إِذا خَدِرَت رِجلي تَذَكَّرتُ مَن لَها

إِذا خَدِرَت رِجلي تَذَكَّرتُ مَن لَها

فَنادَيتُ لُبنى بِاِسمِها وَدَعَوتُ

فَنادَيتُ لُبنى بِاِسمِها وَدَعَوتُ

Whenever my leg grew numb, I remembered the one who could ease it;

When my legs faltered, I remembered she to whom they belong

So I called Lubna by her name and called upon her.

So I called Lubna by name and implored

دَعَوتُ الَّتي لَو أَنَّ نَفسي تُطيعُني

دَعَوتُ الَّتي لَو أَنَّ نَفسي تُطيعُني

لَفارَقتُها مِن حُبِّها وَقَضَيتُ

لَفارَقتُها مِن حُبِّها وَقَضَيتُ

I called upon her—if my soul obeyed me,

I implored her, whom if my soul obeyed me

I would part with it for love of her, and die.

I would abandon for love of her and pass away

بَرَت نَبلَها لِلصيدِ لُبنى وَرَيَّشَت

بَرَت نَبلَها لِلصيدِ لُبنى وَرَيَّشَت

وَرَيَّشتُ أُخرى مِثلُها وَبَرَيتُ

وَرَيَّشتُ أُخرى مِثلُها وَبَرَيتُ

Lubna whittled her arrows for the hunt and fletched them;

Lubna readied her arrows for the hunt and fletched

And I fletched others like hers, and whittled them.

And I fletched others like them and readied

فَلَمّا رَمَتني أَقصَدَتني بِسَهمِها

فَلَمّا رَمَتني أَقصَدَتني بِسَهمِها

وَأَخطَأتُها بِالسَهمِ حينَ رَميتُ

وَأَخطَأتُها بِالسَهمِ حينَ رَميتُ

Then, when she shot at me, she struck me mortally with her arrow,

So when she shot me, aiming at me with her arrow

But I missed her with my arrow when I shot.

And I missed her with the arrow when I shot

وَفارَقتُ لُبنى ضَلَّةً فَكَأَنَّني

وَفارَقتُ لُبنى ضَلَّةً فَكَأَنَّني

قُرِنتَ إِلى العُيوقِ ثُمَّ هَوَيتُ

قُرِنتَ إِلى العُيوقِ ثُمَّ هَوَيتُ

I parted from Lubna in folly, and it was as though I

I left Lubna confused, as if I

Had been tethered to the star al-Ayyuq, then plunged down.

Had been coupled to al-‘Uyuq, then plunged

فَيا لَيتَ أَنّي مِتُّ قَبلَ فِراقِها

فَيا لَيتَ أَنّي مِتُّ قَبلَ فِراقِها

وَهَل تَرجِعَن فَوتَ القَضِيَّةِ لَيتُ

وَهَل تَرجِعَن فَوتَ القَضِيَّةِ لَيتُ

Oh, would that I had died before parting from her!

Oh, would that I had died before parting with her

But can 'if only' undo a matter already beyond recall?

Could she return once chance had slipped away? Would that I had!

فَصِرتُ وَشَيخي كَالَّذي عَثَرَت بِهِ

فَصِرتُ وَشَيخي كَالَّذي عَثَرَت بِهِ

غَداةَ الوَغى بَينَ العُداةِ كُمَيتُ

غَداةَ الوَغى بَينَ العُداةِ كُمَيتُ

So my father and I became like a man whose mount stumbled beneath him

So I became, and my old age, like him whom

On the morning of battle, amid the foes—a bay mare.

On the morrow of battle, the enemies had stricken and killed

فَقامَت وَلَم تُضرَر هُناكَ سَوِيَّةً

فَقامَت وَلَم تُضرَر هُناكَ سَوِيَّةً

وَفارِسُها تَحتَ السَنابِكِ مَيتُ

وَفارِسُها تَحتَ السَنابِكِ مَيتُ

Then she rose there, unharmed and sound,

But she stood up, harmed only lightly there

While her rider lay dead beneath the hooves.

While her horseman lay dead beneath the horse litter

فَإِن يَكُ تَهيامي بِلُبنى غَوايَةً

فَإِن يَكُ تَهيامي بِلُبنى غَوايَةً

فَقَد يا ذَريحَ بنَ الحُبابِ غَوَيتُ

فَقَد يا ذَريحَ بنَ الحُبابِ غَوَيتُ

So if my mad love for Lubna is waywardness,

So if my passion for Lubna is leading me astray

Then, O Dhurayh son of al-Hubab, I have indeed gone astray.

Then, O Dharidh son of Hubab, surely you have led astray too

فَلا أَنتَ ما أَمَّلتَ فِيَّ رَأَيتُهُ

فَلا أَنتَ ما أَمَّلتَ فِيَّ رَأَيتُهُ

وَلا أَنا لُبنى وَالحَياةَ حَوَيتُ

وَلا أَنا لُبنى وَالحَياةَ حَوَيتُ

So neither have you seen in me what you hoped for,

For you saw not in me what you had hoped

Nor have I kept both Lubna and life.

Nor did I possess Lubna or life itself

فَوَطِّن لِهُلكي مِنكِ نَفساً فَإِنَّني

فَوَطِّن لِهُلكي مِنكِ نَفساً فَإِنَّني

كَأَنَّكَ بي قَد يا ذُرَيحَ قَضَيتُ

كَأَنَّكَ بي قَد يا ذُرَيحَ قَضَيتُ

So steel yourself for my death, for I

So accustom yourself to my death by your hand, for

Am as though already dead before your eyes, O Dhurayh.

It is as if, O Dharidh, you had taken my life