أَتُوصَلُ زَينَبُ أَم تُهجَرُ

أَتُوصَلُ زَينَبُ أَم تُهجَرُ

وَإِن ظَلَمَتنا أَلا نَغفِرُ

وَإِن ظَلَمَتنا أَلا نَغفِرُ

Shall ties with Zaynab be kept, or shall she be forsaken?

Shall Zainab be connected or abandoned

Even if she has wronged us, shall we not forgive?

Even if she wronged us, how could we not forgive

أَدَلَّت وَلَجَّ بِها أَنَّها

أَدَلَّت وَلَجَّ بِها أَنَّها

تُريدُ العِتابَ وَتَستَكبِرُ

تُريدُ العِتابَ وَتَستَكبِرُ

She has grown coy; what drives her on is that she

She hinted and insisted that she

wants to reproach me, yet is too proud.

Wants reproach and is arrogant

وَتَعلَمُ أَنَّ لَها عِندَنا

وَتَعلَمُ أَنَّ لَها عِندَنا

ذَخائِرَ مِلحُبِّ لا تَظهَرُ

ذَخائِرَ مِلحُبِّ لا تَظهَرُ

She knows that, for her, we hold

And she knows that with us

treasures of love that never show,

She has precious affection that does not appear

وَوُدّاً وَلَو نَطَقَ الكاشِحو

وَوُدّاً وَلَو نَطَقَ الكاشِحو

نَ فيها وَلَو أَكثَرَ المُكثِرُ

نَ فيها وَلَو أَكثَرَ المُكثِرُ

and affection, though the spiteful may speak

And love, even if the slanderers spoke

against her, however much the talker may say.

Ill of her, even if the critic exaggerates

وَلَستُ بِناسٍ مَقالَ الفَتاةِ

وَلَستُ بِناسٍ مَقالَ الفَتاةِ

غَداةَ المُحَصَّبِ إِذ جَمَّروا

غَداةَ المُحَصَّبِ إِذ جَمَّروا

Nor do I forget the maiden's words

And I'm not like the girl said

that morning at al-Muhassab, when they cast the pebbles:

The morning after they stirred up the ashes

أَلَستَ مُلِمّاً بِنا يا فَتىً

أَلَستَ مُلِمّاً بِنا يا فَتىً

إِذا نامَ عَنّا الأُلى نَحذَرُ

إِذا نامَ عَنّا الأُلى نَحذَرُ

“Will you not visit us, young man,

"Aren't you sheltering us, O youth

when those we fear sleep, heedless of us?”

When the misfortunes fall asleep, we are cautious?"

فَقُلتُ بَلى أَقعِدي ناصِحاً

فَقُلتُ بَلى أَقعِدي ناصِحاً

يُنَفِّضُ عَنّا الَّذي يَنظُرُ

يُنَفِّضُ عَنّا الَّذي يَنظُرُ

I said, “Yes; station someone trustworthy

So I said "Yes, stay advising

to ward off whoever watches us.

To shake off what worries us"

وَآيَةُ ذَلِكَ أَن تَسمَعي

وَآيَةُ ذَلِكَ أَن تَسمَعي

نِداءَ المُصَلّينَ يا مَعمَرُ

نِداءَ المُصَلّينَ يا مَعمَرُ

The sign of it will be that you hear

And proof of that is you hearing

the worshippers' call, O Maʿmar.”

The call to prayer, O long-lived one

فَأَقبَلتُ وَالناسُ قَد هَجَعوا

فَأَقبَلتُ وَالناسُ قَد هَجَعوا

إِذا كاعِبانِ وَرَخصُ البَنانِ

إِذا كاعِبانِ وَرَخصُ البَنانِ

So I came, while the people lay asleep.

So I came while the people were asleep

There were two full-breasted maidens, and one soft of fingers,

While two women argued and the date seller lowered his price

أَسيلٌ مُقَلَّدُهُ أَحوَرُ

أَسيلٌ مُقَلَّدُهُ أَحوَرُ

فَسَلَّمتُ خَفياً فَحيَينَني

فَسَلَّمتُ خَفياً فَحيَينَني

smooth of neck and dark-eyed.

A horse with its bridle hanging askew

I greeted them softly, and they greeted me,

So I secretly greeted them and she welcomed me

وَقَلبِيَ مِن خَشيَةٍ أَوجَرُ

وَقَلبِيَ مِن خَشيَةٍ أَوجَرُ

وَقالَت طَرِبتَ وَطاوَعتَ بي

وَقالَت طَرِبتَ وَطاوَعتَ بي

while my heart trembled with fear.

While my heart quivered with fear

She said, “You grew restless, and against me you heeded

And she said "You were disturbed and obeyed

مَقالَ العَدُوِّ وَمَن يَزجُرُ

مَقالَ العَدُوِّ وَمَن يَزجُرُ

فَقُلتُ مَقالَ أَخي فِطنَةٍ

فَقُلتُ مَقالَ أَخي فِطنَةٍ

the enemy's words and those of anyone who restrains you.”

The words of the enemy, who will deter him?"

I answered with the words of one endowed with insight,

So I said "The words of my wise brother

سَميعٍ بِمَنطِقِها مُبصِرُ

سَميعٍ بِمَنطِقِها مُبصِرُ

أَلِلصَرمِ تَطَّلِبينَ الذُنوبَ

أَلِلصَرمِ تَطَّلِبينَ الذُنوبَ

attentive to her speech and clear-sighted:

Who hears her speech and sees"

“Do you seek out faults as grounds for parting,

"Do you seek sins from the silent

وَلَم أَجنِ ذَنباً لِكَي تَغدِروا

وَلَم أَجنِ ذَنباً لِكَي تَغدِروا

فَإِن كُنتِ حاوَلتِ صَرمَ الحِبالِ

فَإِن كُنتِ حاوَلتِ صَرمَ الحِبالِ

though I have done no wrong to justify your betrayal?

When I have not sinned so that you may betray me

If you have tried to sever the cords,

If you have tried to cut the ropes of love

فَإِنَّ وِصالَكِ لا يُبتَرُ

فَإِنَّ وِصالَكِ لا يُبتَرُ

وَإِن كُنتِ أَدلَلتِ كَي تَعتَبي

وَإِن كُنتِ أَدلَلتِ كَي تَعتَبي

then the bond with you shall not be severed.

Then connecting with you cannot be severed

And if you have grown coy so as to reproach me,

And if you pretended to reproach

فَكَفّي لَكُم بِالرِضا توسِرُ

فَكَفّي لَكُم بِالرِضا توسِرُ

فَقالَت لَها حُرَّةٌ عِندَها

فَقالَت لَها حُرَّةٌ عِندَها

then my hand is rich in goodwill toward you.”

Then being content with you makes me rich"

Then a freeborn woman beside her said to her,

A free woman next to her said

لَذيذٌ مُقَبَّلُها مُعصِرُ

لَذيذٌ مُقَبَّلُها مُعصِرُ

دَعي عَنكِ عَذلَ الفَتى وَاِسعِفي

دَعي عَنكِ عَذلَ الفَتى وَاِسعِفي

a newly blossoming maiden whose mouth was sweet to kiss:

Sweetly, kissing her and squeezing her

“Leave off reproaching the young man, and oblige him;

"Leave off blaming the youth and favor him

فَإِنَّ الوِدادَ لَهُ أَسوَرُ

فَإِنَّ الوِدادَ لَهُ أَسوَرُ

فَبِتُّ أُحَكِّمُ فيما أَرَد

فَبِتُّ أُحَكِّمُ فيما أَرَد

for love is too strong for him.”

For affection has necklaces for him"

So I spent the night free to command whatever I wished,

So I stayed judging what she wanted

تُ حَتّى بَدا واضِحٌ أَشقَرُ

تُ حَتّى بَدا واضِحٌ أَشقَرُ

تَميلُ عَلَيَّ إِذا سُقتُها

تَميلُ عَلَيَّ إِذا سُقتُها

until a radiant, golden dawn appeared.

Until dawn broke bright and blond

She leaned toward me whenever I urged her on,

She would lean on me when I gave her to drink

كَما اِنهالَ مُرتَكِمٌ أَعفَرُ

كَما اِنهالَ مُرتَكِمٌ أَعفَرُ

يَفوحُ القَرَنفُلُ مِن جَيبِها

يَفوحُ القَرَنفُلُ مِن جَيبِها

as a heaped-up, tawny dune comes cascading down.

As a stumbling drunk leans, redolent

The scent of cloves wafts from her neckline,

Carnations wafted from her pocket

وَريحُ اليَلَنجوجِ وَالعَنبَرُ

وَريحُ اليَلَنجوجِ وَالعَنبَرُ

فَبِتُّ وَلَيلى كَلا أَو بَلى

فَبِتُّ وَلَيلى كَلا أَو بَلى

and the fragrance of aloeswood and ambergris.

And the scents of jasmine and amber

I spent the night—my night like a mere ‘no’ or ‘yes’—

So I stayed while my night with Layla, yes or no

لَدَيها وَبَل لَيلَتي أَقصَرُ

لَدَيها وَبَل لَيلَتي أَقصَرُ

وَكَيفَ اِجتِنابُكِ دارَ الحَبي

وَكَيفَ اِجتِنابُكِ دارَ الحَبي

beside her; rather, my night was shorter still.

Was by her, without my night being shorter

And how can you shun the beloved's dwelling,

And how can I avoid love’s home

بِ أَم كَيفَ عَن ذِكرِهِ تَصبِرُ

بِ أَم كَيفَ عَن ذِكرِهِ تَصبِرُ

رَأَتكَ بِعَينٍ وَأَبصَرتَها

رَأَتكَ بِعَينٍ وَأَبصَرتَها

or endure without speaking of him?

Or how can I abstain from mentioning her

She cast an eye on you, and you beheld her,

She saw you with one eye and you saw her

وَلَيسَ يُعاتِبُ مَن يَنظُرُ

وَلَيسَ يُعاتِبُ مَن يَنظُرُ

and whoever looks does not reproach.

And the one who sees does not reproach