يا أَحسَنَ الناسِ لَولا أَنَّ نائِلَها

يا أَحسَنَ الناسِ لَولا أَنَّ نائِلَها

قِدماً لِمَن يَبتَغي مَيسورَها عَسِرُ

قِدماً لِمَن يَبتَغي مَيسورَها عَسِرُ

O fairest of people, were it not that her bounty

O fairest of people, if attaining you

has long been hard for anyone seeking her ready favors.

Were not difficult for one who seeks ease,

وَإِنَّما دَلُّها سِحرٌ لِطالِبها

وَإِنَّما دَلُّها سِحرٌ لِطالِبها

وَإِنَّما قَلبُها لِلمُشتَكي حَجَرُ

وَإِنَّما قَلبُها لِلمُشتَكي حَجَرُ

Her coquettish charm is nothing but magic to her suitor,

Your magic would guide the seeker to you,

and her heart is nothing but stone to one who complains.

And your heart would be tender to the complainer.

هَل تَذكُرينَ كَما لَم أَنسَ عَهدَكُم

هَل تَذكُرينَ كَما لَم أَنسَ عَهدَكُم

وَقَد يَدومُ لِعَهدِ الخُلَّةِ الذِكَرُ

وَقَد يَدومُ لِعَهدِ الخُلَّةِ الذِكَرُ

Do you remember, as I have not forgotten your pledge?

Do you remember, as I have not forgotten the covenant between us,

And the memory of a bond of friendship may indeed endure.

Though the memory of a dear one may persist.

قولي وَرَكبُكِ قَد مالَت عَمائِمُهُم

قولي وَرَكبُكِ قَد مالَت عَمائِمُهُم

وَقَد سَقاهُم بِكَأسِ السَكرَةِ السَفَرُ

وَقَد سَقاهُم بِكَأسِ السَكرَةِ السَفَرُ

Speak, while your riders' turbans hang askew,

Say to her whose processions have departed,

and travel has made them drink from the cup of intoxication.

As the journey has made them drunk with separation:

يا لَيتَ أَنّي بِأَثوابي وَراحِلَتي

يا لَيتَ أَنّي بِأَثوابي وَراحِلَتي

عَبدٌ لِأَهلِكِ هَذا العامُ مُؤتَجَرُ

عَبدٌ لِأَهلِكِ هَذا العامُ مُؤتَجَرُ

Oh, would that I, with my clothes and my riding mount,

I wish I were, with my clothes and my mount,

were a slave hired to your household this year.

A slave this year for your family, hired.

وَقَد أَطَلتِ اِعتِلالاً دونَ حاجَتِنا

وَقَد أَطَلتِ اِعتِلالاً دونَ حاجَتِنا

بِالحَجِّ أَمسِ فَهَذا الحِلُّ وَالنَفَرُ

بِالحَجِّ أَمسِ فَهَذا الحِلُّ وَالنَفَرُ

You have long made excuses, denying us our desire,

For you have delayed, without need,

citing the pilgrimage yesterday—but now comes release and departure.

Our pilgrimage at the prescribed time.

ما بالُ وَأيُكِ إِذ عَهدي وَعَهدُكُمُ

ما بالُ وَأيُكِ إِذ عَهدي وَعَهدُكُمُ

إِلفانِ لَيسَ لَنا في الوُدِّ مُزدَجَرُ

إِلفانِ لَيسَ لَنا في الوُدِّ مُزدَجَرُ

What has become of your promise, when my pledge and yours

What is with you, that my covenant and yours

are close companions, with nothing to deter us from love?

Are two intimates with no discord between us?

فَكانَ حَظُّكَ مِنها نَظرَةً طَرَفَت

فَكانَ حَظُّكَ مِنها نَظرَةً طَرَفَت

إِنسانَ عَينِكَ حَتّى ما بِها نَظَرُ

إِنسانَ عَينِكَ حَتّى ما بِها نَظَرُ

So your share of her was a glance that struck

So your share of it was a glance

the pupil of your eye, until no sight remained in it.

That made a man of your eye, till he saw nothing.

أَكُنتِ أَبخَلَ مَن كانَت مَواعِدُهُ

أَكُنتِ أَبخَلَ مَن كانَت مَواعِدُهُ

دَيناً إِلى أَجَلٍ يُرجى وَيُنتَظَرُ

دَيناً إِلى أَجَلٍ يُرجى وَيُنتَظَرُ

Were you the stingiest of those whose promises

Was I stingy with one whose trysts

are debts due at a date hoped for and awaited?

Were owed till a hoped for, expected term?

وَقَد نَظَرتُ وَما أَلفَيتُ مِن أَحَدٍ

وَقَد نَظَرتُ وَما أَلفَيتُ مِن أَحَدٍ

يَعتادُهُ الشَوقُ إِلّا بَدَؤَهُ النَظَرُ

يَعتادُهُ الشَوقُ إِلّا بَدَؤَهُ النَظَرُ

I have considered, and have found no one

I have looked, and found none but the longing

whom longing visits unless a glance first stirred him.

That only begins with the looking.

أَبقَت شَجىً لَكَ لا يُنسى وَقادِحَةً

أَبقَت شَجىً لَكَ لا يُنسى وَقادِحَةً

في اَسوَدِ القلبِ لَم يَشعُر بِهِ بَشَرُ

في اَسوَدِ القلبِ لَم يَشعُر بِهِ بَشَرُ

She left you sorrow never forgotten, and a burning wound

It has left an anguish for you that will not be forgotten,

in the heart's dark core, of which no mortal knew.

And a burning in the blackness of the heart unfelt by mortals,

جِنِيَّةٌ أَو لَها جِنٌّ تُعَلِّمُها

جِنِيَّةٌ أَو لَها جِنٌّ تُعَلِّمُها

رَميَ القُلوبِ بَقَوسٍ ما لَها وَتَرُ

رَميَ القُلوبِ بَقَوسٍ ما لَها وَتَرُ

A female jinn—or she has jinn who teach her

A jinn-maid, or one who has taught her

to shoot at hearts with a bow that has no string.

To shoot hearts with a bowstring lacking bow.

تَجلو بِقادِمَتي وَرقاءَ عَن بَرَدٍ

تَجلو بِقادِمَتي وَرقاءَ عَن بَرَدٍ

حُوِّ المَفاخِرِ في أَطرافِها أُشُرُ

حُوِّ المَفاخِرِ في أَطرافِها أُشُرُ

She unveils, with a gray dove's two foremost feathers, hailstones—

She came in the stinging cold, the wrap

dark in their 'places of pride,' their tips finely serrated.

Clinging to the litter's embroidered edges.

خَودٌ مُبَتَّلَةٌ رَيّا مَعاصِمُها

خَودٌ مُبَتَّلَةٌ رَيّا مَعاصِمُها

قَدرُ الثِيابِ فَلا طولٌ وَلا قِصَرُ

قَدرُ الثِيابِ فَلا طولٌ وَلا قِصَرُ

A tender young woman, finely proportioned, with full wrists,

Cheeks soft with plentitude, her bracelets

fitting her clothes just so, neither tall nor short.

Measuring out neither too long nor too short her sleeve.

إِذا مَجاسِدُها اِغتالَت فَواضِلَها

إِذا مَجاسِدُها اِغتالَت فَواضِلَها

مِنها رَوادِفُ فَعماتٌ وَمُؤتَزَرُ

مِنها رَوادِفُ فَعماتٌ وَمُؤتَزَرُ

When the surplus folds of her saffron-dyed garments are swallowed up

When her reassuring sides deceived her mantle,

by her full haunches and girdled waist,

You saw loincloths and sarongs within.

إِن هَبَّت الريحُ حَنَّت في تَنَسُّمِها

إِن هَبَّت الريحُ حَنَّت في تَنَسُّمِها

كَما يُجاوِبُ عودَ القَينَةِ الوَتَرُ

كَما يُجاوِبُ عودَ القَينَةِ الوَتَرُ

if the wind blows, they murmur in its breath,

When the wind blew, she swayed gently, inhaling,

as a string answers the singing girl's lute.

Like the playing of the bowed lute-string.

بَيضاءُ تَعشو بِها الأَبصارُ إِن بَرَزَت

بَيضاءُ تَعشو بِها الأَبصارُ إِن بَرَزَت

في الحَجِّ لَيلَةَ إِحدى عَشرَةَ القَمَرُ

في الحَجِّ لَيلَةَ إِحدى عَشرَةَ القَمَرُ

Fair, she dazzles the eyes when she appears

Dazzling white, as she went forth in the pilgrimage

at the pilgrimage, on the eleventh night—a moon.

On the night of the eleventh moon.

إِلا رَسولٌ إِذا بانَت يُبَلِّغُها

إِلا رَسولٌ إِذا بانَت يُبَلِّغُها

عَنّا وَإِن تُمسِ تُؤلِف بَينَنا المِرَرُ

عَنّا وَإِن تُمسِ تُؤلِف بَينَنا المِرَرُ

Only a messenger, when she departs, carries word to her

Only a messenger, when she appears, can convey

from us, even if at dusk twisted cords unite us.

On our behalf, and if she is inclined, make peace between us.

إِنّي بِآيَةِ وَجدٍ قَد ظَفِرتِ بِهِ

إِنّي بِآيَةِ وَجدٍ قَد ظَفِرتِ بِهِ

مِنّي وَلَم يَكُ في وَجدي بِكُم ظَفَرُ

مِنّي وَلَم يَكُ في وَجدي بِكُم ظَفَرُ

I—by the sign of a passion you have won

In the throes of passion I have gained from her

from me, while my passion for you won no victory—

A sign, though from my passion I gained no triumph.

قَتيلُ يَوم تَلاقَينا وَأَنَّ دَمي

قَتيلُ يَوم تَلاقَينا وَأَنَّ دَمي

عَنها وَعَمَّن أَجارَت مِن دَمي هَدَرُ

عَنها وَعَمَّن أَجارَت مِن دَمي هَدَرُ

am slain from the day we met, and my blood

The slain on the day we met, my blood shed

carries no claim against her or those she shelters from vengeance for it.

For her and for whom she sheltered safe from my blood.

تَقضينَ فِيَّ وَلا أَقضي عَلَيكِ كَما

تَقضينَ فِيَّ وَلا أَقضي عَلَيكِ كَما

يَقضي المَليكُ عَلى المَملوكِ يُقتَسَرُ

يَقضي المَليكُ عَلى المَملوكِ يُقتَسَرُ

You judge me, while I do not judge you, just as

You decide my fate, while I do not decide yours,

a king judges a slave who is compelled to obey.

As the king decides the fate of the slave he subjugates.

إِن كانَ ذا قَدراً يُعطيكِ نافِلَةً

إِن كانَ ذا قَدراً يُعطيكِ نافِلَةً

مَنّا وَيُعجِزُنا ما أَنصَفَ القَدَرُ

مَنّا وَيُعجِزُنا ما أَنصَفَ القَدَرُ

If this is fate, granting you an extra boon

If one of rank gives you an unrequired gift from me

from us and leaving us powerless, fate has not been fair.

And makes me powerless, how unjust is fate!