أَحُبّى فيمَ خُلّيتُ

أَحُبّى فيمَ خُلّيتُ

وَفيمَ الحَبلُ مَبتوتُ

وَفيمَ الحَبلُ مَبتوتُ

O Hubba, why was I abandoned?

My love, why did I become lonely

And why is the cord severed?

And why did the rope tear apart?

أَأَدلَلتِ بِما عِندي

أَأَدلَلتِ بِما عِندي

مِنَ الشَوقِ فَأُقصيتُ

مِنَ الشَوقِ فَأُقصيتُ

Did you grow bold because of what I bear

Did you tantalize me with the longing I had for you

of longing, so that I was cast aside?

So I was excluded?

أَتاني بَعضُ ما أَلقَي

أَتاني بَعضُ ما أَلقَي

تِ مِن هَجري وَأُلقيتُ

تِ مِن هَجري وَأُلقيتُ

Some of what you cast upon me reached me—

Some of the estrangement you inflicted upon me came to me

through deserting me—and I was laid low.

And I was inflicted upon.

فُما أَمسَيتُ حَتّى صَر

فُما أَمسَيتُ حَتّى صَر

رَخَ الحَيُّ وَسُجّيتُ

رَخَ الحَيُّ وَسُجّيتُ

So I had not reached evening before—

I had barely reached evening before

the clan cried out, and I was shrouded.

The living paled and I was wrapped up.

لَقَد كُنتُ عَلى العَي

لَقَد كُنتُ عَلى العَي

نَينِ وَالرَأسِ فَنُحّيتُ

نَينِ وَالرَأسِ فَنُحّيتُ

Indeed, I was once upon the two eyes—

Indeed, I was above the fountains

and the head, but then I was put aside.

And my head was bent down.

أَحُبّى لَو دَنَت مِن قَل

أَحُبّى لَو دَنَت مِن قَل

بِكِ الرَحمَةُ أُدنيتُ

بِكِ الرَحمَةُ أُدنيتُ

O Hubba, if there drew near from your heart—

My love, if mercy drew near to your heart I would be brought close.

mercy, I would be brought near.

When you are distant I become miserable

إِذا باعَدتِ أُضنيتُ

إِذا باعَدتِ أُضنيتُ

وَإِن قَرَّبتِ عُزّيتُ

وَإِن قَرَّبتِ عُزّيتُ

If you keep me far away, I waste away;

And when you are near I become respected.

and if you bring me near, I am consoled.

Abu Amr honored me

وَعَزّاني أَبو عَمروٍ

وَعَزّاني أَبو عَمروٍ

وَقِدماً عَنكِ عُزّيتُ

وَقِدماً عَنكِ عُزّيتُ

And Abu Amr consoled me;

And I was honored to stay away from you.

and long before, I was consoled over you.

So I did not hear the longing

فَلَم أَسمَع مِنَ الشَوقِ

فَلَم أَسمَع مِنَ الشَوقِ

عَلى سَمعي فَنوديتُ

عَلى سَمعي فَنوديتُ

So I did not hear, for longing,

Calling out loudly to my hearing.

despite my hearing; then I was called.

The longing has killed my limbs

أَماتَ الشَوقُ أَوصالي

أَماتَ الشَوقُ أَوصالي

وَبَعضُ الشَوقِ تَمويتُ

وَبَعضُ الشَوقِ تَمويتُ

Longing killed my limbs,

And some of the longing has killed me.

and some longing brings death.

أَما حَسبُكِ أَنّي مِن

أَما حَسبُكِ أَنّي مِن

كِ طولَ اللَيلِ مَسبوتُ

كِ طولَ اللَيلِ مَسبوتُ

Is it not enough for you that I, because of—

Is it not enough for you that I am from you

you, lie in a stupor all night?

(Kept awake) the whole night in captivity?

وَأَنَّ الدَمعَ مُنهَلٌّ

وَأَنَّ الدَمعَ مُنهَلٌّ

وَأَنَّ القَلبَ مَرفوتُ

وَأَنَّ القَلبَ مَرفوتُ

And that my tears pour down,

And that tears are a spring

and that my heart is shattered?

And that the heart is fluttering?

إِذا شِئتِ تَصَبَّرتُ

إِذا شِئتِ تَصَبَّرتُ

وَلا أَصبِرُ إِن شيتُ

وَلا أَصبِرُ إِن شيتُ

When you wish it, I muster patience;

If you wish I feign composure

yet I cannot be patient when I wish to.

But I cannot be patient if you wish it.

أَلا يا لَيتَني مِنكِ ال

أَلا يا لَيتَني مِنكِ ال

لَذي أَعطيتَ أُعطيتُ

لَذي أَعطيتَ أُعطيتُ

Ah, if only I were given by you—

Oh, if only I was given from you

what you have given.

What you have given I would be given!

وَأَعتَبتُكِ مِن سَومي

وَأَعتَبتُكِ مِن سَومي

كَما أَعتَبَ مَن سوتُ

كَما أَعتَبَ مَن سوتُ

And I made amends to you for my treatment,

And I blamed you for my insomnia

as one I had offended made amends.

As I blamed whoever kept me awake.

كَأَنّي يَومَ لاقَيتُ

كَأَنّي يَومَ لاقَيتُ

كِ خَلفَ العَينِ مَبهوتُ

كِ خَلفَ العَينِ مَبهوتُ

It was as though, on the day I met—

It is as if, the day I met you,

you, I was stunned behind the eye.

I was left confused behind the eye.

كَأَنّي ذاكِ مِن حُبِّ

كَأَنّي ذاكِ مِن حُبِّ

كِ أَو أَخرَسُ سِكّيتُ

كِ أَو أَخرَسُ سِكّيتُ

As though I were thus from love of—

It is as if from that love of yours

you, or a mute, utterly silent.

I became mute and silent.

إِذا أَزمَعتُ أَن أَنظُرَ ف

إِذا أَزمَعتُ أَن أَنظُرَ ف

ي الحاجَةِ أَنسيتُ

ي الحاجَةِ أَنسيتُ

When I resolve to look into—

Whenever I intended to look into a need

the matter, I forget.

I forgot.

لَقَد رُحتُ وَما أَدري

لَقَد رُحتُ وَما أَدري

أَسِحرٌ ذاكَ أَم ليتُ

أَسِحرٌ ذاكَ أَم ليتُ

I went away, not knowing

Indeed, I went and did not know

whether that was sorcery or enchantment.

Whether it was a spell or fatigue.

أَحُبّى لَيسَ لي صَبرٌ

أَحُبّى لَيسَ لي صَبرٌ

وَإِن رَخَّصتِ لي جيتُ

وَإِن رَخَّصتِ لي جيتُ

O Hubba, I have no patience;

My love, I have no patience

and if you give me leave, I will come.

And if you made it easy for me I would come.

وَلا وَاللَهِ ما يَصبِ

وَلا وَاللَهِ ما يَصبِ

رُ في البَرِّيَّةِ الحوتُ

رُ في البَرِّيَّةِ الحوتُ

And no, by God, there is no enduring—

By Allah, even the whale cannot be patient

in the wilderness for a fish.

In the desert wilderness!

دَعاني لَكَ جِنِّيٌّ

دَعاني لَكَ جِنِّيٌّ

مِنَ الجِنّانِ عِفريتُ

مِنَ الجِنّانِ عِفريتُ

A jinni called me to you,

A jinni called me to you

an ifrit from among the jinn,

From the gardens, a demon.

بِوَجهٍ زاهِرِ الحُسنِ

بِوَجهٍ زاهِرِ الحُسنِ

زَهاهُ الجيدُ وَالليتُ

زَهاهُ الجيدُ وَالليتُ

with a face radiant in beauty,

With a face of radiant beauty

adorned by the neck and its side.

Adorned with neck and softness.

كَأَنَّ الرَوحَ وَالرَيحا

كَأَنَّ الرَوحَ وَالرَيحا

نَ فيهِ المِسكُ مَفتوتُ

نَ فيهِ المِسكُ مَفتوتُ

As though the breeze and sweet basil—

As if the spirit and breeze in it

were in it; finely ground musk

Is mingled musk, dissolved.

جَرى في ماءِ خَدَّيكِ

جَرى في ماءِ خَدَّيكِ

وَفي الأَنيابِ تَنبيتُ

وَفي الأَنيابِ تَنبيتُ

flowed in the liquid sheen of your cheeks;

It flowed in the water of your cheeks

and in the canine teeth there was budding.

And grew in the white fangs.

كَأَنَّ القَولَ مِن فيكِ

كَأَنَّ القَولَ مِن فيكِ

لَنا دُرٌّ وَياقوتُ

لَنا دُرٌّ وَياقوتُ

As though speech from your mouth—

It is as if the words from your mouth

were pearls and rubies to us.

Are pearls and rubies for us.

إِذا أَدبَرتِ ماتَ النا

إِذا أَدبَرتِ ماتَ النا

سُ إِن قيلَ لَهُم موتوا

سُ إِن قيلَ لَهُم موتوا

When you turn away, the people die—

If you turn away, people will die when told "Die!"

if they are told, 'Die!'

And if you come, eyes are Marut and Harut.

وَإِن أَقبَلتِ فَالعَينا

وَإِن أَقبَلتِ فَالعَينا

نِ هاروتٌ وَماروتُ

نِ هاروتٌ وَماروتُ

And if you approach, the two eyes—

I made you, O Habba, my enemy

are Harut and Marut.

After you were once my beloved.

أَعادي فيكِ يا حُبّى

أَعادي فيكِ يا حُبّى

وَقَبلَ اليَومَ عوديتُ

وَقَبلَ اليَومَ عوديتُ

I show enmity for your sake, O Hubba,

Yet I did not panic though I was

and before today, I was met with enmity.

Panicked when you frightened me.

فَلَم أَجزَع وَإِن كُنتُ

فَلَم أَجزَع وَإِن كُنتُ

جَزوعاً حينَ خوفيتُ

جَزوعاً حينَ خوفيتُ

Yet I did not panic, though I was—

prone to panic when I was frightened.