حَيِّيا جَزلَةَ مِنّي بِالسَلامِ

حَيِّيا جَزلَةَ مِنّي بِالسَلامِ

دُرَّةَ البَحرِ وَمِصباحَ الظَلامِ

دُرَّةَ البَحرِ وَمِصباحَ الظَلامِ

You two, greet Jazla with peace from me,

Greetings of friendship I offer to you,

the pearl of the sea and lamp of the darkness.

Pearl of the sea, lantern lighting the gloom.

لا تَصُدّي بَعدَ وُدٍّ ثابِتٍ

لا تَصُدّي بَعدَ وُدٍّ ثابِتٍ

وَاِسمَعي يا أُمَّ عيسى مِن كَلامي

وَاِسمَعي يا أُمَّ عيسى مِن كَلامي

Do not turn away after steadfast affection,

Do not turn away after affection shown true,

and listen, O Umm Isa, to my words.

Hearken, O mother of Jesus, unto my tune.

لا تَدومي لي فَوَصلي دائِمٌ

لا تَدومي لي فَوَصلي دائِمٌ

أَو تَهمّي لي بِهجرٍ أَو صِرامِ

أَو تَهمّي لي بِهجرٍ أَو صِرامِ

Do not remain with me, for my affection endures,

Be not forever estranged, fickle of mood,

or contemplate abandoning me or severing our bond,

Or promise a bond only to disapprove.

أَو تَكوني مِثلَ بَرقٍ خُلَّبٍ

أَو تَكوني مِثلَ بَرقٍ خُلَّبٍ

خادِعٍ يَلمَعُ في عُرضِ الغَمامِ

خادِعٍ يَلمَعُ في عُرضِ الغَمامِ

or be like lightning that brings no rain,

You were not like lightning flickering lewd,

deceptive, gleaming amid the clouds,

Deceiving, in clouds of desire to move.

أَو كَتَخييلِ سَرابٍ مُعرِضٍ

أَو كَتَخييلِ سَرابٍ مُعرِضٍ

بِفَلاةٍ أَو طُروقٍ في المَنامِ

بِفَلاةٍ أَو طُروقٍ في المَنامِ

or like the illusion of a looming mirage

Or like mirage misleading the famished,

in a desert, or a night-visit in a dream.

Imagined oasis to dreams onboard.

ما عِلمي إِن كُنتِ لَمّا تَعلَمي

ما عِلمي إِن كُنتِ لَمّا تَعلَمي

وَمتى ما تَفعلي ذاكَ تُلامي

وَمتى ما تَفعلي ذاكَ تُلامي

What do I know, if you have not yet learned?

What knowledge have you if harm was intended,

And whenever you do that, you will be blamed.

And when you act surely you'll be forewarned,

بِعدَما كانَ الَّذي فَلا

بِعدَما كانَ الَّذي فَلا

تُتبِعي الإِحسانَ إِلّا بِالتَمامِ

تُتبِعي الإِحسانَ إِلّا بِالتَمامِ

After what has been, then do not

That goodness unceasing brings fair satisfaction,

follow kindness with anything but its completion.

As rainQuatrains continuous fructifies the plain.

لا تَناسَي كُلَّ ما أَعطَيتِني

لا تَناسَي كُلَّ ما أَعطَيتِني

مِن عُهودٍ وَمَواثيقَ عِظامِ

مِن عُهودٍ وَمَواثيقَ عِظامِ

Do not forget all that you gave me

Forget not the past and pledges you've taken,

of pledges and weighty covenants.

Swearing divinely and signing your name.

وَاِذكُري الوَعدَ الَّذي واعَدتِني

وَاِذكُري الوَعدَ الَّذي واعَدتِني

لَيلَةَ النِصفِ مِنَ الشَهرِ الحَرامِ

لَيلَةَ النِصفِ مِنَ الشَهرِ الحَرامِ

And remember the promise you made me

Recall that night of the middle Sha'ban,

on the night halfway through the sacred month.

When moonlit you pledged by the Divine Name.

فَلَئِن بَدَّلتِ أَو خِستِ بِنا

فَلَئِن بَدَّلتِ أَو خِستِ بِنا

وَتَجَرَّأتِ عَلى أَمرٍ صَمامِ

وَتَجَرَّأتِ عَلى أَمرٍ صَمامِ

For if you change or break faith with us,

If you ignore it, you'll bear the pain

and dare to undertake a grievous deed,

Of prayer and fast as absolving your blame.

لا تُبالينَ إِذاً مِن بَعدِها

لا تُبالينَ إِذاً مِن بَعدِها

أَبَداً تَرَكَ صَلاةٍ أَو صِيامِ

أَبَداً تَرَكَ صَلاةٍ أَو صِيامِ

then, after that, do not care

Return to affection, put hatred to rest,

ever about abandoning prayer or fasting.

Ambition and sins easy to name.

راجِعي الوَصلَ وَرُدّي نَظرَةً

راجِعي الوَصلَ وَرُدّي نَظرَةً

لا تَلِجّي في طِماحٍ وَأَثامِ

لا تَلِجّي في طِماحٍ وَأَثامِ

Renew our bond and return a glance;

When you see me, if you think I offend,

do not persist in waywardness and sin.

For traits disagreeable that I retain,

وَإِذا أَنكَرتِ مِنّي شيمَةً

وَإِذا أَنكَرتِ مِنّي شيمَةً

وَلَقَد يُنكَرُ ما لَيسَ بِذامِ

وَلَقَد يُنكَرُ ما لَيسَ بِذامِ

And if you disapprove of a trait in me—

Then tell me, I'll set all aright again,

and indeed, what is no fault may be disapproved of—

And tears of regret shall wash cleansingly.

فَاِذكُريها لي أَزُل عَنّا وَلا

فَاِذكُريها لي أَزُل عَنّا وَلا

تَسفِحي عَينَيكِ بِالدَمعِ السِجامِ

تَسفِحي عَينَيكِ بِالدَمعِ السِجامِ

then tell me of it; I shall withdraw from us; and do not

I see your cord worn, its strands growing thin,

flood your eyes with streaming tears.

While mine are thick without age or decay.

وَأَرى حَبلَكِ رَثّاً خَلَقاً

وَأَرى حَبلَكِ رَثّاً خَلَقاً

وَحِبالي جُدُداً غَيرَ رِمامِ

وَحِبالي جُدُداً غَيرَ رِمامِ

And I see your rope threadbare and worn,

You saw my hair turning grayer each day,

and my ropes new, not rotten.

And body enfeebled by time's command.

عَجِبَت جَزلَةُ مِنّي أَن رَأَت

عَجِبَت جَزلَةُ مِنّي أَن رَأَت

لِمَّتي حُفَّت بِشَيبٍ كَالثَغامِ

لِمَّتي حُفَّت بِشَيبٍ كَالثَغامِ

Jazla was astonished at me because she saw

I have felt the fierce hardship of life's fray,

my locks fringed with gray, like thagham grass,

My frame battered to pieces in war's band.

وَرَأَت جِسمي عَلاةَ كَبرَةٌ

وَرَأَت جِسمي عَلاةَ كَبرَةٌ

وَصُروفُ الدَهرِ قَد أَبلَت عِظامي

وَصُروفُ الدَهرِ قَد أَبلَت عِظامي

and saw my body as an anvil; old age

Yet you a blooming flower fresh and fair,

and time's vicissitudes had worn away my bones.

On shoulders like silk, a cat sleek and fine.

وَصَلِيتُ الحَربَ حَتّى تَرَكَت

وَصَلِيتُ الحَربَ حَتّى تَرَكَت

جَسَدي نِضواً كَأَشلاءِ اللِجامِ

جَسَدي نِضواً كَأَشلاءِ اللِجامِ

And I suffered war's fire until it left

When you laugh, your cheeks their dimples bare,

my body wasted, like the tatters of a bridle.

Like musk waving about, the years resign.

وَهيَ بَيضاءُ عَلى مَنكِبَيها

وَهيَ بَيضاءُ عَلى مَنكِبَيها

قَطَطٌ جَعدٌ وَمَيّالٌ سُخامِ

قَطَطٌ جَعدٌ وَمَيّالٌ سُخامِ

And she is fair-skinned; upon her shoulders

From your neck to your wrists perfection rare,

lie tight, crinkled curls and soft, swaying black tresses.

No jewel comes close, no shell half as fine.

وَإِذا تَضحَكُ تُبدي حَبَباً

وَإِذا تَضحَكُ تُبدي حَبَباً

كَرُضابِ المِسكِ في الراحِ المُدامِ

كَرُضابِ المِسكِ في الراحِ المُدامِ

And when she laughs, she reveals beadlike teeth,

So why do I find you today inclined,

like grains of musk in aged wine.

To ways and manners none too refined?

كَمُلَت ما بَينَ قَرنٍ فَإِلى

كَمُلَت ما بَينَ قَرنٍ فَإِلى

مَوضِعَ الخَلخالِ مِنها وَالخِدامِ

مَوضِعَ الخَلخالِ مِنها وَالخِدامِ

She is perfect from her braid down to

the place of her anklet and ankle-bands.

فَأَراها اليَومَ لي قَد أَحدَثَت

فَأَراها اليَومَ لي قَد أَحدَثَت

خُلُقاً لَيسَ عَلى العَهدِ القُدامِ

خُلُقاً لَيسَ عَلى العَهدِ القُدامِ

So today I see that toward me she has adopted

a disposition not in keeping with the former pledge.