خُذي حَدِّثينا يا قُرَيبُ الَّتي بِها

خُذي حَدِّثينا يا قُرَيبُ الَّتي بِها

أَهيمُ فَما تَجزي وَما تَتَحَوَّبُ

أَهيمُ فَما تَجزي وَما تَتَحَوَّبُ

Come, tell us, Qurayb, of her for whom

Tell me, my neighbor, about her

I pine, yet she gives no recompense and feels no remorse.

For whom I pine, in vain it avails me not

أُشَوَّقُ أَن تَنأى بِنائِلَةَ النَوى

أُشَوَّقُ أَن تَنأى بِنائِلَةَ النَوى

وَهَل يَنفَعَنّي قُربُها لَو تَقَرَّبُ

وَهَل يَنفَعَنّي قُربُها لَو تَقَرَّبُ

I am stirred to longing as separation bears Na'ila far away;

I long that she turn her abode away

and would her nearness help me, were she to draw near?

And does her nearness profit me if she draws near?

فَإِن تَتَقَرَّب يُسكِنِ القَلبَ قُربُها

فَإِن تَتَقَرَّب يُسكِنِ القَلبَ قُربُها

كَما النَأيُ مِنها مُحدِثُ الشَوقِ مُنصِبُ

كَما النَأيُ مِنها مُحدِثُ الشَوقِ مُنصِبُ

So if she draws near, her nearness will calm the heart,

If she draws near, her nearness calms my heart

just as distance from her stirs longing and brings weariness.

As distance from her excites longing in me

فَهَل تُجزِيَنّي أُمُّ بِشرٍ بِمَوقِفي

فَهَل تُجزِيَنّي أُمُّ بِشرٍ بِمَوقِفي

عَلى النَخلِ يَومَ البَينِ وَالعَينُ تَسكُبُ

عَلى النَخلِ يَومَ البَينِ وَالعَينُ تَسكُبُ

Will Umm Bishr, then, repay me for standing

Can Umm Bishr avail me in my stance

by the palm trees on the day of parting, while my eye poured out tears?

At the palm tree on the day of parting, as my eyes pour forth tears?

وَإِنّي لَها سِلمٌ مُسالِمُ سِلمِها

وَإِنّي لَها سِلمٌ مُسالِمُ سِلمِها

عَدُوٌّ لِمَن عادَت بِها الدَهرَ مُعجَبُ

عَدُوٌّ لِمَن عادَت بِها الدَهرَ مُعجَبُ

And I am at peace with her, at peace with her friends,

For her I am a submitting peacemaker if she is at peace

an enemy to those she has opposed, forever enamored of her.

An enemy to those with whom fate has enthralled her

أَبَيني اِبنَةَ التَيميِّ فيمَ تَبَلتِهِ

أَبَيني اِبنَةَ التَيميِّ فيمَ تَبَلتِهِ

عَشِيَّةَ لَفَّ الهاجِمينَ المُحَصَّبُ

عَشِيَّةَ لَفَّ الهاجِمينَ المُحَصَّبُ

Explain, daughter of al-Taymi, why you ravaged him with love,

The daughter of Taym denied me though I implored her

that evening when al-Muhassab gathered those rushing in?

One evening as the assailants gathered fully armed

خُذي العَقلَ أَو مِنّي وَلا تَمثُلي بِهِ

خُذي العَقلَ أَو مِنّي وَلا تَمثُلي بِهِ

وَفي العَقلِ دونَ القَتلِ لِلوِترِ مَطلَبُ

وَفي العَقلِ دونَ القَتلِ لِلوِترِ مَطلَبُ

Take the blood-money—or take it from me—and do not mutilate him;

Take my reason or take me, do not mimic it

and in blood-money, rather than killing, there is redress for a blood-feud.

For within reason, not murder, lies the goal of the bowstring