أَصبَحَ القَلبُ بِالنَحيلَةِ صَبّا

أَصبَحَ القَلبُ بِالنَحيلَةِ صَبّا

بَعدَ ما قَد صَحا وَراجَعَ لُبّا

بَعدَ ما قَد صَحا وَراجَعَ لُبّا

The heart has grown lovesick for al-Nahilah,

The heart has become youthful with love

after it had sobered and regained its reason.

After being awake and returning with ardour

زادَهُ مَدخَلُ الوَليدِ عَلَيهِ

زادَهُ مَدخَلُ الوَليدِ عَلَيهِ

وَخَيالٌ سَرى بِعَبدَةَ عُجبا

وَخَيالٌ سَرى بِعَبدَةَ عُجبا

Al-Walid's coming to him heightened

The entrance of Al-Walid has increased it

his wonder, as did a vision of ‘Abdah that came by night,

And an imagination flowed in Abda with wonder

وَمَقالُ الفَتاةِ إِذ هُتِكَ السَت

وَمَقالُ الفَتاةِ إِذ هُتِكَ السَت

رُ لَها عَن مَقالِ ما كانَ عَبّا

رُ لَها عَن مَقالِ ما كانَ عَبّا

and the girl's words, when the veil was torn away

And the words of the girl when the veil was lifted

for her from a saying that was not [‘abbā: unclear].

Were difficult for her due to what had happened before

أَيُّها المُستَجيرُ مِن حُبِّ عَبّا

أَيُّها المُستَجيرُ مِن حُبِّ عَبّا

دَةَ إِذ راعَهُ خَيالٌ فَهَبّا

دَةَ إِذ راعَهُ خَيالٌ فَهَبّا

O seeker of refuge from love for ‘Abbadah,

O you who seek refuge from the love of Abda

when a vision startled you and you sprang awake:

When an imagination startled and confused him

لَيسَ مِن حُبِّها مُجيرٌ سِواها

لَيسَ مِن حُبِّها مُجيرٌ سِواها

بَعدَ ما سارَ في الفُؤادِ وَدَبّا

بَعدَ ما سارَ في الفُؤادِ وَدَبّا

none can shelter you from love for her but she,

None can give refuge from her love but her

after it has traveled through the heart and crept within.

After it had spread in his heart and crept

يا خَليلَيَّ أَخرِجاني مِنَ الحُب

يا خَليلَيَّ أَخرِجاني مِنَ الحُب

بِ سَوِيّاً وَلا تَلوما مُحِبّا

بِ سَوِيّاً وَلا تَلوما مُحِبّا

O my two friends, deliver me from love,

O my friend take me out of love

safe and sound, and do not blame a lover.

Gently and do not blame a lover

فَاِترُكا لَومَهُ وَلوما خَليلاً

فَاِترُكا لَومَهُ وَلوما خَليلاً

يَتَجَنّى ذَنباً وَلَم يَدرِ ذَنبا

يَتَجَنّى ذَنباً وَلَم يَدرِ ذَنبا

So leave off blaming him, and blame a friend

So stop blaming him and do not blame a friend

who invents a fault, though he knows of none.

Who is accused of a sin he did not commit

كُلَّ يَومٍ تَعَتَّبَ الوُدُّ مِنهُ

كُلَّ يَومٍ تَعَتَّبَ الوُدُّ مِنهُ

لَيتَ شِعري أَيُحسَبُ الوُدُّ عَتبا

لَيتَ شِعري أَيُحسَبُ الوُدُّ عَتبا

Every day affection took offense at him;

Every day affection complains about him

I wonder: is affection counted as reproach?

I wonder is affection considered complaining?

تِلكَ عَبّادَةُ الَّتي لَم تَنَلهُ

تِلكَ عَبّادَةُ الَّتي لَم تَنَلهُ

غَيرَ ما أَصبَحَت لِعَينَيهِ نَصبا

غَيرَ ما أَصبَحَت لِعَينَيهِ نَصبا

That is ‘Abbadah, who gave him nothing

That is Abda whom it did not reach

except to become a sight set before his eyes.

Except it has become a misfortune to his eyes

شَرِبَت سَلوَةً عُبَيدَةُ عَنّي

شَرِبَت سَلوَةً عُبَيدَةُ عَنّي

وَكَأَنّي شَرِبتُ بِالحُبِّ طَبّا

وَكَأَنّي شَرِبتُ بِالحُبِّ طَبّا

‘Ubaydah has drunk forgetfulness of me,

Ubeyda drank a potion away from me

while I seem to have drunk a spell through love.

As if I drank love's draught

فَتَقَضّى الرَجاءُ مِنها لَقَد صَد

فَتَقَضّى الرَجاءُ مِنها لَقَد صَد

دَ طَبيبي عَنّي وَقَضَّيتُ نَحبا

دَ طَبيبي عَنّي وَقَضَّيتُ نَحبا

So hope in her expired; indeed, he turned away—

So hope in her is over, it has been cut off

my physician—from me, and I have met my doom.

My doctor has stopped me and I am in agony

أَنا إِن لَم أَمُت بِذاكَ فَإِنّي

أَنا إِن لَم أَمُت بِذاكَ فَإِنّي

مَيِّتٌ مِن مَخافَتي ذاكَ رُعبا

مَيِّتٌ مِن مَخافَتي ذاكَ رُعبا

As for me, if I do not die of that, then I

If I do not die of that, I am

shall die of terror from my fear of it.

Dead from fearing that terror

لَيتَها تاقَ قَلبُها فَاِستَوَينا

لَيتَها تاقَ قَلبُها فَاِستَوَينا

أَو رُزِقنا كَقَلبِ عَبدَةَ قَلبا

أَو رُزِقنا كَقَلبِ عَبدَةَ قَلبا

If only her heart yearned, so that we were alike,

I wish her heart would equal mine

or we were granted a heart like ‘Abdah's,

Or we were given a heart like Abda's heart

فَصَبَرنا عَنها كَما صَبَرَت عَن

فَصَبَرنا عَنها كَما صَبَرَت عَن

نا وَلَم نَتَّخِذ عُبَيدَةَ رَبّا

نا وَلَم نَتَّخِذ عُبَيدَةَ رَبّا

then we could bear being without her, as she has borne being without

So we were patient with her as she was patient

us, and would not take ‘Ubaydah as a lord.

With us and we did not take Ubeyda as a lord

فَاِكشِفي ما بِنا وَعودي عَلَينا

فَاِكشِفي ما بِنا وَعودي عَلَينا

قَد لَقينا إِلَيكِ في الحُبِّ حَسبا

قَد لَقينا إِلَيكِ في الحُبِّ حَسبا

So dispel what ails us, and return to us;

So uncover what is between us and return to us

we have suffered enough in loving you.

We have met you in love fully