أَناسِيَةٌ عفراءُ ذكريَ بَعْدَما

أَناسِيَةٌ عفراءُ ذكريَ بَعْدَما

تركتُ لها ذِكْراً بِكُلِّ مَكانِ

تركتُ لها ذِكْراً بِكُلِّ مَكانِ

Has ‘Afra forgotten me, after

A forgetful brown beauty, after

I left her a remembrance in every place?

I left memories of her in every place

ألا لَعَنَ اللهُ الوُشاةُ وقَوْلَهُمْ

ألا لَعَنَ اللهُ الوُشاةُ وقَوْلَهُمْ

فُلانَةُ أَمْسَتْ خُلَّةً لِفُلانِ

فُلانَةُ أَمْسَتْ خُلَّةً لِفُلانِ

Ah, may God curse the slanderers and their claim:

Alas, may Allah curse the slanderers and their words

"Such-and-such a woman has become such-and-such a man's sweetheart."

"So-and-so has become the lover of so-and-so"

فَوَيْحَكُما يا واشِيَيْ أُمِّ هَيْثَمٍ

فَوَيْحَكُما يا واشِيَيْ أُمِّ هَيْثَمٍ

فَفِيمَ إِلى مَنْ جِئتُما تَشيانِ

فَفِيمَ إِلى مَنْ جِئتُما تَشيانِ

So woe to you both, O two slanderers of Umm Haytham!

Woe to you two, O slanderers, mother of lies

So why—and to whom—have you two come bearing tales?

Why then did you come to slander me?

أَلا أَيُّها الواشي بِعفراءَ عندنا

أَلا أَيُّها الواشي بِعفراءَ عندنا

عَدِمْتُكَ مِنْ واشٍ أَلِسْتَ تراني

عَدِمْتُكَ مِنْ واشٍ أَلِسْتَ تراني

Listen, you who spread tales about ‘Afra before us:

O slanderer of the brown beauty, know that

May I be rid of you, slanderer! Do you not see me?

I have denied you as a slanderer, do you not see me?

أَلَسْتَ ترى لِلْحُبِّ كيف تخَلَّلَتْ

أَلَسْتَ ترى لِلْحُبِّ كيف تخَلَّلَتْ

عَناجيجُهُ جسمي وكيف بَراني

عَناجيجُهُ جسمي وكيف بَراني

Do you not see how love's

Do you not see how the pangs of love have pierced

coursers have penetrated my body, and how it has wasted me?

My body, and how love has overwhelmed me?

لَوَ أَنَّ طبيبَ الإنْسِ والجِنِّ داويا

لَوَ أَنَّ طبيبَ الإنْسِ والجِنِّ داويا

الذي بيَ من عفراءَ ما شَفياني

الذي بيَ من عفراءَ ما شَفياني

Were the physicians of humankind and the jinn both to treat

If the doctor of mankind and jinn were to cure me

my suffering from ‘Afra, they could not cure me.

Of love for the brown beauty, he could not heal me

إذا ما جَلَسْنا مَجْلِساً نَسْتَلِذُّهُ

إذا ما جَلَسْنا مَجْلِساً نَسْتَلِذُّهُ

تَواشَوا بِنا حتى أَمَلَّ مكاني

تَواشَوا بِنا حتى أَمَلَّ مكاني

Whenever we sat in a place we found delightful,

Whenever we sit happily together

They exchanged slanders about us until my place grew wearisome.

The slanderers whisper about us until they spoil the occasion

تَكَنَّفَني الواشُونَ مِنْ كلِّ جانِبٍ

تَكَنَّفَني الواشُونَ مِنْ كلِّ جانِبٍ

وَلَوْ كانَ واشٍ واحدٍ لَكَفاني

وَلَوْ كانَ واشٍ واحدٍ لَكَفاني

The slanderers hemmed me in on every side,

The slanderers surround me from every side

And even a single slanderer would have been enough for me.

Even one slanderer would have sufficed against me

وَلَوْ كانَ واشٍ بِالْيَمامَةِ دارُهُ

وَلَوْ كانَ واشٍ بِالْيَمامَةِ دارُهُ

وداري بِأَعْلى حَضْرَمَوْتَ أَتاني

وداري بِأَعْلى حَضْرَمَوْتَ أَتاني

And even if a slanderer had his home in al-Yamamah,

Even if the slanderer's home was in Yamama

And mine were in upper Hadramawt, he would come to me.

And mine was in Hazramawt, he would still reach me

فَيَا حَبَّذا مَنْ دونَهُ تَعْذِلونَني

فَيَا حَبَّذا مَنْ دونَهُ تَعْذِلونَني

وَمَنْ حَلِيَتْ عيني به ولساني

وَمَنْ حَلِيَتْ عيني به ولساني

So how dear is the one on whose account you reproach me,

So may you treat me with justice, unlike him

And the one in whom my eye and tongue have found sweetness;

Whom my eyes and tongue delight in

ومَنْ لَوْ أَراهُ في العَدُوْ أَتَيْتُهُ

ومَنْ لَوْ أَراهُ في العَدُوْ أَتَيْتُهُ

ومَنْ لو رآني في العَدُوِّ أَتاني

ومَنْ لو رآني في العَدُوِّ أَتاني

And the one I would go to if I saw him among the enemy,

The one I would visit if I saw him among foes

And the one who would come to me if he saw me among the enemy;

And the one who would visit me if he saw me among foes

ومَنْ لَوْ أَراهُ صادِياً لَسَقِيتُهُ

ومَنْ لَوْ أَراهُ صادِياً لَسَقِيتُهُ

ومَنْ لو يَراني صادِياً لَسَقاني

ومَنْ لو يَراني صادِياً لَسَقاني

And the one I would give water to if I saw him thirsty,

The one I would water if I saw him thirsty

And the one who would give me water if he saw me thirsty;

And the one who would water me if he saw me thirsty

ومَنْ لو أَراهُ عانيِاً لَكَفَيْتُهُ

ومَنْ لو أَراهُ عانيِاً لَكَفَيْتُهُ

ومَنْ لَوْ يَراني عانياً لَكَفاني

ومَنْ لَوْ يَراني عانياً لَكَفاني

And the one whose needs I would meet if I saw him captive,

The one I would aid if I saw him suffering

And the one who would meet my needs if he saw me captive;

And the one who would aid me if he saw me suffering

ومَنْ هابَني في كلِّ أَمْرٍ وهِبْتُهُ

ومَنْ هابَني في كلِّ أَمْرٍ وهِبْتُهُ

ولَوْ كُنْتُ أَمْضي من شَباةِ سِنانِ

ولَوْ كُنْتُ أَمْضي من شَباةِ سِنانِ

And the one who held me in awe in every matter, as I held him in awe,

The one I obeyed in everything, and who obeyed me

Even if I were sharper than a spearhead's point.

Even if I walked faster than a lively colt

يُكَلِّفُني عَمِّي ثمانين بَكْرَةً

يُكَلِّفُني عَمِّي ثمانين بَكْرَةً

ومالي يا عفراءُ غيرُ ثمانِ

ومالي يا عفراءُ غيرُ ثمانِ

My uncle demands eighty young she-camels of me,

My uncle demands eighty she-camels from me

Yet I have, O ‘Afra, only eight:

When all I have, O brown beauty, is eight

ثَمانٍ يُقَطِّعْنَ الأَزِمَّةَ بالبُرى

ثَمانٍ يُقَطِّعْنَ الأَزِمَّةَ بالبُرى

ويَقْطَعْنَ عرْضَ البيدِ بالوَخَدانِ

ويَقْطَعْنَ عرْضَ البيدِ بالوَخَدانِ

Eight that snap the reins with their nose-rings,

Eight that can cross the valley in the meadows

And cross the breadth of the deserts with long, swift strides.

And cross the expanse of the desert in pairs