1. يا حُبَّ إِنَّ دَواءَ الحُبِّ مَفقودُ

    إِلّا لَدَيكِ فَهَل ما رُمتُ مَوجودُ

    O Hubba, the cure for love is nowhere to be found

    Except with you—so is what I seek available?

  2. قالَت عَلَيكَ بِمَن تَهوى فَقُلتُ لَها

    يا حُبَّ فوكِ الهَوى وَالعَينُ وَالجيدُ

    She said, “Turn to the one you love”; I said to her:

    O Hubba, love is your mouth, your eye, and your neck.

  3. لا تَلعَبي بِحَياتي وَاِقطَعي أَمَلي

    صَبراً عَلى المَوتِ إِنَّ المَوتَ مَورودُ

    Do not toy with my life; cut off my hope.

    Patience in the face of death—for death must be met.

  4. رُؤياكِ تَدعو المَنايا قَبلَ مَوقِتِها

    وَإِن تُنيلي فَنَيلٌ مِنكِ مَخلودُ

    The sight of you summons death before its appointed time.

    And if you grant a favor, a favor from you is everlasting.

  5. أَنتِ الأَميرَةُ في روحي وَفي جَسَدي

    فَاِبري وَريشي بِكَفَّيكِ الأَقاليدُ

    You are the sovereign of my soul and my body;

    So pare me down and feather me; the keys are in your two hands.

  6. لا تَسبِقي بي حِمامَ المَوتِ وَاِنتَظِري

    يَوماً كَأَن قَد طَوَتني البيضُ وَالسودُ

    Do not hasten me to death’s doom; wait

    A day—as though white days and black nights had already folded me away.

  7. قَد لامَني فيكِ أَقوامٌ فَقُلتُ لَهُم

    ما ذَنبُ مَن قَلبُهُ حَرّانُ مَجهودُ

    People have reproached me over you; I told them:

    What fault has one whose heart is burning and exhausted?

  8. ما كُنتُ أَوَّلَ مَجنونٍ بِجارِيَةٍ

    تَسَفَّهَت لُبَّهُ وَالمَرءُ صِنديدُ

    I was not the first man maddened by a girl

    Who befuddled his reason, though the man was valiant.

  9. أَغرى بِهِ اللَومَ أُذنٌ غَيرُ سامِعَةٍ

    وَأَحوَرُ العَينِ في سِمطَينِ رِعديدُ

    An unheeding ear incited blame against him,

    And a dark-eyed, trembling one wearing two necklaces.

  10. أَحبَبتُ حُبّى وَما حُبّى بِمُطَّلَبي

    مَن لَيسَ لي عِندَهُ إِلّا الجَلاميدُ

    I loved Hubba; yet, Hubba, I do not seek

    One who has nothing for me but boulders.

  11. بِئسَ العَطِيَّةُ مِن حُبّى لَنا حَجَرٌ

    بَل لَيسَ لي حَجَرٌ مِنها وَلا عودُ

    A stone is a wretched gift from Hubba to us;

    Yet I have neither a stone from her nor a stick.

  12. تَغدو ثَقالاً وَتُمسي في مَجاسِدِها

    كَأَنَّها صَنَمٌ في الحَيِّ مَعبودُ

    She goes forth stately at dawn and spends evening in her dyed robes,

    Like an idol worshipped among the tribe.

  13. نامَت وَلَم أَلقَ نَوماً بَعدَ رُؤيَتِها

    وَهَل يَنامُ سَخينُ العَينِ مَعمودُ

    She slept, but I found no sleep after seeing her.

    Can one whose eyes burn with tears, stricken with love, sleep?

  14. يا حُسنَ حُبّى إِذا قامَت لِجارَتِها

    وَفي الرَواحِ هَضيمُ الكَشحِ أُملودُ

    How beautiful Hubba is when she rises to go to her neighbor,

    And goes out at evening, slender-waisted and supple.

  15. كَأَنَّها لَذَّةُ الفِتيانِ موفِيَةً

    وَسَكرَةُ المَوتِ إِن لَم يوفَ مَوعودُ

    As though she were young men’s delight when she keeps her word,

    And death’s agony if a promise is not fulfilled.

  16. تُؤتيكَ ما شِئتَ مِن عَهدٍ وَمِن عِدَةٍ

    فَالوَعدُ دانٍ وَبابُ النَيلِ مَسدودُ

    She gives you whatever pledges and promises you wish;

    So the promise is near, but the gate of fulfillment is barred.

  17. قَد صَرَّدَت هامَتي حُبّى بِبَخلَتِها

    ما خَيرُ عَيشِ الفَتى وَالكَأسُ تَصريدُ

    Hubba, through her stinginess, has left my head thirsting.

    What good is a young man’s life when the cup holds only a scant draught?

  18. إِنّي لَأَحسُدُ مَولوداً مَشى قَدَماً

    وَبي مِنَ الداءِ ما لَم يَلقَ مَولودُ

    I truly envy a child who has taken a step,

    While I suffer an illness no child has ever known.

  19. أَرى الإِزارَ عَلى حُبّى فَأَحسُدُهُ

    إِنَّ الإِزارَ عَلى ما ضَمَّ مَحسودُ

    I see the waist-wrap on Hubba and envy it;

    Indeed, that wrap is envied for what it embraces.

  20. يا دامَ كُنتِ لِحاجاتي وَصاحِبَتي

    حَتّى اِشتَكَيتُ وَغالَ النَومَ تَسهيدُ

    O Dam, you were there for my needs and were my companion,

    Until I fell ill and sleeplessness stole away sleep.

  21. قولي لِحُبّى فَقَد أَحبَبتُ رُؤيَتَها

    لَو كانَ لي مِنكِ تَقريبٌ وَتَبعيدُ

    Tell Hubba—for I have loved the sight of her—

    If you would draw me near and send me away,

  22. قَرَّت بِكِ العَينُ أَو بِتنا عَلى طَمَعٍ

    مِنَ النَوالِ وَطابَ اللَهوُ وَالغيدُ

    My eye would find comfort in you, or we would spend the night hoping

    For bounty, and merriment and graceful women would be sweet.

  23. لا خَيرَ في عِدَةٍ لَيسَت بِمُنجَزَةٍ

    فَأَنجِزي الوَعدَ إِنَّ الجودَ مَحمودُ

    There is no good in a promise left unfulfilled;

    So fulfill the promise, for generosity is praiseworthy.

  24. لَيسَ المُحِبُّ كَكَمّونٍ بِمَزرَعَةٍ

    إِن فاتَهُ الماءُ أَغنَتهُ المَواعيدُ

    A lover is not like cumin in a field,

    Which, if it lacks water, is sustained by promises.

  25. إِن لَم تَجودي بِمَوعودٍ فَلا تَعِدي

    ما أَقبَحَ الوَعدَ حَتّى زانَهُ الجودُ

    If you will not give what you promised, do not promise.

    How ugly a promise is until generosity adorns it!

  26. سَأَلتُ حُبّى فَما عادَت عَلى رَجُلٍ

    لِسانُهُ عَن سُؤالِ الناسِ مَعقودُ

    I asked Hubba, but she gave no help to a man

    Whose tongue is tied against asking people,

  27. كَأَنَّهُ يَتَّقي الحَيّاتِ فاغِرَةً

    لا بَل كَأَنّي عَنِ المَعروفِ مَجدودُ

    As though he were avoiding snakes with gaping mouths.

    No—rather, it is as though I am denied kindness.

  28. وَالحُرُّ يُعطيكَ عَفواً مِن فَواضِلِهِ

    قَبلَ السُؤالِ وَسَيبُ العَبدِ مَنكودُ

    And a freeborn man gives you unasked from his abundance,

    Before you ask; a slave’s bounty is meager.