وَما كُنتُ أَدري الحُبَّ حَتّى تَعَرَّضَت

وَما كُنتُ أَدري الحُبَّ حَتّى تَعَرَّضَت

عُيونُ ظِباءٍ بِالمَدينَةِ عَينِ

عُيونُ ظِباءٍ بِالمَدينَةِ عَينِ

And I had not known love until there appeared

I had no knowledge of love, until the gazelles’ eyes

the eyes of wide-eyed gazelles in Medina.

In the city turned towards my eyes.

فَوَ اللَهِ ما أَدري الغَداةَ رَمَينَنا

فَوَ اللَهِ ما أَدري الغَداةَ رَمَينَنا

عَنِ النَبعِ أَم عَن أَعيُنٍ وَجُفونِ

عَنِ النَبعِ أَم عَن أَعيُنٍ وَجُفونِ

So, by God, I do not know whether this morning they shot at us

By God, I don’t know if at dawn we shot

from nabʿ-wood bows or from eyes and eyelids.

From the spring, or from eyes and eyelids.

بِكُلِّ حَشىً مِنّا رَمِيَّةُ نابِلٍ

بِكُلِّ حَشىً مِنّا رَمِيَّةُ نابِلٍ

قَوِيٍّ عَلى الأَحشاءِ غَيرِ أَمينِ

قَوِيٍّ عَلى الأَحشاءِ غَيرِ أَمينِ

In each heart of ours is an archer's shot,

With every guts of ours an arrow

powerful against hearts, untrustworthy.

Of a strong archer, unrelenting.

فَرَرتُ بِطَرفي مِن سِهامِ لِحاظِها

فَرَرتُ بِطَرفي مِن سِهامِ لِحاظِها

وَهَل تُتَلَقّى أَسهُمٌ بِعُيونِ

وَهَل تُتَلَقّى أَسهُمٌ بِعُيونِ

I fled with my gaze from the arrows of her glances;

So I fled with my eyes from the arrows of their glances,

and can arrows be met with eyes?

And can arrows be met with eyes?

وَقالوا اِنتَجَع رَعيَ الهَوى مِن بِلادِهِ

وَقالوا اِنتَجَع رَعيَ الهَوى مِن بِلادِهِ

فَهَذا مَعاذٌ مِن جَوىً وَحَنينِ

فَهَذا مَعاذٌ مِن جَوىً وَحَنينِ

And they said: Seek love's pasture from its own lands;

And they said: the shepherd of love returned from his land.

for this is a refuge from burning heartache and longing.

This is protection against ardour and yearning!

فَيا بانَتي بَطنِ العَقيقِ سُقيتُما

فَيا بانَتي بَطنِ العَقيقِ سُقيتُما

بِماءِ الغَوادي بَعدَ ماءِ شُؤونِ

بِماءِ الغَوادي بَعدَ ماءِ شُؤونِ

So, O two bān trees of al-ʿAqīq's valley, may you both be watered

O my two daughters of ‘Aqeeq valley, you were given to drink

with water from morning rainclouds, after the water of tear ducts.

The water of valleys after the water of goodness.

أُحِبُّكُما وَالمُستَجِنِّ بِطَيبَةٍ

أُحِبُّكُما وَالمُستَجِنِّ بِطَيبَةٍ

مَحَبَّةَ ذُخرٍ باتَ عِندَ ضَنينِ

مَحَبَّةَ ذُخرٍ باتَ عِندَ ضَنينِ

I love you both—by the one concealed in Ṭayba—

I love you like one enamoured of Taibah,

with a miser's love for a treasure kept with him overnight.

With a preserved love that stayed with the jealous.

جَلَونَ الحِداقَ النُجلَ وَهيَ سَقامُنا

جَلَونَ الحِداقَ النُجلَ وَهيَ سَقامُنا

وَوارَينَ أَجياداً وَسودَ قُرونِ

وَوارَينَ أَجياداً وَسودَ قُرونِ

They revealed their wide eyes, which are our sickness,

The she-camels kneeled down the smooth rocks and they became our illness,

and concealed their necks and black tresses.

They pastured thoroughbreds and fattened sheep.

وَلَولا العُيونُ النُجلُ ما قادَنا الهَوى

وَلَولا العُيونُ النُجلُ ما قادَنا الهَوى

لِكُلِّ لَبانٍ واضِحٍ وَجَبينِ

لِكُلِّ لَبانٍ واضِحٍ وَجَبينِ

And were it not for those wide eyes, love would not have led us

Were it not for the gazelles’ eyes, desire would not have led us

to every fair breast and brow.

To every shining and wide forehead.

يُلَجلِجنَ قُضبانَ البَشامِ عَشِيَةً

يُلَجلِجنَ قُضبانَ البَشامِ عَشِيَةً

عَلى ثَغَبٍ مِن ريقِهِنَّ مَعينِ

عَلى ثَغَبٍ مِن ريقِهِنَّ مَعينِ

They roll bashām twigs in their mouths at evening,

They clank the anklets of unblemished ones in the evening,

over a flowing pool of their saliva.

Over steps moistened from their spittle as provision.

تَرى بَرَداً يُعدي إِلى القَلبِ بَردُهُ

تَرى بَرَداً يُعدي إِلى القَلبِ بَردُهُ

فَيَنفَعُ مِن قَبلِ المَذاقِ بِحينِ

فَيَنفَعُ مِن قَبلِ المَذاقِ بِحينِ

You see hailstones whose coolness spreads to the heart,

You see a coolness reaching the heart, so its coolness

so it brings relief a while before the tasting.

Benefits through sense in a while.

تَماسَكتُ لَمّا خالَطَ اللُبَّ لَحظُها

تَماسَكتُ لَمّا خالَطَ اللُبَّ لَحظُها

وَقَد جُنَّ مِنهُ القَلبُ أَيَّ جُنونِ

وَقَد جُنَّ مِنهُ القَلبُ أَيَّ جُنونِ

I held myself together when her glance mingled with my mind,

I held myself together when the kernels of their glances mixed,

though my heart had gone mad from it—what madness!

And the heart was tempted, which temptation!

وَما كانَ إِلّا وَقفَةٌ ثُمَّ لَم تَدَع

وَما كانَ إِلّا وَقفَةٌ ثُمَّ لَم تَدَع

دَواعي النَوى مِنهُنَّ غَيرَ ظُنونِ

دَواعي النَوى مِنهُنَّ غَيرَ ظُنونِ

And it was only a pause; then nothing was left

It was just a pause, then the intentions of purpose

by the summons of separation but surmises about them.

Did not leave any doubts among them.

نَصَصتُ المَطايا أَبتَغي رُشدَ مَذهَبي

نَصَصتُ المَطايا أَبتَغي رُشدَ مَذهَبي

فَأَقلَعنَ عَنّي وَالغَوايَةُ دوني

فَأَقلَعنَ عَنّي وَالغَوايَةُ دوني

I drove the mounts hard, seeking the right course for my journey;

I set the camels to find the right course of my goal,

so they drew away from me, while waywardness lay before me.

But they turned away from me while temptation stayed with me.