خَلِيلىَّ إنّى اليَومَ شاكٍ إِليكما

خَلِيلىَّ إنّى اليَومَ شاكٍ إِليكما

وَهَل تَنفَعُ الشَّكوَى إِلى مَن يَزِيدُهَا

وَهَل تَنفَعُ الشَّكوَى إِلى مَن يَزِيدُهَا

My two friends, today I complain to you—

My friends, today I complain to you,

and does complaining to one who increases it help?—

Though does complaining help those who increase it?

تَفَرُّقَ أُلافٍ وَجَولاَنَ عَبرَةٍ

تَفَرُّقَ أُلافٍ وَجَولاَنَ عَبرَةٍ

أَظَلُّ بأَطرَافِ البَنانِ أَذُودُهَا

أَظَلُّ بأَطرَافِ البَنانِ أَذُودُهَا

of dear companions parting, and the coursing of a tear

Thousands have parted and tears flowed,

that I keep fending off with my fingertips.

I remain on the edges of the valleys, warding them off.

وَكائِن تَرى مِن ذِى هوىً حِيلَ دُونَهُ

وَكائِن تَرى مِن ذِى هوىً حِيلَ دُونَهُ

وَمُتبِعِ إِلفٍ نَظرَةً لاَ يُعيدُهَا

وَمُتبِعِ إِلفٍ نَظرَةً لاَ يُعيدُهَا

And how many a lover you see, kept from his love,

You see the state of the lovestruck, obstacles in his way,

and one who sends a glance after a beloved, never to repeat it.

And the follower of intimacy, no glance to be returned.

نَظَرتُ بمُفضَى سَيلِ تُربانَ نَظرَةً

نَظَرتُ بمُفضَى سَيلِ تُربانَ نَظرَةً

هَلِ اللهُ لي قَبلَ المَماتِ مُعيدُهَا

هَلِ اللهُ لي قَبلَ المَماتِ مُعيدُهَا

At the outlet of Turbān’s torrent I cast a glance—

I glanced with the outpouring of the valley’s torrents -

will God grant it to me again before death?—

Will God return it before death?

إِلَى رُجَّحِ الاَكفالِ غِيدٍ كَأنَّهَا

إِلَى رُجَّحِ الاَكفالِ غِيدٍ كَأنَّهَا

ظِباءُ الفَلا أَعناقُهَا وَخُدُودُهَا

ظِباءُ الفَلا أَعناقُهَا وَخُدُودُهَا

at graceful, full-hipped women, as though

To the rocking of the litters, bleating as if

their necks and cheeks were those of desert gazelles.

They were does with necks and cheeks.

ومُعتَصبٍ بالبَينِ حتّى تَدُلَّهُ

ومُعتَصبٍ بالبَينِ حتّى تَدُلَّهُ

اَزِمَّةُ أَشطانِ الهوَى وقُيودُها

اَزِمَّةُ أَشطانِ الهوَى وقُيودُها

And one bound up in separation, until he is led

And one bound by separation, until it makes him

by the reins of love’s long ropes and their fetters.

Bow under the shackles of passionate love and its bonds.

خَلِيلَىَّ شُدّا بالعَصائبِ وَانظُرَا

خَلِيلَىَّ شُدّا بالعَصائبِ وَانظُرَا

إِلى كَبِدى هَل بُتَّ صَدعاً عُهودُها

إِلى كَبِدى هَل بُتَّ صَدعاً عُهودُها

My two friends, bind me with bandages, and look

My friends, fasten the headbands and look

at my liver: have its bonds been split asunder?

At my liver - has its pact been split with cracks?

هَلِ اللهُ عافٍ عَن ذُنوبٍ تَسَلَّفت

هَلِ اللهُ عافٍ عَن ذُنوبٍ تَسَلَّفت

اأَمِ اللهُ إن لم يَعُف عَنهَا يُعِيدُها

اأَمِ اللهُ إن لم يَعُف عَنهَا يُعِيدُها

Will God pardon sins that have gone before,

Does God forgive the sins I accumulated

or will God, if He does not pardon them, bring them back?

Or if He doesn’t forgive them, will He repeat them?

وهل يُؤثِمَنّى اللهُ إِن قُلتُ لَيتَنى

وهل يُؤثِمَنّى اللهُ إِن قُلتُ لَيتَنى

لِعَصماءَ بالِى حُلَّةٍ أَو جَديدُهَا

لِعَصماءَ بالِى حُلَّةٍ أَو جَديدُهَا

And would God deem me sinful if I said, “Would that I were

Will God blame me if I say, I wish

a worn robe of ʿAṣmāʾ’s, or a new one”?

I had a chaste one in new robes for my seeing?

وكُنّا إِذا تَدنو بِعصَماءَ نِيَّةٌ

وكُنّا إِذا تَدنو بِعصَماءَ نِيَّةٌ

رَضِينا بدُنيَانا فلا نَستزِيدُها

رَضِينا بدُنيَانا فلا نَستزِيدُها

And we, whenever ʿAṣmāʾ’s destination brought her near,

Whenever a chaste one drew near in intention

were content with our world and asked no more of it.

We were content in our faith, not seeking more.

وَما مُغزِلٌ أَدماءُ خَفّاقَةُ الحَشا

وَما مُغزِلٌ أَدماءُ خَفّاقَةُ الحَشا

طويلٌ أَعالِى ذِى سُدَيرٍ مَرُودُها

طويلٌ أَعالِى ذِى سُدَيرٍ مَرُودُها

And no pale doe with a fawn, her heart aflutter,

No spindle whirling blood the slapping millstones

whose range stretches far through the heights of Dhū Sudayr,

Is as long as the outstretched hand of one weaving its woof.

رَماها رُماةُ النّاسِ حتّى تَمَنَّعت

رَماها رُماةُ النّاسِ حتّى تَمَنَّعت

عَلَى كلِّ رامٍ مِنهُمُ لا يَصِيدُهَا

عَلَى كلِّ رامٍ مِنهُمُ لا يَصِيدُهَا

at whom men’s archers shot until she was beyond reach

Archers shot her until she was inaccessible

of every archer among them, none able to catch her,

To every archer, none able to hunt her down.

بِأحسنً مِنهَا يَومَ جالَ وِشاحُها

بِأحسنً مِنهَا يَومَ جالَ وِشاحُها

واَحسنَ منها يَومَ جالت عُقودُها

واَحسنَ منها يَومَ جالت عُقودُها

is lovelier than she on the day her sash swayed,

Better than her the day her scarf waved

nor lovelier than she on the day her necklaces swayed.

And better than her the day her braids swayed.

مِن البِيضِ لاَ تَخزَى غِذا الرِّيحُ أَلزَقَت

مِن البِيضِ لاَ تَخزَى غِذا الرِّيحُ أَلزَقَت

بها مِرطَها أَو زايلَ الحَلىَ جِيدُها

بها مِرطَها أَو زايلَ الحَلىَ جِيدُها

One of the fair-skinned women, not put to shame when the wind presses

Of white, unsullied if the wind stuck

her mantle against her, or her neck is bare of jewels.

Her veil to her or ornaments slipped from her neck.