عُرَيبَ الحِمى عَهدي نَزيلُكُم يُحمى

عُرَيبَ الحِمى عَهدي نَزيلُكُم يُحمى

فَما بالُ قَلبي قَد أُبيحَ لَكُم ظَلما

فَما بالُ قَلبي قَد أُبيحَ لَكُم ظَلما

O little Arab tribe of the sanctuary, I knew your guest was protected.

The ailment of love - my covenant with you is a sojourn,

Why, then, has my heart been unjustly made yours to plunder?

So why has my heart been unjustly laid bare for you?

تَعَلَّمتُم نَهبَ القُلوبِ فَدَيتُكُم

تَعَلَّمتُم نَهبَ القُلوبِ فَدَيتُكُم

وَقَد كانَتِ الغاراتُ عِندَكُم إثما

وَقَد كانَتِ الغاراتُ عِندَكُم إثما

You have learned to plunder hearts—may I be your ransom—

You have learned to plunder hearts, so I sacrifice myself for you,

though raids were once a sin among you.

Though pillage was a sin to you before.

عَزالُكُم ذاكَ الأَغَنّ دعاكُم

عَزالُكُم ذاكَ الأَغَنّ دعاكُم

إِلى قتلَتي لَمّا رَمى طَرفهُ سَهما

إِلى قتلَتي لَمّا رَمى طَرفهُ سَهما

That sweetly nasal-voiced gazelle of yours summoned you

That languid one called you -

to slay me, when his glance shot an arrow.

To slay me when an arrow was shot from his eyelash.

عَجِبتُ لَهُ وَالقَتلُ فينا بِطَرفِهِ

عَجِبتُ لَهُ وَالقَتلُ فينا بِطَرفِهِ

سِوى خَدِّهِ ذاكَ المُضَرَّجِ لا يَدمى

سِوى خَدِّهِ ذاكَ المُضَرَّجِ لا يَدمى

I marveled at him: his glance slays us,

I marveled that killing us comes from his eyelash,

yet, save for that crimson-stained cheek of his, he does not bleed.

Other than his cheek - that bloodied one is undamaged.

أَرى الدَمعَ أَدمى ناظِري بِمَسلِهِ

أَرى الدَمعَ أَدمى ناظِري بِمَسلِهِ

فَلا عَجَبٌ مِنّي عَلى الرَشا الأَدَمى

فَلا عَجَبٌ مِنّي عَلى الرَشا الأَدَمى

I see tears have bloodied my eye along their course,

I see the tear has bloodied my eye with its point,

so I need not marvel at the tawny fawn.

So it's no wonder I'm covered in blood from head to toe.

ضَمِنتُ لَهُ أَنَّ الأَنامَ صَبابَةً

ضَمِنتُ لَهُ أَنَّ الأَنامَ صَبابَةً

عَلَيهِ إِذا رَيحانُ عارِضِهِ نَما

عَلَيهِ إِذا رَيحانُ عارِضِهِ نَما

I assured him that all humankind would yearn

I guaranteed him all people would be enthralled,

for him, once the basil on his cheek grew.

If the breeze stirred the down on his cheek.

بِنَفسي رَشاً مُذ قيسَ بِالبَدرِ وجهُهُ

بِنَفسي رَشاً مُذ قيسَ بِالبَدرِ وجهُهُ

وَصَلتُ سُهادي مِن تَجَنُّبِهِ النَجما

وَصَلتُ سُهادي مِن تَجَنُّبِهِ النَجما

My soul for a fawn! Since his face was compared to the full moon,

Since Qays likened his face to the full moon,

I have joined my sleepless vigil to the stars because he shuns me.

I've been pierced with passion, avoiding his brilliant stars.

وَلَم أَنسَ إِذ فاتَحتهُ في وِصالِهِ

وَلَم أَنسَ إِذ فاتَحتهُ في وِصالِهِ

لَعَلِّيَ أَن أَحظى بِهِ لَيلَةً ضَمّا

لَعَلِّيَ أَن أَحظى بِهِ لَيلَةً ضَمّا

Nor have I forgotten when I broached union with him,

When I drew near him, hoping to embrace him one night,

hoping I might enjoy one night embracing him.

I didn't forget to say, "What more do you want, after my soul?"

وَقُلتُ لَهُ ماذا تُريدُ تَلافَهُ

وَقُلتُ لَهُ ماذا تُريدُ تَلافَهُ

حَبيبي بَعدَ الروحِ قالَ لي الجسما

حَبيبي بَعدَ الروحِ قالَ لي الجسما

And I said to him, "What do you wish to destroy,

He said, "My body." I thought if you'd seen my humiliation and honor,

my beloved, after the soul?" He said to me, "The body."

My friend, you would not oppress me unjustly.

أَظُنُّكَ لَو شاهَدتَ ذُلّي وَعِزَّهُ

أَظُنُّكَ لَو شاهَدتَ ذُلّي وَعِزَّهُ

عَذولِيَ ما أَصبَحتَ تَعذلُني ظُلما

عَذولِيَ ما أَصبَحتَ تَعذلُني ظُلما

I think that, had you seen my abasement and his glory,

How strange - it quenches thirst with its downpour,

O my reproacher, you would not be blaming me unjustly.

While my heart toward it is parched.

فَوا عَجَبا يَروي العِطاشَ بِفَيضِهِ

فَوا عَجَبا يَروي العِطاشَ بِفَيضِهِ

وَقَلبي إِلَيهِ وَهوَ صاحِبُهُ يَظما

وَقَلبي إِلَيهِ وَهوَ صاحِبُهُ يَظما

How strange, then! He quenches the thirsty with his overflowing bounty,

yet my heart thirsts for him, although he is its owner.