أَبَيتَ فَما تُسعِفُ

أَبَيتَ فَما تُسعِفُ

وَجُرتَ فَما تنصِفُ

وَجُرتَ فَما تنصِفُ

You refuse—and grant no favor;

You have refused and grant no favor;

you act unjustly—and deal no justice.

And you have been unjust and show no fairness.

وَتَحلِفُ لي بِالهَوى

وَتَحلِفُ لي بِالهَوى

وَتَنكُثُ ما تَحلِفُ

وَتَنكُثُ ما تَحلِفُ

You swear to me by God,

You swear to me by love,

then break the oath you swear.

And break the oaths you swear.

حِبالُكَ مُنحَلَةٌ

حِبالُكَ مُنحَلَةٌ

وَوُدُّكَ مُستَطرَفُ

وَوُدُّكَ مُستَطرَفُ

Your bonds are all undone,

Your bonds are loosened,

your affection merely a novelty.

And your affection is but a novelty.

وَتَهجُرُني واثِقاً

وَتَهجُرُني واثِقاً

فَثِق فَأَنا المُدنَفُ

فَثِق فَأَنا المُدنَفُ

You forsake me, sure of yourself—

You forsake me, confident;

then rest assured: I am the lovesick one.

So rest assured, for I am lovesick.

سَأَعطِفُ مِن حَيثُ لا

سَأَعطِفُ مِن حَيثُ لا

تَلينُ وَلا تَعطِفُ

تَلينُ وَلا تَعطِفُ

I shall show tenderness where you do not

I shall show tenderness where you neither

soften, nor show tenderness.

Soften nor show tenderness.

وَأَسكُت لا أَشتَكي

وَأَسكُت لا أَشتَكي

وَأَعرِفُ ما تَعرِفُ

وَأَعرِفُ ما تَعرِفُ

And I shall keep silent, never complaining,

And I keep silent, making no complaint,

and know what you know.

And I know what you know.

تَجاوَزتَ أَقصى المُنى

تَجاوَزتَ أَقصى المُنى

فَخَلقُكَ لا يوصَفُ

فَخَلقُكَ لا يوصَفُ

You have surpassed desire’s furthest reach;

You have surpassed the highest hopes;

for your form is beyond description:

Your form defies description:

فَما تَحتَه مُثقَلٌ

فَما تَحتَه مُثقَلٌ

وَما فَوقَهُ أَهيَفُ

وَما فَوقَهُ أَهيَفُ

whatever falls short of it is heavy,

For it is heavy below,

and whatever exceeds it is slender.

And slender above.

حُمَيدٌ أَبو غانِمٍ

حُمَيدٌ أَبو غانِمٍ

لَهُ الشَرَفُ الأَشرَفُ

لَهُ الشَرَفُ الأَشرَفُ

Ḥumayd, Abū Ghānim—

Humayd, Abu Ghanim—

his is honor at its noblest.

His is the loftiest honor.

مَكارِمُهُ تَنتَمي

مَكارِمُهُ تَنتَمي

وَأَموالُهُ تَتلَفُ

وَأَموالُهُ تَتلَفُ

His noble deeds trace their lineage;

His noble deeds increase,

his riches are spent away.

And his riches are consumed.

شَحيحٌ عَلى عِرضِهِ

شَحيحٌ عَلى عِرضِهِ

وَفي مالِهِ مُسرِفُ

وَفي مالِهِ مُسرِفُ

Jealously protective of his honor,

He jealously guards his honor,

yet lavish with his wealth.

Yet is lavish with his wealth.

لَهُ كَنَفٌ ضامِنٌ

لَهُ كَنَفٌ ضامِنٌ

عَلى الأَرضِ مَن يَكنُفُ

عَلى الأَرضِ مَن يَكنُفُ

His is a shelter that guarantees safety

His shelter safeguards

to whoever on earth it shelters.

Whomever he shelters on earth.

وَقَحطانُ تَبهى بِهِ

وَقَحطانُ تَبهى بِهِ

وَتَبهى بِهِ خِندِفُ

وَتَبهى بِهِ خِندِفُ

Qaḥṭān takes pride in him,

And Qahtan glories in him,

and Khindif glories in him;

And Khindif glories in him.

وَتُضحى بِهِ طَيىءٌ

وَتُضحى بِهِ طَيىءٌ

عَلى غَيرِها تَشرُفُ

عَلى غَيرِها تَشرُفُ

through him, Ṭayyiʾ comes to stand

And through him Tayy becomes

ennobled above all others.

Exalted above the rest in honor.