وَلَمّا دَنا رَأسُ الَّتي كُنتُ خائِفاً

وَلَمّا دَنا رَأسُ الَّتي كُنتُ خائِفاً

وَكُنتُ أَرى فيها لِقاءَ لِزامِ

وَكُنتُ أَرى فيها لِقاءَ لِزامِ

And when the onset of what I feared drew near,

When the head of she whom I feared drew near,

and I saw in it an encounter with the inevitable,

And I saw in it obligatory meeting,

حَلَفتُ عَلى نَفسي لِأَجتَهِدَنَّها

حَلَفتُ عَلى نَفسي لِأَجتَهِدَنَّها

عَلى حالِها مِن صِحَّةٍ وَسَقامِ

عَلى حالِها مِن صِحَّةٍ وَسَقامِ

I swore to exert myself to the utmost,

I swore to myself that I would strive with it,

whatever my state, in health and sickness.

In its state of health and illness.

أَلا طالَ ما قَد بِتُّ يوضِعُ ناقَتي

أَلا طالَ ما قَد بِتُّ يوضِعُ ناقَتي

أَبو الجِنِّ إِبليسٌ بِغَيرِ خِطامِ

أَبو الجِنِّ إِبليسٌ بِغَيرِ خِطامِ

Ah, many a night have I spent with my she-camel driven at speed

Alas! How long has my camel knelt down unrestrained,

by Iblis, father of the jinn, without a halter.

With Satan its master without bit or bridle,

يَظَلُّ يُمَنّيني عَلى الرَحلِ وارِكاً

يَظَلُّ يُمَنّيني عَلى الرَحلِ وارِكاً

يَكونُ وَرائي مَرَّةً وَأَمامي

يَكونُ وَرائي مَرَّةً وَأَمامي

He keeps feeding me hopes, reclining on the saddle,

Shading me as I mount the litter,

now behind me, now before me.

Sometimes behind and sometimes before me,

يُبَشِّرُني أَن لَن أَموتَ وَأَنَّهُ

يُبَشِّرُني أَن لَن أَموتَ وَأَنَّهُ

سَيُخلِدُني في جَنَّةٍ وَسَلامِ

سَيُخلِدُني في جَنَّةٍ وَسَلامِ

He gives me glad tidings that I will never die, and that he

Giving me good news that I shall not die

will make me immortal in a garden and in peace.

And that he will make me live forever in paradise and peace!

فَقُلتُ لَهُ هَلّا أُخَيَّكَ أَخرَجَت

فَقُلتُ لَهُ هَلّا أُخَيَّكَ أَخرَجَت

يَمينُكَ مِن خُضرِ البُحورِ طَوامِ

يَمينُكَ مِن خُضرِ البُحورِ طَوامِ

So I said to him, “Why was your little brother not brought out

So I said to him, “Why did you not bring out

by your right hand from the green waters of the surging seas?

Your brother with your right hand from the green sea,

رَمَيتَ بِهِ في اليَمِّ لَمّا رَأَيتَهُ

رَمَيتَ بِهِ في اليَمِّ لَمّا رَأَيتَهُ

كَفِرقَةِ طَودَي يَذبُلٍ وَشَمامِ

كَفِرقَةِ طَودَي يَذبُلٍ وَشَمامِ

You cast him into the sea when you saw it

When you saw him, and hurl him into the sea

like the cleft between the two mountains, Yadhbul and Shamam.

Like a withered branch of chamomile and wild oregano?

فَلَمّا تَلاقى فَوقَهُ المَوجَ طامِياً

فَلَمّا تَلاقى فَوقَهُ المَوجَ طامِياً

نَكَصتَ وَلَم تَحتَل لَهُ بِمَرامِ

نَكَصتَ وَلَم تَحتَل لَهُ بِمَرامِ

But when the surging waves met above him,

When the waves towered over him,

you drew back and devised no way to help him.

You turned back and did not remain with him steadfastly.

أَلَم تَأتِ أَهلَ الحِجرِ وَالحِجرُ أَهلُهُ

أَلَم تَأتِ أَهلَ الحِجرِ وَالحِجرُ أَهلُهُ

بِأَنعَمِ عَيشٍ في بُيوتِ رُخامِ

بِأَنعَمِ عَيشٍ في بُيوتِ رُخامِ

Did you not come to the people of al-Hijr, while al-Hijr's people

Did you not come to the people of the cave while the cave was their home,

lived in greatest ease in houses of marble?

With the finest life in mansions of marble,

فَقُلتَ اِعقِروا هَذي اللَقوحَ فَإِنَّها

فَقُلتَ اِعقِروا هَذي اللَقوحَ فَإِنَّها

لَكُم أَو تُنيخوها لَقوحُ غَرامِ

لَكُم أَو تُنيخوها لَقوحُ غَرامِ

So you said, ‘Hamstring this milk-giving she-camel, for she

And say, ‘Lame this she-camel, for it

is a milk-giving she-camel of torment for you unless you make her kneel.’

Either will be yours, or you will have a lovesick she-camel.’

فَلَمّا أَناخوها تَبَرَّأتَ مِنهُمُ

فَلَمّا أَناخوها تَبَرَّأتَ مِنهُمُ

وَكُنتَ نَكوصاً عِندَ كُلِّ ذِمامِ

وَكُنتَ نَكوصاً عِندَ كُلِّ ذِمامِ

But when they made her kneel, you disowned them,

When they lamed her you denied them

and you always shrank back from every binding pledge.

And you were a deserter at every blame.”

وَآدَمَ قَد أَخرَجتَهُ وَهوَ ساكِنٌ

وَآدَمَ قَد أَخرَجتَهُ وَهوَ ساكِنٌ

وَزَوجَتَهُ مِن خَيرِ دارِ مُقامِ

وَزَوجَتَهُ مِن خَيرِ دارِ مُقامِ

And Adam—you drove him out while he dwelt there,

And Adam, whom you brought out while he was dwelling

and his wife, from the finest dwelling-place.

And paired with his wife from the best abode,

وَأَقسَمتَ يا إِبليسُ أَنَّكَ ناصِحٌ

وَأَقسَمتَ يا إِبليسُ أَنَّكَ ناصِحٌ

لَهُ وَلَها إِقسامَ غَيرِ إِثامِ

لَهُ وَلَها إِقسامَ غَيرِ إِثامِ

And you swore, O Iblis, that you were a sincere adviser

You swore, O Satan, that you were a sincere adviser

to him and to her, with the oath of one without sin.

To both him and her with oaths without sin.

فَظَلّا يَخيطانِ الوِراقَ عَلَيهِما

فَظَلّا يَخيطانِ الوِراقَ عَلَيهِما

بَأَيديهِما مِن أَكلِ شَرِّ طَعامِ

بَأَيديهِما مِن أَكلِ شَرِّ طَعامِ

So the two kept stitching leaves upon themselves

So they both continued stitching leaves over themselves

with their own hands, because they had eaten the worst food.

With their hands, from eating evil food.

فَكَم مِن قُرونٍ قَد أَطاعوكَ أَصبَحوا

فَكَم مِن قُرونٍ قَد أَطاعوكَ أَصبَحوا

أَحاديثَ كانوا في ظِلالِ غَمامِ

أَحاديثَ كانوا في ظِلالِ غَمامِ

And how many generations that obeyed you have become

How many generations obeyed you and in the morning

tales, though once they lived in the shade of clouds!

Became tales? They were in the shadows of clouds.

وَما أَنتَ يا إِبليسُ بِالمَرءِ أَبتَغي

وَما أَنتَ يا إِبليسُ بِالمَرءِ أَبتَغي

رِضاهُ وَلا يَقتادُني بِزِمامِ

رِضاهُ وَلا يَقتادُني بِزِمامِ

And you, O Iblis, are not a man from whom I seek

You, O Satan, are not one I seek to please,

approval, nor one who leads me by a rein.”

Nor will you lead me with a halter.