يا صاحِ دَعني فَإِنَّني نَصِبُ

يا صاحِ دَعني فَإِنَّني نَصِبُ

حُبّي سُلَيمى وَتَركُها عَجَبُ

حُبّي سُلَيمى وَتَركُها عَجَبُ

O friend, leave me alone, for I am weary.

O friend, let me be, for I am troubled,

My love for Sulayma, and my leaving her, are a wonder.

My love for Salma, yet leaving her amazed me,

جانَبتُ شَيئاً أُحِبُّ رُؤيَتَهُ

جانَبتُ شَيئاً أُحِبُّ رُؤيَتَهُ

لِلَّهِ دَرِّيَ أَهوى وَأَجتَنِبُ

لِلَّهِ دَرِّيَ أَهوى وَأَجتَنِبُ

I shunned something I love to see.

I avoided what I love to see,

God bless me! I love and yet keep away.

By God, I desire yet abstain,

هَجَرتُ بَيتَ الحَبيبِ مِن حَذَرِ ال

هَجَرتُ بَيتَ الحَبيبِ مِن حَذَرِ ال

عَينِ وَنَفسي إِلَيهِ تَضطَرِبُ

عَينِ وَنَفسي إِلَيهِ تَضطَرِبُ

I forsook the beloved's house for fear of the

I left the home of the beloved out of fear of the eye,

watchful eye, while my soul quivers toward it.

Yet my soul yearns for it and trembles,

أُراقِبُ النَفسَ في الحَياةِ وَقَد

أُراقِبُ النَفسَ في الحَياةِ وَقَد

أَيقَنتُ أَنّي بِتَركِها عَطِبُ

أَيقَنتُ أَنّي بِتَركِها عَطِبُ

I guard my soul in life, though I have

I watch the self in life and am certain,

become certain that leaving her will doom me.

That in leaving it I grieve,

وَاللَّهُ ما لِيَ مِنها إِذا ذُكِرَت

وَاللَّهُ ما لِيَ مِنها إِذا ذُكِرَت

إِلّا اِستِنانُ الدُموعِ وَالطَرَبُ

إِلّا اِستِنانُ الدُموعِ وَالطَرَبُ

By God, when she is mentioned, I have nothing from her

By God, when she is remembered I have naught,

but streaming tears and transports of feeling.

Save shedding tears and turmoil,

زادَت عَلى الناسِ في الجَفاءِ وَقَد

زادَت عَلى الناسِ في الجَفاءِ وَقَد

تَعلَمُ أَنّي بِحُبِّها نَشِبُ

تَعلَمُ أَنّي بِحُبِّها نَشِبُ

She surpasses all others in coldness, though

She increased beyond people in aloofness, though she knows,

she knows I am ensnared by love for her.

I love her and pine,

تَنأى فَتَسلى وَإِن دَنَت بَخِلَت

تَنأى فَتَسلى وَإِن دَنَت بَخِلَت

سِيّانَ بُعدُ البَخيلِ وَالقُرُبُ

سِيّانَ بُعدُ البَخيلِ وَالقُرُبُ

She withdraws and forgets; if she comes near, she withholds.

She draws away to comfort herself, and if she draws near, she is stingy,

Alike are the miser's distance and nearness.

The aloofness of the stingy and the closeness are the same,

يا كاهِنَ المَصرِ هَل تُحَدِّثُني

يا كاهِنَ المَصرِ هَل تُحَدِّثُني

ما بالُ قَلبي بِذِكرِها نَخِبُ

ما بالُ قَلبي بِذِكرِها نَخِبُ

O diviner of the city, will you tell me

O priest of Egypt, will you tell me,

why my heart quails at the mention of her?

Why does my heart ache when she is recalled?

إِن كانَ سِحراً دَعَوتُ راقِيَّةً

إِن كانَ سِحراً دَعَوتُ راقِيَّةً

أَو كانَ سُقماً فَحَسبِيَ الوَصَبُ

أَو كانَ سُقماً فَحَسبِيَ الوَصَبُ

If it is sorcery, I shall summon a woman who chants healing spells;

If it is sorcery, I called an exorcist,

or if it is sickness, suffering is enough for me.

If it was illness, bitterness was enough,

إِنّي وَمَن لَبَّت الرِفاقُ لَهُ

إِنّي وَمَن لَبَّت الرِفاقُ لَهُ

شُعثاً أَساريبَ خَلفَها سُرَبُ

شُعثاً أَساريبَ خَلفَها سُرَبُ

Indeed, by Him whose call the traveling bands answered,

I and those whose companions have afflicted them,

disheveled, in companies with companies behind them,

Disheveled, behind her like tied captives,

ما جِئتُ سَلمى طَوعاً لِتَجعَلَني

ما جِئتُ سَلمى طَوعاً لِتَجعَلَني

ذِبحاً وَلَكِن أَطاعَني النُجُبُ

ذِبحاً وَلَكِن أَطاعَني النُجُبُ

I did not come willingly to Salma for her to make me

I did not come to Salma willingly for her to make me,

a slaughter-victim; but the choice camels obeyed me.

A sacrifice, but nobility made me comply,

فَرَّغتُ قَلبي لَها لِتَسكُنَهُ

فَرَّغتُ قَلبي لَها لِتَسكُنَهُ

حيناً فَأَمسى فيهِ لَها شُعَبُ

حيناً فَأَمسى فيهِ لَها شُعَبُ

I emptied my heart for her to dwell in it

I emptied my heart for her to dwell it,

for a while; then her branches spread within it.

For a time, yet in it were paths for her,

وَقائِلٍ خَلِّها وَقَد عَقَدت

وَقائِلٍ خَلِّها وَقَد عَقَدت

نَفسي إِلى نَفسِها فَلا هَرَبُ

نَفسي إِلى نَفسِها فَلا هَرَبُ

And someone says, 'Leave her,' though she has bound

While being told leave her be, though I had bound,

my soul to her soul, so there is no escape.

My soul to hers, so there is no fleeing,

الآنَ إِذ قامَتِ الرُواةُ بِنا

الآنَ إِذ قامَتِ الرُواةُ بِنا

وَإِذ تَغَنَّت بِحُبِّنا العَرَبُ

وَإِذ تَغَنَّت بِحُبِّنا العَرَبُ

Now that the reciters have taken up our story

Now, when the storytellers stood with us,

and the Arabs have sung of our love,

And the Arabs sang of our love,

أَصرِفُ نَفسي عَنها وَقَد غَلَقَت

أَصرِفُ نَفسي عَنها وَقَد غَلَقَت

هَيهاتَ دَوِّيَّةٌ أَشِبُ

هَيهاتَ دَوِّيَّةٌ أَشِبُ

am I to turn my soul away from her, when it is held fast?

I turn my soul from her, though it has shut,

Far from it—a tangled, trackless wilderness!

Alas the echo, I pine,

يا سَلمَ هَل تَذكُرينَ مَجلِسَنا

يا سَلمَ هَل تَذكُرينَ مَجلِسَنا

أَيّامَ رَأسي كَأَنَّهُ عِنَبُ

أَيّامَ رَأسي كَأَنَّهُ عِنَبُ

O Salma, do you remember our meeting place,

O Salm, do you remember our gathering,

in the days when my head was like a cluster of grapes,

Those days when my head was like grapes,

إِذ نَحنُ بِالميثِ لا تَرى أَحَداً

إِذ نَحنُ بِالميثِ لا تَرى أَحَداً

يُزري وَإِذ شَأنُنا بِهِ اللَعِبُ

يُزري وَإِذ شَأنُنا بِهِ اللَعِبُ

when we were on the soft ground and you saw no one

When we in play saw no one,

to find fault, and our pursuit there was play?

Criticize us and our matter was play,

يا سَلمَ جودي بِما رَأَيتِ لَنا

يا سَلمَ جودي بِما رَأَيتِ لَنا

ما عِندَ أُخرى سِواكِ لي أَرَبُ

ما عِندَ أُخرى سِواكِ لي أَرَبُ

O Salma, be generous with whatever you see fit for us;

O Salm be generous with what you saw for us,

I have no desire for any other woman besides you.

None other than you has more claim over me,

وَصاحِبٍ ضامَني وَضِمتُ لَهُ

وَصاحِبٍ ضامَني وَضِمتُ لَهُ

نَفسي لِيَرضى فَراحَ يَلتَهِبُ

نَفسي لِيَرضى فَراحَ يَلتَهِبُ

And a companion wronged me, and for him I wronged

A companion guaranteed me and I guaranteed for him,

my own soul, to please him; then he went on burning.

My soul to please him, so he began to blaze,

وافَقَ ظُلمي حُلواً فَأَعجَبَهُ

وافَقَ ظُلمي حُلواً فَأَعجَبَهُ

وَالظُلمُ حُلوٌ كَأَنَّهُ جَرَبُ

وَالظُلمُ حُلوٌ كَأَنَّهُ جَرَبُ

He found the wrong done to me sweet, and it pleased him.

He approved the injustice as sweet, so it amazed him,

And wrongdoing is sweet, as though it were scabies.

Though injustice is sweet as if he tried it,

أَعرَضتُ عَنهُ وَالحِلمُ مِن خُلُقي

أَعرَضتُ عَنهُ وَالحِلمُ مِن خُلُقي

وَلَيسَ مِنّي التَثريبُ وَالصَخَبُ

وَلَيسَ مِنّي التَثريبُ وَالصَخَبُ

I turned away from him; forbearance is part of my nature.

I turned away from him, though forbearance is my nature,

Reproach and clamor are not my way.

Not mine are rebuke and clamor,

يا سَلمَ أَنتِ الهَوى إِذا شَهِدَ ال

يا سَلمَ أَنتِ الهَوى إِذا شَهِدَ ال

ناسُ وَأَنتِ الهَوى إِذا ذَهَبوا

ناسُ وَأَنتِ الهَوى إِذا ذَهَبوا

O Salma, you are love in the presence of the

O Salm, you are the love when people bear witness,

people, and you are love when they depart.

And you are the love when they depart,

عودي عَلى سَقطَةٍ جَهِلتُ بِها

عودي عَلى سَقطَةٍ جَهِلتُ بِها

ما كُلُّ ذَنبٍ فيهِ الفَتى يَثِبُ

ما كُلُّ ذَنبٍ فيهِ الفَتى يَثِبُ

Be gracious toward a lapse in which I acted foolishly;

Return from a lapse I was ignorant of,

a young man does not pounce on every fault.

Not every sin clings to the youth,

ظَلَمتِني وَالهَوى مُقارَضَةٌ

ظَلَمتِني وَالهَوى مُقارَضَةٌ

كَيلاً بِكَيلٍ فَكَيفَ نَصطَحِبُ

كَيلاً بِكَيلٍ فَكَيفَ نَصطَحِبُ

You wronged me, and love is reciprocal exchange—

You wronged me, and love is reciprocal,

measure for measure; how, then, can we keep company?

Measure for measure, so how can we accompany?

لا تَأمَني أَن تَجورَ مَظلَمَةٌ

لا تَأمَني أَن تَجورَ مَظلَمَةٌ

بِرَبِّها وَالزَمانُ يَنقَلِبُ

بِرَبِّها وَالزَمانُ يَنقَلِبُ

Do not feel secure against an injustice turning

Do not feel safe from an unjust darkness,

on its author, while time turns.

Taking its Lord, and time keeps changing,

فَاِرضَي بِأَشباهِ ما عَمِلتِ بِنا

فَاِرضَي بِأَشباهِ ما عَمِلتِ بِنا

لِكُلِّ نَفسٍ مِن كَفِّها حَلَبُ

لِكُلِّ نَفسٍ مِن كَفِّها حَلَبُ

So be content with the like of what you did to us:

So satisfy with the likes of what you did to us,

each soul's milk comes from its own hand.

Each soul milks from its palms,