شَهِدتُ بِأَنّي لَم تَغَيَّر مَوَدَّتي

شَهِدتُ بِأَنّي لَم تَغَيَّر مَوَدَّتي

وَإِنّي بِكُم حَتّى المَماتِ ضَنينُ

وَإِنّي بِكُم حَتّى المَماتِ ضَنينُ

I testify that my affection has not changed,

I bear witness that my affection has not changed

And I am jealously attached to you until death.

And indeed I cherish you until death

وَأَنَّ فُؤادي لا يَلينُ إِلى هَوى

وَأَنَّ فُؤادي لا يَلينُ إِلى هَوى

سِواكِ وَإِن قالوا بَلى سَيَلينُ

سِواكِ وَإِن قالوا بَلى سَيَلينُ

And that my heart will not yield to love

And my heart does not bend to any passion

For anyone but you, though they said, "Yes, it will yield."

Other than you, though they say it will bend

فَقَد لانَ أَيّامَ الصِبا ثُمَّ لَم يَكَد

فَقَد لانَ أَيّامَ الصِبا ثُمَّ لَم يَكَد

مِنَ الدَهرِ شَيءٌ بَعدَهُنَّ يَلينُ

مِنَ الدَهرِ شَيءٌ بَعدَهُنَّ يَلينُ

For it yielded in the days of youth; then scarcely could

The days of youth did pass, then nothing

Anything in all time thereafter make it yield.

Of time thereafter did bend

وَلَمّا عَلَونَ اللابَتَينِ تَشَوَّفَت

وَلَمّا عَلَونَ اللابَتَينِ تَشَوَّفَت

قُلوبٌ إِلى وادي القُرى وَعُيونُ

قُلوبٌ إِلى وادي القُرى وَعُيونُ

And when they climbed the two lava fields, longing turned

And when the two encampments climbed up

Hearts and eyes toward Wadi al-Qura.

Hearts yearned for the valley of villages and springs

كَأَنَّ دُموعَ العَينِ يَومَ تَحَمَّلَت

كَأَنَّ دُموعَ العَينِ يَومَ تَحَمَّلَت

بُثَينَةُ يَسقيها الرِشاشَ مَعينُ

بُثَينَةُ يَسقيها الرِشاشَ مَعينُ

As though the eye's tears, on the day of the departure

As if the tears of the eye when Buthaina bid farewell

Of Buthayna, were fed with spray by a flowing spring.

Were watered by the sprinkling rain, a fount

ظَعائِنُ ما في قُربِهُنَّ لِذي هَوىً

ظَعائِنُ ما في قُربِهُنَّ لِذي هَوىً

مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا شِقوَةٌ وَفُنونُ

مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا شِقوَةٌ وَفُنونُ

Women in litters—near them there is nothing for a lover

The gazelles - what is there in their nearness

Among people but misery and troubles of every kind.

For the passionate among people except misery and sorrows

وَواكَلنَهُ وَالهَمَّ ثُمَّ تَرَكنَهُ

وَواكَلنَهُ وَالهَمَّ ثُمَّ تَرَكنَهُ

وَفي القَلبِ مِن وَجدٍ بِهِنَّ حَنينُ

وَفي القَلبِ مِن وَجدٍ بِهِنَّ حَنينُ

And they left him alone with sorrow, then forsook him,

They entrusted him and preoccupied his thoughts then left him

And in the heart, from passion for them, there was yearning.

With anguish for them still lingering in his heart

وَرُحنَ وَقَد أَودَعنَ قَلبي أَمانَةً

وَرُحنَ وَقَد أَودَعنَ قَلبي أَمانَةً

لِبَثنَةَ سِرٌّ في الفُؤادِ كَمينُ

لِبَثنَةَ سِرٌّ في الفُؤادِ كَمينُ

And they departed, having lodged a trust within my heart:

They went away having deposited in my heart a secret

Bathna's—a secret hidden within the heart.

For Buthaina, a mystery in my heart lying hidden

كَسِرِّ النَدى لَم يَعلَمِ الناسُ أَنَّهُ

كَسِرِّ النَدى لَم يَعلَمِ الناسُ أَنَّهُ

ثَوى في قَرارِ الأَرضِ وَهُوَ دَفينُ

ثَوى في قَرارِ الأَرضِ وَهُوَ دَفينُ

Like the secret of moisture: people did not know that it

Like the bubbling of dew whose hidden water

Lay in the depths of the earth, buried there.

Lies sheltered in the bosom of the earth, buried

إِذا جاوَزَ الإِثنَينِ سِرٌّ فَإِنَّهُ

إِذا جاوَزَ الإِثنَينِ سِرٌّ فَإِنَّهُ

بِنَثٍّ وَإِفشاءِ الحَديثِ قَمينُ

بِنَثٍّ وَإِفشاءِ الحَديثِ قَمينُ

If a secret passes beyond two people, then it

When a secret passes between two, it then

Is liable to being spread and having its story divulged.

Scatters with gossip and tale telling

تُشَيِّبُ رَوعاتُ الفِراقِ مَفارِقي

تُشَيِّبُ رَوعاتُ الفِراقِ مَفارِقي

وَأَنشَزنَ نَفسي فَوقَ حَيثُ تَكونُ

وَأَنشَزنَ نَفسي فَوقَ حَيثُ تَكونُ

The terrors of parting turn the partings of my hair gray,

The terrors of parting make my companion age

And they have lifted my soul above where it dwells.

And emaciate me above wherever she may be

فَواحَسرَتا إِن حيلَ بَيني وَبَينَها

فَواحَسرَتا إِن حيلَ بَيني وَبَينَها

وَيا حَينَ نَفسي كَيفَ فيكِ تَحينُ

وَيا حَينَ نَفسي كَيفَ فيكِ تَحينُ

So, alas for me, if a barrier divides me from her!

Alas, if she is kept from me, and alas my soul, how you will yearn

And oh, my soul's doom—how it perishes for you!

And I cover up while not drowsy

وَإِنّي لَأَستَغشي وَما بِيَ نَعسَةٌ

وَإِنّي لَأَستَغشي وَما بِيَ نَعسَةٌ

لَعَلَّ لِقاءً في المَنامِ يَكونُ

لَعَلَّ لِقاءً في المَنامِ يَكونُ

And I do cover myself, though I feel no drowsiness,

Perhaps we will meet in a dream

In hope that a meeting may happen in a dream.

And if this estrangement from you persists, then I

فَإِن دامَ هَذا الصَرمُ مِنكِ فَإِنَّني

فَإِن دامَ هَذا الصَرمُ مِنكِ فَإِنَّني

لَأَغبَرِها في الجانِبَينِ رَهينُ

لَأَغبَرِها في الجانِبَينِ رَهينُ

If this estrangement from you endures, then I

Will be her hostage on both sides, captive

Am bound to its dust-gray grave, on either side.

So people will say he died without enjoying you

لَكَيما يَقولُ الناسُ ماتَ وَلَم يَمِن

لَكَيما يَقولُ الناسُ ماتَ وَلَم يَمِن

عَلَيكِ وَلَم تَنبَتَّ مِنكِ قُرونُ

عَلَيكِ وَلَم تَنبَتَّ مِنكِ قُرونُ

So that people may say, "He died and did not lie

And horns did not sprout from you

To you, nor were any ties with you severed."

They say what did you in, while wealth was abundant

يَقولونَ ما أَبلاكَ وَالمالُ عامِرٌ

يَقولونَ ما أَبلاكَ وَالمالُ عامِرٌ

عَلَيكَ وَضاحي الجِلدِ مِنكَ كَنينُ

عَلَيكَ وَضاحي الجِلدِ مِنكَ كَنينُ

They say, "What has worn you down, while wealth abounds

For you, and the slopes of smooth skin were yours

Around you, and your skin's exposed surface is sheltered?"

So I said to them, "Do not blame me, but look

فَقُلتُ لَهُم لا تَعذِلونِيَ وَاِنظُروا

فَقُلتُ لَهُم لا تَعذِلونِيَ وَاِنظُروا

إِلى النازِعِ المَقصورِ كَيفَ يَكونُ

إِلى النازِعِ المَقصورِ كَيفَ يَكونُ

So I said to them, "Do not reproach me; look

At the pulsing temple, see how it pulses"

At the homesick captive—see how he fares."