وَدِّع لُبابَةَ قَبلَ أَن تَتَرَحَّلا

وَدِّع لُبابَةَ قَبلَ أَن تَتَرَحَّلا

وَاِسأَل فَإِنَّ قَليلَهُ أَن تَسأَلا

وَاِسأَل فَإِنَّ قَليلَهُ أَن تَسأَلا

Bid farewell to Lubabah before you depart.

Bid farewell to Lubaba before you depart

And ask her, for the least you can do is ask.

And ask, for it is little to ask

أُمكُث بَعَمرِكَ لَيلَةً وَتَأَنَّها

أُمكُث بَعَمرِكَ لَيلَةً وَتَأَنَّها

فَلَعَلَّ ما بَخِلَت بِهِ أَن يُبذَلا

فَلَعَلَّ ما بَخِلَت بِهِ أَن يُبذَلا

Stay, by your life, for a night, and take your time through it;

Stay a night in your life, linger over it

Perhaps what she has withheld may be given.

Perhaps what was held back may be given

قالَ اِئتَمِر ما شِئتَ غَيرَ مُنازَعٍ

قالَ اِئتَمِر ما شِئتَ غَيرَ مُنازَعٍ

فيما هَويتَ فَإِنَّنا لَن نَعجَلا

فيما هَويتَ فَإِنَّنا لَن نَعجَلا

He said, "Plan as you wish, with no one opposing you

He said, “Command what you wish without contention

In what you desire; we shall not hurry.

In what you desire, we shall not hasten”

لَسنا نُبالي حينَ تُدرِكَ حاجَةً

لَسنا نُبالي حينَ تُدرِكَ حاجَةً

ما باتَ أَو ظَلَّ المَطِيُّ مُعَقَّلا

ما باتَ أَو ظَلَّ المَطِيُّ مُعَقَّلا

While you attain your wish, we do not care

We do not care when you attain a need

How long the riding camels remain hobbled, by night or day.

Whether it passes the night or the riding beast remains saddled

نَجزي بِأَيدٍ كُنتَ تَبذُلُها لَنا

نَجزي بِأَيدٍ كُنتَ تَبذُلُها لَنا

حَقٌّ عَلَينا واجِبٌ أَن نَفعَلا

حَقٌّ عَلَينا واجِبٌ أَن نَفعَلا

We repay you for favors you used to bestow on us;

We fulfill with hands you used to extend to us

It is our obligation, a duty we must fulfill."

It is a right upon us, a duty we must do

حَتّى إِذا ما اللَيلُ جَنَّ ظَلامُهُ

حَتّى إِذا ما اللَيلُ جَنَّ ظَلامُهُ

وَرَقَبتُ غَفلَةَ كاشِحٍ أَن يَمحُلا

وَرَقَبتُ غَفلَةَ كاشِحٍ أَن يَمحُلا

Until, when the darkness of night had closed in,

Until when the night dons its darkness

And I watched for a spiteful foe's lapse of vigilance, lest he denounce me,

And the neck of an unaware slumberer inclines to nod

وَاِستَنكَحَ النَومُ الَّذينَ نَخافُهُم

وَاِستَنكَحَ النَومُ الَّذينَ نَخافُهُم

وَرَمى الكَرى بَوّابَهُم فَتَخَبَّلا

وَرَمى الكَرى بَوّابَهُم فَتَخَبَّلا

And sleep had wedded those we feared,

And sleep seduces those we fear

And slumber struck their doorkeeper, leaving him dazed,

And throws their doorkeepers into confusion and turmoil

خَرَجَت تَأَطَّرُ في الثِيابِ كَأَنَّها

خَرَجَت تَأَطَّرُ في الثِيابِ كَأَنَّها

أَيمٌ يَسيبُ عَن كَثيبٍ أَهيَلا

أَيمٌ يَسيبُ عَن كَثيبٍ أَهيَلا

She came out, swaying in her garments, as though she were

She went out, cloaked in clothes as though she were

A serpent gliding from a dune of loose sand.

A sand grouse fleeing from a sand dune

فَجَلا القِناعُ سَحابَةً مَشهورَةً

فَجَلا القِناعُ سَحابَةً مَشهورَةً

غَرّاءَ تُعشى الطَرفِ أَن يَتَأَمَّلا

غَرّاءَ تُعشى الطَرفِ أَن يَتَأَمَّلا

Then the veil revealed a cloud in full view,

So her veil slipped, a famed cloud

Radiant, dazzling the eye that would gaze upon it.

Brownish, delighting the eyes that gaze

سَلَّمتُ حينَ لَقيتُها فَتَهَلَّلَت

سَلَّمتُ حينَ لَقيتُها فَتَهَلَّلَت

لِتَحيَّتي لَمّا رَأَتني مُقبِلا

لِتَحيَّتي لَمّا رَأَتني مُقبِلا

I greeted her when I met her, and she beamed

I greeted her when I met her, and she smiled

At my greeting when she saw me approaching.

At my greeting when she saw me approaching

فَلَبِثتُ أَرقيها بِما لَو عاقِلٌ

فَلَبِثتُ أَرقيها بِما لَو عاقِلٌ

يُرقى بِهِ ما اِسطاعَ أَلّا يَنزِلَ

يُرقى بِهِ ما اِسطاعَ أَلّا يَنزِلَ

So I lingered, charming her with words—if a wary ibex

So I remained enticing her with that which if she were rational

Were charmed by them, it could not help but descend.

She would be enticed and not descend

تَدنو فَتُطمِعُ ثُمَّ تَمنَعُ بَذلَها

تَدنو فَتُطمِعُ ثُمَّ تَمنَعُ بَذلَها

نَفسٌ أَبَت بِالجودِ أَن تَتَحَلَّلا

نَفسٌ أَبَت بِالجودِ أَن تَتَحَلَّلا

She draws near, stirring hope; then her favors are withheld

Drawing near then denying her gift

By a soul that refuses to unbind itself through generosity.

A soul who refused to be generous and melt