أَعَبدَةُ ما يَنسى مَوَدَّتَكِ القَلبُ

أَعَبدَةُ ما يَنسى مَوَدَّتَكِ القَلبُ

وَلا هُوَ يُسليهِ رَخاءٌ وَلا كَربُ

وَلا هُوَ يُسليهِ رَخاءٌ وَلا كَربُ

O ʿAbda, the heart does not forget its love for you.

The hearts do not forget your love, Abda,

Nor can ease or distress make it forget,

Neither solace nor sorrow soothe it.

وَلا قَولُ واشٍ كاشِحٍ ذي عَداوَةٍ

وَلا قَولُ واشٍ كاشِحٍ ذي عَداوَةٍ

وَلا بُعدُ دارٍ إِن نَأَيتِ وَلا قُربُ

وَلا بُعدُ دارٍ إِن نَأَيتِ وَلا قُربُ

Nor the words of a spiteful talebearer full of enmity,

No slanderer's words filled with enmity,

Nor a home's remoteness, should you go far away, nor its nearness.

No distance if you depart, no nearness.

وَما ذاكِ مِن نُعمى لَدَيكِ أَصابَها

وَما ذاكِ مِن نُعمى لَدَيكِ أَصابَها

وَلَكِنَّ حُبّاً ما يُقارِبُهُ حُبُّ

وَلَكِنَّ حُبّاً ما يُقارِبُهُ حُبُّ

And that is not because of any favor it has received from you,

This is no bounty that came your way,

But because of a love no other love can match.

But a love no other love can match.

فَإِن تَقبَلي يا عَبدَ تَوبَةَ تائِبٍ

فَإِن تَقبَلي يا عَبدَ تَوبَةَ تائِبٍ

يَتُب ثُمَّ لا يُوجَد لَهُ أَبَداً ذَنبُ

يَتُب ثُمَّ لا يُوجَد لَهُ أَبَداً ذَنبُ

So if you accept, O ʿAbda, a penitent's repentance,

If you accept, o Abda, a penitent's repentance,

He will repent; then no sin of his will ever be found.

One who repents but for whom sin is never found.

أَذِلُّ لَكُم يا عَبدَ فيما هَويتُمُ

أَذِلُّ لَكُم يا عَبدَ فيما هَويتُمُ

وَإِنّي إِذا ما رامَني غَيرَكُم صَعبُ

وَإِنّي إِذا ما رامَني غَيرَكُم صَعبُ

I humble myself before you, O ʿAbda, in whatever you desire,

I am submissive to you in what you desire,

Yet I am unyielding when anyone other than you seeks me.

But stubborn if any but you seek me.

وَأَعذُلُ نَفسي في الهَوى فَتَعُقَّني

وَأَعذُلُ نَفسي في الهَوى فَتَعُقَّني

وَيَأصِرُني قَلبٌ بِكُم كَلِفٌ صَبُّ

وَيَأصِرُني قَلبٌ بِكُم كَلِفٌ صَبُّ

And I rebuke my soul for its passion, but it defies me,

I blame myself for passion, so it angers me,

And a heart infatuated with you, lovesick, holds me captive.

My heart bound to you, pouring, ever fervent.

وَفي الصَبرِ عَمَّن لا يُواتيكَ راحَةٌ

وَفي الصَبرِ عَمَّن لا يُواتيكَ راحَةٌ

وَلَكِنَّهُ لا صَبرَ عِندي وَلا لُبُّ

وَلَكِنَّهُ لا صَبرَ عِندي وَلا لُبُّ

And there is comfort in enduring separation from one who will not respond to you,

Patience with one who grants you no peace,

But I have neither patience nor reason.

But I have no patience, no composure.

وَعَبدَةُ بَيضاءُ المَحاجِرِ طَفلَةٌ

وَعَبدَةُ بَيضاءُ المَحاجِرِ طَفلَةٌ

مُنَعَّمَةٌ تُصبى الحَليمَ وَلا تَصبو

مُنَعَّمَةٌ تُصبى الحَليمَ وَلا تَصبو

And ʿAbda is fair around the eyes, soft-skinned,

Abda of the white, smooth cheeks, a child

Pampered, she beguiles the prudent man, yet does not yield to passion herself.

Pampered, who pours gently, and is not poured on.

قَطوفٌ مِنَ الحورِ الأَوانِسِ بِالضُحى

قَطوفٌ مِنَ الحورِ الأَوانِسِ بِالضُحى

مَتى تَمشِ قَيسُ الباعَ مِن بُهرِها تَربُ

مَتى تَمشِ قَيسُ الباعَ مِن بُهرِها تَربُ

Slow-stepping, one of the dark-eyed, winsome maidens in the forenoon;

Clusters from the lovely maidens at dawn,

Whenever she walks an armspan, she pants with exhaustion.

When does Qais the afflicted recover from their charm?

وَلَستُ بِناسٍ يَومَ قالَت لِأَربَعٍ

وَلَستُ بِناسٍ يَومَ قالَت لِأَربَعٍ

نَواعِمَ غُرٍّ كُلُّهُنَّ لَها تِربُ

نَواعِمَ غُرٍّ كُلُّهُنَّ لَها تِربُ

And I have not forgotten the day she said to four

I am not people on the day she said to four

Soft-skinned, fair-faced women, all her peers in age:

Gazelles, all of them her deer:

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري فيمَ كانَ صُدودُهُ

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري فيمَ كانَ صُدودُهُ

أَعُلِّقَ أُخرى أَم عَلَيَّ بِهِ عَتبُ

أَعُلِّقَ أُخرى أَم عَلَيَّ بِهِ عَتبُ

“Ah, if only I knew why he turned away—

Oh, would that I knew about his aloofness,

Has he fallen in love with another woman, or does he hold a grievance against me?”

Did he turn to another or was he vexed with me?