ذابَتْ زُبَيْدَةُ مِن شَوْقٍ لِسَيِّدِها

ذابَتْ زُبَيْدَةُ مِن شَوْقٍ لِسَيِّدِها

عُثْمانَ والنجمُ بِالنِّيرانِ مُشْتَعِلُ

عُثْمانَ والنجمُ بِالنِّيرانِ مُشْتَعِلُ

Zubayda melted with longing for her master,

Zubaydah melted with longing for her master,

Uthman, while the star was ablaze with fires.

Uthman, while the stars blaze with fire.

وَما تُلامُ وَنَيْلُ الفَخرِ يُعجِبُها

وَما تُلامُ وَنَيْلُ الفَخرِ يُعجِبُها

وَبِالزِّيارةِ لمَ يبْرَحْ لها شُغُلُ

وَبِالزِّيارةِ لمَ يبْرَحْ لها شُغُلُ

She is not to blame: attaining glory delights her,

She is not to be blamed, and glory pleases her,

And visiting has never ceased to occupy her.

Visiting you was her sole occupation.

فَقُلْ لِطَائِر قَدْ أَتاهُ بِها

فَقُلْ لِطَائِر قَدْ أَتاهُ بِها

وَيْلي عليكَ وَوَيلي مِنكَ يا رَجُل

وَيْلي عليكَ وَوَيلي مِنكَ يا رَجُل

So say to the bird who has brought her to him:

Say to the bird that brought her here,

Woe is me for you, and woe is me because of you, O man!

"Woe unto me because of you, O man!

لَوْ كنتَ يَا سَطْلُ ذا أُذْنٍ تُصِيخ إلى

لَوْ كنتَ يَا سَطْلُ ذا أُذْنٍ تُصِيخ إلى

عَذْلٍ عَذَلْتُكَ لو يُجدِي لكَ العَذَلُ

عَذْلٍ عَذَلْتُكَ لو يُجدِي لكَ العَذَلُ

If, O bucket, you had an ear that listened to

If only you, O jug, had ears that would listen

Reproach, I would reproach you—if reproach did you any good.

To advice, I'd advise you, though advice helps you not.

تَقُودُ ظبيةَ آرامٍ إلى أَسَدٍ

تَقُودُ ظبيةَ آرامٍ إلى أَسَدٍ

لولا التّقَى لَمَضَتْ أَنيابُهُ العُظُلُ

لولا التّقَى لَمَضَتْ أَنيابُهُ العُظُلُ

You lead a doe among gazelles to a lion;

You lead a doe of Aram to a lion,

But for piety, his massive fangs would have sunk in.

If not for piety, his great teeth would have seized her."

ومَن تَرَى ذلكَ الوجَهَ الجميلَ ولا

ومَن تَرَى ذلكَ الوجَهَ الجميلَ ولا

تَوَدُّ مِن قُبحِكَ المَشُهورِ تَنْفَصِلُ

تَوَدُّ مِن قُبحِكَ المَشُهورِ تَنْفَصِلُ

And what woman sees that beautiful face and does not

And whoever sees that beautiful face yet does not

Wish to part from your notorious ugliness?

Wish to be rid of your renowned ugliness,

هذِي بُثينةُ والمجنونُ قائدُها

هذِي بُثينةُ والمجنونُ قائدُها

إلى جميلٍ أجادَ المخّ يَا جَمَلُ

إلى جميلٍ أجادَ المخّ يَا جَمَلُ

This is Buthayna, and the madman is her guide

This is Buthayna, and Majnun leads her

To Jamil—what splendid brains, you camel!

To a beauty whose brain is excellent, O camel!

وَهَبْهُ عَفَّ أَمَا تَبقَى مَحَاسِنُها

وَهَبْهُ عَفَّ أَمَا تَبقَى مَحَاسِنُها

في قَلبهِ يالَكاعِ الوَقتِ يا زُحَلُ

في قَلبهِ يالَكاعِ الوَقتِ يا زُحَلُ

And suppose he remains chaste—do her charms not remain

Grant him pardon. Do her beauties remain

In his heart, you fool of the age, you Saturn?

In his heart, O swift time, O Saturn!

أُفٍّ لِعَقْلِكَ يَا مَتْبُوعُ إنَّكَ ذو

أُفٍّ لِعَقْلِكَ يَا مَتْبُوعُ إنَّكَ ذو

رَأْسٍ خَفِيفٍ وَذاكَ الطَّوْدُ والجَبلُ

رَأْسٍ خَفِيفٍ وَذاكَ الطَّوْدُ والجَبلُ

Fie on your mind, you possessed one! You have

Shame on your mind, O follower! You have

A flighty head, while he is the towering peak and mountain.

A frivolous head, while he is massive and huge.

وَالوَيْلُ وَيْلُكَ إنْ ذَاقَتْ عُسَيلَتَهُ

وَالوَيْلُ وَيْلُكَ إنْ ذَاقَتْ عُسَيلَتَهُ

وَباتَ يَجتمعانِ الزُّبُدُ والعَسَلُ

وَباتَ يَجتمعانِ الزُّبُدُ والعَسَلُ

And woe, woe to you, if she tastes his sweet honey,

Woe, woe unto you, if his smooth steed tastes her

And butter and honey spend the night mingling.

And they spend the night mingling spittle and honey!

لأُنشدَنَّكَ إذْ وَدَّعْتَها سَفَهاً

لأُنشدَنَّكَ إذْ وَدَّعْتَها سَفَهاً

وَدِّعْ هُريرَةَ إنَّ الرَّكَبَ مُرتحِل

وَدِّعْ هُريرَةَ إنَّ الرَّكَبَ مُرتحِل

I shall surely recite to you, since you foolishly bade her farewell:

I shall recite to you when you foolishly left her,

"Bid farewell to Hurayra, for the caravan is departing."

"Farewell Hira, the caravan is leaving."

وإنْ تَكنْ ذاكَ أَعشى كنتَ أَنتَ إذاً

وإنْ تَكنْ ذاكَ أَعشى كنتَ أَنتَ إذاً

أعمَى فلا اتَّضَحَتْ يَوماً لكَ السُّبُلُ

أعمَى فلا اتَّضَحَتْ يَوماً لكَ السُّبُلُ

And if that one is A‘sha, the night-blind, you yourself would then be

And if he is blind, you are thus also

Blind—may the paths never become clear to you!

Blind, never has the path been clear to you.