أَصَفراءُ ما أَنسى هَواكِ وَلا وُدّي

أَصَفراءُ ما أَنسى هَواكِ وَلا وُدّي

وَلا ما مَضى بَيني وَبَينَكِ مِن وُكدِ

وَلا ما مَضى بَيني وَبَينَكِ مِن وُكدِ

O Safra, I do not forget my love for you, nor my affection,

O Asfaraa, how I miss your love and affection,

nor the solemn pledge that passed between me and you.

And what has passed between us of hardship,

أَبى اللَهُ إِلّا أَن يُفَرِّقَ بَينَنا

أَبى اللَهُ إِلّا أَن يُفَرِّقَ بَينَنا

وَكُنّا كَماءِ المُزنِ بِالعَسَلِ الشَهدِ

وَكُنّا كَماءِ المُزنِ بِالعَسَلِ الشَهدِ

God insisted on parting us,

God willed that He separate us,

and we were like rainwater mingled with honey from the comb.

Though we were like sweetened rosewater,

فَيا غادِياً يَختالُ في العِطرِ وَالحُلى

فَيا غادِياً يَختالُ في العِطرِ وَالحُلى

وَيا واقِفاً يَبكي مُقيماً عَلى فَقدِ

وَيا واقِفاً يَبكي مُقيماً عَلى فَقدِ

So, O you who go forth in the morning, strutting in perfume and ornaments,

So walk on, swaying in fragrance and beauty,

and O you who stand weeping, lingering over loss!

And stop, weeping, staying after loss,

أَصَفراءُ ما صَبري وَأَنتِ غَريبَةٌ

أَصَفراءُ ما صَبري وَأَنتِ غَريبَةٌ

كَأَنَّكِ عِندَ اِبنِ السَميذَعِ في لَحدِ

كَأَنَّكِ عِندَ اِبنِ السَميذَعِ في لَحدِ

O Safra, what patience have I while you are far from home,

O Asfaraa, how patient I’ve been when you’re far,

as though, with Ibn al-Samaydhaʿ, you lay in a grave?

As if you’re in the grave of Ibn al-Samidha,

إِذا هَتَفَ القُمرِيُّ راجَعَني الهَوى

إِذا هَتَفَ القُمرِيُّ راجَعَني الهَوى

بِشَوقٍ وَلَم أَملُك دُموعي مِنَ الوَجدِ

بِشَوقٍ وَلَم أَملُك دُموعي مِنَ الوَجدِ

When the turtledove calls, love returns to me

When the moon crescent calls, passion returns to me,

with longing, and I cannot restrain my tears for love's anguish.

With yearning, and I cannot hold back my tears of ecstasy,

أَصَفراءُ لا تَبعَد نَواكِ فَإِنَّما

أَصَفراءُ لا تَبعَد نَواكِ فَإِنَّما

يَسوقُ لَكِ المَرأى حَبيبُكِ مِن بُعدِ

يَسوقُ لَكِ المَرأى حَبيبُكِ مِن بُعدِ

O Safra, may your distance not grow greater, for it is only

O Asfaraa, do not distance your companionship, for

your lover who brings you a vision from afar.

Your lover guides what is seen from afar to you,

نَظَرتُ بِحَوضى هَل أَراكِ فَلَم أُصِب

نَظَرتُ بِحَوضى هَل أَراكِ فَلَم أُصِب

بَعَيني سِوى الجَرعاءِ وَالأَبلَقِ الفَردِ

بَعَيني سِوى الجَرعاءِ وَالأَبلَقِ الفَردِ

I looked at Hawda to see whether I could see you, but did not find

I looked in my basin, hoping to see you, but my eyes

with my eyes anything but al-Jarʿaʾ and solitary al-Ablaq.

Met with nothing but a solitary crane and a lone duck,

فَيا حَزَنا في الصَدرِ مِنكِ حَرارَةٌ

فَيا حَزَنا في الصَدرِ مِنكِ حَرارَةٌ

وَفي النَفسِ حاجاتٌ تَشوقُ وَلا تُجدي

وَفي النَفسِ حاجاتٌ تَشوقُ وَلا تُجدي

Alas, what sorrow! My breast burns because of you,

So, oh sorrow in my heart, from you there is warmth,

and in my soul are desires that stir longing and bring no benefit.

And in my soul, desires that yearn but are unfulfilled,

وَقالَ اِبنُ مَنظورٍ أَصَبتَ فَلا تَكُن

وَقالَ اِبنُ مَنظورٍ أَصَبتَ فَلا تَكُن

أَحاديثَ نَمّامٍ تُنيرُ وَلا تُسدي

أَحاديثَ نَمّامٍ تُنيرُ وَلا تُسدي

And Ibn Manzur said, "You are right; do not become

And Ibn Manzour said: you attained, so do not be

the stuff of a talebearer's tales, setting heddles but laying no warp.

Like the tales of a gossip that illuminate nor profit,

لَعَلَّكَ تُسلى أَو تُساعِفُكَ النَوى

لَعَلَّكَ تُسلى أَو تُساعِفُكَ النَوى

وَلَم تَلقَ ما لاقى اِبنُ عِجلانَ مِن هِندِ

وَلَم تَلقَ ما لاقى اِبنُ عِجلانَ مِن هِندِ

Perhaps you will be consoled, or separation will aid you;

Perhaps you'll be consoled, or good fortune will double,

and you have not suffered what Ibn ʿAjlan suffered from Hind."

And you did not meet what Ibn ‘Ijlan met in India,

يُخَوِّفُني مَوتَ المُحِبّينَ صاحِبي

يُخَوِّفُني مَوتَ المُحِبّينَ صاحِبي

فَطوبى لَهُم سيقوا إِلى جَنَّةِ الخُلدِ

فَطوبى لَهُم سيقوا إِلى جَنَّةِ الخُلدِ

My companion frightens me with the death of lovers;

The death of lovers frightens me, O friend,

so blessed are they: they were led to the Garden of Eternity.

Congratulations to them, they were led to eternal paradise,

وَما لَقِيَ النَهدِيُّ إِلّا سَعادَةً

وَما لَقِيَ النَهدِيُّ إِلّا سَعادَةً

بِمَصرَعِهِ صَلّى الإِلَهُ عَلى النَهدي

بِمَصرَعِهِ صَلّى الإِلَهُ عَلى النَهدي

And al-Nahdi met with nothing but happiness

Al-Nahdi only met good fortune,

through his death; may God bless al-Nahdi.

With his death – may God pray upon Al-Nahdi,

أَصَفراءُ لَولا ما أُؤَمِّلُ مِن غَدٍ

أَصَفراءُ لَولا ما أُؤَمِّلُ مِن غَدٍ

ضَرَبتُ بِسَيفي رَأسَ قَيِّمِكِ العَبدي

ضَرَبتُ بِسَيفي رَأسَ قَيِّمِكِ العَبدي

O Safra, were it not for what I hope for from tomorrow,

O Asfaraa, were it not for my hopes for tomorrow,

I would have struck your guardian al-ʿAbdi's head with my sword.

I would have struck your servant guardian's head with my sword,

أَصَفراءُ لَو أَرسَلتِ في الريحِ حاجَةً

أَصَفراءُ لَو أَرسَلتِ في الريحِ حاجَةً

سَكَنتُ إِلَيها أَو حَرِجتُ مِنَ الجَهدِ

سَكَنتُ إِلَيها أَو حَرِجتُ مِنَ الجَهدِ

O Safra, if you sent a request upon the wind,

O Asfaraa, if you sent a message on the wind,

I would find calm in it, or grow distressed from the hardship.

I would have been satisfied, or exhausted from effort,

أَما تَذكُرينَ الراحَ وَالعودَ وَالنَدى

أَما تَذكُرينَ الراحَ وَالعودَ وَالنَدى

وَمَجلِسَنا بَينَ الأُزَيهِرِ وَالصَمدِ

وَمَجلِسَنا بَينَ الأُزَيهِرِ وَالصَمدِ

Do you not remember the wine, the lute, and the dew,

Do you not remember the meadow, the wood and the dew,

and our sitting place between al-Uzayhir and al-Samad?

And our gathering between al-Uzayhir and al-Samad?

كَأَنّي إِذا ما كُنتُ فيهِ وَلا أَرى

كَأَنّي إِذا ما كُنتُ فيهِ وَلا أَرى

سِوى وَصَفاتِ الدَهرِ أَيّامَها عِندي

سِوى وَصَفاتِ الدَهرِ أَيّامَها عِندي

It is as though, whenever I was there, I saw nothing

It is as if when I am in it, and do not see,

but time's portrayals of her days with me.

Anything but the attributes of fate and its days with me,

تَذَكَّرتُ يَوماً بِالجُرَيدِ وَلَيلَةً

تَذَكَّرتُ يَوماً بِالجُرَيدِ وَلَيلَةً

بِذاتِ الغَضا طابَت وَأُخرى عَلى العِدِّ

بِذاتِ الغَضا طابَت وَأُخرى عَلى العِدِّ

I recalled a day at al-Jurayd and a night

I remembered a day at al-Jurayd and a night,

at Dhat al-Ghada that was delightful, and another by the perennial spring.

At Dhat al-Ghadha - it was pleasant, and another counting them,

لَيالِيَ نَدنو في الجِوارِ وَنَلتَقي

لَيالِيَ نَدنو في الجِوارِ وَنَلتَقي

عَلى زاهِرٍ يَلقى الغَزالَةَ بِالسَجدِ

عَلى زاهِرٍ يَلقى الغَزالَةَ بِالسَجدِ

Nights when we drew near in the neighborhood and met

Nights we approached each other and met,

on blooming ground that greets the sun with prostrations.

At a blooming tree, where the gazelle prostrates in worship,

فَعاوَدَني دائي القَديمُ بِحُبِّهِ

فَعاوَدَني دائي القَديمُ بِحُبِّهِ

وَفَرَّ إِلى صَفراءَ قَلبي مِنَ البُردِ

وَفَرَّ إِلى صَفراءَ قَلبي مِنَ البُردِ

So my old malady returned to me through love of it,

So my old love returned to me with its passion,

and my heart fled from the cold to Safra.

And fled to the yellowness of my heart from the cold,

لَقَد كانَ ما بَيني زَماناً وَبَينَها

لَقَد كانَ ما بَيني زَماناً وَبَينَها

كَما كانَ بَينَ المِسكِ وَالعَنبَرِ الوَردِ

كَما كانَ بَينَ المِسكِ وَالعَنبَرِ الوَردِ

Indeed, for a time, the bond between me and her

What was between me and her was once,

was like that between musk and rose-hued ambergris.

Like what was between musk and roses and flowers,