خافَ الرَسولُ مِنَ المَلامَه

خافَ الرَسولُ مِنَ المَلامَه

فَكَنى بِسُعدى عَن أُمامَه

فَكَنى بِسُعدى عَن أُمامَه

The messenger feared reproach,

The Messenger feared reproach

so he used Suʿdā’s name for Umāmah.

So he hinted at Sa’diyya instead of her actual name

وَأَتى يُعَرِّضُ في الحَدي

وَأَتى يُعَرِّضُ في الحَدي

ثِ بِرامَةٍ سُقِياً لِرامَه

ثِ بِرامَةٍ سُقِياً لِرامَه

And he came, alluding in his speech

And he came to mention in hadith

to Rāmah—may rain bless Rāmah!

Raamah as a water-drawer for Raamah

وَفَهِمتُ مِنهُ إِشارَةً

وَفَهِمتُ مِنهُ إِشارَةً

بَعَثَ الحَبيبُ بِها عَلامَه

بَعَثَ الحَبيبُ بِها عَلامَه

And I understood from him a hint

And I understood from him an allusion

the beloved had sent as a sign.

That my beloved had sent as a token

فَطَرِبتُ حَتّى خِلتُني

فَطَرِبتُ حَتّى خِلتُني

نَشوانَ تَلعَبُ بِيَ المُدامَه

نَشوانَ تَلعَبُ بِيَ المُدامَه

So I was enraptured, until I thought myself

So I was disturbed until I became

drunk, with wine toying with me.

Intoxicated, madness playing with me

خُذ يا رَسولُ حُشاشَتي

خُذ يا رَسولُ حُشاشَتي

أَنا في الهَوى كَعبُ اِبنُ مامَه

أَنا في الهَوى كَعبُ اِبنُ مامَه

Take, O messenger, my last spark of life;

Take, O Messenger, my love messages

in love, I am Kaʿb ibn Māmah.

For in love I am like Kab ibn Maamah

وَأَعِد حَديثَكَ إِنَّهُ

وَأَعِد حَديثَكَ إِنَّهُ

لَأَلَذُّ مِن سَجعِ الحَمامَه

لَأَلَذُّ مِن سَجعِ الحَمامَه

And repeat your tale, for it is

And repeat your hadith for it is

indeed sweeter than the dove’s cooing.

Sweeter than the cooing of a dove

بُشرايَ هَذا اليَومَ قَد

بُشرايَ هَذا اليَومَ قَد

قامَت عَلى الواشي القِيامَه

قامَت عَلى الواشي القِيامَه

Glad tidings for me! Today,

Give me good news, for this day

Judgment Day has come upon the tale-bearer!

Judgement has been passed on the lover

ياقادِماً مِن سَفرَةِ ال

ياقادِماً مِن سَفرَةِ ال

هَجرِ الطَويلِ لَكَ السَلامَه

هَجرِ الطَويلِ لَكَ السَلامَه

O you arriving from the journey of

O you who comes from a journey of long

long estrangement, may you be safe!

Absence, peace be upon you

وَأَقَمتَ في ذاكَ البُعا

وَأَقَمتَ في ذاكَ البُعا

دِ وَطابَ فيهِ لَكَ الإِقامَه

دِ وَطابَ فيهِ لَكَ الإِقامَه

And you stayed in that separation,

And you stayed in that distant place, and dwelling there

and found your stay there pleasant.

Was pleasant for you

يا مَن تَخَصَّصَ وَحدَهُ

يا مَن تَخَصَّصَ وَحدَهُ

مَولايَ تَلزَمُكَ الغَرامَه

مَولايَ تَلزَمُكَ الغَرامَه

O you who set yourself apart alone,

O you who exclusively belongs

my lord, you must pay the fine.

To my Master, passion clings to you

يا مَن يُريدُ لِيَ الهَوا

يا مَن يُريدُ لِيَ الهَوا

نَ وَمَن أُريدُ لَهُ الكَرامَه

نَ وَمَن أُريدُ لَهُ الكَرامَه

O you who wish me humiliation,

O you who wants love for me

while I wish you honor.

And whom I want to honor

مَولايَ سُلطانُ المِلا

مَولايَ سُلطانُ المِلا

حِ وَلَيسَ يَكشِفُ لي ظُلامَه

حِ وَلَيسَ يَكشِفُ لي ظُلامَه

My lord is the sultan of the beautiful,

My Master, the Sultan of beauty

yet he does not redress my grievance.

And no darkness is unveiled for me

عايَنتُهُ وَكَأَنَّهُ

عايَنتُهُ وَكَأَنَّهُ

غُصنُ النَقا ليناً وَقامَه

غُصنُ النَقا ليناً وَقامَه

I beheld him, and he was like

I saw him, and he was like

a bough on the sand dune, in suppleness and stature.

A delicate, erect branch

وَبِشامَةٍ في خَدِّهِ

وَبِشامَةٍ في خَدِّهِ

أَصبَحتُ في العُشّاقِ شامَه

أَصبَحتُ في العُشّاقِ شامَه

And through a beauty mark on his cheek,

With a beauty mark on his cheek

I have become a beauty mark among lovers.

I became among lovers a Shanmah

يا خَصرَهُ يا رِدفَهُ

يا خَصرَهُ يا رِدفَهُ

مَن لي بِنَجدٍ أَو تِهامَه

مَن لي بِنَجدٍ أَو تِهامَه

Ah, his waist! Ah, his hips!

O his waist, O his hips

Who can grant me Najd or Tihāmah?

Who will get for me Najd or Tihama