قُل لِلمَليحَةِ قَد أَبلَتنِيَ الذِكَرُ

فَالدَمعُ كُلَّ صَباحٍ فيكِ يَبتَدِرُ

Tell the beauty I'm consumed with longing

And each morn tears for her flow first

فَلَيتَ قَلبي وَفيهِ مِن تَعَلُّقِكُم

ما لَيسَ عِندي لَهُ عِدلٌ وَلا خَطَرُ

If only my heart and its attachment to you

Were something I had no justice or pretext for

أَفاقَ إِذ بَخُلَت هِندٌ وَما بَذَلَت

ما كُنتُ آمُلُهُ مِنها وَأَنتَظِرُ

She disappointed when Hind was stingy

And gave not what I had hoped and waited for

وَقَد حَذِرتُ النَوى في قُربِ دارِهِمُ

فَعيلَ صَبري وَلَم يَنفَعنِيَ الحَذَرُ

I was wary of visiting near their homes

But still my patience failed and caution was no use

قَد قُلتُ إِذ لَم تَكُن لِلقَلبِ ناهِيَةٌ

عَنها تُسَلّي وَلا لِقَلبِ مُزدَجِرُ

I said if the heart cannot be diverted

From her, nor dissuaded, then so it shall endure

يا لَيتَني مِتُّ إِذ لَم أَلقَ مِن كَلَفي

مُفَرِّحاً وَشَآني نَحوَها النَظَرُ

Would that I had died before this burden fell on me

And lifted my sight expecting joy towards her

وَشاقَني مَوقِفٌ بِالمَروَتَينِ لَها

وَالشَوقُ يُحدِثُهُ لِلعاشِقِ الفِكَرُ

And a stand at the hill of al-Marwah tortured me

With yearning kindled in the lover by thought

وَقَولُها لِفَتاةٍ غَيرِ فاحِشَةٍ

أَرائِحٌ مُمسِياً أَم باكِرٌ عُمَرُ

And her saying to a girl not wicked

"Does he come at dusk or early in the day?"

اللَهُ جارٌ لَهُ إِمّا أَقامَ بِنا

وَفي الرَحيلِ إِذا ما ضَمَّهُ السَفَرُ

God be my neighbor whether he stays with us

Or if travel takes him when the journey starts

فَجِئتُ أَمشي وَلَم يُغفِ الأُلى سَمَروا

وَصاحِبي هِندُوانِيٌّ بِهِ أُثُرُ

So I came walking but sleep did not make the friends drowsy

And my companion was an Indian—traces showed

فَلَم يَرُعها وَقَد نَضَت مَحاسِدَها

إِلّا سَوادٌ وَراءَ البَيتِ يَستَتِرُ

But her enviers were roused and did not restrain her

Except for a shadow behind the house hiding

فَلَطَّمَت وَجهَها وَاِستَنبَهَت مَعَها

بَيضاءُ آنِسَةٌ مِن شَأنِها الخَفَرُ

She slapped her face and was roused with her

A fair beloved whose task was to keep guard

ما بالُهُ حينَ يَأتي أُختِ غَفلَتُنا

وَشُؤمُ جَدّي وَحينٌ ساقَهُ القَدَرُ

Why is it when forgetfulness' sister came upon us

And my grandfather's misfortune the fateful hour brought

لِشَقوَةٌ مِن شَقائي أُختِ مَنزِلَنا

وَقَد رَأى كَثرَةَ الأَعداءِ إِذ حَضَروا

It was misery from my miseries, sister of our dwellings

For he saw the thronging of foes when they gathered

قالَت أَرَدتَ بِذا عَمداً فَضيحَتَنا

وَصَرمَ حَبلي وَتَحقيقَ الَّذي ذَكَروا

She said "Did you intend disgracing us deliberately?

And cut the rope and confirm what they mentioned?"

هَلّا دَسَستَ رَسولاً مِنكَ يُعلِمُني

وَلَم تَعَجَّل إِلى أَن يَسقُطَ القَمَرُ

Why did you not discreetly send me a messenger

And not rush until the moon falls?

فَقُلتُ داعٍ دَعا قَلبي فَأَرَّقَهُ

وَلا يُتابِعُني فيكُم فَيَنزَجِرُ

I said a summoner summoned my heart and kept it awake

And none will check me among you or restrain me

فَبِتُّ أُسقى عَتيقَ الخَمرِ خالَطَهُ

شَهدٌ مَشارٌ وَمِسكٌ خالِصٌ ذَفِرُ

I stay intoxicated with aged wine mixed with

Pure honey and musk that flows lavishly

وَعَنبَرَ الهِندِ وَالكافورَ خالَطَهُ

قَرَنفُلٌ فَوقَ رَقراقٍ لَهُ أُشُرُ

With Indian ambergris and camphor mixed with it

Clove atop a burgundy wine of lovely color

فَبِتُّ أَلثَمُها طَوراً وَيُمتِعُني

إِذا تَمايَلَ عَنهُ البُردُ وَالخَصَرُ

I stay kissing her awhile then she delights me

When coolness and slenderness sway away from it

حَتطى إِذا اللَيلُ وَلّى قالَتا زَمَراً

قوما بِعَيشِكُما قَد نَوَّرَ السَحَرُ

When the night turned away she said to the singing girls

"Rise, your lives have been illuminated by the dawn"

فَقُمتُ أَمشي وَقامَت وَهيَ فاتِرَةٌ

كَشارِبِ الخَمرِ بَطّى مَشيَهُ السَكَرُ

So I rose walking while she rose languid

Like a drunk, his walking made difficult by drunkenness

يَسحَبنَ خَلفي ذُيولَ الخَزِّ آوِنَةً

وَناعِمَ العَصبِ كَيلا يُعرَفَ الأَثَرُ

She dragged behind me train and skirts to hide

The smooth anklets lest the trace be known