وَآخِرُ عَهدي بِالرَبابِ مَقالُها

وَآخِرُ عَهدي بِالرَبابِ مَقالُها

لَنا لَيلَةَ البَطحاءِ وَالدَمعُ يَسجُمُ

لَنا لَيلَةَ البَطحاءِ وَالدَمعُ يَسجُمُ

And my last memory of al-Rabab was her saying

My last testament to Rabab as she spoke

To us that night at al-Batha, while tears streamed:

Of our night in Bat'ha while tears flowed

طَرِبتَ وَطاوَعتَ الوُشاةَ وَبَيَّنَت

طَرِبتَ وَطاوَعتَ الوُشاةَ وَبَيَّنَت

شَمائِلُ مِن وَجدٍ فَفيمَ التَجَرُّمُ

شَمائِلُ مِن وَجدٍ فَفيمَ التَجَرُّمُ

“You were stirred and heeded the slanderers, and there appeared

You were perturbed and obeyed the slanderers and clarified

Signs of longing—so why this faultfinding?

The attributes of a passionate love so why the crime?

هَلُمَّ فَأَخبِرني بِذَنبِيَ أَعتَرِف

هَلُمَّ فَأَخبِرني بِذَنبِيَ أَعتَرِف

بِعُتباكَ أَو أَعرِف إِذاً كَيفَ أُصرَمُ

بِعُتباكَ أَو أَعرِف إِذاً كَيفَ أُصرَمُ

Come, then tell me my offense; I shall acknowledge

Come tell me of my sin that I may confess

Your right to amends, or then learn why I am cast off.

Of your grievance that I may know how to relent

فَإِن كانَ في ذَنبٍ إِلَيكَ اِجتَرَمتُهُ

فَإِن كانَ في ذَنبٍ إِلَيكَ اِجتَرَمتُهُ

تَعَمَّدتُهُ عَمداً فَنَفسِيَ أَلوَمُ

تَعَمَّدتُهُ عَمداً فَنَفسِيَ أَلوَمُ

For if, in an offense I committed against you,

If it was a sin against you I committed

I acted deliberately, on purpose, then I blame myself.

I did so intentionally and blame myself

وَإِن كانَ شَيئاً قالَهُ لَكَ كاشِحٌ

وَإِن كانَ شَيئاً قالَهُ لَكَ كاشِحٌ

كَما شاءَ يُسديهِ عَلَيَّ وَيُلحِمُ

كَما شاءَ يُسديهِ عَلَيَّ وَيُلحِمُ

And if it was something a spiteful foe told you,

And if it was something a defamer told you

As he pleased, laying its warp against me and weaving its weft,

However he wished to present it against me and piece together

فَصَدَّقتَهُ لَم أَستَطِع أَن أَوَدَّهُ

فَصَدَّقتَهُ لَم أَستَطِع أَن أَوَدَّهُ

وَلَم أَملِكِ الأَعداءَ أَن يَتَكَلَّموا

وَلَم أَملِكِ الأَعداءَ أَن يَتَكَلَّموا

And so you believed him—I could not love him,

So you believed him - I could not stop him

Nor could I keep my enemies from speaking.”

Nor control enemies speaking as they please

فَقُلتُ وَكانَت حُجَّةً وافَقَت بِها

فَقُلتُ وَكانَت حُجَّةً وافَقَت بِها

مِنَ الحَقِّ عِندي بَعضَ ما كُنتُ أَعلَمُ

مِنَ الحَقِّ عِندي بَعضَ ما كُنتُ أَعلَمُ

So I said—hers was an argument that accorded

I spoke and it was an argument agreeing with

With some of the truth I already knew—

Some truth I knew from me

صَدَقتِ وَمَن يَعلَم فَيَكتُم شَهادَةً

صَدَقتِ وَمَن يَعلَم فَيَكتُم شَهادَةً

عَلى نَفسِهِ أَو غَيرِهِ فَهوَ أَظلَمُ

عَلى نَفسِهِ أَو غَيرِهِ فَهوَ أَظلَمُ

“You spoke truly; and whoever knows but then conceals testimony

You spoke truthfully and whoever knows but hides a testimony

Against himself or another is more unjust.

Against himself or another is most unjust

فَأَمّا الَّذي فيهِ عَتِبتِ فَأَنفُهُ

فَأَمّا الَّذي فيهِ عَتِبتِ فَأَنفُهُ

لِأَنفِكِ في صَرمِ الخَلائِقِ أَرغَمُ

لِأَنفِكِ في صَرمِ الخَلائِقِ أَرغَمُ

As for the one with whom you found fault, his nose

As for that which you reproached me for, I submit

Is more abased before yours in severing ties with others.

To your reproach, for in the defiance of creation, I succumb

فَعُتباكَ مِنّي أَنَّني غَيرُ عائِدٍ

فَعُتباكَ مِنّي أَنَّني غَيرُ عائِدٍ

وَأُقسِمُ بِالرَحمَنِ لا نَتَكَلَّمُ

وَأُقسِمُ بِالرَحمَنِ لا نَتَكَلَّمُ

So my amends to you are that I will not return to it,

Your grievance with me is that I do not return

And I swear by the All-Merciful: we shall not speak.”

And I swear by the Merciful, we shall not speak

وَقُلتُ لَها لَو يَسلُكُ الناسُ وادِياً

وَقُلتُ لَها لَو يَسلُكُ الناسُ وادِياً

وَتَنحينَ نَحوَ الشَرقِ عَمّا تَيَمَّموا

وَتَنحينَ نَحوَ الشَرقِ عَمّا تَيَمَّموا

And I said to her: “If people followed a valley,

And I said to her, if people would take a path

While you turned east, away from where they headed,

And you turn East from their direction

لَكَلَّفَني قَلبي أُتابِعكِ إِنَّني

لَكَلَّفَني قَلبي أُتابِعكِ إِنَّني

بِذِكراكِ أُخرى الدَهرِ صَبٌّ مُتَيَّمُ

بِذِكراكِ أُخرى الدَهرِ صَبٌّ مُتَيَّمُ

My heart would compel me to follow you; indeed I

My heart would compel me to follow you, for I

Am lovesick and love-enslaved at the thought of you till time’s end.

Will be forever afflicted, lovesick with your memory

أَرى ما يَلي نَجداً إِذا ما حَلَلتِهِ

أَرى ما يَلي نَجداً إِذا ما حَلَلتِهِ

جَميلاً وَأَهوى الغَورُ إِن تَتَتَهَّموا

جَميلاً وَأَهوى الغَورُ إِن تَتَتَهَّموا

I find the lands bordering Najd, whenever you settle there,

I see what is beyond Najd, when you reside in it

Beautiful; and I love al-Ghawr if you go to Tihamah.”

As beautiful, and I adore the valley if you wander there