لو أحْسنوا في مَلِكنَا أو أعتَقوا

لو أحْسنوا في مَلِكنَا أو أعتَقوا

لَصَفَا لَهُم من وُدّنا ما رنَّقُوا

لَصَفَا لَهُم من وُدّنا ما رنَّقُوا

Had they treated us kindly in owning us, or set us free,

Had they been kind in our kingdom or set free

what they had muddied of our love would have cleared for them.

The clearness of our love would have gratified them

مَلّكْتُهم رِقّي كما حكم الهوَى

مَلّكْتُهم رِقّي كما حكم الهوَى

فأبى اعتسَافُ جَمالِهم أن يَرفُقُوا

فأبى اعتسَافُ جَمالِهم أن يَرفُقُوا

I gave them mastery over my bondage, as love decreed;

I made them as gentle as passion decreed

but the tyranny of their beauty would not let them be gentle.

But the roughness of their beauty refused to relent

لَهِجُوا بهَجري في الدُّنوِّ كأنّهُم

لَهِجُوا بهَجري في الدُّنوِّ كأنّهُم

لم يعلَمُوا أنّ الزّمانَ يُفَرِّقُ

لم يعلَمُوا أنّ الزّمانَ يُفَرِّقُ

They persisted in shunning me even when near, as though they

They ignored me in life as though

did not know that time brings separation.

They knew not that time separates

أمُشَيِّعِي باللّحظِ خَوفَ رَقِيبِه

أمُشَيِّعِي باللّحظِ خَوفَ رَقِيبِه

والدّمعُ من أجفانِه يترقرَقُ

والدّمعُ من أجفانِه يترقرَقُ

O one who sees me off with a glance, for fear of his watcher,

I bid farewell with a glance fearing its watcher

while tears shimmer from his eyelids!

And tears flowing from my eyelids

قد كنتُ أخضعُ قبلَ بَيْنِكَ للنّوى

قد كنتُ أخضعُ قبلَ بَيْنِكَ للنّوى

فالآنَ لستُ من التّفَرّقِ أفْرَقُ

فالآنَ لستُ من التّفَرّقِ أفْرَقُ

Before your departure, I used to bow before separation;

I used to obey the passion between us

but now I no longer fear parting.

But now I am not bothered by separation

هّذي النّوَى قد نَالني من صَرْفِها

هّذي النّوَى قد نَالني من صَرْفِها

ما كُنتُ منه زمانَ وصلِكَ أُشْفِقُ

ما كُنتُ منه زمانَ وصلِكَ أُشْفِقُ

This separation has brought upon me, through its vicissitudes,

This passion has afflicted me with its twists

what I feared in the days of union with you.

In a way I never feared in our days of union

ويَهيجُنِي بعد اندمالِ صَبَابَتِي

ويَهيجُنِي بعد اندمالِ صَبَابَتِي

ورْقاءُ مادَ بِهَا قضيبٌ مُورِقُ

ورْقاءُ مادَ بِهَا قضيبٌ مُورِقُ

And after my longing's wound has healed, I am stirred by

It excites me after the stillness of my youth

a gray dove swayed by a leafy bough.

A nimble doe followed by a supple twig

عجماءُ تَنطِقُ بالحَنينِ ولم يَهِج

عجماءُ تَنطِقُ بالحَنينِ ولم يَهِج

شوقَ القلوبِ كاعَجمِيٍّ ينطِقُ

شوقَ القلوبِ كاعَجمِيٍّ ينطِقُ

Speechless, she speaks through yearning; nothing has stirred

A foreign woman speaking of yearning though

the longing of hearts like a wordless creature that speaks.

The longing of hearts speaks no foreign tongue

بي مَا بَها لكن كتَمتُ وأعلَنَتْ

بي مَا بَها لكن كتَمتُ وأعلَنَتْ

ودموعُها حُبِسَتْ ودمعيَ مُطْلَقُ

ودموعُها حُبِسَتْ ودمعيَ مُطْلَقُ

In me is what is in her, but I concealed it and she proclaimed it;

There is nothing in her about me but she was silent

and her tears are held back, while mine flow free.

While her tears were imprisoned and mine flowed free

كمْ دُونَ رَبْعِك مَهْمهٌ مُتقاذِفٌ

كمْ دُونَ رَبْعِك مَهْمهٌ مُتقاذِفٌ

تَشقَى الركابُ به وبيدٌ سَمْلَقُ

تَشقَى الركابُ به وبيدٌ سَمْلَقُ

How many far-stretching wastes lie between me and your dwelling,

How many concerns below your abode

where the riding camels suffer—and how many bare, level deserts!

Trouble travelers, and the guide confused

ملَّ السُّرَى فيه الصِّحَابُ فعرَّسُوا

ملَّ السُّرَى فيه الصِّحَابُ فعرَّسُوا

والشّوْقُ يُوضِع بي إليكَ ويُعنِقُ

والشّوْقُ يُوضِع بي إليكَ ويُعنِقُ

The companions tired of night travel through it and halted to rest,

The companions wearied of the journey and dismounted

while longing speeds me toward you and strides briskly on.

While my longing for you continues fastened

قَطَعتْ إليكَ بنا المَطِيُّ وحثَّها

قَطَعتْ إليكَ بنا المَطِيُّ وحثَّها

أشواقُها والشّوقُ نعم السّيِّقُ

أشواقُها والشّوقُ نعم السّيِّقُ

The riding camels bore us across to you, spurred on by

Our mounts have hurried us to you

their own longings—and longing is an excellent driver.

Driven by their longing, and longing is a good driver

بَارَتْ مَطارحَ لَحْظِهَا فيخالُها الرْ

بَارَتْ مَطارحَ لَحْظِهَا فيخالُها الرْ

رائِي تَسابقَ لحظُها والأسؤقُ

رائِي تَسابقَ لحظُها والأسؤقُ

They vied with the reach of their gaze, so it seems to the

Their glances shine competing

onlooker that their gaze and legs race one another.

And the most ardent outshines the rest

تَشكُو إلينا شوقَها وحنينَها

تَشكُو إلينا شوقَها وحنينَها

وَلرَكْبُها منْها أحَنُّ وأشْوَقُ

وَلرَكْبُها منْها أحَنُّ وأشْوَقُ

They complain to us of their longing and yearning,

They complain to us of their fervor and their grief

yet their riders yearn and long still more than they do.

And their riders are more plaintive and lovesick than they

مَعْقُولةٌ بِيَد الغَرامِ طليقةٌ

مَعْقُولةٌ بِيَد الغَرامِ طليقةٌ

هَل يُفتَدى ذاكَ الأسيرُ المطْلقُ

هَل يُفتَدى ذاكَ الأسيرُ المطْلقُ

Hobbled by the hand of passion, yet free—

Tamed by passion, set free

can that unfettered captive be ransomed?

Can that captive now freed be ransomed?

مُنيَتْ بحَمْلِ غَرامِنا وغَرامِها

مُنيَتْ بحَمْلِ غَرامِنا وغَرامِها

فَتجشّمتْ مالا تُطيقُ الأيْنُقُ

فَتجشّمتْ مالا تُطيقُ الأيْنُقُ

They were burdened with carrying our passion and their own,

They have endured our passion and their own

and so shouldered what she-camels cannot bear.

Bearing what the delicate cannot endure