يفَنِّدُنِي في العَامِرِيَّةِ لُوَّمِي

يفَنِّدُنِي في العَامِرِيَّةِ لُوَّمِي

وَلَيْسَ هَوَاها بالحَديثِ المُرَجَّمِ

وَلَيْسَ هَوَاها بالحَديثِ المُرَجَّمِ

My reproachers accuse me of folly over the ʿĀmirī woman,

In Al-Amariyya, my critics denounce me,

yet love for her is no conjectural tale.

Though her love is no novel tale translated.

يُرِيدُونَ بِي عَن شِرْعَةِ الحُبِّ رِدّةً

يُرِيدُونَ بِي عَن شِرْعَةِ الحُبِّ رِدّةً

ومِنْ دُونِهَا إخْلاصُ قلْبٍ مُصَمِّمِ

ومِنْ دُونِهَا إخْلاصُ قلْبٍ مُصَمِّمِ

They seek my apostasy from the law of love,

They want me to renounce love's creed,

yet a steadfast heart's devotion stands in its way.

Yet without it my heart is staunchly dedicated.

ولِي عِنْدَ لُبْنَى لَوْ تَسَنَّى لُبَانَةٌ

ولِي عِنْدَ لُبْنَى لَوْ تَسَنَّى لُبَانَةٌ

أزَجِّي إلَى مَاذِيِّهَا كُلَّ عَلْقَمِ

أزَجِّي إلَى مَاذِيِّهَا كُلَّ عَلْقَمِ

And with Lubna I have a wish, if only it were attainable;

With Lubna, had we shared sweetness,

I press through every bitterness toward her pure honey.

I'd reveal to her refuge every secret.

إِذا رُمْتُ لُقْياها عَدَانِي مُرَاقِبٌ

إِذا رُمْتُ لُقْياها عَدَانِي مُرَاقِبٌ

فَأَقْنَعُ مِنْهَا بالخَيَالِ المُسَلِّمِ

فَأَقْنَعُ مِنْهَا بالخَيَالِ المُسَلِّمِ

Whenever I seek to meet her, a watcher keeps me away,

When I try to meet her, a watcher thwarts me,

so I settle for her dream-image, which greets me.

So I'm content with a submissive apparition.

أَطُوفُ بِهَا شَوْقاً وأُمْسِكُ عِفَّةً

أَطُوفُ بِهَا شَوْقاً وأُمْسِكُ عِفَّةً

فَأَحْسَبُنِي بَيْنَ المَقامِ وَزمْزِمِ

فَأَحْسَبُنِي بَيْنَ المَقامِ وَزمْزِمِ

I circle her in longing and hold back in chastity,

For her, longing, for me, restraint,

so I fancy myself between the Maqam and Zamzam.

I'm midway between pause and wellspring.

قَضَى رَبُّهَا رَعْيَ الكَواكِبِ إنَّنِي

قَضَى رَبُّهَا رَعْيَ الكَواكِبِ إنَّنِي

مَتَى سِمْتُ كانَت لِي قَضايَا مُنَجِّمِ

مَتَى سِمْتُ كانَت لِي قَضايَا مُنَجِّمِ

Her lord decreed that I watch the stars; indeed,

Her Lord's decree is tending stars,

whenever I seek her, I have an astrologer's judgments.

Whenever I name her, decrees unfold for me.

مِنَ العَرَبِيَّاتِ الرَّعابِيبِ تَنْتَمِي

مِنَ العَرَبِيَّاتِ الرَّعابِيبِ تَنْتَمِي

لأشْرَفِ بَيْتٍ في هِلالٍ وَأكْرَمِ

لأشْرَفِ بَيْتٍ في هِلالٍ وَأكْرَمِ

One of the tender Arab beauties, she traces her descent

Of pure Arabian steeds she descends,

to the noblest and most generous house in Hilal.

From the noblest lineage of crescent and perfection.

مُحَجَّبَةٌ مِن دونِهَا ذُبُلُ القَنَا

مُحَجَّبَةٌ مِن دونِهَا ذُبُلُ القَنَا

تَأَطَّر مِنْهَا فَوْقَ غُصْنٍ مُنَعَّمِ

تَأَطَّر مِنْهَا فَوْقَ غُصْنٍ مُنَعَّمِ

She is veiled, with slender spears barring the way to her,

Veiled, beyond her, the branches wither,

arching above her tender bough.

Framed above a soft, flourishing bough.

لَئِنْ ضُمِّخَتْ دِيباجَتَاها بِمِسْكَةٍ

لَئِنْ ضُمِّخَتْ دِيباجَتَاها بِمِسْكَةٍ

لقَد ضُرِّجَت كافورَتاها بِعَنْدَمِ

لقَد ضُرِّجَت كافورَتاها بِعَنْدَمِ

If her two silken cheeks have been anointed with musk,

If her brocade is scented with musk,

her two camphor-white cheeks have surely been stained with crimson dye.

Her camphor is dyed with sweet roots.

كَتَمْتُ الهَوَى عَنْها فَمِنْ مُتَشَابِهٍ

كَتَمْتُ الهَوَى عَنْها فَمِنْ مُتَشَابِهٍ

تَفَهَّمْتُهُ عِنْدَ الوَدَاعِ ومُحْكَمِ

تَفَهَّمْتُهُ عِنْدَ الوَدَاعِ ومُحْكَمِ

I concealed my love from her; yet through ambiguous signs

I hid my love from her, so in parting

I discerned it at farewell, and through clear ones.

I understood the ambiguous and explicit.

أَقَمْتُ وسَارَتْ غَيْرَ قَلْبٍ مُشَيِّعٍ

أَقَمْتُ وسَارَتْ غَيْرَ قَلْبٍ مُشَيِّعٍ

رَكائِبهَا بَيْنَ الخِيامِ مخَيِّمِ

رَكائِبهَا بَيْنَ الخِيامِ مخَيِّمِ

I stayed, and she departed—save my heart, escorting

I stayed and her caravan left without a heart to bid farewell,

her mounts, camping among the tents.

Its howdahs between tents camped.

تُنَازِعُهَا فيها الجَوَانِح ضِلَّةً

تُنَازِعُهَا فيها الجَوَانِح ضِلَّةً

ومَنْ يَخْصِمِ البِيضَ الكَواعِب يُخْصَمِ

ومَنْ يَخْصِمِ البِيضَ الكَواعِب يُخْصَمِ

There my ribs contend with her in folly;

The wild birds vie for her there,

and whoever disputes with fair, budding-breasted maidens is defeated.

Who contends with the white antelope is contended.

وَعَيْنُ الحِجَى ألا يُقامَ بِحُجَّةٍ

وَعَيْنُ الحِجَى ألا يُقامَ بِحُجَّةٍ

لَدَى حَكَمٍ مِنْ حُسْنِهَا مُتَحَكِّمِ

لَدَى حَكَمٍ مِنْ حُسْنِهَا مُتَحَكِّمِ

And the essence of wisdom is that no argument be raised

By her beauty's judgment no argument can stand,

before a judge who rules by virtue of her beauty.

Before an arbiter perfectly enthralled.

تُحَلِّلُ للأَحْدَاقِ قَتْلَ بَنِي الهَوَى

تُحَلِّلُ للأَحْدَاقِ قَتْلَ بَنِي الهَوَى

كَأنَّ دَمَ العُشَّاقِ غَيْرُ مُحَرَّمِ

كَأنَّ دَمَ العُشَّاقِ غَيْرُ مُحَرَّمِ

She declares it lawful for her eyes to slay the sons of love,

For the enamored, she makes lawful the slaying

as though lovers' blood were not inviolable.

As though lovers' blood were not forbidden.

ومَاذَا عَلَيْهَا لَوْ تَلافَتْ حُشَاشَتِي

ومَاذَا عَلَيْهَا لَوْ تَلافَتْ حُشَاشَتِي

وعَاجَتْ على هَيْمَانَ غَيْرِ مُهَوِّمِ

وعَاجَتْ على هَيْمَانَ غَيْرِ مُهَوِّمِ

And what would it cost her to save my last spark of life

What's it to her if my longing took notice

and turn aside to a sleepless, lovesick man?

And she turned to gaiety, free of worry?

وفي لَثْمِ مَا لاثَتْ عَلَيْهِ لِثَامَهَا

وفي لَثْمِ مَا لاثَتْ عَلَيْهِ لِثَامَهَا

شِفَاءٌ لِتَبْريجِ الفُؤَادِ المُتَيَّمِ

شِفَاءٌ لِتَبْريجِ الفُؤَادِ المُتَيَّمِ

And in kissing what she has wrapped her veil over

In the kiss of her veiled lips is a cure,

lies a cure for the anguish of the love-enslaved heart.

For the heart broken and distressed.

ولَكِنَّهُ يُحْمَى بِسَاجٍ ونَاهِدٍ

ولَكِنَّهُ يُحْمَى بِسَاجٍ ونَاهِدٍ

كَأمْضَى غِرارٍ أوْ كأَنْفَذ لَهْذَمِ

كَأمْضَى غِرارٍ أوْ كأَنْفَذ لَهْذَمِ

But it is guarded by a languid eye and a budding breast,

But it's protected by an invincible guard,

like the sharpest sword-edge or the most piercing spear.

Like the keenest blade or strongest fortress.