ياO خِلُّdear friend ماnot كُنّاwe were نَخافَكُمُwe fear you
يا خِلُّ ما كُنّا نَخافَكُمُ
حَتّىuntil أُتِيتُI was approached بِقَولِكُمwith your words أَمسِyesterday
حَتّى أُتِيتُ بِقَولِكُم أَمسِ
O dear friend, we did not fear you
O aunt, we did not fear you
Until your words were brought to me yesterday.
Until I was told yesterday what you said, that we should abandon him
أُخبِرتُI was told أَنَّكِthat you قُلتِyou said نَهجُرُهُwe will abandon him
أُخبِرتُ أَنَّكِ قُلتِ نَهجُرُهُ
لاdo not تَفعَلِنَّever do so فَدَتكُمُmay it ransom you نَفسيmy soul
لا تَفعَلِنَّ فَدَتكُمُ نَفسي
I was told that you said, “We will abandon him.”
Do not do that, may my soul redeem you
Do not do so—may my soul be your ransom.
By Allah, I shall not get angry with you
وَاللَهby God لاnot آتيI do لَكُمto you سَخطاًdispleasure
وَاللَه لا آتي لَكُم سَخطاً
حَتّىuntil أُضَمَّنَI am placed in مَيِّتاًdead رَمسيmy grave
حَتّى أُضَمَّنَ مَيِّتاً رَمسي
By God, I will do nothing to anger you
Until I am placed dead in my grave
Until I am laid dead in my grave.
Go back to the best relationship we used to have
عُوديreturn بِأَحسَنِwith the best of ماwhat عُهِدتِyou were known for لَناto us
عُودي بِأَحسَنِ ما عُهِدتِ لَنا
ياO أَحسَنَfairest of الجِنانِthe jinn وَالإِنسِand humankind
يا أَحسَنَ الجِنانِ وَالإِنسِ
Return with the best we have known from you,
O the most beautiful of jinn and humans
O fairest of jinn and humankind.
You are the day, the heart craves, and love for you
أَنتِyou are النَهارَby day هَوىthe desire of الفُؤادِthe heart وَلاand not
أَنتِ النَهارَ هَوى الفُؤادِ وَلا
يَنفَكُّceases حُبُّكِlove for you كُلَّماwhenever أُمسيI reach evening
يَنفَكُّ حُبُّكِ كُلَّما أُمسي
By day you are my heart’s desire, nor
Never ceases, every time the evening comes
Does my love for you cease whenever evening falls.
You have become an evening I wander with
أَمسَيتِyou have become ليfor me شَجَناًa sorrow أَهِيمُI am besotted بِهِwith it
أَمسَيتِ لي شَجَناً أَهِيمُ بِهِ
مِنfrom بَينِamong أَهلِthe people of الغَورِthe lowlands وَالجَلسِand the uplands
مِن بَينِ أَهلِ الغَورِ وَالجَلسِ
You have become my sorrow, with which I am besotted,
Amongst the people of the caves and sessions
Among the people of the lowlands and the uplands.
If it wasn’t for what I got from you, we would have
لَولاwere it not for الَّذيwhat حُمِّلتُI was made to bear مِنكِfrom you لَقَدsurely
لَولا الَّذي حُمِّلتُ مِنكِ لَقَد
زُلناwe departed وَقَلَّand was brief بِأَرضِكُمin your land حَبسيmy confinement
زُلنا وَقَلَّ بِأَرضِكُم حَبسي
Were it not for what I was made to bear from you, surely
Slipped away, and my stay in your land would have been brief
We would have left, and my confinement in your land been brief.
By Allah, I shall not forget her swinging walk
وَاللَهِby God لاnot أَنسىI forget تَطَوُّفَهاher strolling about
وَاللَهِ لا أَنسى تَطَوُّفَها
تَهتَزُّshe sways بَينَamong كَواعِبٍbudding-breasted maidens خَمسِfive
تَهتَزُّ بَينَ كَواعِبٍ خَمسِ
By God, I will not forget her strolling,
Wobbling between five young maidens
Swaying among five budding-breasted maidens,
Like sheep walking through reedbeds
مِثلَlike النِعاجِewes يَمِسنَthey sway as they walk فيin قَصَبٍfine linen
مِثلَ النِعاجِ يَمِسنَ في قَصَبٍ
وَدَمالجٍand armlets وَخَلاخِلٍand anklets خُرسِsilent
وَدَمالجٍ وَخَلاخِلٍ خُرسِ
Like ewes, they sway as they walk in fine linen,
And thickets and silent woodlands
And armlets and silent anklets.
Her face was like the full moon when she turned
كَالبَدرِlike the full moon صُورَتُهاher appearance إِذاwhen اِنتَقَبَتshe veils her face
كَالبَدرِ صُورَتُها إِذا اِنتَقَبَت
وَإِذاand when أَسفَرتِyou unveil your face فَأَنتِthen you are كَالشَمسِlike the sun
وَإِذا أَسفَرتِ فَأَنتِ كَالشَمسِ
Her appearance is like the full moon when she veils her face;
And when she smiled, you were like the sun
And when you unveil, you are like the sun.
Partial English translation: 19 of 20 Arabic lines translated.