لك عندي بشارة فاستمعها

لك عندي بشارة فاستمعها

وأجبني عنها أبا الفيّاضِ

وأجبني عنها أبا الفيّاضِ

I have good news for you, so listen to it,

I have good news for you, so listen to it,

I have good news for you, so listen,

and answer me about it, Abu al-Fayyad.

and answer me about it, Abu al-Fayyad.

And answer me, O Abu Al-Fayyad,

كنت في مجلس مليحةُ فيه

كنت في مجلس مليحةُ فيه

وهي سقم الصحاح برء المراضِ

وهي سقم الصحاح برء المراضِ

I was at a gathering where there was a beauty—

I was at a gathering where Maliha was present,

I was in a beautiful gathering,

a sickness to the healthy, a cure for the sick.

and she is sickness to the healthy, healing to the sick.

In which the virgins were sick, longing for the cure.

وقديماً عهدتني لست في حقك

وقديماً عهدتني لست في حقك

والذّبّ عنك ذا أغماضِ

والذّبّ عنك ذا أغماضِ

Long have you known that, where your rights

You have long known me not to neglect your rights

I have known you for a long time not to be just to you,

and their defense are concerned, I never turn a blind eye.

or turn a blind eye when defending you.

And to defend you, though frowning.

فتغفلتها تغفَّل خصم

فتغفلتها تغفَّل خصم

وتأمّلتها تأمّل قاضِ

وتأمّلتها تأمّل قاضِ

So I watched her stealthily, as an adversary watches,

So I watched to catch her unawares, like an adversary,

So I ignored her, ignoring an opponent,

and scrutinized her as a judge scrutinizes.

and scrutinized her as a judge would.

And observed her, observing a judge.

ورمتها العيونُ من كل أُفقِ

ورمتها العيونُ من كل أُفقِ

وتشاكوا بالوحي والإيماض

وتشاكوا بالوحي والإيماض

Eyes assailed her from every quarter,

And eyes shot at her from every horizon,

Eyes glanced at her from every horizon,

and the men exchanged their plaints in secret signs and flashing glances:

and they exchanged plaints through secret signs and flashing glances—

Complaining with revelation and winking.

من كهولٍ وسادةٍ سمحاءٍ

من كهولٍ وسادةٍ سمحاءٍ

باللهى باخلين بالأعراضِ

باللهى باخلين بالأعراضِ

greybeards and generous lords,

middle-aged men and lords, generous

Of dignified elders, generous,

lavish with gifts but sparing of honor.

with gifts, but miserly with their honor.

Distracted with amusements, neglecting morals.

وصفات القيان أوّلها الغد

وصفات القيان أوّلها الغد

ر عليه في وصلهن التراضي

ر عليه في وصلهن التراضي

Foremost among singing-girls’ traits is betrayal;

And foremost among singing girls’ traits is treachery—

The attributes of singing girls, the foremost being coquetry,

on that, in consorting with them, there is mutual agreement.

on that understanding rests mutual consent to intimacy with them.

I described her union with them as harmony.

فتسوّفت ذاك منها وأعدد

فتسوّفت ذاك منها وأعدد

ت نكيري وسورتي وامتعاضي

ت نكيري وسورتي وامتعاضي

So I watched for that from her and readied

So I sniffed for that in her and prepared

So I hesitated with her and prepared

my rebuke, my fury, and my indignation.

my rebuke, my fury, and my indignation.

My rejection and sourness and displeasure.

فحمت جانب المزاح وعمّتهم

فحمت جانب المزاح وعمّتهم

جميعاً بالصدّ والأعراضِ

جميعاً بالصدّ والأعراضِ

But she barred the way to flirtation and treated them

But she kept banter at bay and treated them

I supported the side of joking and embraced it

all alike with rebuff and aversion.

all with rebuffs and aversion.

Rejecting them all sternly.

وكفاني وفاؤها لك حتى

وكفاني وفاؤها لك حتى

أذن الليل جمعهم بإرفضاضِ

أذن الليل جمعهم بإرفضاضِ

Her faithfulness to you spared me all that, until

And her fidelity to you was enough for me until

Her loyalty to you was enough for me

night gave their company leave to disperse.

night signaled their gathering to disperse.

Until the night bid them farewell in dispersal.