أَلَم تَعلَمي يا عَلوُ أَنّي مُعَذَّبُ

أَلَم تَعلَمي يا عَلوُ أَنّي مُعَذَّبُ

بِحُبِّكُمُ وَالحَينَ لِلمَرءِ يُجلَبُ

بِحُبِّكُمُ وَالحَينَ لِلمَرءِ يُجلَبُ

Did you not know, O ʿAlw, that I am tormented

Do you not know, O Alto, that I suffer

by love for you, and that doom is brought upon a man?

from loving you, and now to people it is brought

وَقَد كُنتُ أَبكيكُم وَأَنتُم بِيَثرِبٍ

وَقَد كُنتُ أَبكيكُم وَأَنتُم بِيَثرِبٍ

وَكانَت مُنى نَفسي مِنَ الأَرضِ يَثرِبُ

وَكانَت مُنى نَفسي مِنَ الأَرضِ يَثرِبُ

And I used to weep for you while you were in Yathrib,

And I used to cry for you while you were in Yathrib

and Yathrib was my soul's desire of all the earth.

And my wish was from the land, Yathrib

أُؤَمِّلُكُم حَتّى إِذا ما رَجَعتُمُ

أُؤَمِّلُكُم حَتّى إِذا ما رَجَعتُمُ

أَتاني صُدودٌ مِنكُمُ وَتَجَنُّبُ

أَتاني صُدودٌ مِنكُمُ وَتَجَنُّبُ

I cherished hopes of you until, when you returned,

I hoped for you until when you returned

aversion and avoidance came to me from you.

Some aloofness from you came and avoidance

فَأَصبَحتُ مِمّا كانَ بَيني وَبَينُكُم

فَأَصبَحتُ مِمّا كانَ بَيني وَبَينُكُم

أُحَدِّثُ عَنكُم مَن لَقيتُ فَيَعجَبُ

أُحَدِّثُ عَنكُم مَن لَقيتُ فَيَعجَبُ

So I have come, because of what passed between me and you,

So I have become from what was between me and you

to speak of you to whomever I meet, and he marvels.

I tell whoever I meet and they are amazed

فَإِن ساءَكُم ما بي مِنَ الضُرِّ فَاِرحَموا

فَإِن ساءَكُم ما بي مِنَ الضُرِّ فَاِرحَموا

وَإِن سَرَّكُم هَذا العَذابُ فَعَذِّبوا

وَإِن سَرَّكُم هَذا العَذابُ فَعَذِّبوا

So if the distress I suffer grieves you, show mercy;

So if my affliction with troubles is bad to you, then have mercy

and if this torment pleases you, then torment me.

And if this torment makes you happy, then torment me

وَقَد قالَ لي ناسٌ تَحَمَّل دَلالَها

وَقَد قالَ لي ناسٌ تَحَمَّل دَلالَها

فَكُلُّ صَديقٍ سَوفَ يَرضى وَيَغضَبُ

فَكُلُّ صَديقٍ سَوفَ يَرضى وَيَغضَبُ

And people have said to me: Bear with her coyness,

And people have told me, endure their guidance

for every friend will be pleased and angry.

Thus every friend will be pleased and angered

وَإِنّي لَأَقلى بَذلَ غَيرِكِ فَاِعلَمي

وَإِنّي لَأَقلى بَذلَ غَيرِكِ فَاِعلَمي

وَبُخلُكَ في صَدري أَلَذُّ وَأَطيَبُ

وَبُخلُكَ في صَدري أَلَذُّ وَأَطيَبُ

And I truly loathe anyone else's giving—know this;

And I am burning without you so know

and your withholding is sweeter and more pleasing within my breast.

And your stinginess in my chest is most pleasing and sweet

وَإِنّي أَرى مِن أَهلِ بَيتِكِ نِسوَةً

وَإِنّي أَرى مِن أَهلِ بَيتِكِ نِسوَةً

شَبَبنَ لَنا في الناسِ ناراً تَلَهَّبُ

شَبَبنَ لَنا في الناسِ ناراً تَلَهَّبُ

And indeed, I see women of your household

And I see from the women of your house

who have kindled for us, among the people, a blazing fire.

They kindled for us in people a blazing fire

عَرَفنَ الهَوى مِنّا فَأَصبَحنَ حُسَّداً

عَرَفنَ الهَوى مِنّا فَأَصبَحنَ حُسَّداً

يُحَدِّثنَ عَنّا مَن يَجيءُ وَيَذهَبُ

يُحَدِّثنَ عَنّا مَن يَجيءُ وَيَذهَبُ

They recognized our love and became envious,

They knew of our love so they became envied

telling whoever comes and goes about us.

They tell whoever comes and goes about us

وَإِنّي اِبتَلاني اللَهُ مِنكُم بِخادِمٍ

وَإِنّي اِبتَلاني اللَهُ مِنكُم بِخادِمٍ

تُبَلِّغُني عَنكِ الحَديثَ وَتَكذِبُ

تُبَلِّغُني عَنكِ الحَديثَ وَتَكذِبُ

And indeed, God has afflicted me with a servant from among you,

And God has tested me with a servant from you

who brings me news of you and lies.

Who tells me the news from you and lies

وَلَو أَصبَحَت تَسعى قَصيرَةُ بَينَنا

وَلَو أَصبَحَت تَسعى قَصيرَةُ بَينَنا

سَعِدتُ وَأَدرَكتُ الَّذي كُنتُ أَطلُبُ

سَعِدتُ وَأَدرَكتُ الَّذي كُنتُ أَطلُبُ

And if Qasira were to go between us,

And if short one were to hurry between us

I would rejoice and attain what I was seeking.

I would be happy and attain what I was seeking

وَقَد ظَهَرَت أَشياءُ مِنكُم كَثيرَةٌ

وَقَد ظَهَرَت أَشياءُ مِنكُم كَثيرَةٌ

وَما كُنتُ مِنكُم مِثلَها أَتَرَقَّبُ

وَما كُنتُ مِنكُم مِثلَها أَتَرَقَّبُ

And many things have come to light from you,

And many things have appeared from you

and I had not expected their like from you.

And I was not expecting the like of them from you

وَمِن قَبلُ ما جَرَّبتُ أَنباءَ جَمَّةً

وَمِن قَبلُ ما جَرَّبتُ أَنباءَ جَمَّةً

وَلا يَعرِفُ الأَنباءَ إِلّا المُجَرِّبُ

وَلا يَعرِفُ الأَنباءَ إِلّا المُجَرِّبُ

And before this I had indeed experienced many events;

And before I had not tried the news of a beautiful woman

and none knows events but one who has experienced them.

And none knows the news except the experienced

وَلي يَومَ شَيَّعتُ الجَنازَةَ قِصَّةٌ

وَلي يَومَ شَيَّعتُ الجَنازَةَ قِصَّةٌ

غَداةَ بَدا البَدرُ الَّذي كانَ يُحجَبُ

غَداةَ بَدا البَدرُ الَّذي كانَ يُحجَبُ

And I have a tale of the day I accompanied the funeral procession,

And I have a story the day I bid farewell at the funeral

the morning when the once-veiled full moon appeared.

The next morning the full moon that was veiled appeared

إِذا ما رَأَيتُ الهاشِمِيَّةَ أَقبَلَت

إِذا ما رَأَيتُ الهاشِمِيَّةَ أَقبَلَت

تَهادى حَواليها مِنَ العَينِ رَبرَبُ

تَهادى حَواليها مِنَ العَينِ رَبرَبُ

When I saw the Hashimite lady approaching,

When I see the Hashimite woman coming

a herd of wide-eyed antelopes swayed gracefully around her.

Swaying around her from the eye many glances

أَشَرتُ إِلَيها بِالبَنانِ فَأَعرَضَت

أَشَرتُ إِلَيها بِالبَنانِ فَأَعرَضَت

تَبَسَّمُ طَوراً ثُمَّ تَزوي وَتَقطِبُ

تَبَسَّمُ طَوراً ثُمَّ تَزوي وَتَقطِبُ

I gestured to her with my fingertips, and she turned away,

I gestured to her with fingers so she turned away

smiling at times, then grimacing and frowning.

Smiling for a bit then became stern and frowning

فَلَم أَرَ يَوماً كانَ أَحسَنَ مَنظَراً

فَلَم أَرَ يَوماً كانَ أَحسَنَ مَنظَراً

وَنَحنُ وُقوفٌ وَهيَ تَدنو وَتَقرُبُ

وَنَحنُ وُقوفٌ وَهيَ تَدنو وَتَقرُبُ

Never have I seen a day more beautiful to behold,

So I have not seen a day that was more beautiful in sight

as we stood and she drew nearer and closer.

While we were standing and she came nearer and nearer

فَلَو عَلِمَت عَلوٌ بِما كانَ بَينَنا

فَلَو عَلِمَت عَلوٌ بِما كانَ بَينَنا

لَقَد كانَ مِنها بَعضُ ما كُنتُ أَرهَبُ

لَقَد كانَ مِنها بَعضُ ما كُنتُ أَرهَبُ

So if ʿAlw had known what passed between us,

If Alto knew what was between us

some of what I feared would surely have come from her.

She would have some of what I was fearing

أَلا جَعَلَ اللَهُ الفِدا كُلَّ حُرَّةٍ

أَلا جَعَلَ اللَهُ الفِدا كُلَّ حُرَّةٍ

لِعَلوَ المُنى إِنّي بِها لَمُعَذَّبُ

لِعَلوَ المُنى إِنّي بِها لَمُعَذَّبُ

Ah, may God make every free woman a ransom

May God make every free woman a ransom

for ʿAlw of my longings; I am truly tormented by her.

For Alto, the beloved, I am indeed tortured for her

فَما دونَها لِلقَلبِ في الناسِ مَطلَبٌ

فَما دونَها لِلقَلبِ في الناسِ مَطلَبٌ

وَلا خَلفَها لِلقَلبِ في الناسِ مَهرَبُ

وَلا خَلفَها لِلقَلبِ في الناسِ مَهرَبُ

So my heart has no goal among people apart from her,

Apart from her, my heart has no desire among people

and beyond her my heart has no refuge among people.

And after her, my heart has no refuge among people

فَإِن تَكُ عَلوٌ بَعدَنا قَد تَغَيَّرَت

فَإِن تَكُ عَلوٌ بَعدَنا قَد تَغَيَّرَت

وَأَصبَحَ باقي حَبلِها يَتَقَضَّبُ

وَأَصبَحَ باقي حَبلِها يَتَقَضَّبُ

So if ʿAlw has changed since our parting,

So if after us Alto has changed

and the remnant of her cord has begun to break apart,

And the rest of her rope remains fraying

وَحالَت عَنِ العَهدِ الَّذي كانَ بَينَنا

وَحالَت عَنِ العَهدِ الَّذي كانَ بَينَنا

وَصارَت إِلى غَيرِ الَّذي كُنتُ أَحسَبُ

وَصارَت إِلى غَيرِ الَّذي كُنتُ أَحسَبُ

and she has turned from the pledge that was between us,

And she forgot the pact that was between us

and become other than I had thought,

And went to other than what I was thinking

وَهانَ عَلَيها ما أُلاقي فَرُبَّما

وَهانَ عَلَيها ما أُلاقي فَرُبَّما

تَكونُ البَلايا وَالقُلوبُ تَقَلَّبُ

تَكونُ البَلايا وَالقُلوبُ تَقَلَّبُ

and what I endure means little to her—for sometimes

And what I suffer seems lowly to her, so perhaps

calamities befall, and hearts change—

Afflictions and hearts fluctuate

وَلَكِنَّني وَالخالِقِ البارِئُ الَّذي

وَلَكِنَّني وَالخالِقِ البارِئُ الَّذي

يُزارُ لَهُ البَيتُ العَتيقُ المُحَجَّبُ

يُزارُ لَهُ البَيتُ العَتيقُ المُحَجَّبُ

yet I, by the Creator, the Maker, for whom

But I, by the Creator, Shaper,

the ancient, curtained House is visited,

Whose Ancient House, veiled, is visited

لَأَمتَسِكَن بِالوُدِّ ما ذَرَّ شارِقٌ

لَأَمتَسِكَن بِالوُدِّ ما ذَرَّ شارِقٌ

وَما ناحَ قُمرِيٌّ وَما لاحَ كَوكَبُ

وَما ناحَ قُمرِيٌّ وَما لاحَ كَوكَبُ

will surely hold fast to love as long as the sun rises,

I will persist in love as long as the sun rises

and as long as a turtledove laments, and as long as a star shines,

As long as a star appears and sets

وَأَبكي عَلى عَلوٍ بِعَينٍ سَخينَةٍ

وَأَبكي عَلى عَلوٍ بِعَينٍ سَخينَةٍ

وَإِن زَهِدَت فينا فَإِنّا سَنَرغَبُ

وَإِن زَهِدَت فينا فَإِنّا سَنَرغَبُ

and weep for ʿAlw with an eye hot with tears;

And I will cry for Alto with a burning eye

and though she has no desire for us, we shall still desire her.

And if she becomes indifferent to us, still we will yearn

وَلَو أَنَّ لي مِن مَطلَعِ الشَمسِ بُكرَةً

وَلَو أَنَّ لي مِن مَطلَعِ الشَمسِ بُكرَةً

إِلى حَيثُ تَنأى بِالعَشِيِّ فَتَغرُبُ

إِلى حَيثُ تَنأى بِالعَشِيِّ فَتَغرُبُ

And even if I owned all from where the sun rises in the morning

And if from sunrise to sunset I possessed

to where it recedes at evening and sets,

Surrounding it a kingdom, by your life, with the girl I am fascinated

أُحيطُ بِهِ مِلكاً لِما كانَ عِدلَها

أُحيطُ بِهِ مِلكاً لِما كانَ عِدلَها

لَعَمرُكَ إِنّي بِالفَتاةِ لَمُعجَبُ

لَعَمرُكَ إِنّي بِالفَتاةِ لَمُعجَبُ

encompassing it in my dominion, it would not equal her.

By your life, I am truly captivated by the maiden.