وخُبّرتُها يومَ اِلتَقينا بذي النَّقا

وخُبّرتُها يومَ اِلتَقينا بذي النَّقا

تعجّبُ من وجدي وما عرفت وجْدا

تعجّبُ من وجدي وما عرفت وجْدا

And I was told of her, the day we met at Dhu al-Naqa:

I told her when we met in the valley of hardship

She marvels at my passion, though she has never known passion.

She was surprised at my passion though she knew no fervor

وتَحسبُ أنّي مُدّعٍ عِندَها الهَوى

وتَحسبُ أنّي مُدّعٍ عِندَها الهَوى

وتُعرِضُ عن دمعٍ بها أَترعَ الخدّا

وتُعرِضُ عن دمعٍ بها أَترعَ الخدّا

And she thinks I merely feign love before her,

She thought I was pretending, feigning love for her

And turns away from tears that, because of her, have flooded my cheek.

And turned away from tears with which I wet my cheeks

فَيا لَيتني لَم أُكْسَ مِنها صَبابةً

فَيا لَيتني لَم أُكْسَ مِنها صَبابةً

كما هي ظنّتْ لا ولم أعرف الجَهدا

كما هي ظنّتْ لا ولم أعرف الجَهدا

So, if only I had not been clothed in yearning for her,

Oh, would that I’d never learned tenderness from her

As she supposed, and had never known anguish.

As she supposed, and had not known exertion

ولمّا قُرعنا بالنّوى حين غفلةٍ

ولمّا قُرعنا بالنّوى حين غفلةٍ

تجلّدتُ مشتاقاً لتحسبني جَلْدا

تجلّدتُ مشتاقاً لتحسبني جَلْدا

And when separation struck us unawares,

And when we were separated for a time unawares

I steeled myself, though yearning, so she would think me steadfast.

I played the stoic though I yearned for her

وطار بقلبِي طائر البينِ عن يدي

وطار بقلبِي طائر البينِ عن يدي

على أنّني ما جُرتُ يومَ النَّوى قَصْدا

على أنّني ما جُرتُ يومَ النَّوى قَصْدا

And the bird of parting flew off with my heart, out of my hand,

The bird of separation flew off with my heart

Though I did not deliberately do wrong on the day of separation.

As if I had never purposefully drawn near on the day of bliss