وإِنّي لَتَعْروني لِذِكْراكِ رِعْدَةٌ

وإِنّي لَتَعْروني لِذِكْراكِ رِعْدَةٌ

لها بين جسمي والعِظامِ دَبيبُ

لها بين جسمي والعِظامِ دَبيبُ

And indeed, a shudder overtakes me at the thought of you,

Whenever I remember you a shiver runs through me,

creeping between my body and bones.

Making my body and bones quiver.

وما هُوَ إِلاّ أَنْ أَراها فُجاءَةً

وما هُوَ إِلاّ أَنْ أَراها فُجاءَةً

فَأُبْهَتُ حتى ما أَكادُ أُجِيبُ

فَأُبْهَتُ حتى ما أَكادُ أُجِيبُ

And I need only see her unexpectedly,

It's just that when I see you suddenly,

and I am stunned, scarcely able to answer.

I'm stunned and can barely respond.

وَأُصْرَفُ عن رَأْيي الّذي كُنْتُ أَرْتَئي

وَأُصْرَفُ عن رَأْيي الّذي كُنْتُ أَرْتَئي

وأَنسى الّذي حُدِّثْتُ ثُمَّ تَغيبُ

وأَنسى الّذي حُدِّثْتُ ثُمَّ تَغيبُ

And I am turned from the opinion I had held,

I dismiss my own opinion that I intended,

and forget what I was told; then she disappears.

And forget what I was saying, as you disappear.

وَيُظْهِرُ قَلْبي عُذْرَها ويُعينها

وَيُظْهِرُ قَلْبي عُذْرَها ويُعينها

عَلَيَّ فما لي في الفؤادِ نصيبُ

عَلَيَّ فما لي في الفؤادِ نصيبُ

And my heart sets forth her excuse and helps her

My heart reveals your excuses and assists you

against me; so I have no share in my own heart.

Against me, so I have no share in my own heart.

وقد عَلِمَتْ نفسي مكانَ شِفائِها

وقد عَلِمَتْ نفسي مكانَ شِفائِها

قَريباً وهل ما لا يُنالُ قريبُ

قَريباً وهل ما لا يُنالُ قريبُ

And my soul knows the place of its healing

Yet my soul knows where it can find its cure—

to be near; yet is what cannot be reached near?

Nearby. And what is near is soon obtained.

حَلَفْتُ بِرَكْبِ الرّاكعينَ لِرَبِّهِمْ

حَلَفْتُ بِرَكْبِ الرّاكعينَ لِرَبِّهِمْ

خشوعاً وفوقَ الرّاكعينَ رقيبُ

خشوعاً وفوقَ الرّاكعينَ رقيبُ

I swore by the band of riders bowing to their Lord,

I swore by the congregation bowing to their Lord,

in humble submission; and above those who bow is a watcher.

Humbly, with the Overseer above the bowing crowd,

لَئِنْ كانَ بَرْدُ الماءِ عطشانَ صادِياً

لَئِنْ كانَ بَرْدُ الماءِ عطشانَ صادِياً

إِليَّ حبيباً إِنَّها لَحَبيبُ

إِليَّ حبيباً إِنَّها لَحَبيبُ

If indeed the coolness of water, when I am thirsty and parched,

That if the coolness of water slakes my thirst

is dear to me, she is surely dear.

As a lover, she is indeed my darling.

وَقُلْتُ لِعَرِّافِ اليَمامَةِ دَاوِنِي

وَقُلْتُ لِعَرِّافِ اليَمامَةِ دَاوِنِي

فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ أَبْرَأْتَني لَطبيبُ

فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ أَبْرَأْتَني لَطبيبُ

And I said to the diviner of al-Yamamah: Heal me,

I said to the augur of doves in Dawnan, "Cure me,

for if you cure me, you are surely a physician.

For if you heal me, you are a skilled physician."

فما بِيَ من سُقْمٍ ولا طَيْفِ جِنَّةٍ

فما بِيَ من سُقْمٍ ولا طَيْفِ جِنَّةٍ

ولكنَّ عَمِّي الحِمْيَريِّ كَذوبُ

ولكنَّ عَمِّي الحِمْيَريِّ كَذوبُ

For I have no illness, nor any touch of madness,

But I have no illness or jinn-borne affliction;

but my Himyarite uncle is a habitual liar.

Rather, my uncle Humayri is a liar.

عَشِيَّةَ لا عفراءُ دانٍ ضرارُها

عَشِيَّةَ لا عفراءُ دانٍ ضرارُها

فَتُرجى ولا عفراءُ مِنْكَ قريبُ

فَتُرجى ولا عفراءُ مِنْكَ قريبُ

That evening, Afra's harm was not near enough

On an evening with no unforeseen disaster

for her to be hoped for, nor was Afra near you.

To be hoped for, nor any from you that is near,

فَلَسْتُ بِرائي الشمسَ إِلاّ ذَكَرْتُها

فَلَسْتُ بِرائي الشمسَ إِلاّ ذَكَرْتُها

وآل إليَّ من هواكِ نصيبُ

وآل إليَّ من هواكِ نصيبُ

So I never see the sun without remembering her,

Since I do not see the sun but I remember her,

and a share of love for you has come to me.

And I get from your love my allotted share,

ولا تُذْكَرُ الأَهْواءُ إلاّ ذكرتُها

ولا تُذْكَرُ الأَهْواءُ إلاّ ذكرتُها

ولا البُخْلُ إلاّ قلتُ سوف تُثيبُ

ولا البُخْلُ إلاّ قلتُ سوف تُثيبُ

And passions are never mentioned without my remembering her,

Passions are not mentioned but I mention hers,

nor stinginess without my saying: She will yet give a reward.

Nor stinginess, unless I say you will reward.

وآخِرُ عَهْدي من عُفَيْراءَ أَنَّها

وآخِرُ عَهْدي من عُفَيْراءَ أَنَّها

تُديرُ بَناناً كُلَّهُنَّ خضيبُ

تُديرُ بَناناً كُلَّهُنَّ خضيبُ

And my last recollection of Ufayra is that she

My last news of Oufayra is that she

was turning her fingers, all of them dyed,

Turns about, her eyebrow wholly arched.

عَشيَّةَ لا أَقْضي لِنَفْسي حاجةً

عَشيَّةَ لا أَقْضي لِنَفْسي حاجةً

ولم أَدْرِ إِنْ نُوديتُ كيف أُجيبُ

ولم أَدْرِ إِنْ نُوديتُ كيف أُجيبُ

on an evening when I fulfilled no need of my own,

On an evening I cannot satisfy my own needs

and, if called, I did not know how to answer.

And know not how I shall respond if called.