قولا لبَكْرِ بنِ دَهْمَرْدٍ إذا اعْتَكَرَتْ

قولا لبَكْرِ بنِ دَهْمَرْدٍ إذا اعْتَكَرَتْ

عَساكرُ اللّيلِ بينَ الطّاسِ والجامِ

عَساكرُ اللّيلِ بينَ الطّاسِ والجامِ

Say, you two, to Bakr son of Dahmard, when there gather

Say to Bakr son of Dahmard when the armies of night

The armies of night between the bowl and the goblet:

Are gathered between al-Tas and al-Jam,

أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لكَ إِنَّ البَغْيَ مَهْلَكَةٌ

أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لكَ إِنَّ البَغْيَ مَهْلَكَةٌ

والبَغْيُ والعُجْبُ إفسادٌ لأقوامِ

والبَغْيُ والعُجْبُ إفسادٌ لأقوامِ

Did I not tell you that transgression brings ruin,

"Did I not tell you that transgression is ruinous

And that transgression and conceit corrupt peoples?

And transgression and pride corrupt men?

قد كنتَ تَفْرَقُ مِنْ سَهْمٍ بغانيةٍ

قد كنتَ تَفْرَقُ مِنْ سَهْمٍ بغانيةٍ

فصرتَ غيرَ رَميمٍ رُقْعَةَ الرَّامي

فصرتَ غيرَ رَميمٍ رُقْعَةَ الرَّامي

You once feared an arrow from a beautiful woman,

You once fled from a few stray arrows

Yet you became, not yet decayed, the archer's target.

Yet now you are patchwork pierced by every archer;

وكنتَ تَفْزَعُ مِنْ لَمْسٍ ومِنْ قُبَلٍ

وكنتَ تَفْزَعُ مِنْ لَمْسٍ ومِنْ قُبَلٍ

فقد ذَلَلْتَ لإِسْراجٍ وإِلْجامِ

فقد ذَلَلْتَ لإِسْراجٍ وإِلْجامِ

And you used to fear a touch and kisses,

You once shied from a mere touch or kiss

But now you have yielded to saddling and bridling.

Yet now are tamed by bridle and halter."

إنْ تَدْمَ فَخْذاكَ مِنْ رَكْضٍ فَرُبّمَتَأ

إنْ تَدْمَ فَخْذاكَ مِنْ رَكْضٍ فَرُبّمَتَأ

أُمْسي وقَلْبي عليكَ الموجَعُ الدَّامي

أُمْسي وقَلْبي عليكَ الموجَعُ الدَّامي

If your thighs bleed from galloping, then perhaps

If your thighs are ripped by the ride, though you come

I will spend the evening, my heart aching and bleeding for you.

At eve, my agonized heart still bleeds for you.