أَلا قُل لِذاتِ الخالِ يا صاحِ في الخَدِّ

أَلا قُل لِذاتِ الخالِ يا صاحِ في الخَدِّ

تَدومُ إِذا بانَت عَلى أَحسَنِ العَهدِ

تَدومُ إِذا بانَت عَلى أَحسَنِ العَهدِ

Listen, friend: tell the woman with the mole on her cheek,

O you with the mole, say to it as it appears

who, when she departs, remains most faithful to her pledge;

On the fairest of faces: Remain forever!

وَمِنها عَلاماتٌ بِمَجرى وِشاحِها

وَمِنها عَلاماتٌ بِمَجرى وِشاحِها

وَأُخرى تَزينُ الجيدَ مِن مَوضِعِ العِقدِ

وَأُخرى تَزينُ الجيدَ مِن مَوضِعِ العِقدِ

she has beauty marks along the course of her sash,

Some marks run along its channel,

and another adorns her neck where the necklace rests;

Others adorn the cheek where gems are strung.

وَتَرعى مِنَ الوُدِّ الَّذي كانَ بَينَنا

وَتَرعى مِنَ الوُدِّ الَّذي كانَ بَينَنا

فَما يَستَوي راعي الأَمانَةِ والمُبدي

فَما يَستَوي راعي الأَمانَةِ والمُبدي

and she preserves some of the love that was between us,

It partakes of a love that was between us,

for the keeper of a confidence and its divulger are not alike.

So the keeper of trust is not like the betrayer.

وَقُل قَد وَعَدتِ وَعداً فَأَنجِزي

وَقُل قَد وَعَدتِ وَعداً فَأَنجِزي

وَلا تُخلِفي لا خَيرَ في مُخلِفِ الوَعدِ

وَلا تُخلِفي لا خَيرَ في مُخلِفِ الوَعدِ

And say: You have made a promise, so fulfill it,

Say you made a promise—fulfill it!

and do not break it: no good lies in a promise-breaker.

Breaking a vow bears no good for the oath-breaker.

وَجودي عَليَّ اليومَ مِنكِ بِنائِلٍ

وَجودي عَليَّ اليومَ مِنكِ بِنائِلٍ

وَلا تَبخَلي قُدِّمتُ قَبلَكِ في اللَّحدِ

وَلا تَبخَلي قُدِّمتُ قَبلَكِ في اللَّحدِ

And be generous to me today with a favor from you,

Be generous to me today with your gift,

and do not be miserly—may I be laid in the grave before you.

Do not stint—though I preceded you to the grave.

فَمَن ذا الَّذي يُبدي السُرورَ إِذا دَنَت

فَمَن ذا الَّذي يُبدي السُرورَ إِذا دَنَت

بِكِ الدارُ أَو يُعنى بِنأيكُمُ بَعدي

بِكِ الدارُ أَو يُعنى بِنأيكُمُ بَعدي

For who will show delight when it draws near—

Who else shows joy when your abode draws near

your dwelling—or care about your distance after I am gone?

Or cares that you’ve gone far away after me?

دُنوُّكُمُ مِنّا رَخاءٌ نَنالُهُ

دُنوُّكُمُ مِنّا رَخاءٌ نَنالُهُ

وَنأَيُكُمُ والبُعدُ جَهدٌ عَلى جَهدِ

وَنأَيُكُمُ والبُعدُ جَهدٌ عَلى جَهدِ

Your nearness to us is comfort we enjoy,

Your nearness to us is a comfort we gain,

and your remoteness and distance are hardship upon hardship.

Your distance a further affliction and pain.

كَثيرٌ إِذا تَدنو اغتِباطي بِكِ النَوى

كَثيرٌ إِذا تَدنو اغتِباطي بِكِ النَوى

وَوَجدي إِذا ما بِنتُمُ لَيسَ كالوَجدِ

وَوَجدي إِذا ما بِنتُمُ لَيسَ كالوَجدِ

Great is my delight in you when your abode draws near,

When you draw near, my spirit rejoices in you,

and my longing when you depart is like no other longing.

Not like rejoicing when others draw near.

أَقولُ وَدَمعي فَوقَ خَدّي مُخَضِّلٌ

أَقولُ وَدَمعي فَوقَ خَدّي مُخَضِّلٌ

لَهُ وَشَلٌ قَد بَلَّ تَهتانُهُ خَدّي

لَهُ وَشَلٌ قَد بَلَّ تَهتانُهُ خَدّي

I say, with my tears drenching my cheek,

I speak, while the tears down my cheek slowly creep,

they trickle; their streaming has soaked my cheek.

Staining it, though my cheek chides them to stop their flow.

لَقَد مَنَحَ اللَهُ البَخيلَةَ وُدَّنا

لَقَد مَنَحَ اللَهُ البَخيلَةَ وُدَّنا

وَما مُنِحَت وُدّي بِدَعوى وَلا قَصدِ

وَما مُنِحَت وُدّي بِدَعوى وَلا قَصدِ

God has indeed granted the miserly woman our love,

God granted you our love, yet ingrate you’ve been;

and she was not granted my love by request or design.

You were granted no love, neither asked, I know.