أَعاذِلُ إِنَّ لَومَكَ في تَبابِ

أَعاذِلُ إِنَّ لَومَكَ في تَبابِ

وَإِنَّ المَرءَ يَلعَبُ في الشَبابِ

وَإِنَّ المَرءَ يَلعَبُ في الشَبابِ

O reproacher, surely your reproach is doomed to waste;

O reproacher, your reproach is in vain,

a man, after all, makes merry in his youth.

and a man indeed plays in youth.

أَعاذِلُ لا أَسُرُّكِ في سُلَيمى

أَعاذِلُ لا أَسُرُّكِ في سُلَيمى

وَلا أُعفيكِ مِن عَجَبِ التَصابي

وَلا أُعفيكِ مِن عَجَبِ التَصابي

O reproacher, I shall not please you where Sulayma is concerned,

O reproacher, I will not please you concerning Sulayma,

nor spare you wonder at my playing the youthful lover.

nor spare you the marvel of youthful dalliance.

أَبى لي أَن أُفيقَ مُشَوِّقاتٌ

أَبى لي أَن أُفيقَ مُشَوِّقاتٌ

يُقَدنَ إِلَيَّ كَالخَيلِ العِرابِ

يُقَدنَ إِلَيَّ كَالخَيلِ العِرابِ

Women who awaken longing refuse to let me come to my senses,

Women who stir longing have kept me from coming to my senses,

drawing me toward them like purebred Arab mares.

led to me like purebred Arabian horses.

وَشَوقي في الصَباحِ إِلى سُلَيمى

وَشَوقي في الصَباحِ إِلى سُلَيمى

أَتاني حُبُّها مِن كُلِّ بابِ

أَتاني حُبُّها مِن كُلِّ بابِ

And in the morning, my longing for Sulayma—

And in the morning my longing is for Sulayma;

her love came to me through every door.

love for her has come to me through every door.

وَقالَت في النِساءِ مُلَفَّفاتٌ

وَقالَت في النِساءِ مُلَفَّفاتٌ

يَضَعنَ المَشيَ في وَرَقِ الشَبابِ

يَضَعنَ المَشيَ في وَرَقِ الشَبابِ

She said, “Among women are those enfolded in veils,

And she said: “Among women are full-bodied ones

who quicken their gait amid youth’s fresh leaves.

who set their steps among the leaves of youth.

فَقُل في حاسِرٍ ذَمّاً وَحَمداً

فَقُل في حاسِرٍ ذَمّاً وَحَمداً

وَلا تَغرُركَ عَينٌ في النِقابِ

وَلا تَغرُركَ عَينٌ في النِقابِ

So judge the unveiled woman, whether in blame or praise,

So speak your blame and praise of one unveiled,

but let no eye behind a veil deceive you.

and let no eye within a veil deceive you.

فَمِلءُ العَينِ قَصرٌ قَد تَراهُ

فَمِلءُ العَينِ قَصرٌ قَد تَراهُ

جَديدَ البابِ داخِلُهُ خَرابُ

جَديدَ البابِ داخِلُهُ خَرابُ

A palace may fill your eye when you behold it,

For you may see a palace that fills the eye,

its doorway newly built, its interior a ruin.”

its doorway new, its interior a ruin.”

فَقُلتُ لَها دَعي قَلبي لِسَلمى

فَقُلتُ لَها دَعي قَلبي لِسَلمى

وَقولي في النِساءِ وَلا تُحابي

وَقولي في النِساءِ وَلا تُحابي

I told her, “Leave my heart to Salma,

So I told her: “Leave my heart to Salma,

and speak of women without favoritism.”

and speak of women, but show no favoritism.”

لَقَد قَرَفَ الوُشاةُ عَلى سُلَيمى

لَقَد قَرَفَ الوُشاةُ عَلى سُلَيمى

وَقالوا في البُعادِ وَفي الصِقابِ

وَقالوا في البُعادِ وَفي الصِقابِ

Tale-bearers have indeed cast slander upon Sulayma,

The talebearers have indeed slandered Sulayma,

speaking among the distant and among companions;

and spoken both from afar and close at hand.

فَما صَدَروا بِقَرفِهِمُ سُلَيمى

فَما صَدَروا بِقَرفِهِمُ سُلَيمى

وَلا أَعتَبتُهُم عَمدَ العِتابِ

وَلا أَعتَبتُهُم عَمدَ العِتابِ

yet their slander did not drive Sulayma away,

But their slandering of Sulayma got them nowhere,

nor did I appease them when reproach came.

nor did I appease them with deliberate reproach.

إِذا نَصَبوا لَها ذَبَّبتُ عَنها

إِذا نَصَبوا لَها ذَبَّبتُ عَنها

وَرُبَّتما أَعَنتُ عَلى الصَوابِ

وَرُبَّتما أَعَنتُ عَلى الصَوابِ

Whenever they set themselves against her, I defended her,

Whenever they set themselves against her, I defended her,

though sometimes I helped them when they were right.

and sometimes I helped uphold what was right.

فَيا عَجَباً مِنَ الحُبِّ المُؤَتّي

فَيا عَجَباً مِنَ الحُبِّ المُؤَتّي

وَحَسبُكَ بِالغَيورِ مِنَ القِحابِ

وَحَسبُكَ بِالغَيورِ مِنَ القِحابِ

Oh, what a marvel is love everlasting!

What a wonder is love that yields,

The jealous man among whores is proof enough:

and what a whore the jealous man is!

يُضيعُ نِساءَهُ وَيَظَلُّ يَحمي

يُضيعُ نِساءَهُ وَيَظَلُّ يَحمي

نِساءَ العالَمينَ مِنَ اللِعابِ

نِساءَ العالَمينَ مِنَ اللِعابِ

he neglects his own women, yet spends his day guarding

He neglects his own women and keeps on guarding

all the world’s women from the amorous rake.

the women of all the world from dalliance.

وَكَم مِن مِثلِهِ نَصِبٍ مُعَنىًّ

وَكَم مِن مِثلِهِ نَصِبٍ مُعَنىًّ

بِلا تِرَةٍ يُطالِبُها مُصابِ

بِلا تِرَةٍ يُطالِبُها مُصابِ

How many a man like him, exhausted and tormented,

And many a man like him is weary and tormented,

a stricken man demanding vengeance for no blood-debt!

stricken, with no wrong for which to claim redress.

مَلَأتُ فُؤادَهُ غَيظاً وَغَمّاً

مَلَأتُ فُؤادَهُ غَيظاً وَغَمّاً

فَيا وَيحَ المُحِبِّ مِنَ الطِلابِ

فَيا وَيحَ المُحِبِّ مِنَ الطِلابِ

I have filled his heart with rage and grief.

I have filled his heart with rage and sorrow;

Ah, what woe pursuit brings the lover!

so alas for the lover in his pursuit!

إِذا ما شِئتُ نَغَّصَني نَعيمي

إِذا ما شِئتُ نَغَّصَني نَعيمي

وَأَجرى عَبرَتي جَريَ الحَبابِ

وَأَجرى عَبرَتي جَريَ الحَبابِ

Whenever I desire, my own bliss embitters me

Whenever I wish, my pleasure is soured for me,

and sets my tears coursing like bubbles on water.

and my tears are made to run like bubbles on water,

غِضابٌ يَكذِبونَ عَلى سُلَيمى

غِضابٌ يَكذِبونَ عَلى سُلَيمى

وَهَل تَجِدُ الصَدوقَ مِنَ الغِضابِ

وَهَل تَجِدُ الصَدوقَ مِنَ الغِضابِ

The angry tell lies about Sulayma—

by angry men who tell lies about Sulayma.

can one find a truthful soul among the angry?

And can you find a truthful man among the angry?

فَقُلتُ لِواقِدٍ وَاِبنَي يَزيدٍ

فَقُلتُ لِواقِدٍ وَاِبنَي يَزيدٍ

وَقَد صَدَعا لِقَولِ بَني الحُبابِ

وَقَد صَدَعا لِقَولِ بَني الحُبابِ

So I said to Waqid and Yazid’s two sons,

So I said to Waqid and the two sons of Yazid,

while the two had heeded my words among dear friends:

when the two had heeded the words of Banu al-Hubab:

وَرَبِّ مِنىً لَقَد كَذَبوا عَلَيها

وَرَبِّ مِنىً لَقَد كَذَبوا عَلَيها

كَما كَذَبَ الوُشاةُ عَلى الغُرابِ

كَما كَذَبَ الوُشاةُ عَلى الغُرابِ

“By the Lord of Mina, the two have surely lied about her,

“By the Lord of Mina, they have indeed lied about her,

as tale-bearers lied about the raven:

just as the talebearers lied about the raven.

دَعوا عَوَراً بِمُقلَتِهِ وَيَغدو

دَعوا عَوَراً بِمُقلَتِهِ وَيَغدو

صَحيحَ المُقلَتَينِ مِنَ المَعابِ

صَحيحَ المُقلَتَينِ مِنَ المَعابِ

they imputed one-eyedness to its eye, though it goes forth

They claimed it was blind in one eye, yet it goes forth

sound in both eyes, free of defect.

sound in both eyes, free from blemish.

فَلا كانَ الوُشاةُ وَلا الغَيارى

فَلا كانَ الوُشاةُ وَلا الغَيارى

لَعَلَّ العَيشَ يَصفو لِلحِبابِ

لَعَلَّ العَيشَ يَصفو لِلحِبابِ

May neither tale-bearers nor jealous men remain,

So may there be no talebearers, nor jealous men;

so that life perhaps may grow serene for lovers.”

perhaps life will become serene for lovers.”