وَقَسرِيَّةٍ أَبصَرتُها فَهَوَيتُها

وَقَسرِيَّةٍ أَبصَرتُها فَهَوَيتُها

هَوى عُروَةَ العُذرِيَّ وَالعاشِقِ النَجدي

هَوى عُروَةَ العُذرِيَّ وَالعاشِقِ النَجدي

And a Qasri woman I saw and fell in love with,

I saw a maiden of the Palace and fell in love with her,

With the love of ʿUrwa al-ʿUdhri and the Najdi lover.

With the passion of Urwa the Udhri and the lover from Nejd.

فَلَمّا تَمادى هَجرُها قُلتُ واصِلي

فَلَمّا تَمادى هَجرُها قُلتُ واصِلي

فَقالَت بِهَذا الوَجهَ تَرجو الهَوى عِندي

فَقالَت بِهَذا الوَجهَ تَرجو الهَوى عِندي

So when her estrangement dragged on, I said, "Be with me."

When her shunning persisted, I pleaded: "Grant me union!"

Then she said, "With this face, you hope for love from me?"

She replied: "With a face like that, do you hope for love from me?"

فَقُلتُ لَها لَو كانَ في السوقِ أَوجُهٌ

فَقُلتُ لَها لَو كانَ في السوقِ أَوجُهٌ

تُباعُ بِنَقدٍ حاضِرٍ وَسِوى نَقدِ

تُباعُ بِنَقدٍ حاضِرٍ وَسِوى نَقدِ

So I said to her, "If there were faces in the market,

I said to her: "If faces were available in the marketplace,

Sold for ready cash or otherwise,

To be sold for ready cash or even on credit,

لَغَيَّرتُ وَجهي وَاشتَرَيتُ مَكانَهُ

لَغَيَّرتُ وَجهي وَاشتَرَيتُ مَكانَهُ

لَعَلَّكِ أَن تَهوَي وِصالِيَ مِن بَعدِ

لَعَلَّكِ أَن تَهوَي وِصالِيَ مِن بَعدِ

I would change my face and buy another in its place,

I would have changed my face and bought another in its stead,

Perhaps afterward you would desire union with me.

Hoping that perhaps, afterwards, you might desire my company.

وَإِن كُنتُ ذا قُبحٍ فَإِنِّيَ شاعِرٌ

وَإِن كُنتُ ذا قُبحٍ فَإِنِّيَ شاعِرٌ

فَقالَت وَلَو أَصبَحتَ نابِغَةَ الجَعدي

فَقالَت وَلَو أَصبَحتَ نابِغَةَ الجَعدي

And even if I am ugly, I am a poet."

And though I may be ugly, I am indeed a poet."

Then she said, "Even if you became Nabigha al-Jaʿdi!"

She retorted: "Even if you became Al-Nabigha Al-Ja'di!"