وَمَريضَةٍand a sick woman مَرَضَwith the sickness الهَوىof love
وَمَريضَةٍ مَرَضَ الهَوى
بَكَرَتshe came early بِعَبرَتِهاwith her tears تَعيبfinding fault
بَكَرَت بِعَبرَتِها تَعيب
And a woman sick with love's sickness
Lovesick and lovesickness has struck
came early with her tears, finding fault.
Her tears flowed and graced her cheeks
وَرَفَعتُand I raised عِندَwhen جَوابِهاanswering her
وَرَفَعتُ عِندَ جَوابِها
صَوتيmy voice وَقَدwhile already سَكَتَhad fallen silent المُريبthe suspicious one
صَوتي وَقَد سَكَتَ المُريب
And, in answering her, I raised
And when she replied, I raised my voice
my voice, while the suspicious one had fallen silent.
While the blamer fell silent
إِنَّindeed الهُمومَsorrows تَعَلَّقَتclung
إِنَّ الهُمومَ تَعَلَّقَت
حَوراءَa dark-eyed beauty كالرَشَأَlike a fawn الرَبيبhand-reared
حَوراءَ كالرَشَأَ الرَبيب
Indeed, sorrows have clung
Worries clung to her
to a dark-eyed beauty, like a hand-reared fawn.
Like beads of dew
وَيليwoe to me عَلىfor رَوَعانِهاher youthful exuberance
وَيلي عَلى رَوَعانِها
وَلِسانِهاand her tongue المَلِقِflattering الخَلوبbeguiling
وَلِسانِها المَلِقِ الخَلوب
Woe to me for her youthful exuberance,
Woe to me because of her bashfulness
and her flattering, beguiling tongue!
And her sweet, fluent tongue
فَلَقَدfor indeed شُعِفتُI was consumed with passion بِحُبِّهاby love for her
فَلَقَد شُعِفتُ بِحُبِّها
شِعفَthe passion النَصارىof Christians بِالصَليبfor the Cross
شِعفَ النَصارى بِالصَليب
For I have been consumed by love for her,
For I was weakened by love of her
with the Christians' passion for the Cross.
As Christians are weakened by the cross
عَهِدَتshe gave a charge إِلَيَّto me وَأَدبَرَتand turned away
عَهِدَت إِلَيَّ وَأَدبَرَت
عَهداًa charge تَذَكُّرُهُremembering it يُشيبturns one gray
عَهداً تَذَكُّرُهُ يُشيب
She gave me a charge and turned away—
She made a promise to me and turned away
a charge whose remembrance turns one gray.
A promise that remembering makes one grey
وَكَأَنَّهاand she seemed لَمّاwhen مَشَتshe walked
وَكَأَنَّها لَمّا مَشَت
أَيمٌa serpent تَأَوَّدَundulated فيin كَثيبa sand dune
أَيمٌ تَأَوَّدَ في كَثيب
And when she walked, she seemed
As if when she walked away
a serpent undulating in a sand dune.
She was a loving female ostrich in the dunes
وَكَأَنَّنيand I seemed مِنfrom حُبِّهاlove for her
وَكَأَنَّني مِن حُبِّها
ظَأرٌa foster-mother camel أَهابَcalled out بِهِto it مُهيبa caller
ظَأرٌ أَهابَ بِهِ مُهيب
And from love for her I seemed
And as if because of love for her
a foster-mother camel summoned by a caller.
I am a wolf terrified by a fearful one
خُلِقَwere created النِساءُwomen خِلافَهاunlike her
خُلِقَ النِساءُ خِلافَها
ضُرُباًin varied kinds وَلَيسَand there is not لَهاfor her ضَريبan equal
ضُرُباً وَلَيسَ لَها ضَريب
Women were created unlike her,
Women were created unlike her
in varied kinds, yet she has no peer.
In type, and she has no equal
زَينُthe adornment المَجاسِدِof saffron-dyed robes مِثلُهاone like her
زَينُ المَجاسِدِ مِثلُها
يُشفىis healed بِهِthrough him or it ضِغنُthe rancor القُلوبof hearts
يُشفى بِهِ ضِغنُ القُلوب
One like her adorns saffron-dyed robes;
The adornment of bodies like hers
through such a one, hearts' rancor is healed.
Can heal the sickness of hearts
لَمّاwhen شَعَبتُI rallied عَلىagainst الوُشاthe slander-
لَمّا شَعَبتُ عَلى الوُشا
ةِ-ers (completes 'slanderers') وَغُصنُand the bough ناظِرِكِof your eye الشَعوبDeath
ةِ وَغُصنُ ناظِرِكِ الشَعوب
When I rallied against the slander-
When I roamed the prairie and the branch of your watching eyes
ers, while the bough of your eye was Death,
The roamers returned as if they had no guide
رَجَعَretreated الوُشاةُthe slanderers كَأَنَّهُمas though they were
رَجَعَ الوُشاةُ كَأَنَّهُم
عُرَفاءُheadmen لَيسَthere is no لَهُمfor them نَقيبchief
عُرَفاءُ لَيسَ لَهُم نَقيب
the slanderers retreated, as though
they were headmen with no chief.
Partial English translation: 22 of 24 Arabic lines translated.