يا لَيتَ شِعري يَومَ تَبدو

بِها صَبرٌ وَصَبري غَيرُ بادِ

بِها صَبرٌ وَصَبري غَيرُ بادِ

Ah, would that I knew, on the day she appears—

Oh, would that I knew the day you appear

With patience in her, while my patience is unseen—

With it, patience, though my patience is not lasting.

أَدَلَّت بِالصُدودِ أَمِ اِستَزادَت

أَدَلَّت بِالصُدودِ أَمِ اِستَزادَت

فَتىً في الحُبِّ لَيسَ بِمُستَزادِ

فَتىً في الحُبِّ لَيسَ بِمُستَزادِ

Did she act coyly by shunning, or ask still more

Did it lead with refusal or did it ask

Of a youth in love who has no more to give?

For more from a man in love who is not to be asked?

أَزائِرَ أَهلِ عَبدَةَ قُل لِشَخصٍ

أَزائِرَ أَهلِ عَبدَةَ قُل لِشَخصٍ

عَدَتني عَن زِيارَتِها العَوادي

عَدَتني عَن زِيارَتِها العَوادي

O visitor to ‘Abda's household, tell someone:

Say to the visitors of the people of Abdah

Adversities have kept me from visiting her.

That it diverted me from visiting its plains.

أَحاوَلتِ الرَشادَ بِقَتلِ نَفسٍ

أَحاوَلتِ الرَشادَ بِقَتلِ نَفسٍ

وَأَينَ القَتلُ مِن عَمَلِ الرَشادِ

وَأَينَ القَتلُ مِن عَمَلِ الرَشادِ

Did you seek right conduct by killing a soul?

You tried guidance by killing a soul

And what has killing to do with righteous action?

Yet where is killing from the work of guidance?

دَعي ما تَصنَعينَ فَدَتكِ نَفسي

دَعي ما تَصنَعينَ فَدَتكِ نَفسي

عُبَيدَ وَطارِفي بَعدَ التِلادِ

عُبَيدَ وَطارِفي بَعدَ التِلادِ

Stop what you are doing; may my soul ransom you,

Leave what you are doing, may my soul ransom you,

O ‘Ubayd, and my newly gained wealth after my ancestral wealth.

Ubaydah, and leave my remains after birth.

أَعيرينا وِدادَكُمُ فُواقاً

أَعيرينا وِدادَكُمُ فُواقاً

بِما نُلقي إِلَيكِ مِنَ الوِدادِ

بِما نُلقي إِلَيكِ مِنَ الوِدادِ

Lend us your affection for a moment,

Lend us your affection abundantly

In return for the affection we offer you.

With what we confer upon you of affection.

فَقَد أَفرَدتِني مِن كُلِّ أُنثى

فَقَد أَفرَدتِني مِن كُلِّ أُنثى

تُؤَمِّلُني وَقَلَّ لَكِ اِنفِرادي

تُؤَمِّلُني وَقَلَّ لَكِ اِنفِرادي

For you have isolated me from every woman

For you singled me out from every female

Who hopes for me; yet my isolation counts for little with you.

Who makes me hopeful, and your singling me out was little.

رَتَقتِ لَهُنَّ يا عَبّادَ عِندي

رَتَقتِ لَهُنَّ يا عَبّادَ عِندي

وَإِن كُنَّ المَلائِحَ بِالكَسادِ

وَإِن كُنَّ المَلائِحَ بِالكَسادِ

You have sealed them off from me, O ‘Abbad,

You climbed over them, O Abbad, in my view,

Leaving them unsold, even if they are beauties.

Even if they are beautiful with thrift.

أَصُدُّ عَنِ النِساءِ وَهُنَّ صُورٌ

أَصُدُّ عَنِ النِساءِ وَهُنَّ صُورٌ

كَما صَدَّ الرَهيصُ عَنِ الضِمادِ

كَما صَدَّ الرَهيصُ عَنِ الضِمادِ

I turn away from women, though they lean toward me,

I refrain from women, though they are images,

As one with a stone-bruised foot turns away from a dressing.

As the fearful man refrained from the bandage.

كَأَنّي واطِئٌ بَيني وَبَينَ ال

كَأَنّي واطِئٌ بَيني وَبَينَ ال

غَواني غَيرَكُم شَوكَ القَتادِ

غَواني غَيرَكُم شَوكَ القَتادِ

It is as though I tread, between myself and the

It is as if there is nothing between me and

Fair women other than you, the thorns of the qatad shrub.

The ravines, save you all, the thorns of the plateau.

عَفا مِن حُبِّهِنَّ سَوادُ قَلبي

عَفا مِن حُبِّهِنَّ سَوادُ قَلبي

وَحُبُّكِ يا عُبَيدَةُ في السَوادِ

وَحُبُّكِ يا عُبَيدَةُ في السَوادِ

The dark core of my heart is cleared of love for them,

My heart’s blackness is empty of love for them,

And love for you, O ‘Ubayda, is in that dark core.

While love of you, O Ubeydah, is in the blackness.

بِلادي سَهلَةُ المَمشى إِلَيكُم

بِلادي سَهلَةُ المَمشى إِلَيكُم

وَتَحزُنُ دونَ غَيرِكُمُ بِلادي

وَتَحزُنُ دونَ غَيرِكُمُ بِلادي

My lands are easy to walk across toward you,

My country is easy to walk to you

But my lands grow rugged on the way to anyone but you.

And grieves for none but you, my country.