أَبلِغ سُلَيمى بِأَنَّ البَينَ قَد أَفِدا
وَاِنبِئ سُلَيمى بِأَنّا رائِحونَ غَدا
Tell Sulayma that separation has brought ruin,
And inform Sulayma that we are leaving tomorrow,
وَقُل لَها كَيفَ أَن يَلقاكِ خالِيَةً
فَلَيسَ مَن بانَ لَم يَعهَد كَما عَهِدا
And say to her, how can she meet you while empty-handed?
For one who has been away is not as one who stayed.
نَعهَد إِلَيكِ فَأَوفينا بِعَهدِنا
يا أَصدَقَ الناسِ مَوعوداً إِذا وَعَدا
We made a pledge to you and fulfilled our vow,
O most trustworthy of people when making a promise!
وَأَحسَنَ الناسِ في عَيني وَأَجمَلَهُم
مِن ساكِنِ الغَورِ أَو مَن يَسكُنُ النَجدا
And the best of people in my eyes and the most beautiful,
Whether from the dweller of the cave or one who resides in Najd.
لَقَد حَلَفتُ يَميناً غَيرَ كاذِبَةٍ
صَبراً أُضاعِفُها يا سُكنَ مُجتَهِدا
I swore an oath that was no lie,
With patience I will redouble it, O you who reside striving!
بِاللَهِ ما نِمتُ مِن نَومٍ تَقَرُّ بِهِ
عَيني وَلا زالَ قَلبي بَعدَكُم كَمِدا
By God, I have not slept a sleep that would rest my eye,
Nor has my heart found peace after you all.
كَم بِالحَرامِ وَلَو كُنّا نُحالِفُهُ
مِن كاشِحٍ وَدَّ أَنّا لا نُرى أَبَدا
How much forbidden, even if we pretend to swear by it,
From a passionate lover who wishes we don't ever part!
حُمِّلَ مِن بُغضِنا غِلّاً يُعالِجُهُ
فَقَد تَمَلّا عَلَينا قَلبُهُ حَسَدا
He carries a grudge against us that obsesses him,
For his heart has become completely envious of us.
وَذاتِ وَجدٍ عَلَينا ما تَبوحُ بِهِ
تُحصي اللَيالي إِذا غِبنا لَنا عَدَدا
A love with passion for us she does not confess,
She counts the nights when we are absent for us in number.
تَبكي عَلَينا إِذا ما أَهلُها غَفَلوا
وَتَكحَلُ العَينَ مِن وَجدٍ بِنا سَهَدا
She weeps for us when her people are unaware,
And she lines her eyes with tears for us while awake.
حَريصَةٍ إِن تَكُفَّ الدَمعَ جاهِدَةً
فَما رَقا دَمعُ عَينَيها وَما جَمَدا
Eagerly trying to restrain her tears with great effort,
But neither does her tear flow nor freeze.
بَيضاءَ آنِسَةٍ لِلخِدرِ آلِفَةٍ
وَلَم تَكُن تَألَفُ الخَوخاتِ وَالسَدَدا
A fair, intimate companion, accustomed to chatting,
Who did not befriend empty talk and contrived manners.
قامَت تَراءى عَلى خَوفٍ تُشَيِّعُني
مَشى الحَسيرِ المُزَجّى جُشِّمَ الصَعَدا
She stood to bid me farewell in fear,
Like a broken-winged dove with ruffled feathers.
لَم تَبلُغِ البابَ حَتّى قالَ نِسوَتُها
مِن شِدَّةِ البُهرِ هَذا الجَهدُ فَاِتَّئدا
She had not reached the door when her women said,
Out of extreme shock, “This effort is too much, rest!”
أَقعَدنَها وَبِنا ما قالَ ذو حَسَبٍ
صَبٌّ بِسَلمى إِذا ما أُقعِدَت قَعَدا
They sat her down, and not one of noble lineage
Would sit Sulayma down when she has risen!
فَكانَ آخِرَ ما قالَت وَقَد قَعَدَت
أَن سَوفَ تُبدي لَهُنَّ الصَبرَ وَالجَلَدا
The last thing she said when seated
Was that she would show them patience and resilience.
يا لَيلَةَ السَبتِ قَد زَوَّدتِني سَقَماً
حَتّى المَماتِ وَهَمّاً صَدَّعَ الكَبِدا
O night of Saturday, you have burdened me with sickness,
To the point of death, and worries that have split open my liver!
