إِنَّ أَهوى العِبادَ شَخصاً إِلَينا

إِنَّ أَهوى العِبادَ شَخصاً إِلَينا

وَأَلَذَّ العِبادِ نَغماً وَدَلّا

وَأَلَذَّ العِبادِ نَغماً وَدَلّا

Indeed, the dearest person of all to us,

The one I love most drew near to us

and the sweetest of all in voice and coy charm,

And the sweetest song fell on my ear

لَلَّتي بِالبَلاطِ أَمسَت تَشَكّي

لَلَّتي بِالبَلاطِ أَمسَت تَشَكّي

رَمَداً لَيتَهُ بِعَينِيَ حَلّا

رَمَداً لَيتَهُ بِعَينِيَ حَلّا

is she who at al-Balāṭ spent the evening complaining

The one with tears in her eyes at the palace

of sore eyes—would that the ailment had settled in my eye!

Would that her tears fell in my eyes

أَرسَلَت نَحوِيَ الرَسولَ لِأَلقا

أَرسَلَت نَحوِيَ الرَسولَ لِأَلقا

ها فَأَرسَلتُ عِندَ ذاكَ بِأَن لا

ها فَأَرسَلتُ عِندَ ذاكَ بِأَن لا

She sent the messenger toward me so I might meet

She sent a messenger for me to come

her; then I sent word, “No,

But I sent back that I cannot

لَستُ أَسطيعُ لِلرَسولِ وَأَيقَن

لَستُ أَسطيعُ لِلرَسولِ وَأَيقَن

تُ يَقيناً بِلَومِها حينَ وَلّى

تُ يَقيناً بِلَومِها حينَ وَلّى

I cannot,” to the messenger; and I was certain—

I cannot go to the messenger and was sure

quite certain of her reproach when he turned away.

She would blame me when he left

رَجَعَتهُ إِلَيَّ لَمَّ أَتاها

رَجَعَتهُ إِلَيَّ لَمَّ أَتاها

وَبِأَيمانِها عَلَيَّ تَأَلّى

وَبِأَيمانِها عَلَيَّ تَأَلّى

She sent him back to me when he reached her,

She sent him back when he came to her

and by her oaths he adjured me.

And swore oaths against me

قالَ أَمسَت عَلَيكَ عَبدَةُ غَضبى

قالَ أَمسَت عَلَيكَ عَبدَةُ غَضبى

عَزَّ مِنها الغَداةَ ذاكَ وَجَلّا

عَزَّ مِنها الغَداةَ ذاكَ وَجَلّا

He said, “ʿAbda has become angry with you this evening.”

He said you have become the object of her wrath

Coming from her this morning, that was grievous and grave.

That morning he rode away in haste

قُلتُ فيمَ البُكاءُ وَالحُزنُ قالَت

قُلتُ فيمَ البُكاءُ وَالحُزنُ قالَت

لِلَّتي قَد عَلِقَت دونَ المُصَلّى

لِلَّتي قَد عَلِقَت دونَ المُصَلّى

I said, “Why the weeping and sorrow?” She said,

I said why the tears and the sorrow. She said

“For the woman you fell for this side of the prayer ground.

For the one who hangs below the niche

وَبَلَغنا وَاللَهِ وَصلَكَ أُخرى

وَبَلَغنا وَاللَهِ وَصلَكَ أُخرى

بَعدَ عَهدٍ فَقُلتُ يا عَبدَ كَلّا

بَعدَ عَهدٍ فَقُلتُ يا عَبدَ كَلّا

And, by God, we have heard of your liaison with another

And the news reached me, by God, of your marriage

after a pledge.” I said, “O ʿAbd, no!

After some time so I said no, by the grave

لا وَقَبرِ النَبِيِّ يا عَبدَ وَالحَج

لا وَقَبرِ النَبِيِّ يا عَبدَ وَالحَج

جِ وَمَن كانَ مُحرِماً وَمُحِلّا

جِ وَمَن كانَ مُحرِماً وَمُحِلّا

No—by the Prophet’s tomb, O ʿAbd, and the pilgrimage,

Of the Prophet, no O slave, and pilgrimage

and all who are in or out of pilgrimage consecration,

And sacred state of one in pilgrim garb

ما عَلى الأَرضِ مَن أُحِبُّ سِواكُم

ما عَلى الأَرضِ مَن أُحِبُّ سِواكُم

مِن جَميعِ النِساءِ قَلَت فَهَلّا

مِن جَميعِ النِساءِ قَلَت فَهَلّا

there is no one on earth I love but you,

None on earth do I love save you

among all women.” She said, “Then why not

Of all women, she said. So why not?

قُلتَ لَمّا دَخَلتَ هَذا وَلَكِن

قُلتَ لَمّا دَخَلتَ هَذا وَلَكِن

غابَ لَمّا دَخَلتَ هَذا وَضَلّا

غابَ لَمّا دَخَلتَ هَذا وَضَلّا

say this when you entered? And yet

You said when you entered this but

this vanished when you entered, and went astray.”

Disappeared when you entered this and was lost