لَقَد أَرسَلَت نُعمٌ إِلَينا أَنِ اِئتِنا

لَقَد أَرسَلَت نُعمٌ إِلَينا أَنِ اِئتِنا

فَأَحبِب بِها مِن مُرسِلٍ مُتَغَضِّبِ

فَأَحبِب بِها مِن مُرسِلٍ مُتَغَضِّبِ

Nuʿm has indeed sent word to us: “Come to us.”

Nu'm indeed sent us word: 'Come to us!'

How delightful a sender she is, even when angry!

And how dear she is as a sender, though angry!

فَأَرسَلتُ أَن لا أَستَطيعُ فَأَرسَلَت

فَأَرسَلتُ أَن لا أَستَطيعُ فَأَرسَلَت

تُؤَكِّدُ أَيمانَ الحَبيبِ المُؤَنِّبِ

تُؤَكِّدُ أَيمانَ الحَبيبِ المُؤَنِّبِ

I sent back that I could not; then she sent again,

So I sent word, 'I cannot'; then she sent back,

reaffirming the oaths of the reproachful beloved.

reaffirming the oaths of the reproachful beloved.

فَقُلتُ لِجَنّادٍ خُذِ السَيفَ وَاِشتَمِل

فَقُلتُ لِجَنّادٍ خُذِ السَيفَ وَاِشتَمِل

عَلَيهِ بِحَزمٍ وَاِرقَبِ الشَمسَ تَغرُبِ

عَلَيهِ بِحَزمٍ وَاِرقَبِ الشَمسَ تَغرُبِ

So I said to Jannād: Take the sword and gird yourself

So I told Jannad, 'Take the sword and fold your cloak

with it firmly; watch until the sun goes down.

securely over it, and watch for the sun to set.

وَأَسرِج لِيَ الدَهماءَ وَاِذهَب بِمِمطَري

وَأَسرِج لِيَ الدَهماءَ وَاِذهَب بِمِمطَري

وَلا تُعلِمَن حَيّاً مِنَ الناسِ مَذهَبي

وَلا تُعلِمَن حَيّاً مِنَ الناسِ مَذهَبي

Saddle the dark mare for me, and take my waistcloth with you;

And saddle the black mare for me, and take along my rain-cloak,

do not let a living soul know where I am bound.

and let no living soul know where I am going.

وَمَوعِدُكَ البَطحاءُ مَن بَطنِ يَأجَجٍ

وَمَوعِدُكَ البَطحاءُ مَن بَطنِ يَأجَجٍ

أَوِ الشَعبُ ذو المَمروخِ مِن بَطنِ مُغرِبِ

أَوِ الشَعبُ ذو المَمروخِ مِن بَطنِ مُغرِبِ

Your appointed meeting place is al-Baṭḥāʾ, in the vale of Yaʾjaj,

And your meeting-place is the gravelly plain in the valley of Ya'jaj,

or the ravine of Dhū al-Marwakh in the vale of Mughrib.

or the ravine of al-Mamrukh in the valley of Mughrib.'

فَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا سَلَّمَت وَتَبَسَّمَت

فَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا سَلَّمَت وَتَبَسَّمَت

وَقالَت كَقَولِ المُعرِضِ المُتَجَنِّبِ

وَقالَت كَقَولِ المُعرِضِ المُتَجَنِّبِ

When at last we met, she greeted me and smiled,

Then, when we met, she greeted me and smiled,

then spoke as one who turns away and keeps aloof:

and spoke like one turning away and keeping aloof:

أَمِن أَجلِ واشٍ كاشِحٍ بِنَميمَةِ

أَمِن أَجلِ واشٍ كاشِحٍ بِنَميمَةِ

مَشى بَينَنا صَدَّقتَهُ لَم تُكَذَّبِ

مَشى بَينَنا صَدَّقتَهُ لَم تُكَذَّبِ

“Was it for a spiteful tale-bearer, trafficking in slander,

'Was it because of a spiteful talebearer bearing slander,

who came between us? You believed him and did not call him false.

who came between us—you believed him and did not refute him—

قَطَعتَ حِبالَ الوَصلِ مِنّا وَمَن يُطِع

قَطَعتَ حِبالَ الوَصلِ مِنّا وَمَن يُطِع

بِذي وُدِّهُ قَولَ المُحَرِّشِ يُعتَبِ

بِذي وُدِّهُ قَولَ المُحَرِّشِ يُعتَبِ

You severed the cords of union between us; whoever heeds

that you severed the cords of union with us? And whoever heeds

an agitator’s word about one he loves will earn reproach.”

the instigator's words about his beloved will be reproached.'

فَباتَ وِسادي ثِنيُ كَفٍّ مُخَضَّبٍ

فَباتَ وِسادي ثِنيُ كَفٍّ مُخَضَّبٍ

مُعاوِدَ عَذبٍ لَم يُكَدَّر بِمَشرَبِ

مُعاوِدَ عَذبٍ لَم يُكَدَّر بِمَشرَبِ

That night my pillow was the fold of a henna-dyed hand,

So all night my pillow was the curve of a henna-dyed hand,

oft returned to and sweet, never clouded by drinking.

as I returned to sweet water, unmuddied at its drinking-place.

إِذا مِلتُ مالَت كَالكَثيبِ رَخيمَةٌ

إِذا مِلتُ مالَت كَالكَثيبِ رَخيمَةٌ

مُنَعَّمَةً حُسّانَةَ المُتَجَلبَبِ

مُنَعَّمَةً حُسّانَةَ المُتَجَلبَبِ

Whenever I leaned, she leaned with me, supple as a dune—

Whenever I leaned, she leaned like a sand dune—soft-voiced,

pampered and exquisitely lovely in her draped attire.

pampered, exquisite in her cloak-covered form.