كِتابُ فَتىً أَخى كَلَفٍ طَروبِ

كِتابُ فَتىً أَخى كَلَفٍ طَروبِ

إِلى خَودٍ مُنَعَّمَةِ لَعوبِ

إِلى خَودٍ مُنَعَّمَةِ لَعوبِ

A letter from a lovesick, rapturous youth,

The letter of a young man to a soft cheeked beauty,

To a pampered, playful young woman.

Yearning and sorrowing I pour out to you,

صَبَوتُ إِلَيكِ مِن حُزنٍ وَشَوقٍ

صَبَوتُ إِلَيكِ مِن حُزنٍ وَشَوقٍ

وَقَد يَصبو المُحِبُّ إِلى الحَبيبِ

وَقَد يَصبو المُحِبُّ إِلى الحَبيبِ

I yearned for you out of sorrow and longing,

For the lover pours himself out to the beloved.

And a lover does indeed yearn for the beloved.

She used to answer when we wrote,

وَقَد كانَت تُجيبُ إِذا كَتَبنا

وَقَد كانَت تُجيبُ إِذا كَتَبنا

فَيا سَقياً وَرَعياً لِلمُجيبِ

فَيا سَقياً وَرَعياً لِلمُجيبِ

And she used to answer whenever we wrote;

So water and tend the one who answers!

So may rain and care bless the one who answers!

She traces her letter with a branch of basil

تَخُطُّ كِتابَها بِقَضيبِ رَندٍ

تَخُطُّ كِتابَها بِقَضيبِ رَندٍ

وَمِسكٍ كَالمِدادِ عَلى القَضيبِ

وَمِسكٍ كَالمِدادِ عَلى القَضيبِ

She writes her letter with a laurel twig,

And musk, like ink on the basil twig.

And musk like ink upon the twig.

A letter full of "when" and "to" and "if only"-

كِتابٌ فيهِ كَم وَإِلى وَما إِن

كِتابٌ فيهِ كَم وَإِلى وَما إِن

أُقَضّي مِن رَسائِلِها عَجَبي

أُقَضّي مِن رَسائِلِها عَجَبي

A letter with 'how much?' and 'until'; never

Her missives leave me amazed.

Do I cease to marvel at her letters.

I tease the ignorant one intentionally,

نُعَمّيهِ عَلى ذي الجَهلِ عَمداً

نُعَمّيهِ عَلى ذي الجَهلِ عَمداً

وَلا يَخفى عَلى الفَطِنِ اللَبيبِ

وَلا يَخفى عَلى الفَطِنِ اللَبيبِ

We deliberately make it obscure to the ignorant,

Yet the subtle one is not unaware.

Yet it is not hidden from the perceptive and discerning.

She said to bright-faced girls

وَقَد قالَت لِبيضٍ آنِساتٍ

وَقَد قالَت لِبيضٍ آنِساتٍ

يَصِدنَ قُلوبَ شُبّانٍ وَشيبِ

يَصِدنَ قُلوبَ شُبّانٍ وَشيبِ

And she said to fair, companionable women

Who capture the hearts of youths and graybeards:

Who hunt the hearts of youths and gray-haired men:

I am the shining sun when it rises,

أَنا الشَمسُ المُضيئَةُ حينَ تَبدو

أَنا الشَمسُ المُضيئَةُ حينَ تَبدو

وَلَكِن لَستُ أُعرَفُ بِالمَغيبِ

وَلَكِن لَستُ أُعرَفُ بِالمَغيبِ

'I am the shining sun when it appears,

Though I'm not known when it sets.

But I am not known to set.

My Lord exempted me when He exempted me,

بَراني اللَهُ رَبّي إِذ بَراني

بَراني اللَهُ رَبّي إِذ بَراني

مَبَرَّأَةً سَلِمتُ مِنَ العُيوبِ

مَبَرَّأَةً سَلِمتُ مِنَ العُيوبِ

God, my Lord, fashioned me, when He fashioned me,

Free of flaws I have remained.

Unblemished; I was spared all flaws.

If I speak to a sick man,

فَلَو كَلَّمتُ إِنساناً مَريضاً

فَلَو كَلَّمتُ إِنساناً مَريضاً

لَما اِحتاجَ المَريضُ إِلى الطَبيبِ

لَما اِحتاجَ المَريضُ إِلى الطَبيبِ

So if I spoke to someone ill,

The sick man won't need a doctor.

The sick person would need no physician.

My creation is kneaded with ambergris,

وَخَلقي مِسكَةٌ عُجِنَت بِبانٍ

وَخَلقي مِسكَةٌ عُجِنَت بِبانٍ

فَلَستُ أُريدُ طيباً غَيرَ طيبي

فَلَستُ أُريدُ طيباً غَيرَ طيبي

And my form is a lump of musk kneaded with ben oil;

So I need no perfume but my own.

So I desire no perfume but my own.

I tie my girdle in a loose knot

وَأَعقِدُ مِئزَري عَقداً ضَعيفاً

وَأَعقِدُ مِئزَري عَقداً ضَعيفاً

عَلى دِعصٍ رُكامٍ مِن كَثيبِ

عَلى دِعصٍ رُكامٍ مِن كَثيبِ

And I tie my waist-wrap in a loose knot

On a plump, firm stack from a dune.

Upon a piled-up mound of dune-sand.

If an ant crept on my skin,

وَجِلدي لَو يَدِبُّ عَلَيهِ ذَرٌّ

وَجِلدي لَو يَدِبُّ عَلَيهِ ذَرٌّ

لَأَدمى الذَرُّ جِلدي بِالدَبيبِ

لَأَدمى الذَرُّ جِلدي بِالدَبيبِ

And if tiny ants were to crawl upon my skin,

It would prick my skin with its creep.

The ants would make my skin bleed with their crawling.

My saliva is sweet water with honey-

وَريقي ماءُ غادِيَةٍ بِشَهدٍ

وَريقي ماءُ غادِيَةٍ بِشَهدٍ

فَما أَشهى مِنَ الشَهدِ المَشوبِ

فَما أَشهى مِنَ الشَهدِ المَشوبِ

And my saliva is morning rainwater mixed with honey;

Nothing tastes sweeter than honey-mixed wine!

So what is more delicious than honey so mingled?'

They said to her: "You speak true! But have you been kind

فَقُلنَ لَها صَدَقتِ فَهَل عَطَفتُم

فَقُلنَ لَها صَدَقتِ فَهَل عَطَفتُم

عَلى رَجُلٍ يَهيمُ بِكُم كَئيبِ

عَلى رَجُلٍ يَهيمُ بِكُم كَئيبِ

Then they said to her, 'You speak truly; have you taken pity

To a man distracted, despairing of you?"

On a sorrowful man who is madly in love with you—

"A stranger came to you; let him go,

غَريبٍ قَد أَتاكَ فَأَطلِقيهِ

غَريبٍ قَد أَتاكَ فَأَطلِقيهِ

فَإِنَّ الأَجرَ يُطلَبُ في الغَريبِ

فَإِنَّ الأَجرَ يُطلَبُ في الغَريبِ

A stranger who has come to you? Set him free,

For reward is sought in strangers."

For reward is sought in caring for a stranger.'

She said: "Faintness appeared in him,

فَقالَت قَد بَدَت مِنهُ هَناتٌ

فَقالَت قَد بَدَت مِنهُ هَناتٌ

وَقَد تَبدو الهَناتُ مِنَ المُريبِ

وَقَد تَبدو الهَناتُ مِنَ المُريبِ

Then she said, 'Minor faults have appeared in him,

And faintness appears in the dubious man."

And faults may appear in one who arouses suspicion.

We greeted him, and he bewitched us with magic-

وَصَلناهُ فَكَلَّمَنا بِسِحرٍ

وَصَلناهُ فَكَلَّمَنا بِسِحرٍ

كَذَلِكَ كُلُّ مَلّاقٍ خَلوبِ

كَذَلِكَ كُلُّ مَلّاقٍ خَلوبِ

We gave him our favor, and he spoke to us with magic;

Every smooth-faced one is beguiling.

Such is every beguiling flatterer.'

She did no wrong, but we wronged ourselves,

وَما ظَلَمَت وَلَكِنّا ظَلَمنا

وَما ظَلَمَت وَلَكِنّا ظَلَمنا

فَقَد تُبنا إِلَيها مِن قَريبِ

فَقَد تُبنا إِلَيها مِن قَريبِ

She did no wrong, but we did;

Drawing too close to her.

For we have recently repented to her.

We were seduced into misery by love of magic,

فُتِنّا لِلشَقاءِ بِحُبِّ سِحرٍ

فُتِنّا لِلشَقاءِ بِحُبِّ سِحرٍ

كَما فُتِنَ النَصارى بِالصَليبِ

كَما فُتِنَ النَصارى بِالصَليبِ

To our misery, we were bewitched by love of Sihr,

As Christians were seduced by the cross.

As Christians were bewitched by the cross.

I forgave her sins and overlooked them,

غَفَرتُ ذُنوبَها وَصَفَحَتُ عَنها

غَفَرتُ ذُنوبَها وَصَفَحَتُ عَنها

فَلَم تَصفَح وَلَم تَغفِر ذُنوبي

فَلَم تَصفَح وَلَم تَغفِر ذُنوبي

I forgave her sins and pardoned her,

But she forgave not, nor overlooked my sins.

But she did not pardon me or forgive my sins.

If only the south wind would answer me,

وَلَو أَنَّ الجَنوبَ تُجيبُ عَنّي

وَلَو أَنَّ الجَنوبَ تُجيبُ عَنّي

لَأَهدَيتُ السَلامَ مَعَ الجَنوبِ

لَأَهدَيتُ السَلامَ مَعَ الجَنوبِ

And if the south wind could answer on my behalf,

I would send my greetings with the south wind!

I would send greetings with the south wind.

A speaker woke from love of magic, and I said:

وَقائِلَةٍ أَفِق مِن حُبِّ سِحرٍ

وَقائِلَةٍ أَفِق مِن حُبِّ سِحرٍ

فَقُلتُ لَها جَهِلتِ فَلَم تُصيبي

فَقُلتُ لَها جَهِلتِ فَلَم تُصيبي

And a woman said, 'Awake from your love of Sihr.'

"You erred, you did not hit the mark."

So I told her, 'You are ignorant; you have missed the mark.

I commanded her to part from it confusedly, then repent

أَمَرتِ بِهَجرِها سَفَهاً فَتوبي

أَمَرتِ بِهَجرِها سَفَهاً فَتوبي

إِلى الرَحمَنِ مِمّا قُلتِ توبي

إِلى الرَحمَنِ مِمّا قُلتِ توبي

You foolishly ordered me to forsake her; so repent

To the Merciful for what you have said, repent!

To the Most Merciful for what you said—repent!'

Oh, would that I were an obeyed judge,

أَلا يا لَيتَني قاضٍ مُطاعٌ

أَلا يا لَيتَني قاضٍ مُطاعٌ

فَأَقضي لِلمُحِبِّ عَلى الحَبيبِ

فَأَقضي لِلمُحِبِّ عَلى الحَبيبِ

Ah, if only I were a judge whose word was obeyed,

That I might judge for the lover against the beloved!

Then I would rule for the lover against the beloved.