سَأَصرُمُ لُبنى هَبلُ وَصلِكِ مُجمِلاً

سَأَصرُمُ لُبنى هَبلُ وَصلِكِ مُجمِلاً

وَإِن كانَ صَرمُ الحَبلِ مِنكِ يَروعُ

وَإِن كانَ صَرمُ الحَبلِ مِنكِ يَروعُ

I shall sever, Lubna, the [bond] of union with you graciously,

I will persist though the rope of your love frays me;

Though severing the bond with you fills me with dread.

And if fraying me is frightening, I will adorn it beautifully.

وَسَوفَ أُسَلّي النَفسَ عَنكِ كَما سَلا

وَسَوفَ أُسَلّي النَفسَ عَنكِ كَما سَلا

عَنِ البَلَدِ النائي البَعيدِ نَزيعُ

عَنِ البَلَدِ النائي البَعيدِ نَزيعُ

And I shall console my soul for losing you, as one forgets

And I will distract my soul from you as one who

The remote, far-off land from which he was uprooted.

Yearns for his distant, far-off homeland.

وَإِن مَسَّني لِلضُرِّ مِنكِ كَآبَةٌ

وَإِن مَسَّني لِلضُرِّ مِنكِ كَآبَةٌ

وَإِن نالَ جِسمي لِلفُراقِ خُشوعُ

وَإِن نالَ جِسمي لِلفُراقِ خُشوعُ

Though sorrow touches me through the hurt from you,

If sorrow for you comes over me,

And though my body is brought low by separation.

And if my body is bent by separation,

أَراجِعَةٌ يا لُبنُ أَيّامُنا الأُلى

أَراجِعَةٌ يا لُبنُ أَيّامُنا الأُلى

بِذي الطَلحِ أَم لا ما لَهُنَّ رُجوعُ

بِذي الطَلحِ أَم لا ما لَهُنَّ رُجوعُ

Will our days return, O Lubna—those

I will revisit, O Lubna, our finest days -

At Dhu al-Talh—or not? There is no return for them.

By Dhi al-Talh - or do they have no return?

سَقى طَلَلَ الدارِ الَّتي أَنتُمُ بِها

سَقى طَلَلَ الدارِ الَّتي أَنتُمُ بِها

حَياً ثُمَّ وَبلٌ صَيِّفٌ وَرَبيعُ

حَياً ثُمَّ وَبلٌ صَيِّفٌ وَرَبيعُ

May the ruins of the dwelling where you are be watered

The ruins of the abode where you dwelt

By life-giving rain, then a summer downpour and spring rain.

Drank life, then became overgrown in summer and spring.

يَقولونَ صَبُّ بِالنِساءِ مُوَكَّلٌ

يَقولونَ صَبُّ بِالنِساءِ مُوَكَّلٌ

وَما ذاكَ مِن فِعلِ الرِجالِ بَديعُ

وَما ذاكَ مِن فِعلِ الرِجالِ بَديعُ

They say, “A lovesick man, given over to women.”

They say passion is charged to women,

And that is nothing strange in the ways of men.

Though that is no remarkable act of men.

مَضى زَمَنٌ وَالناسُ يَستَشفِعونَ بي

مَضى زَمَنٌ وَالناسُ يَستَشفِعونَ بي

فَهَل لي إِلى لُبنى الغَداةَ شَفيعُ

فَهَل لي إِلى لُبنى الغَداةَ شَفيعُ

There was a time when people sought my intercession;

An age has passed, and people seek intercession from me,

So is there an intercessor for me with Lubna this morning?

So do I have an intercessor with Lubna tomorrow morn?

أَيا حَرَجاتِ الحَيِّ حَيثُ تَحَمَّلوا

أَيا حَرَجاتِ الحَيِّ حَيثُ تَحَمَّلوا

بِذي سَلَمٍ لا جادَكُنَّ رَبيعُ

بِذي سَلَمٍ لا جادَكُنَّ رَبيعُ

O thickets of the encampment, where they packed up and left,

O saddle mounts of al-Hayy, where you endured

At Dhu Salam, may no spring rain water you!

With Dhi Salam, nor did spring gratify you,

وَخَيماتُكِ اللاتي بِمُنعَرَجِ اللِوى

وَخَيماتُكِ اللاتي بِمُنعَرَجِ اللِوى

بِلَينَ بِلاً لَم تُبلُهُنَّ رُبوعُ

بِلَينَ بِلاً لَم تُبلُهُنَّ رُبوعُ

And your tents at the bend of al-Liwa

And your tents at Liwa’s crest,

Have worn away with a decay no other encampments have known.

Which the breezes did not make supple -

إِلى اللَهِ أَشكو نِيَّةً شَقَّتِ العَصا

إِلى اللَهِ أَشكو نِيَّةً شَقَّتِ العَصا

هِيَ اليَومَ شَتّى وَهيَ أَمسي جَميعُ

هِيَ اليَومَ شَتّى وَهيَ أَمسي جَميعُ

To God I complain of a resolve that split the staff of unity:

To God I complain of a purpose that split the staff

Today it is scattered, though in my yesterday it was whole.

Which today was refractory, and yesterday compliant.

وَما كادَ قَلبي بَعدَ أَيّامَ جاوَزَت

وَما كادَ قَلبي بَعدَ أَيّامَ جاوَزَت

إِلَيَّ بِأَجراعِ الثُدِيِّ يَريعُ

إِلَيَّ بِأَجراعِ الثُدِيِّ يَريعُ

And my heart could scarcely, after days that passed

And after days beyond count had passed me by,

At the sandy flats of al-Thudiyy, return to me.

My heart scarcely calmed from the draughts of your breast.

فَإِنَّ اِنهِمالَ العَينِ بِالدَمعِ كُلَّما

فَإِنَّ اِنهِمالَ العَينِ بِالدَمعِ كُلَّما

ذَكَرتُكِ وَحدي خالِياً لَسَريعُ

ذَكَرتُكِ وَحدي خالِياً لَسَريعُ

For my eye’s outpouring of tears, whenever

For the spilling of tears from my eyes whenever

I remember you alone, in solitude, is swift indeed.

I remember you, and me alone, is quick.

فَلَو لَم يَهِجني الظاعِنونَ لَهاجَني

فَلَو لَم يَهِجني الظاعِنونَ لَهاجَني

حَمائِمُ وُرقٌ في الدِيارِ وَقوعُ

حَمائِمُ وُرقٌ في الدِيارِ وَقوعُ

So had the departing travelers not stirred me, I would surely have been stirred

Had the slanderers not roused me, a flock of doves

By gray doves perched in the dwellings.

Among the dwellings would have roused me.

تَجاوَبنَ فَاِستَبكَينَ مَن كانَ ذا هَواً

تَجاوَبنَ فَاِستَبكَينَ مَن كانَ ذا هَواً

نَوائِحَ ما تَجري لَهُنَّ دُموعُ

نَوائِحَ ما تَجري لَهُنَّ دُموعُ

They called to one another, making whoever loved weep:

They communed and wept, those who were love-possessed,

Wailing mourners, though no tears flow from them.

With unchecked tears flowing from them.