1. Have you reverted to your religion, or has oblivion forsaken you?
Or nothing seems right to you, neither sober nor settled?
١. راجَعتَ دينَكَ أَم عَنَّت لَكَ الذُكَرُ
أَم ما بَدا لَكَ لا تَصحو وَلا تَقِرُ
2. It is the cure - my soul clings to its ropes,
Since it has no permanence or journey to undertake.
٢. هِيَ الشِفا عَلِقَت نَفسي حَبائِلُها
إِذ لا يُقيمُ وَلا يَبدو لَهُ سَفَرُ
3. Oh woe is me! My soul - whenever it stirs,
Misfortunes of fate rain upon it.
٣. يا وَيحَ نَفسي أَراها كُلَّما اِنبَعَثَت
أَلقى عَليها صُباباتِ الكَرى القَدَرُ
4. I am afflicted, and yearning has afflicted me, remembering him
From a house of Ghadah, so close and familiar.
٤. بَليتُ وَالشَوقُ أَبلاني تَذَكُّرُهُ
مِن غادَةٍ بَيتُها دانٍ وَمُهتَجَرُ
5. Swaying, approaching and retreating helpless,
Neither too tall, nor made short by destiny.
٥. هَيفاءُ مُقبِلَةً عَجزاءُ مُدبِرَةً
لَم تُجفَ طولاً وَلا أَزرى بِها القِصَرُ
6. Radiant as the famed full moon when it appeared;
No, but like it when the moon reached its peak.
٦. غَرّاءُ كَالقَمَرِ المَشهورِ حينَ بَدَت
لا بَل بَدا مِثلَها حينَ اِستَوى القَمَرُ
7. When I saw passion destroying his town,
My flesh and family reproached and blamed me.
٧. لَمّا رَأَيتُ الهَوى يَبري بِمُديَتِهِ
لَحمي وَحَلاَّني الزُوّارُ وَالسَمَرُ
8. I became like a perplexed pilgrim, detained,
Neither fulfilling his religious duty, nor hoping for relief.
٨. أَصبَحتُ كَالحائِمِ الحَرّانِ مُحتَبَساً
لَم يَقضِ وِرداً وَلا يُرجى لَهُ صَدَرُ
9. He seeks a cure but terrors frighten him;
Without healing, it does not come or go.
٩. يَرعى الشِفاءَ وَأَهوالاً تُرَوِّعُهُ
دونَ الشِفاءِ فَلا يَأتي وَلا يَذُرُ
10. Uqail ibn Ka’b said, when she captivated
His heart, which was impressed with love of her:
١٠. قَالَت عُقَيلُ بنُ كَعبٍ إِذ تَعَلَّقَها
قَلبي فَأَضحى بِهِ مِن حُبِّها أَثَرُ
11. How could I not pine when I did not see her bending?
For the heart sees what eyes cannot see.
١١. أَنّى وَلَم تَرَها تَصبو فَقُلتُ لَهُم
إِنَّ الفُؤادَ يَرى ما لا يَرى البَصَرُ
12. And those patient, even if they met a tenth -
Of a tenth, of a tenth of my passion - would not be patient.
١٢. وَصابِرينَ وَلَو يَلقَونَ مِن طَرَبي
مِعشارَ عُشرِ عَشيرِ العُشرِ ما صَبَروا
13. They said: “You are ignorant in remembering her.” I said:
“No! I am mad! Cease blaming and rebuking me.”
١٣. قالوا جَهَلتَ بِذِكراها فَقُلتُ لَهُم
لا بَل جُنِنتُ فَكُفّوا اللَومَ وَاِزدَجِروا
14. Why would my heart incline away from visiting her?
Does the heart of the preacher soften stone?
١٤. ما لانَ قَلبي لِناهٍ عَن زِيارَتِها
وَهَل يَلينُ لِقَلبِ الواعِظِ الحَجَرُ
15. Do not over-blame a lover besotted with a maiden -
He does not complain of sleeplessness from her, and what is sleeplessness?
١٥. لا تُكثِروا لَومَ مَشغوفٍ بِجارِيَةٍ
لا يَشتَكي سَهَراً مِنها وَما السَهَرُ
16. He does not recall fate, and no fantasy comes to him,
Except to sing of her or harm touches him.
١٦. لا يَذكُرُ الدَهرَ أَو يَسري الخَيالُ لَهُ
إِلّا تَغَنّى بِها أَو مَسَّهُ ضَرَرُ
17. A gloomy lover, when a memory of her crosses his mind,
Calls out to Obaidah until the danger passes.
١٧. صَبٌّ كَئيبٌ إِذا ما ذُكرَةٌ خَطَرَت
نادى عُبَيدَةَ حَتّى يَذهَبَ الخَطَرُ
18. Why does Obaidah not lodge a depressed man,
When the wilderness lodges him, and jinn and man?
١٨. ما بالُ عَبدَةَ لا تَأوي لِمُكتَئِبٍ
وَالوَحشُ يَأوي لَهُ وَالجِنُّ وَالبَشَرُ
19. If one makes excuses from love of a singer,
Then he has no love for her as long as he makes excuses.
١٩. مَن كانَ مُعتَذِراً مِن حُبِّ غانِيَةٍ
فَلَيسَ مِن حُبِّها ما عاشَ يَعتَذِرُ
20. Obaidah hopes one day she will be generous to him,
Even if her generosity is longed for and awaited.
٢٠. يَرجو عُبَيدَةَ يَوماً أَن تَجودَ لَهُ
وَإِن تَطاوَلَ ما يَرجو وَيَنتَظِرُ