1. تَعَجَّبَت جارَتي مِنّي وَقَد رَقَدَت

    عَنّي العُيونُ وَباتَ الهَمُّ مُحتَشِدا

    My neighbor wondered at me, when sleep had overtaken

    the eyes watching me, and sorrow thronged all night.

  2. قالَت لِسُعدى وَأُخرى مِن مَناصِفِها

    ما هاجَ هَذا وَقَد خُيِّلتُهُ هَجَدا

    She said to Su'da and another of her peers:

    What has roused this man? I thought him fast asleep.

  3. قالَت فَقُلتُ لَها ما زِلتُ أَكتُمُكُم

    وَساوِسَ الحُبِّ حَتّى ضافَ فَاِعتَمَدا

    She spoke, and I told her: I have kept concealing from you

    the whisperings of love, until it visited me and bore down.

  4. أَرِقتُ مِن خُلَّةٍ باتَت وَساوِسُها

    تَسري عَلَيَّ وَباتَت دارُها صَدَدا

    I lay sleepless for a beloved whose haunting thoughts

    crept over me at night, while her home stood opposite.

  5. حَوراءُ كانَت هَوى نَفسي وَمُنيَتَها

    لَو قَرَّبَ الدَهرُ مِن لُقيانِها أَمَدا

    Dark-eyed, she was my soul's love and longing—

    if only time would bring the hour of meeting her nearer!

  6. وَلَو تُكَلِّمُ مَحمولاً جِنازَتُهُ

    قَد ماتَ بِالأَمسِ أَو تَرثي لَهُ خَلَدا

    Were she to speak to one borne upon his bier,

    who died yesterday, or pity him, he would live forever.

  7. فَالقَلبُ صَبٌّ مُعَنّىً حينَ يَذكُرُها

    وَالعَينُ عَبرى تُقاسي الهَمَّ وَالسَهَدا

    My heart is lovesick, tormented whenever it recalls her,

    and my eye is tearful, enduring sorrow and sleeplessness.

  8. ما إِن نَأَيتُ كَمَشغوفٍ بِحُبِّكُمو

    يَبقى وَلا مِثلَكُم يَعتَلُّ لَو رَقَدا

    I have not drawn away, like one consumed by love for you

    who survives; nor would one like you sicken if he slept.

  9. وَعَدتِني ثُمَّ لَم توفي بِمَوعِدَةٍ

    فَكُنتِ كَالمُزنِ لَم يَمطُر وَقَد رَعَدا

    You promised me, then failed to keep your promise;

    you were like rainclouds that thundered but gave no rain.

  10. إِذا نَأَيتِ دَعاني مِنكُمو نَكَدٌ

    فَإِن دَنَوتِ مَنَعتِ النائِلَ النَكِدا

    When you withdraw, misery from you summons me;

    and if you draw near, you withhold your scanty bounty.

  11. بُليتُ وَالنَأيُ مَتروكٌ عَلى حَزَنٍ

    وَلا أَرى القَلبَ إِلّا زادَني بُعُدا

    I am afflicted, and separation lies upon sorrow;

    I find my heart only adding to my remoteness.

  12. أَرعى مِنَ العَهدِ وَالميثاقِ حَقَّهُما

    لا يُصلِحُ الحُرَّ إِلّا حِفظُ ما وَعَدا

    I honor what is due to pledge and covenant;

    a freeborn man is made worthy only by keeping his promises.

  13. إِنّي حَلَفتُ يَميناً غَيرَ كاذِبَةٍ

    عِندَ المَقامِ وَلَم أَقرَب لَهُ فَنَدا

    I have sworn an oath that is no lie,

    at the Maqam, and brought no falsehood near it.

  14. لَو خُيِّرَ القَلبُ مَن يَمشي عَلى قَدَمٍ

    لَاِختارَ سُعدى وَلَم يَعدِل بِها أَحَدا

    If my heart could choose among all who walk on feet,

    it would choose Su'da and set no one equal to her.

  15. لَو ساعَفَتنا وَصَدَّ الناسُ كُلُّهُمو

    لَما وَجَدتُ لِفَقدِ الناسِ مُفتَقَدا

    Were she to favor us, though all people turned away,

    I would feel no loss at losing people.

  16. تَرَكتِني مُستَهامَ القَلبِ في شُغُلٍ

    لَهفانَ لا والِداً أَهوى وَلا وَلَدا

    You left me love-distraught at heart, preoccupied,

    anguished, loving neither father nor child,

  17. أَخا هُمومٍ وَأَحزانٍ تِّأَوُبُني

    فَاِخشَي إِلَهَكِ إِنّي مَيِّتٌ كَمَدا

    a brother to cares and sorrows that revisit me.

    So fear your God: I am dying of grief.

  18. كَأَنَّني عابِدٌ مِن حُبِّ رُؤيَتِها

    إِنَّ المُحِبَّ تَراهُ مِثلَ مَن عَبَدا

    For love of seeing her, I seem a worshipper;

    indeed, you see a lover like one who worships.

  19. لا أَرفَعُ الطَرفَ في النادي إِذا نَطَقوا

    وَلا أَزالُ مُكِبّاً بَينَهُم أَبَدا

    I do not lift my gaze in the gathering when they speak,

    and remain forever bowed among them,

  20. بِهَمِّ نَفسٍ مُعنّاةٍ بِذِكرِكُمو

    إِذا أَقولُ خَبا مَشبوبُهُ وَقَدا

    with a soul's sorrow, tormented by thoughts of you.

    Whenever I say its kindled flame has died, it blazes anew.

  21. وَالقَلبُ عِندَكِ مَأخوذٌ مَسامِعُهُ

    فَلا يُرَوِّعُهُ مَن قامَ أَو قَعَدا

    My heart is with you, its hearing held captive,

    so no one rising or sitting can startle it.

  22. أَبلَيتِ جِسمي فَنَفسي غَيرُ آمِنَةٍ

    أَن يُدرِكَ الروحَ ما قَد خامَرَ الجَسَدا

    You have wasted my body, so my soul is not secure

    against what has pervaded the body overtaking the spirit.

  23. أَلا تَحَرَّجتِ مِمّا قَد رُميتِ بِهِ

    وَسَطَ النِساءِ لِمَن أَفنى وَقَد رَقَدا

    Have you no scruples over what you have been accused of

    among women, concerning one who has spent himself and lies asleep?

  24. لَو كانَ ذا قُوَّةٍ أَعفَت جَلادَتُهُ

    وَقَد أَزيدُ عَلى ذي قُوَّةٍ جَلَدا

    Were he strong, his fortitude would be erased,

    though I may surpass a strong man in endurance.

  25. لَكِنَّ في الحُبِّ أَسقاماً مُنَهَّلَةً

    لِذي الحَلاوَةِ حَتّى يَجهَدَ الكَبِدا

    But in love are illnesses served in draughts

    to one endowed with sweetness, until the liver is worn out.

  26. فَلَن أَكونَ حَديداً في مَقالَتِكُم

    كَما خُلِقتُ وَلا صَوّانَةً صَلَدا

    So I cannot be iron, for all your words,

    made as I am, nor a hard flint-stone.

  27. قالَت أَراكَ تَعَزّى عَن زِيارَتِنا

    وَقَد يَزورُ بُيوتَ الحَيِّ مَن وَجَدا

    She said: I see you resigned to giving up visits to us,

    yet one in love visits the dwellings of the tribe.

  28. فَقُلتُ إِنّي عَداني أَن أَزورَكُمو

    قَومٌ يَبيتونَ مِن بَغضائِنا رَصَدا

    I replied: I have been kept from visiting you

    by people who lie in wait all night out of hatred for us,

  29. مُغَفَّلونَ عَنِ الخَيراتِ عِنَدَهُمو

    مِن فِطنَةِ الشَرِّ عِلمٌ لَم يَكُن رَشَدا

    heedless of good deeds, while they possess

    knowledge born of cunning in evil, not sound judgment.

  30. ما ضَرَّ أَهلَكِ يا سُعدى فَقَدتُهُمو

    مِن عاشِقٍ زارَ لَو قالوا لَهُ سَدَدا

    What harm would your kin suffer, Su'da—may I lose them!—

    from a lover's visit, if they spoke fairly to him?

  31. إِنَّ التَجَهُّمَ عَدّى عَن زِيارَتِكُم

    مِمَّن عَلِقتُ وَأَمسى ذاكِ قَد جَهِدا

    Indeed, scowling has kept me from visiting you,

    among those I love; that lover has grown weary,

  32. مُخلَّأً باتَ يَرعى كُلَّ بارِقَةٍ

    لَو كانَ يَصفو لَهُ وِردٌ لَقَد وَرَدا

    kept back, watching every lightning flash through the night.

    If a watering-place ran clear for him, he would surely come to drink.

  33. فَأَرسَلَت حينَ كَلَّ الطَرفُ إِنَّهُمو

    قَد نَوَّموا فَأتِنا إِن كُنتَ مُفتَأَدا

    Then, when the gaze grew weary, she sent word: They

    have gone to sleep; come to us if you are stout-hearted.

  34. وَوَطَّنتَ تِربَها الحَولاءَ لَيلَتَها

    قَبلَ الرِسالَةِ حَتّى أَصبَحَت عَضُدا

    She had readied her companion al-Hawla that night,

    before the message, until she became a support.

  35. وَلَم أَدَع زينَةً حَتّى لَبِستُ لَها

    مِنَ الجَديدِ لِكَي أُلمِم بِهِنَّ غَدا

    I spared no adornment, until I had dressed for her

    in new finery, so I might visit them tomorrow.

  36. في لَيلَةٍ خَلفَ شَهرِ الصَومِ ناقِصَةٍ

    تِسعاً وَعِشرينَ قَد أَحصَيتُها عَدَدا

    On a night following the fasting month, which had fallen short—

    twenty-nine nights; I had counted them one by one.

  37. حَتّى اِرتَقَيتُ إِلَيها في مُشَيَّدَةٍ

    دونَ السَماءِ تُناغي ظِلَّها صَعَدا

    At last I climbed up to her in a lofty dwelling,

    just below the sky, whispering upward to its shadow.

  38. لَمّا رَأَت لَمحَةً مِنّي مُرَعَّثَةً

    خُضراً وَحُمراً وَصُفراً بَينَها جُدَدا

    When she caught a glimpse of me, hung with ornaments—

    green, red, and yellow, with stripes between them—

  39. قالَت لِتِربٍ لَها كانَت مُوَطَّنَةً

    جاءَ المُرَعَّثُ فَاِثني عِنَكِ الوُسُدا

    she said to a companion of hers, already readied:

    The Earring-Wearer has come; fold the cushions back from you.

  40. وَأَحسِني حينَ تَلقيهِ تَحِيَّتَهُ

    وَلا تَكوني إِذا حَدَّثتِنا وَتِدا

    Make your greeting gracious when you meet him,

    and do not be a peg when you speak with us.

  41. خِفّي قَريباً وَعودي إِنَّ حاجَتَنا

    دونَ القَريبَةِ في قَلبَينِ قَد كَمِدا

    Slip away briefly and return, for our need

    lies in two grief-worn hearts, apart from our close companion.

  42. طالَ التَنائي فَكُلٌّ غَيرُ مُتَّرَكٍ

    حَتّى تَرَي عاتِباً مِنّا وَمُصطَرِدا

    Separation has lasted long, and neither is to be spared,

    until you see one of us reproaching, and one retreating.

  43. حَتّى اِلتَقَينا فَمِن شَكوى وَمَعتَبَةٍ

    تَكُرُّها لا نَخافُ العَينَ وَالرَصَدا

    At last we met, amid complaints and reproaches

    which she repeated; we feared neither eye nor sentry.

  44. غابَ القَذى فَشَرِبنا صَفوَ لَيلَتِنا

    حِبَّينِ نَلهو وَنَخشى الواحِدا الصَمَدا

    The mote was gone; we drank our night's clear draught,

    two lovers at play, fearing the One, the Eternal Refuge.

  45. قالَت فَأَنّى بِنَفسي جِئتَ مُستَرِقاً

    مِنَ العَدُوِّ تَخَطّى الوَعرَ وَالجَدَدا

    She said: How—my life for you!—did you come stealing

    away from the enemy, crossing rough ground and smooth?

  46. جَورٌ أَتى بِكَ أَم قَصدٌ فَقُلتُ لَها

    ما زِلتُ أَقصِدُ لَو تُدنينَ مَن قَصَدا

    Did straying bring you, or a straight course? I told her:

    I have always sought you—if only you would draw the seeker near.

  47. لا تَعجَبي لِاِجتِيابي اللَيلَ مِنسَرِقاً

    ما كُنتُ قَبلَكِ رِعديدا وَلا بَلِدا

    Do not wonder at my crossing the night in stealth;

    I was no coward or dullard before you.

  48. يارُبَّ قائِلَةٍ يَوماً لِجارَتِها

    إِنَّ المُرَعَّثَ هَمّي غابَ أَو شَهِدا

    Ah, many a woman once said to her neighbor:

    The Earring-Wearer is my concern, absent or present.

  49. صَدَدتُ عَنها فَلَم أُدمِن زِيارَتَها

    إِلى هَواكِ فَلَم تَجزي بِهِ صَفَدا

    I turned away from her and did not keep visiting her,

    turning to love of you; yet you gave no gift in return.

  50. لَمّا قَضَينا حَديثاً مِن مُعاتَبَةٍ

    وَكادَ يَبرُدُ هَذا الشَرُّ أَو بَرَدا

    When we had finished our talk of reproaches,

    and this bitterness had nearly cooled—or had cooled—

  51. جاءَت بِأَزهَرَ لَم تُنسَج عِمامَتُهُ

    إِذا الزُجاجَةُ كادَت كَأسَهُ سَجَدا

    she brought a radiant one whose turban had not been woven:

    when the bottle plotted against his cup, he bowed down.

  52. رَيّانَ كَالريمِ خَدّاهُ وَمَذبَحُهُ

    إِن لَم يُرَع بِسُجودٍ سامِراً رَكَدا

    Fresh and full, his cheeks and throat were like a gazelle's;

    unless startled by bowing, he remained still as a night companion.

  53. نَلهو إِلَيهِ وَنَشكو بَثَّ أَنفُسِنا

    في سَلوَةٍ وَزَوالُ اللَيلِ قَد أَفِدا

    We took our pleasure with him and lamented our souls' anguish,

    in solace, while the end of night drew near,

  54. حَتّى إِذ طارِقٌ ثارَت عَداوَتُهُ

    بِأَوَّلِ الصُبحِ كانَت صالِحاً فَسَدا

    until a night visitor's hostility flared

    at dawn's first light; what had been good went bad.

  55. قامَت تَهادى إِلى أَهلٍ تُراقِبُهُم

    مَشيَ البَهيرِ تَرى في مَشيِهِ أَوَدا

    She rose and walked swaying toward the kin she watched warily,

    with a breathless one's gait, a visible bend in the stride.

  56. وَالعَينُ تُحدِرُ دَمعاً جِدَّ واكِفَةٍ

    عَلى مَساقِطِ دَمعٍ كانَ قَد جَمَدا

    Her eye shed tears in a copious stream,

    upon the places where tears had already congealed,

  57. كَأَنَّهُ لُؤلُؤٌ رَثَّت مَعاقِدُهُ

    فَاِنسابَ أَوَّلُهُ في السِلكِ فَاِطَّرَدا

    as though they were pearls whose knots had frayed:

    the first slid along the thread, and the rest streamed after.

  58. وَقُمتُ لَم أَقضِ مِنها إِذ خَلَوتُ بِها

    إِلّا الحَديثَ وَإِلّا أَن أَمَسَّ يَدا

    I rose, having gained nothing from her when alone with her

    except conversation, and touching a hand,

  59. حَتّى خَرَجتُ فَكانَ الدَهرُ مُنذَحِلاً

    بَينَ القَرينَينِ حَلّالاً لِما عُقِدا

    until I went out; time proved vengeful

    between the two companions, untying what had been bound.