ما كُنْتُ أَنْدُبُ رَامةً وَطُوَيْلِعاً

ما كُنْتُ أَنْدُبُ رَامةً وَطُوَيْلِعاً

لَوْ كُنْتَ يا قَمَرِي عليَّ طُويْلِعَا

لَوْ كُنْتَ يا قَمَرِي عليَّ طُويْلِعَا

I would not have lamented Rāmah and Ṭuwayliʿ,

I would not lament Ramah or Tawilah

had you, my moon, but risen over me.

Had you, my moon, been long upon me.

وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ بِرَامَةٍ بَيْنَ النَّقَا

وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ بِرَامَةٍ بَيْنَ النَّقَا

فَمَنَعْتُ طَرْفي مِنْهُ أَنْ يتَمتَّعا

فَمَنَعْتُ طَرْفي مِنْهُ أَنْ يتَمتَّعا

And indeed I saw, at Rāmah among the dunes,

And I saw between noble women -

so I barred my gaze from taking delight in it.

I prevented my eye from enjoying them.

ما ذَاكَ مِنْ رَوْعٍ وَلكِنْ مَنْ رَأَى

ما ذَاكَ مِنْ رَوْعٍ وَلكِنْ مَنْ رَأَى

أَشْباهَ عِطْفِكَ حُقَّ أَن يَتورَّعا

أَشْباهَ عِطْفِكَ حُقَّ أَن يَتورَّعا

This was not from fear; but whoever sees

It was no frightening thing, but one who sees

likenesses of your figure ought to show restraint.

The likeness of your affection, it behooves him to refrain.

يا ساكِني نُعْمان لا اِصْطَنَعَ الهَوَى

يا ساكِني نُعْمان لا اِصْطَنَعَ الهَوَى

صَبّاً يكونُ بِكُم هَواهُ تَصنُّعا

صَبّاً يكونُ بِكُم هَواهُ تَصنُّعا

O dwellers of Nuʿmān, may love never foster

O dweller of Nu'man, passion does not pretend

a lover whose passion for you is feigned.

To be a love struck by you pretentiously.

قَدْ أَزْعَجَ القَلْبَ الغَرامُ وأَعْجَزَ ال

قَدْ أَزْعَجَ القَلْبَ الغَرامُ وأَعْجَزَ ال

طَرْفَ المنامُ فَحَقَّ لي أَنْ أَجْزَعَا

طَرْفَ المنامُ فَحَقَّ لي أَنْ أَجْزَعَا

Passion has unsettled the heart, and beyond the

Love has perturbed my heart and dream's inability

eye's reach lies sleep; I have every right to be distraught.

Has defeated my eye, so it's right that I despair.

أَضْمَرْتُموا هَجْراً وأَمْرَضْتُمْ حَشىً

أَضْمَرْتُموا هَجْراً وأَمْرَضْتُمْ حَشىً

مِنّي وأَضْرَمَتُمْ بِنارٍ أَضْلُعَا

مِنّي وأَضْرَمَتُمْ بِنارٍ أَضْلُعَا

You harbored estrangement and sickened the heart

You harbored estrangement and sickened my heart,

within me, and set my ribs ablaze with fire.

And kindled in me a blazing fire.

وَلَقَدْ وَقَفْتُ على حِماكُمْ مُجْدِباً

وَلَقَدْ وَقَفْتُ على حِماكُمْ مُجْدِباً

فَجَرَى بِهِ دَمْعِي إلى أنْ أَمْرَعَا

فَجَرَى بِهِ دَمْعِي إلى أنْ أَمْرَعَا

And I stood upon your barren sanctuary;

I stood over your tent weeping

my tears flowed there until it grew lush.

Until my tears flooded the sands.

وَحَفِظْتُ عَهْدَكُمُ وَضَيَّعْتُمْ فَلَا

وَحَفِظْتُ عَهْدَكُمُ وَضَيَّعْتُمْ فَلَا

أَدْعو لأَجْلِكُم عَلى مَنْ ضَيَّعا

أَدْعو لأَجْلِكُم عَلى مَنْ ضَيَّعا

I kept your covenant, and you neglected it; so I do not

I kept your pact while you neglected it,

for your sake, curse whoever neglected it.

So I won't pray for those who neglected.

قَالَ العَواذِلُ إِنَّ مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَهُمْ

قَالَ العَواذِلُ إِنَّ مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَهُمْ

لَمْ يَتْركُوا لَكَ في وِصَالٍ مَطْمَعَا

لَمْ يَتْركُوا لَكَ في وِصَالٍ مَطْمَعَا

The reproaching women said, 'Those you have loved

The censurers said: they you loved

have left you no hope of union.'

Did not leave any union for you to hope for.

أَنَا قَدْ رَضيتُ بِمَا ارْتَضوْهُ فَمَا عَسَى

أَنَا قَدْ رَضيتُ بِمَا ارْتَضوْهُ فَمَا عَسَى

أَنْ يُبْلِغَ الواشي لَديَّ بِمَا سَعَى

أَنْ يُبْلِغَ الواشي لَديَّ بِمَا سَعَى

I have accepted what they chose; what, then, can

I'm content with what they decided, so what can

the talebearer achieve with me through his scheming?

The slanderer accomplish in what he attempted?

مَنْ أَنْتَ يا ظَبْيَ الصَّريمِ دَعوتَهُ

مَنْ أَنْتَ يا ظَبْيَ الصَّريمِ دَعوتَهُ

هَيْهَاتَ عَنْكَ بِسَلْوةٍ أَنْ يَرْجِعَا

هَيْهَاتَ عَنْكَ بِسَلْوةٍ أَنْ يَرْجِعَا

Whoever you, O gazelle of the thicket, have called

Who are you, O doe of Sarim, calling him -

will never return from you free of longing.

Alas! He will not return lured by you.

لا بُدَّ يا قَمَرَ الملاحَةِ بَعْدَ أَنْ

لا بُدَّ يا قَمَرَ الملاحَةِ بَعْدَ أَنْ

تُبْدِي السِّرَارَ وَتَخْتَفِي أَنْ تَطْلُعَا

تُبْدِي السِّرَارَ وَتَخْتَفِي أَنْ تَطْلُعَا

Inevitably, O moon of beauty, after you

It's inevitable, O moon of nightfall, that after

show your dark phase and vanish, you will rise.

You appear briefly, you must disappear.

وَلَرُبَّما يا ظَبْيُ تَرْتَاعُ الظِّبا

وَلَرُبَّما يا ظَبْيُ تَرْتَاعُ الظِّبا

مِثْلَ ارْتِياعِكَ ثم تَأْنَسُ مَرْتَعَا

مِثْلَ ارْتِياعِكَ ثم تَأْنَسُ مَرْتَعَا

And sometimes, O gazelle, gazelles take fright

Perhaps, O doe, you shudder like my shuddering,

as you do, then grow at ease in a pasture.

Then feel at peace in a pasture.

ما سِحْرُ هَارُونَ المُفَرِّق غِيْرُ ما

ما سِحْرُ هَارُونَ المُفَرِّق غِيْرُ ما

في مُقْلَتَيْكَ مِنَ الفُتُورِ تَجَمَّعَا

في مُقْلَتَيْكَ مِنَ الفُتُورِ تَجَمَّعَا

Hārūn's sundering magic is nothing but the

What is the magic of Harun the separator, but

languor gathered in your two eyes.

The languor gathered in your eyes?

أَخْلَيْتَ مَرْبَع كُلِّ قَلْبٍ في الهَوَى

أَخْلَيْتَ مَرْبَع كُلِّ قَلْبٍ في الهَوَى

مِنْ صَبْرِهِ وجَعَلْتَهُ لَكَ مَرْبَعا

مِنْ صَبْرِهِ وجَعَلْتَهُ لَكَ مَرْبَعا

You emptied the dwelling of every heart in love

You emptied the composure of every heart in love,

of its patience, and made it a dwelling for yourself.

And made it for you a square.

وَهِيَ القُلُوبُ الطائِراتُ فَمَا لَهَا

وَهِيَ القُلُوبُ الطائِراتُ فَمَا لَهَا

أَبداً نَراها في حِبَالِكَ وُقَّعَا

أَبداً نَراها في حِبَالِكَ وُقَّعَا

And they are flying hearts—what ails them,

Those are the soaring hearts - so why do we

that we always see them caught in your snares?

Never see them tethered by your ropes?

مَا صَدَّ عَنِّي في الغَرامِ فَديْتُهُ

مَا صَدَّ عَنِّي في الغَرامِ فَديْتُهُ

لَمّا بَذلْتُ لَهُ دَمِي فَتَمَنَّعا

لَمّا بَذلْتُ لَهُ دَمِي فَتَمَنَّعا

He did not shun me in love—may I be his ransom—

I ransomed what distracted me from passion

when I offered him my blood and he held aloof;

When I shed my blood for it, but it refused.

لَكنْ رَأَى قَلْبي يَزيدُ بِقُرْبِهِ

لَكنْ رَأَى قَلْبي يَزيدُ بِقُرْبِهِ

صَدْعاً فأَشفَقَ إِن دَنَا أَنْ يُصْدَعا

صَدْعاً فأَشفَقَ إِن دَنَا أَنْ يُصْدَعا

but he saw my heart, with his nearness, grow

Rather, my heart saw it increase the cracks

more fractured, and feared it would shatter if he drew near.

When drawing near, fearing it would crack.

يا عاذِلي دَعْنِي وَعَلِّم مُقْلَتِي

يا عاذِلي دَعْنِي وَعَلِّم مُقْلَتِي

لِتَرى خَيال مُعَذِّبي إِنْ تَهْجَعَا

لِتَرى خَيال مُعَذِّبي إِنْ تَهْجَعَا

O my reproacher, leave me be, and teach my eye

O my censurer, leave me be and teach my eyelids

to see my tormentor's phantom if it slumbers.

To see the specter of my tormentor as I sleep.

مَنْ كَانَ مَدْمَعُهُ نَجِيعاً في الهَوَى

مَنْ كَانَ مَدْمَعُهُ نَجِيعاً في الهَوَى

هَيْهَاتَ عَذْلُكَ عِنْدَهُ أَنْ يَنْجَعَا

هَيْهَاتَ عَذْلُكَ عِنْدَهُ أَنْ يَنْجَعَا

He whose tears in love are blood—

Whose tears were streaming in passion -

your reproach can never have any effect on him.

Alas! Your censure will not avail him.

أَمْ كَيْفَ رِيقَتُكَ الَّتي أَرِقَتْ لها

أَمْ كَيْفَ رِيقَتُكَ الَّتي أَرِقَتْ لها

عَيْني وَما رَاقَتْ تُكَفْكِفُ أَدْمُعَا

عَيْني وَما رَاقَتْ تُكَفْكِفُ أَدْمُعَا

Or how can your saliva, for which

Or how did your departure, which deprived me of sleep

my eye stayed sleepless and never grew clear, staunch tears?

And did not let my eyes rest, assuage tears?