نُعمُ الفُؤادِ مَزارُها مَحظورُ

نُعمُ الفُؤادِ مَزارُها مَحظورُ

بَعدَ الصَفاءِ وَبيتُها مَهجورُ

بَعدَ الصَفاءِ وَبيتُها مَهجورُ

Nuʿm of my heart—visiting her is forbidden,

The heart's delight, though access barred, her home abandoned after joy,

after our harmony, and her house is forsaken.

Far parts have torn us from each other, though my vigilance remains deployed,

لَجَّ البِعادُ بِها وَشَطَّ بِرَكبِها

لَجَّ البِعادُ بِها وَشَطَّ بِرَكبِها

نائي المَحَلَّ عَنِ الصَديقِ غَيورُ

نائي المَحَلَّ عَنِ الصَديقِ غَيورُ

Separation held her fast; her caravan was led far away

Sleepless, aware, wary, and wise to mens' ways, not for a moment forgetting

by a jealous man whose dwelling is far from her friend,

Her parting from me, though many matters came to pass and duties called,

حَذِرٌ قَليلُ النَومِ ذو قاذورَةٍ

حَذِرٌ قَليلُ النَومِ ذو قاذورَةٍ

فَطِنٌ بِأَلبابِ الرِجالِ بَصيرُ

فَطِنٌ بِأَلبابِ الرِجالِ بَصيرُ

wary, sleeping little, possessed of ill temper,

The day we parted, soon, she walked towards me, hands waving, cloak asunder,

shrewd, keenly discerning the minds of men.

To say "Delay your journey but a day, and, if delayed, brief will be the stay,"

لَم يُنسِني ما قَد لَقيتُ وَنَأيُها

لَم يُنسِني ما قَد لَقيتُ وَنَأيُها

عَنّي وَأَشغالٌ عَدَت وَأُمورُ

عَنّي وَأَشغالٌ عَدَت وَأُمورُ

I have not forgotten, despite what I have endured and her distance

Seeing my sadness, friends said "Shall we sit or leave as you desire? Your word we will obey,"

from me, and the cares and affairs that intervened,

I said "If it fulfills some need, then stay, for that would make me happiest today,"

مَمشى وَلَيدَتِها إِلَيَّ وَقَد دَنا

مَمشى وَلَيدَتِها إِلَيَّ وَقَد دَنا

مِن فُرقَتي يَومَ الفِراقِ بُكورُ

مِن فُرقَتي يَومَ الفِراقِ بُكورُ

her maidservant’s coming to me, when there drew near

I went to her when night had fallen darkly, shadows thick as veils obscure,

the early hour of my departure on the day of parting,

When she saw me, her smile shone as smiles do on the enraptured and demure,

وَمَفيضَ عَبرَتِها وَمَومى كَفِّها

وَمَفيضَ عَبرَتِها وَمَومى كَفِّها

وَرِداءُ عَصبٍ بَينَنا مَنشورُ

وَرِداءُ عَصبٍ بَينَنا مَنشورُ

nor the flow of her tears and the gesture of her hand,

Sweet musk and ambergris emerged from folds as camphor white and pure,

while a cloak of striped cloth lay spread between us:

We mingled like wine well-mixed, no bitterness or trouble to obscure,

أَن أَرجِ رِحلَتَكَ الغَداةَ إِلى غَدٍ

أَن أَرجِ رِحلَتَكَ الغَداةَ إِلى غَدٍ

وَثَواءُ يَومِ إِن ثَوَيتَ يَسيرُ

وَثَواءُ يَومِ إِن ثَوَيتَ يَسيرُ

“Put off your journey this morning until tomorrow;

If you have changed and shut your heart to me, no gift nor treat can I procure,

and a day’s stay, if you stay, is a little thing.”

But, joyful at our meeting place, she doubles her affection and allure,

لَمّا رَآني صاحِبايَ كَأَنَّني

لَمّا رَآني صاحِبايَ كَأَنَّني

تَبِلٌ بِها أَو موزَعٌ مَقمورُ

تَبِلٌ بِها أَو موزَعٌ مَقمورُ

When my two companions saw me as though I were

Slanderers cannot change her constant love, we visit and messages endure,

lovesick for her, or besotted and robbed of my wits,

Trust no woman after her, for their betrayal I would have you rest assured,

وَتَبَيَّنا أَنَّ الثَواءَ لُبانَةٌ

وَتَبَيَّنا أَنَّ الثَواءَ لُبانَةٌ

مِنّي وَحَبسُهُما عَلَيَّ كَبيرُ

مِنّي وَحَبسُهُما عَلَيَّ كَبيرُ

and realized that staying was a desire

She who gave oaths beyond the amplest oaths that mortal minds endure,

of mine, and holding them back weighed heavily on me,

As when a cloud's thin shade brings desolation to the barren and the poor,

قالا أَنَقعُدُ أَو نَروحُ وَما تَشَأ

قالا أَنَقعُدُ أَو نَروحُ وَما تَشَأ

نَفعَل وَأَنتَ بِأَن تُطاعَ جَديرُ

نَفعَل وَأَنتَ بِأَن تُطاعَ جَديرُ

they both said, “Shall we stay or depart? And whatever you wish,

we will do; you deserve to be obeyed.

إِن كُنتَ تَرجو أَن تُلاقي حاجَةً

إِن كُنتَ تَرجو أَن تُلاقي حاجَةً

فَاِمكُث فَأَنتَ عَلى الثَواءِ أَميرُ

فَاِمكُث فَأَنتَ عَلى الثَواءِ أَميرُ

If you hope to attain your desire,

then stay—you are master over our stay.”

فَأَتَيتُها وَاللَيلُ أَدهَمُ مُرسَلٌ

فَأَتَيتُها وَاللَيلُ أَدهَمُ مُرسَلٌ

وَعَلَيهِ مِن سَدَفِ الظَلامِ سُتورُ

وَعَلَيهِ مِن سَدَفِ الظَلامِ سُتورُ

So I went to her while night, jet-black, was unloosed,

and over it hung veils of shadowy darkness.

رَحَّبتُ حينَ لَقَيتُها فَتَبَسَّمَت

رَحَّبتُ حينَ لَقَيتُها فَتَبَسَّمَت

وَكَذاكُمُ ما يَفعَلُ المَحبورُ

وَكَذاكُمُ ما يَفعَلُ المَحبورُ

I greeted her when I met her, and she smiled;

and that is what a joyful person does.

وَتَضَوَّعَ المِسكُ الذَكِيُّ وَعَنبَرٌ

وَتَضَوَّعَ المِسكُ الذَكِيُّ وَعَنبَرٌ

مِن جَيبِها قَد شابَهُ كافورُ

مِن جَيبِها قَد شابَهُ كافورُ

And fragrant musk and ambergris wafted

from her neckline, mingled with camphor.

كُنّا كَمِثلِ الخَمرِ كانَ مِزاجَها

كُنّا كَمِثلِ الخَمرِ كانَ مِزاجَها

بِالماءِ لا رَنقٌ وَلا تَكديرُ

بِالماءِ لا رَنقٌ وَلا تَكديرُ

We were like wine that had been blended

with water, without murk or clouding.

فَلَئِن تَغَيَّرَ ما عَهِدتَ وَأَصبَحَت

فَلَئِن تَغَيَّرَ ما عَهِدتَ وَأَصبَحَت

صَدَفَت فَلا بَذلٌ وَلا مَيسورُ

صَدَفَت فَلا بَذلٌ وَلا مَيسورُ

Yet if what you once knew has changed, and she has now

turned away, granting no favors or easy access,

لَبِما تُساعِفُ بِاللِقاءِ وَلُبُّها

لَبِما تُساعِفُ بِاللِقاءِ وَلُبُّها

فَرِحٌ بِقُربِ مَزارَنا مَسرورُ

فَرِحٌ بِقُربِ مَزارَنا مَسرورُ

indeed, she often granted a meeting, and her heart

was glad at our visit’s nearness, delighted,

إِذ لا تُغَيِّرُها الوُشاةُ فَوُدُّها

إِذ لا تُغَيِّرُها الوُشاةُ فَوُدُّها

صافٍ تُراسِلُ مَرَّةً وَنَزورُ

صافٍ تُراسِلُ مَرَّةً وَنَزورُ

when tale-bearers did not sway her, so her love

was pure; sometimes she sent word, and we would visit.

لا تَأمَنَنَّ الدَهرَ أُنثى بَعدَها

لا تَأمَنَنَّ الدَهرَ أُنثى بَعدَها

إِنّي لا مِن غَدرِهِنَّ نَذيرُ

إِنّي لا مِن غَدرِهِنَّ نَذيرُ

Never trust a woman after her, as long as you live;

indeed, I am no warner against their treachery,

بَعدَ الَّتي أَعطَتكَ مِن أَيمانِها

بَعدَ الَّتي أَعطَتكَ مِن أَيمانِها

ما لا يُطيقُ مِنَ العُهودِ ثَبيرُ

ما لا يُطيقُ مِنَ العُهودِ ثَبيرُ

after she who gave you, among her oaths,

pledges that even Mount Thabīr could not bear.

فَإِذا وَذَلِكَ كانَ ظِلَّ سَحابَةٍ

فَإِذا وَذَلِكَ كانَ ظِلَّ سَحابَةٍ

نَفَحَت بِهِ في المُعصِراتِ دَبورُ

نَفَحَت بِهِ في المُعصِراتِ دَبورُ

Then, behold, all that was the shadow of a cloud

that a west wind swept away amid the rain-laden clouds.