أَرسَلَت خُلَّتي إِلَيَّ بِأَنّا

أَرسَلَت خُلَّتي إِلَيَّ بِأَنّا

قَد أُتينا بِبَعضِ ما قَد كَتَمتا

قَد أُتينا بِبَعضِ ما قَد كَتَمتا

My beloved sent me word: “We

My aunt sent me a message that we

have been told some of what you had concealed,

Had uncovered some of what you two had concealed

وَبِهِجرانِكَ الرَبابَ حَديثاً

وَبِهِجرانِكَ الرَبابَ حَديثاً

سَوأَةٌ يا خَليلَ ما قَد فَعَلتا

سَوأَةٌ يا خَليلَ ما قَد فَعَلتا

and of your recent abandonment of al-Rabāb.

And by your estrangement, Rabab was freshly

What you have done is a disgrace, dear friend!

Grieved, O friend, by what you both had done

وَهَجَرتَ الرَبابَ مِن حُبِّ سُعدى

وَهَجَرتَ الرَبابَ مِن حُبِّ سُعدى

وَنَسيتَ الَّذي لَها كُنتَ قُلنا

وَنَسيتَ الَّذي لَها كُنتَ قُلنا

And you abandoned al-Rabāb out of love for Suʿdā,

You abandoned Rabab out of love for Su'da

and forgot what you had told her [the supplied text reads ‘we said’].

And forgot what you had said to her

وَلَعَمري لَيَحسُنَنَّ عَزائي

وَلَعَمري لَيَحسُنَنَّ عَزائي

عَنكَ إِذ كُنتَ غَيَّها قَد أَلِفتا

عَنكَ إِذ كُنتَ غَيَّها قَد أَلِفتا

And, by my life, I shall surely find consolation

By my life, my condolences about you

in parting from you, since you had grown accustomed to her waywardness.

Will be fine, since you had grown accustomed to her

وَكَأَنّي قَد كُنتُ أَعلَمُ أَنّي

وَكَأَنّي قَد كُنتُ أَعلَمُ أَنّي

لَستُ إِلّا كَمَن بِهِ قَد غَدَرتا

لَستُ إِلّا كَمَن بِهِ قَد غَدَرتا

And it is as though I had already known that I

It's as if I knew that I am

am no different from someone you have betrayed.

Nothing but one you both have betrayed

غَيرَ أَن قَد غَدَرتَني قَبلَ خُبرٍ

غَيرَ أَن قَد غَدَرتَني قَبلَ خُبرٍ

فَوَجَدناكَ كاذِباً إِذ خُبِرتا

فَوَجَدناكَ كاذِباً إِذ خُبِرتا

Except that you betrayed me before I had tested you;

Except you betrayed me before any news

so we found you a liar when you were tested.

So we found you lying when we were told

أَينَ أَيمانُكَ الغَليظَةُ عِندي

أَينَ أَيمانُكَ الغَليظَةُ عِندي

وَمَواثيقُ كُلَّها قَد نَقَضتا

وَمَواثيقُ كُلَّها قَد نَقَضتا

Where are your solemn oaths to me,

Where are your solemn oaths to me

and the pledges you have broken, every one—

And all the covenants you both have broken?

لا تَخونُ الرَبابَ ما دُمتَ حَيّاً

لا تَخونُ الرَبابَ ما دُمتَ حَيّاً

يا اِبنَ عَمّي فَقَد غَدَرتَ وَخُنتا

يا اِبنَ عَمّي فَقَد غَدَرتَ وَخُنتا

‘You will not betray al-Rabāb as long as you live’?

Do not betray Rabab as long as you live,

O my cousin, you have indeed betrayed and broken faith!

O cousin, for you have betrayed and been disloyal

وَأَتيتَ الَّذي أَتَيتَ بِعَمدٍ

وَأَتيتَ الَّذي أَتَيتَ بِعَمدٍ

لَم تَهَبنا لِذاكَ ثُمَّ ظَلَمتا

لَم تَهَبنا لِذاكَ ثُمَّ ظَلَمتا

And you did what you did deliberately;

You have intentionally done what you have done

you showed us no regard in that, then wronged us.

Without offering us that, then you wronged

إِن تُجِدَّ الوِصالَ مِنكَ فَإِنّا

إِن تُجِدَّ الوِصالَ مِنكَ فَإِنّا

قَبَّحَ اللَهُ بَعدَها مَن خَدَعتا

قَبَّحَ اللَهُ بَعدَها مَن خَدَعتا

If you renew the bond on your part, then we say:

If you intend to reconcile, we

may God disgrace whomever you deceive after her,

May God disfigure whoever deceived after this

مِن كَلامٍ تَهُذُّهُ وَبِحَلفٍ

مِن كَلامٍ تَهُذُّهُ وَبِحَلفٍ

فَلَعَمري فَرُبَّما قَد حَلَفتا

فَلَعَمري فَرُبَّما قَد حَلَفتا

with words you rattle off, and with oaths.

With words you mock and oaths

For, by my life, how often you have sworn,

By my life that you have perhaps sworn

ثُمَّ لَم توفِ إِذ حَلَفتَ بِعَهدٍ

ثُمَّ لَم توفِ إِذ حَلَفتَ بِعَهدٍ

بِئسَ ذو مَوضِعِ الأَمانَةِ أَنتا

بِئسَ ذو مَوضِعِ الأَمانَةِ أَنتا

then failed, when you swore, to keep a pledge.

Then you did not fulfill when you swore an oath

What a wretched keeper of trust you are!”

Wretched are you in matters of loyalty