شاقَ قَلبي تَذَكُّرُ الأَحبابِ

وَاِعتَرَتني نَوائِبُ الأَطرابِ

Remembering my loved ones has wearied my heart,

And I am beset by bouts of turmoil.

يا خَليلَيَّ فَاِعلَما أَنَّ قَلبي

مُستَهامٌ بِرَبَّةِ المِحرابِ

O my friend, know that my heart

Is enamored with the belle of the prayer niche.

عُلِّقَ القَلبُ مِن قُرَيشٍ ثَقالاً

ذاتَ دَلٍّ نَقِيَّةَ الأَثوابِ

My heart clung to a maiden of Quraysh,

Of graceful figure, immaculate robes.

رَبَّةً لِلنِساءِ في بَيتِ مَلكٍ

جَدُّها حَلَّ ذِروَةَ الأَحسابِ

A belle among women in a ruler's home,

Her lineage the pinnacle of all lineages.

شَفَّ عَنها مُرَقَّقٌ جَنَديٌّ

فَهيَ كَالشَمسِ مِن خِلالِ السَحابِ

A lovesick soldier unveiled her,

So she shone like the sun through the clouds.

فَتَراءَت حَتّى إِذا جُنَّ قَلبي

سَتَرَتها وَلائِدٌ بِالثِيابِ

She appeared until my heart was captured,

Then veils concealed her with their wrappings.

قُلتُ لَمّا ضَرَبنَ بِالسِترِ دوني

لَيسَ هَذا لِعاشِقٍ بِثَوابِ

When she was curtained from my view,

I said this is no reward for a lover.

فَأَجابَت مِنَ القَطينِ فَتاةٌ

ذاتُ دَلٍّ رَقيقَةٌ بِعِتابِ

From behind the veil a soft-toned maiden replied,

Chiding gently, her words a reproach:

أَرسِلي نَحوَهُ الوَليدَةَ تَسعى

قَد فَعَلنا رِضا أَبي الخَطّابِ

Send to him the handmaid, let her make haste,

We have obeyed Father of Al-Khattab.

لا تُطِع في قَطيعَةِ اِبنَةِ بِشرٍ

ماجِدَ الخيمِ طاهِرِ الأَثوابِ

Disobey not, in severing ties with Bishr's daughter,

The glorious-tented, pure-robed commander.

فَاِتَّقي ذا الجَلالِ يا أُمَّ عَمروٍ

وَاِحكُمي في أَسيرُكُم بِالصَوابِ

Fear the Almighty, O mother of 'Amr,

And judge your captive rightly.

اِفعَلي بِالأَسيرِ إِحدى ثَلاثٍ

فَاِفهَميهِنَّ ثُمَّ رُدّي جَوابي

Do with your captive one of three things:

Understand them, then send me your reply.

اُقتُليهِ قَتلاً سَريحاً مُريحاً

لا تَكوني عَلَيهِ سَوطَ عَذابِ

Kill him an easy death, a death of ease,

Be not to him a whip of torment.

أَو أَقيدي فَإِنَّما النَفسُ بِالنَف

سِ قَضاءً مُفَصَّلاً في الكِتابِ

Or imprison him, for soul shall redeem soul -

A decree precisely decreed in the Book.

أَو صِليهِ وَصلاً يُقَرُّ عَلَيهِ

إِنَّ شَرَّ الوِصالِ وَصلُ الكِذابِ

Or unite with him in a binding pact,

Though the worst unities are ties based on lies.