أَقُولُ لِصاحِبَيَّ وَمِثلُ ما بي

أَقُولُ لِصاحِبَيَّ وَمِثلُ ما بي

شَكاهُ المَرءُ ذُو الوَجدِ الأَلِيمِ

شَكاهُ المَرءُ ذُو الوَجدِ الأَلِيمِ

I say to my two companions—and suffering like mine

I say to my companion, like what I complain of,

has been lamented by a man of painful passion

The man of intense agony complains to brothers like them, when

إِلى الأَخوَينِ مِثلِهِما إِذا ما

إِلى الأَخوَينِ مِثلِهِما إِذا ما

تَأَوَّبُهُ مُؤَرِّقَةُ الهُمُوم

تَأَوَّبُهُ مُؤَرِّقَةُ الهُمُوم

to two brothers like them, whenever

Worry keeps him sleepless at night,

sleep-denying cares revisit him by night:

I met a back, at the side of An-Naqah, a sister of Bani Tamim.

لِحيني وَالبَلاءِ لَقِيتُ ظُهراً

لِحيني وَالبَلاءِ لَقِيتُ ظُهراً

بِجَنبِ النَقعِ أُختَ بَني تَميمِ

بِجَنبِ النَقعِ أُختَ بَني تَميمِ

To my doom and affliction, I met at noon,

So when there appeared to my eye from her,

beside al-Naqʿ, a sister of Banu Tamim.

A cheek flowing in an alluring creation,

فَلَمّا أَن بَدا للعَينِ مِنها

فَلَمّا أَن بَدا للعَينِ مِنها

أَسِيلُ الخَدِّ في خَلقٍ عَميمِ

أَسِيلُ الخَدِّ في خَلقٍ عَميمِ

And when the eye caught sight of her

And an eye with kohl, a slit, and a mouth,

smooth cheek, set in a tall, well-formed figure,

Like an Al-Uqhuwan (a bright star), and a soft neck.

وَعَينا جُؤذَرٍ خَرِقٍ وَثَغرٌ

وَعَينا جُؤذَرٍ خَرِقٍ وَثَغرٌ

كَمِثلِ الأُقحُوانِ وَجِيدُ رِيمِ

كَمِثلِ الأُقحُوانِ وَجِيدُ رِيمِ

and the eyes of a startled oryx calf, and a mouth

Her friends gathered around me because of her,

like chamomile blossoms, and a white gazelle's neck,

Bending over like those returning to a sick man.

حَنا أَترابُها دُوني عَلَيها

حَنا أَترابُها دُوني عَلَيها

حُنُوَّ العائِداتِ عَلى السَقِيمِ

حُنُوَّ العائِداتِ عَلى السَقِيمِ

her peers bent over her, keeping me away,

Chaste women who had not lived a life of misery,

as women visiting the sick bend over the sufferer.

Rather, a life of luxury and comfort.

عَقائِلُ لَم يَعِشنَ بِعَيشِ بُؤسٍ

عَقائِلُ لَم يَعِشنَ بِعَيشِ بُؤسٍ

وَلَكِن بِالغَضارَةِ وَالنَعيمِ

وَلَكِن بِالغَضارَةِ وَالنَعيمِ

Noble women who had never lived in hardship,

She captivated the heart of a lovesick melancholic,

but in abundance and ease.

With a longing that stirred in him for long.

فَشاقَت قَلبَ مُفتَتنٍ حَزينٍ

فَشاقَت قَلبَ مُفتَتنٍ حَزينٍ

عَلى شَوقٍ مُخامِرِهِ قَديمِ

عَلى شَوقٍ مُخامِرِهِ قَديمِ

So she stirred the heart of a lovestruck, sorrowful man,

Sighs shook his body, until

adding to an old longing that possessed him.

It wore out like a perfumed garment becomes worn out.

أَحَلَّ بِجِسمِهِ الزَفَراتِ حَتّى

أَحَلَّ بِجِسمِهِ الزَفَراتِ حَتّى

بَلي كَبلى العَسِيبِ مِنَ الهَشيمِ

بَلي كَبلى العَسِيبِ مِنَ الهَشيمِ

It lodged deep sighs in his body, until

He disobeyed his kin, so they avoided him,

he wasted away as a palm stalk decays amid dry brushwood.

As the sincere advisor is shunned by the fool.

وَعاصى الأَقرَبينَ فَزا يَلُوهُ

وَعاصى الأَقرَبينَ فَزا يَلُوهُ

كَما عُزِلَ المُصِحُّ عَن المُهِيمِ

كَما عُزِلَ المُصِحُّ عَن المُهِيمِ

And he defied his nearest kin, so they parted from him,

I will remember her name as long as I live,

as a man with healthy camels is kept apart from one whose herd is diseased.

A man who reveals his secret is not like one who conceals it.

لَأَذكُرُ إِسمَها ما دُمتُ حَيّاً

لَأَذكُرُ إِسمَها ما دُمتُ حَيّاً

وَما الرَجُلُ المُصَرِّحُ كَالكَتُومِ

وَما الرَجُلُ المُصَرِّحُ كَالكَتُومِ

I shall surely mention her name as long as I live;

He only sleeps at night dozing,

and a man who speaks openly is not like one who conceals.

Like the sleep of the healthy.

يُسَهَّدُ ما يَنامُ اللَيل إِلّا

يُسَهَّدُ ما يَنامُ اللَيل إِلّا

غِشاشاً مِثلَ تَسهِيدِ السَلِيمِ

غِشاشاً مِثلَ تَسهِيدِ السَلِيمِ

He is kept awake; at night he sleeps only

And none captivated hearts and delighted eyes,

in snatches, as wakeful as a snake-bitten man.

Revealing her to them, like one gently bending.

وَما شاقَ القُلوبَ وَراقَ عَيناً

وَما شاقَ القُلوبَ وَراقَ عَيناً

فَتُجلاهُ كَذِي دَلٍّ رَخيمِ

فَتُجلاهُ كَذِي دَلٍّ رَخيمِ

Nothing has stirred hearts or pleased the eye,

Weak in strength, but strong in plotting,

when shown to you, like one of soft, alluring grace—

With her glance when she winked mischievously,

ضَعِيفِ البَطشِ ذي كَيدٍ شَدِيدٍ

ضَعِيفِ البَطشِ ذي كَيدٍ شَدِيدٍ

بِنَظرَتِهِ إِذا أَومى سَؤُوم

بِنَظرَتِهِ إِذا أَومى سَؤُوم

weak in force, yet possessed of mighty wiles

A timid partridge, with soft down,

in her glance when she gestures, quick to tire,

And plumage upon a delicate neck.

خَرَوسٍ حِجلُهُ وَيَجُولُ مِنهُ

خَرَوسٍ حِجلُهُ وَيَجُولُ مِنهُ

وِشاحاهُ عَلى كَشحٍ هَضِيمِ

وِشاحاهُ عَلى كَشحٍ هَضِيمِ

whose anklet is silent, while about her sway

her two sashes over a slender waist.