أَلا إِنّي عَشيَّةَ دارِ زَيدٍ

أَلا إِنّي عَشيَّةَ دارِ زَيدٍ

عَلى عَجَلٍ أَرَدتُ بِأَن أَقولا

عَلى عَجَلٍ أَرَدتُ بِأَن أَقولا

Lo, that evening at Zayd's house, I

Alas! By the home of Zaid as I passed

wished, in haste, to say:

In haste, I wished to say these words:

أَنيلي قَبلَ وَشكِ البَينِ إِنّي

أَنيلي قَبلَ وَشكِ البَينِ إِنّي

أَرى مَكثي بِأَرضِكُم قَليلا

أَرى مَكثي بِأَرضِكُم قَليلا

"Grant me your favor before parting draws near; I

Grant me before we part, for I see

see that my stay in your land will be brief."

My stay in your land will be but brief,

فَهَزَّت رَأسَها عَجَباً وَقالَت

فَهَزَّت رَأسَها عَجَباً وَقالَت

عَذَرتُكَ لَو تَرى مِنهُم غُفولا

عَذَرتُكَ لَو تَرى مِنهُم غُفولا

Then she shook her head in wonder and said:

She shook her head in wonder and said:

"I would excuse you, if you found them off their guard;

I would excuse you, if but you saw them heedless.

وَلَكِن لَيسَ يُعرَفُ لي خُروجٌ

وَلَكِن لَيسَ يُعرَفُ لي خُروجٌ

وَلا تَسطيعُ في سِرٍّ دُخولا

وَلا تَسطيعُ في سِرٍّ دُخولا

but I am not known to go out,

But no known way out is known to me

nor can you enter in secret.

Nor can I in secret make entry.

هَلُمَّ فَأَعطِني وَاِستَرضِ مِنّي

هَلُمَّ فَأَعطِني وَاِستَرضِ مِنّي

مَواثيقاً عَلى أَن لا تَحولا

مَواثيقاً عَلى أَن لا تَحولا

Come, give me—and ask of me—

Come, give me guarantees, and take mine

pledges that you will not change,

That we shall not fail in fealty,

وَأَن نَرعى الأَمانَةَ ما نَأَينا

وَأَن نَرعى الأَمانَةَ ما نَأَينا

وَنُعمِلُ في تَجاوُرِنا الرَسولا

وَنُعمِلُ في تَجاوُرِنا الرَسولا

and that we keep faith as long as we are far apart,

That we keep the trust, when far or near

and employ the messenger when we live near each other."

And in our neighborhood do the Prophet's precepts.

فَقُلتُ لَها وَدِدتُ وَلَيتَ أَنّي

فَقُلتُ لَها وَدِدتُ وَلَيتَ أَنّي

وَجَدتُ إِلى لِقائِكُمُ سَبيلاً

وَجَدتُ إِلى لِقائِكُمُ سَبيلاً

Then I said to her, "I would like that; if only I

Then to her I said, oh would that I

could find a way to meet you!"

Could find a way to meet with you!