خَليلَيَّ عَوجا حَيِّيا اليَومَ زَينَبا

خَليلَيَّ عَوجا حَيِّيا اليَومَ زَينَبا

وَلا تَترُكاني صاحِبَيَّ وَتَذهَبا

وَلا تَترُكاني صاحِبَيَّ وَتَذهَبا

My two friends, turn aside; greet Zaynab today.

My two companions, crooked Khaleel and lively Zeinab

Do not leave me, my two companions, and depart.

Don’t leave me my friends and go away

إِذا ما قَضَينا ذاتَ نَفسٍ مُهِمَّةٍ

إِذا ما قَضَينا ذاتَ نَفسٍ مُهِمَّةٍ

إِلَيها وَقَرَّت بِالهَوى العَينُ فَاِركَبا

إِلَيها وَقَرَّت بِالهَوى العَينُ فَاِركَبا

Once we have fulfilled a yearning soul's desire

When we finish an important task

for her, and love has gladdened the eye, then mount up.

To which desire has settled in the eyelids, then ride

أَقولُ لِواشٍ سالَني وَهوَ شامِتٌ

أَقولُ لِواشٍ سالَني وَهوَ شامِتٌ

سَعى بَينَنا بِالصَرمِ حيناً وَأَجلَبا

سَعى بَينَنا بِالصَرمِ حيناً وَأَجلَبا

I tell a slanderer who asked me while gloating—

I say to Washi who asked me while he gloats

who strove awhile to part us and raised a clamor—

He created problems between us sometimes and brought disgrace

سُؤالَ اِمرِئٍ يُبدي لَنا النُصحَ ظاهِراً

سُؤالَ اِمرِئٍ يُبدي لَنا النُصحَ ظاهِراً

يَجِنُّ خِلالَ النُصحِ غِشّاً مُغَيَّبا

يَجِنُّ خِلالَ النُصحِ غِشّاً مُغَيَّبا

with the question of one who outwardly offers us good counsel,

The question of a man who shows us advice apparently

yet conceals hidden deceit within his counsel,

He hides cheating through advice

عَلى العَهدِ سَلمى كَالبَريءِ وَقَد بَدا

عَلى العَهدِ سَلمى كَالبَريءِ وَقَد بَدا

لَنا لا هَداهُ اللَهُ ما كانَ سَبَّبا

لَنا لا هَداهُ اللَهُ ما كانَ سَبَّبا

“Is Salma true to her pledge?”—as though innocent, though it was clear

We were peaceful with Salma as if innocent

to us—may God not guide him—what he had caused:

And it wasn’t good for us what he had caused

نُعاني لَدَيها بَعدَما خِلتُ أَنَّهُ

نُعاني لَدَيها بَعدَما خِلتُ أَنَّهُ

لَهُ الوَيلُ عَن نَعتي لَدَيها قَد اِضَرَبا

لَهُ الوَيلُ عَن نَعتي لَدَيها قَد اِضَرَبا

“We suffer at her hands,” after I had thought that he

We suffer with her after I was alone that he

—woe to him!—had stopped speaking of me to her.

Woe to him from my description of him to her, they departed

فَإِن تَكُ سَلمى قَد جَفَتني وَطاوَعَت

فَإِن تَكُ سَلمى قَد جَفَتني وَطاوَعَت

بِعاقِبَةٍ بي مَن طَغى وَتَكَذَّبا

بِعاقِبَةٍ بي مَن طَغى وَتَكَذَّبا

So if Salma has indeed shunned me and obeyed,

If Salma has deserted me and obeyed

in the end, concerning me, the one who transgressed and lied,

The consequences with me of the one who transgressed and lied

فَقَد باعَدَت نَفساً عَلَيها شَفيقَةً

فَقَد باعَدَت نَفساً عَلَيها شَفيقَةً

وَقَلباً عَصى فيها المُحِبَّ المُقَرَّبا

وَقَلباً عَصى فيها المُحِبَّ المُقَرَّبا

then she has driven away a soul tenderly concerned for her,

She distanced a soul that cared about her

and a heart that, for her sake, defied a close, loving friend.

And a heart that the loving intimate disobeyed in her

وَلَستُ وَإِن سَلمى تَوَلَّت بِوُدِّها

وَلَستُ وَإِن سَلمى تَوَلَّت بِوُدِّها

وَأَصبَحَ باقي الوُدِّ مِنها تَقَضَّبا

وَأَصبَحَ باقي الوُدِّ مِنها تَقَضَّبا

And I will not—even if Salma has withdrawn her love

And even if Salma has turned away her love

and what remained of her affection has been severed—

And the rest of her love has withered

بِمُثنٍ سِوى عُرفٍ عَلَيها فَمُشمِتٍ

بِمُثنٍ سِوى عُرفٍ عَلَيها فَمُشمِتٍ

عُداةً بِها حَولي شُهوداً وَغُيَّبا

عُداةً بِها حَولي شُهوداً وَغُيَّبا

speak anything but well of her, nor give cause for gloating

I won’t be praised except by the custom upon her so the gloaters

to enemies over her—those around me, present or absent.

Surrounding me witnesses and hidden enemies

سِوى أَنَّني لا بُدَّ إِن قالَ قائِلٌ

سِوى أَنَّني لا بُدَّ إِن قالَ قائِلٌ

وَذو اللُبِّ قَوّالٌ إِذا ما تَعَتَّبا

وَذو اللُبِّ قَوّالٌ إِذا ما تَعَتَّبا

Yet I must say, if anyone speaks—

Except that I must, if someone says

and a man of sense is outspoken when he voices reproach—

And the eloquent speaker when he is hurt

فَلا مَرحَباً بِالشامِتينَ بِهَجرِنا

فَلا مَرحَباً بِالشامِتينَ بِهَجرِنا

وَلا زَمَنٍ أَضحى بِنا قَد تَقَلَّبا

وَلا زَمَنٍ أَضحى بِنا قَد تَقَلَّبا

no welcome, then, to those who gloat at our estrangement,

So no welcome to those who gloat about our separation

nor to a time that has turned against us.

And no era that has changed against us

وَما زالَ بي ما ضَمَّنَتني مِنَ الجَوى

وَما زالَ بي ما ضَمَّنَتني مِنَ الجَوى

وَمِن سَقَمٍ أَعيا عَلى مَن تَطَبَّبا

وَمِن سَقَمٍ أَعيا عَلى مَن تَطَبَّبا

And still I bear the burning grief she made me carry,

And he did not stop what he blamed me

and a sickness that has baffled anyone who tried to heal it,

And the sickness that I suffered from the one who accused

وَكَثرَةِ دَمعِ العَينِ حَتّى لَوَ أَنَّني

وَكَثرَةِ دَمعِ العَينِ حَتّى لَوَ أَنَّني

يَراني عَدُوٌّ شامِتٌ لَتَحَوَّبا

يَراني عَدُوٌّ شامِتٌ لَتَحَوَّبا

and such abundant tears from the eye that, were I

And the abundant tears of the eye as if

seen by a gloating enemy, he would be moved to pity.

An enemy saw me gloating, he would be confused