أَلا قُل لِهِندٍ إِحرَجي وَتَأَثَّمي

أَلا قُل لِهِندٍ إِحرَجي وَتَأَثَّمي

وَلا تَقتُليني لا يَحِلُّ لَكُم دَمي

وَلا تَقتُليني لا يَحِلُّ لَكُم دَمي

Listen, tell Hind: be scrupulous and shun sin;

Oh say to Hind, be shy and frown

and do not kill me—my blood is not lawful for you.

And do not kill me, shedding my blood is unlawful for you

وَحُلّى حِبالَ السِحرِ عَن قَلبِ عاشِقٍ

وَحُلّى حِبالَ السِحرِ عَن قَلبِ عاشِقٍ

حَزينٍ وَلا تَستَحقِبي فَتلَ مُسلِمِ

حَزينٍ وَلا تَستَحقِبي فَتلَ مُسلِمِ

And loosen the cords of magic from a lover’s heart,

And unravel the ropes of sorcery from the heart of a lovesick

sorrowful; do not take upon yourself the killing of a Muslim.

Sorrowful one, and do not spurn me lest you wrong a Muslim

فَأَنتِ وَبَيتِ اللَهِ هَمّي وَمُنيَتي

فَأَنتِ وَبَيتِ اللَهِ هَمّي وَمُنيَتي

وَكِبرُ مُنانا مِن فَصيحٍ وَأَعجَمِ

وَكِبرُ مُنانا مِن فَصيحٍ وَأَعجَمِ

For you, by the House of God, are my concern and my desire,

For you and the House of God are my desire and refuge

and the greatest wish of us all, eloquent and foreign-tongued alike.

Whether an eloquent Arab or a babbling foreigner

فَوَاللَهِ ما أَحبَبتُ حُبَّكِ أَيِّماً

فَوَاللَهِ ما أَحبَبتُ حُبَّكِ أَيِّماً

وَلا ذاتَ بَعلٍ يا هُنَيدَةُ فَاِعلَمي

وَلا ذاتَ بَعلٍ يا هُنَيدَةُ فَاِعلَمي

By God, I have never loved an unmarried woman as I love you,

By God I have never loved your love at any time

nor a married woman, Hunayda—know that.

Or the being of a husband, O Henida, so know

فَصَدَّت وَقالَت كاذِبٌ وَتَجَهَّمَت

فَصَدَّت وَقالَت كاذِبٌ وَتَجَهَّمَت

فَنَفسي فِداءُ المُعرِضِ المُتَجَهِّمِ

فَنَفسي فِداءُ المُعرِضِ المُتَجَهِّمِ

Then she turned away, said, “Liar!” and scowled.

She turned away and said “Liar!” and frowned

So may my soul ransom the one who turns away and scowls.

So my soul is a ransom for the one who turns away frowning

فَقالَت وَصَدَّت ما تَزالُ مُتَيَّماً

فَقالَت وَصَدَّت ما تَزالُ مُتَيَّماً

صَبوباً بِنَجدٍ ذا هَوىً مُتَقَسِّمِ

صَبوباً بِنَجدٍ ذا هَوىً مُتَقَسِّمِ

Then she said, turning away: You remain enslaved by love,

She said and turned away, you still pine

passionately yearning in Najd, with a divided passion.

Passionately in love with Najd, one with divided love

وَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا بِالثَنِيَّةِ أَومَضَت

وَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا بِالثَنِيَّةِ أَومَضَت

مَخافَةَ عَينِ الكاشِحِ المُتَنَمِّمِ

مَخافَةَ عَينِ الكاشِحِ المُتَنَمِّمِ

And when we met at the mountain pass, she flashed a glance,

And when we met at the narrow pass, she flashed

fearing the eye of the spiteful talebearer.

Fearfully, dreading the prying eyes of the spying onlooker

أَشارَت بِطَرفِ العَينِ خَشيَةَ أَهلِها

أَشارَت بِطَرفِ العَينِ خَشيَةَ أَهلِها

إِشارَةَ مَحزونٍ وَلَم تَتَكَلَّمِ

إِشارَةَ مَحزونٍ وَلَم تَتَكَلَّمِ

She signaled with the corner of her eye, fearing her family,

She hinted with a wink, fearing her family

the gesture of one sorrowful, and did not speak.

The hinting of a dejected one, and did not speak

فَأَيقَنتُ أَنَّ الطَرفَ قَد قالَ مَرحَباً

فَأَيقَنتُ أَنَّ الطَرفَ قَد قالَ مَرحَباً

وَأَهلاً وَسَهلاً بِالحَبيبِ المُتَيَّمِ

وَأَهلاً وَسَهلاً بِالحَبيبِ المُتَيَّمِ

Then I knew for certain that her glance had said: Welcome,

So I knew the wink had said “Welcome"

and a warm welcome to the beloved, enslaved by love.

And “Greetings” to the lovelorn beloved

فَأَبرَدتُ طَرفي نَحوَها بِتَحِيَّةٍ

فَأَبرَدتُ طَرفي نَحوَها بِتَحِيَّةٍ

وَقُلتُ لَها قَولَ اِمرِئٍ غَيرَ مُفحَمِ

وَقُلتُ لَها قَولَ اِمرِئٍ غَيرَ مُفحَمِ

Then I sent my glance toward her with a greeting,

So I glanced at her in return with a greeting

and spoke to her as a man not struck speechless.

And said to her words of an unashamed man

وَإِنّي لِأُذري كُلَّما هاجَ ذِكرُكُم

وَإِنّي لِأُذري كُلَّما هاجَ ذِكرُكُم

دُموعاً أَغَصَّت لَهجَتي بِتَكَلُّمِ

دُموعاً أَغَصَّت لَهجَتي بِتَكَلُّمِ

And I do shed, whenever memory of you stirs,

And I confess, whenever your memory stirs

tears that choke my voice as I speak.

It brings forth tears that choke my utterance when I speak

وَأَنقَدُ طَوعاً لِلَّذي أَنتَ أَهلُهُ

وَأَنقَدُ طَوعاً لِلَّذي أَنتَ أَهلُهُ

عَلى غِلظَةٍ مِنكُم لَنا وَتَجَهُّمِ

عَلى غِلظَةٍ مِنكُم لَنا وَتَجَهُّمِ

And I yield willingly to what befits you,

And I willingly concede to the one whom you deserve

despite your harshness toward us and your scowling.

Despite your coldness toward us and frowning

أُلامُ عَلى حُبِّ كَأَنّي سَنَنتُهُ

أُلامُ عَلى حُبِّ كَأَنّي سَنَنتُهُ

وَقَد سُنَّ هَذا الحُبُّ مِن قَبلِ جُرهُمِ

وَقَد سُنَّ هَذا الحُبُّ مِن قَبلِ جُرهُمِ

I am blamed for love, as though I had instituted it,

Alas for a love as if I was the first to invent it

though this love was instituted before Jurhum.

Yet this love was ordained long before my time

وَقالَت أَطَعتَ الكاشِحينَ وَمَن يُطَع

وَقالَت أَطَعتَ الكاشِحينَ وَمَن يُطَع

مَقالَةَ واشٍ كاذِبِ القَولِ يَندَمِ

مَقالَةَ واشٍ كاذِبِ القَولِ يَندَمِ

And she said: You obeyed the spiteful; whoever heeds

And she said, “You have obeyed the slanderers, and whoever obeys

the words of a lying talebearer will regret it.

The words of a foolish liar will regret it

وَصَرَّمتَ حَبلَ الوُدِّ مِن وُدِّكَ الَّذي

وَصَرَّمتَ حَبلَ الوُدِّ مِن وُدِّكَ الَّذي

حَباكَ بِمَحضِ الوُدِّ قَبلَ التَفَهُّمِ

حَباكَ بِمَحضِ الوُدِّ قَبلَ التَفَهُّمِ

And you severed the cord of affection with your beloved, who

You have unraveled the rope of affection from your love

gave you pure affection before understanding.

Which bound you in pure love before understanding

فَقُلتُ اِسمَعي يا هِندُ ثُمَّ تَفَهَّمي

فَقُلتُ اِسمَعي يا هِندُ ثُمَّ تَفَهَّمي

مَقالَةَ مَحزونٍ بِحُبِّكِ مُغرَمِ

مَقالَةَ مَحزونٍ بِحُبِّكِ مُغرَمِ

Then I said: Listen, Hind, and then understand

So I said, “Listen, O Hind, then understand

the words of a grieving man, enthralled by love for you.

The words of one passionately in love with you

لَقَد ماتَ سِرّي وَاِستَقامَت مَوَدَّتي

لَقَد ماتَ سِرّي وَاِستَقامَت مَوَدَّتي

وَلَم يَنشَرِح بِالقَولِ يا حَبَّتي فَمي

وَلَم يَنشَرِح بِالقَولِ يا حَبَّتي فَمي

Indeed, my secret has died, and my affection has stayed true;

Indeed my secret has died and my affection is sincere

and my mouth has not opened in speech, my beloved.

And my heart has found no relief in words, O beloved

فَإِن تَقتُلي في غَيرِ ذَنبٍ أَقُل لَكُم

فَإِن تَقتُلي في غَيرِ ذَنبٍ أَقُل لَكُم

مَقَلَةَ مَظلومٍ مَشوقٍ مُتَيَّمِ

مَقَلَةَ مَظلومٍ مَشوقٍ مُتَيَّمِ

So if you kill me for no fault, I shall say to you

So if you kill me though I am guiltless, I say to you

the words of one wronged, yearning, and enslaved by love:

The words of an oppressed lovelorn one

هَنيئاً لَكُم قَتلي وَصَفُّ مَوَدَّتي

هَنيئاً لَكُم قَتلي وَصَفُّ مَوَدَّتي

فَقَد سيطَ مِن لَحمي هَواكِ وَمِن دَمي

فَقَد سيطَ مِن لَحمي هَواكِ وَمِن دَمي

May my killing and the purity of my affection bring you joy,

Congratulations on killing me and ending my devotion

for love of you is blended from my flesh and my blood.

For my flesh has been pierced by love of you, and my blood”