أقامت بالتَّثنِّي في الغَلائِل

أقامت بالتَّثنِّي في الغَلائِل

على كلَفي بِقامتِها دَلائِل

على كلَفي بِقامتِها دَلائِل

She stood there, swaying in her delicate robes;

Swaying in her fine robes, she furnished

her figure bore witness to my infatuation.

proofs of my infatuation with her figure.

وسلَّت مِن لواحِظها حُساماً

وسلَّت مِن لواحِظها حُساماً

عليهِ من ذَوائِبِها حَمائِل

عليهِ من ذَوائِبِها حَمائِل

From her sidelong glances she drew a sword,

And from her glances she drew a keen sword,

with her tresses as the straps that bore it.

with her tresses for its sword-belts.

ممنَّعةٌ منَ الخَفراتِ تحمي

ممنَّعةٌ منَ الخَفراتِ تحمي

حِماها بالكتائبِ والقَبائِل

حِماها بالكتائبِ والقَبائِل

Fortified among modest maidens, she guards

Well-guarded among modest maidens, she protects

her sanctuary with battalions and tribes.

her sanctuary with battalions and tribes.

تقولُ إِذا طلبتُ الوصلَ منها

تقولُ إِذا طلبتُ الوصلَ منها

وما في قَتلِها العُشَّاقَ طائِل

وما في قَتلِها العُشَّاقَ طائِل

She says whenever I seek union with her—

She says, when I ask her for union—

though there is no gain in slaying lovers—

though she gains nothing by killing lovers—

عدمتَ العقلَ يا مغرورُ حتَّى

عدمتَ العقلَ يا مغرورُ حتَّى

ترومَ العقلَ مِن مُقَلِ العَقائِل

ترومَ العقلَ مِن مُقَلِ العَقائِل

“May you be bereft of reason, deluded man, since

“You have lost your reason, deluded one, to the point

you seek reason in the eyes of noble ladies!”

of seeking blood-money from noble maidens’ eyes.”

يَميناً ما الحمائمُ حين تشدُو

يَميناً ما الحمائمُ حين تشدُو

بشَجوٍ فوق أغصانِ مَوائِل

بشَجوٍ فوق أغصانِ مَوائِل

By my oath, neither the doves, when they sing

I swear: no doves, when they sing

mournfully upon swaying boughs,

plaintively above swaying branches,

فيجلُبُ نَوحُها للرُّوحِ شَجواً

فيجلُبُ نَوحُها للرُّوحِ شَجواً

ويسلُبُ كلَّ همِّ كانَ هائِل

ويسلُبُ كلَّ همِّ كانَ هائِل

their lament bringing sorrow to the soul

their lament bringing sorrow to the soul

and stealing away every dreadful care;

and dispelling every overwhelming care,

ولا قُضبُ الأراكِ إذا كستها ال

ولا قُضبُ الأراكِ إذا كستها ال

سَواري وهيَ عاريةُ الخمائِل

سَواري وهيَ عاريةُ الخمائِل

nor the arak boughs, when clothed by the—

nor arak boughs, when clothed by the

night-rain clouds, though bare of leafy mantles—

night rains, with their thickets bare,

بِأَعشقَ مِن طَرائِقها غناءً

بِأَعشقَ مِن طَرائِقها غناءً

وأرشَقَ مِن معاطِفها شَمائِل

وأرشَقَ مِن معاطِفها شَمائِل

are more passion-stirring in song than her cadences,

are more impassioned in song than her melodies,

or more lithe in grace than the curves of her form.

or more graceful in bearing than her curves.

فديتُكَ غُصنَ قامتِها لوَ انِّي

فديتُكَ غُصنَ قامتِها لوَ انِّي

بظلِّك مِن هجيرِ الهجرِ قائِل

بظلِّك مِن هجيرِ الهجرِ قائِل

May I ransom you, bough of her figure, if only I

May I be your ransom, bough of her figure! If only I

might rest at noon in your shade from separation’s scorching heat.

could rest at noon in your shade from separation’s scorching heat!

وعصرُ وصالِنا والرَّبعُ زاهٍ

وعصرُ وصالِنا والرَّبعُ زاهٍ

بصُحبتِنا لوَ انَّكَ غيرُ زائِل

بصُحبتِنا لوَ انَّكَ غيرُ زائِل

O age of our union, and O dwelling made radiant

And, time of our union, when the dwelling shone

by our companionship—if only you had not passed away!

with our companionship—if only you were not fleeting!

أما وخلاصِها مِن أسرِ وجدٍ

أما وخلاصِها مِن أسرِ وجدٍ

قديماً مدَّ لي ولها حبائِل

قديماً مدَّ لي ولها حبائِل

By her release from the captivity of a passion

Indeed, by her release from the captivity of passion

whose snares were stretched long ago for her and me:

that long ago laid snares for me and her,

لقد كثُرت بحُسنِ العيشِ فيها

لقد كثُرت بحُسنِ العيشِ فيها

لنا تلكَ الُّييلاتُ القلائِل

لنا تلكَ الُّييلاتُ القلائِل

through the sweetness of the life within them, they became many—

indeed, through the sweetness of life in them, they became many—

for us, those few, those little nights!

for us, those few brief nights—

إلى أَن آضَ صَرفُ الدَّهرِ ظُلماً

إلى أَن آضَ صَرفُ الدَّهرِ ظُلماً

علينا بانقطاعِ الوصلِ صائِل

علينا بانقطاعِ الوصلِ صائِل

Until Time’s turn, in its injustice, became

until time’s vicissitudes turned unjustly

a barrier against us, cutting off union;

against us, assailing us by severing our union.

وأصبحَ بَينَ خُلَّةِ أهلِ وُدّي

وأصبحَ بَينَ خُلَّةِ أهلِ وُدّي

وبيني بالسَّطا والحولِ حائِل

وبيني بالسَّطا والحولِ حائِل

and now between a beloved among those I cherish

And it stood between the friendship of those dear to me

and me stands a barrier of displeasure and change.

and me, a barrier of force and might.

أعادَ بسلِّهِ سيفَ التَّعدِّي

أعادَ بسلِّهِ سيفَ التَّعدِّي

عليَّ دموعَ أجفانٍ سَوائِل

عليَّ دموعَ أجفانٍ سَوائِل

Drawn from its sheath, the sword of aggression brought back

Unsheathing the sword of aggression, it brought back

upon me the tears of ever-streaming eyelids.

upon me the streaming tears of my eyelids.

ألا يا دهرُ مالَكَ تبتليني

ألا يا دهرُ مالَكَ تبتليني

بأَحداثٍ أواخِرُها أوائِل

بأَحداثٍ أواخِرُها أوائِل

O Time, what ails you, that you afflict me

Ah, Time, why do you afflict me

with calamities whose endings are beginnings?

with calamities whose endings are beginnings?

أَلم تعلم بأنيِّ في أمانٍ

أَلم تعلم بأنيِّ في أمانٍ

منَ الَمِلك الرَّحيمِ أبي الفَضائِل

منَ الَمِلك الرَّحيمِ أبي الفَضائِل

Do you not know that I am under the protection

Do you not know that I am under the protection

of the merciful King, the Father of Virtues?

of the merciful king, Abu al-Fada’il?