راجَعتَ دينَكَ أَم عَنَّت لَكَ الذُكَرُ

راجَعتَ دينَكَ أَم عَنَّت لَكَ الذُكَرُ

أَم ما بَدا لَكَ لا تَصحو وَلا تَقِرُ

أَم ما بَدا لَكَ لا تَصحو وَلا تَقِرُ

Have you returned to your old ways, or have memories come upon you?

Have you reverted to your religion, or has oblivion forsaken you?

Or what has come over you, that you neither sober up nor rest?

Or nothing seems right to you, neither sober nor settled?

هِيَ الشِفا عَلِقَت نَفسي حَبائِلُها

هِيَ الشِفا عَلِقَت نَفسي حَبائِلُها

إِذ لا يُقيمُ وَلا يَبدو لَهُ سَفَرُ

إِذ لا يُقيمُ وَلا يَبدو لَهُ سَفَرُ

She is the cure; her snares have caught my soul,

It is the cure - my soul clings to its ropes,

When it neither settles nor has a journey in prospect.

Since it has no permanence or journey to undertake.

يا وَيحَ نَفسي أَراها كُلَّما اِنبَعَثَت

يا وَيحَ نَفسي أَراها كُلَّما اِنبَعَثَت

أَلقى عَليها صُباباتِ الكَرى القَدَرُ

أَلقى عَليها صُباباتِ الكَرى القَدَرُ

Alas for my soul! I see that whenever it stirs,

Oh woe is me! My soul - whenever it stirs,

Fate casts the dregs of sleep upon it.

Misfortunes of fate rain upon it.

بَليتُ وَالشَوقُ أَبلاني تَذَكُّرُهُ

بَليتُ وَالشَوقُ أَبلاني تَذَكُّرُهُ

مِن غادَةٍ بَيتُها دانٍ وَمُهتَجَرُ

مِن غادَةٍ بَيتُها دانٍ وَمُهتَجَرُ

I have wasted away, worn out by remembered longing

I am afflicted, and yearning has afflicted me, remembering him

For a tender maiden whose house is near, yet shunned.

From a house of Ghadah, so close and familiar.

هَيفاءُ مُقبِلَةً عَجزاءُ مُدبِرَةً

هَيفاءُ مُقبِلَةً عَجزاءُ مُدبِرَةً

لَم تُجفَ طولاً وَلا أَزرى بِها القِصَرُ

لَم تُجفَ طولاً وَلا أَزرى بِها القِصَرُ

Slender-waisted as she approaches, full-bottomed as she turns away,

Swaying, approaching and retreating helpless,

Height did not make her ungainly, nor did shortness mar her.

Neither too tall, nor made short by destiny.

غَرّاءُ كَالقَمَرِ المَشهورِ حينَ بَدَت

غَرّاءُ كَالقَمَرِ المَشهورِ حينَ بَدَت

لا بَل بَدا مِثلَها حينَ اِستَوى القَمَرُ

لا بَل بَدا مِثلَها حينَ اِستَوى القَمَرُ

Radiant as the famed moon when she appeared—

Radiant as the famed full moon when it appeared;

No, rather the moon appeared like her when it grew full.

No, but like it when the moon reached its peak.

لَمّا رَأَيتُ الهَوى يَبري بِمُديَتِهِ

لَمّا رَأَيتُ الهَوى يَبري بِمُديَتِهِ

لَحمي وَحَلاَّني الزُوّارُ وَالسَمَرُ

لَحمي وَحَلاَّني الزُوّارُ وَالسَمَرُ

When I saw love carving with its knife

When I saw passion destroying his town,

My flesh, while visitors and nighttime talk kept me away,

My flesh and family reproached and blamed me.

أَصبَحتُ كَالحائِمِ الحَرّانِ مُحتَبَساً

أَصبَحتُ كَالحائِمِ الحَرّانِ مُحتَبَساً

لَم يَقضِ وِرداً وَلا يُرجى لَهُ صَدَرُ

لَم يَقضِ وِرداً وَلا يُرجى لَهُ صَدَرُ

I became like one circling water, parched and held back:

I became like a perplexed pilgrim, detained,

He has not had his drink, nor is there hope of his leaving.

Neither fulfilling his religious duty, nor hoping for relief.

يَرعى الشِفاءَ وَأَهوالاً تُرَوِّعُهُ

يَرعى الشِفاءَ وَأَهوالاً تُرَوِّعُهُ

دونَ الشِفاءِ فَلا يَأتي وَلا يَذُرُ

دونَ الشِفاءِ فَلا يَأتي وَلا يَذُرُ

He watches the cure and terrors that frighten him,

He seeks a cure but terrors frighten him;

Barring the cure; he neither approaches nor abandons it.

Without healing, it does not come or go.

قَالَت عُقَيلُ بنُ كَعبٍ إِذ تَعَلَّقَها

قَالَت عُقَيلُ بنُ كَعبٍ إِذ تَعَلَّقَها

قَلبي فَأَضحى بِهِ مِن حُبِّها أَثَرُ

قَلبي فَأَضحى بِهِ مِن حُبِّها أَثَرُ

ʿUqayl ibn Kaʿb said, when she had captivated

Uqail ibn Ka’b said, when she captivated

My heart, and love for her left its mark upon it:

His heart, which was impressed with love of her:

أَنّى وَلَم تَرَها تَصبو فَقُلتُ لَهُم

أَنّى وَلَم تَرَها تَصبو فَقُلتُ لَهُم

إِنَّ الفُؤادَ يَرى ما لا يَرى البَصَرُ

إِنَّ الفُؤادَ يَرى ما لا يَرى البَصَرُ

“How can you yearn, having never seen her?” I said to them:

How could I not pine when I did not see her bending?

“Indeed, the heart sees what sight does not.”

For the heart sees what eyes cannot see.

وَصابِرينَ وَلَو يَلقَونَ مِن طَرَبي

وَصابِرينَ وَلَو يَلقَونَ مِن طَرَبي

مِعشارَ عُشرِ عَشيرِ العُشرِ ما صَبَروا

مِعشارَ عُشرِ عَشيرِ العُشرِ ما صَبَروا

And the steadfast, were they to feel some of my passion—

And those patient, even if they met a tenth -

A tenth of a tenth of a tenth of a tenth—would not endure.

Of a tenth, of a tenth of my passion - would not be patient.

قالوا جَهَلتَ بِذِكراها فَقُلتُ لَهُم

قالوا جَهَلتَ بِذِكراها فَقُلتُ لَهُم

لا بَل جُنِنتُ فَكُفّوا اللَومَ وَاِزدَجِروا

لا بَل جُنِنتُ فَكُفّوا اللَومَ وَاِزدَجِروا

They said, “You have acted foolishly in recalling her.” I said to them:

They said: “You are ignorant in remembering her.” I said:

“No, rather I have gone mad; cease your blame and restrain yourselves.”

“No! I am mad! Cease blaming and rebuking me.”

ما لانَ قَلبي لِناهٍ عَن زِيارَتِها

ما لانَ قَلبي لِناهٍ عَن زِيارَتِها

وَهَل يَلينُ لِقَلبِ الواعِظِ الحَجَرُ

وَهَل يَلينُ لِقَلبِ الواعِظِ الحَجَرُ

My heart has not softened for one who forbids my visiting her;

Why would my heart incline away from visiting her?

And does stone soften for the admonisher's heart?

Does the heart of the preacher soften stone?

لا تُكثِروا لَومَ مَشغوفٍ بِجارِيَةٍ

لا تُكثِروا لَومَ مَشغوفٍ بِجارِيَةٍ

لا يَشتَكي سَهَراً مِنها وَما السَهَرُ

لا يَشتَكي سَهَراً مِنها وَما السَهَرُ

Do not heap blame upon one besotted with a maiden,

Do not over-blame a lover besotted with a maiden -

Who does not complain of sleeplessness because of her—and what is sleeplessness?

He does not complain of sleeplessness from her, and what is sleeplessness?

لا يَذكُرُ الدَهرَ أَو يَسري الخَيالُ لَهُ

لا يَذكُرُ الدَهرَ أَو يَسري الخَيالُ لَهُ

إِلّا تَغَنّى بِها أَو مَسَّهُ ضَرَرُ

إِلّا تَغَنّى بِها أَو مَسَّهُ ضَرَرُ

He never recalls her, nor does her phantom visit him by night,

He does not recall fate, and no fantasy comes to him,

Without his singing of her or being touched by pain.

Except to sing of her or harm touches him.

صَبٌّ كَئيبٌ إِذا ما ذُكرَةٌ خَطَرَت

صَبٌّ كَئيبٌ إِذا ما ذُكرَةٌ خَطَرَت

نادى عُبَيدَةَ حَتّى يَذهَبَ الخَطَرُ

نادى عُبَيدَةَ حَتّى يَذهَبَ الخَطَرُ

A lovesick, sorrowful man: whenever a memory comes to mind,

A gloomy lover, when a memory of her crosses his mind,

He calls out “ʿUbayda!” until the thought passes.

Calls out to Obaidah until the danger passes.

ما بالُ عَبدَةَ لا تَأوي لِمُكتَئِبٍ

ما بالُ عَبدَةَ لا تَأوي لِمُكتَئِبٍ

وَالوَحشُ يَأوي لَهُ وَالجِنُّ وَالبَشَرُ

وَالوَحشُ يَأوي لَهُ وَالجِنُّ وَالبَشَرُ

Why does ʿAbda not pity a sorrowful man,

Why does Obaidah not lodge a depressed man,

While wild beasts pity him, as do jinn and humankind?

When the wilderness lodges him, and jinn and man?

مَن كانَ مُعتَذِراً مِن حُبِّ غانِيَةٍ

مَن كانَ مُعتَذِراً مِن حُبِّ غانِيَةٍ

فَلَيسَ مِن حُبِّها ما عاشَ يَعتَذِرُ

فَلَيسَ مِن حُبِّها ما عاشَ يَعتَذِرُ

Whoever may apologize for loving a beautiful woman—

If one makes excuses from love of a singer,

For loving her, he will make no apology as long as he lives.

Then he has no love for her as long as he makes excuses.

يَرجو عُبَيدَةَ يَوماً أَن تَجودَ لَهُ

يَرجو عُبَيدَةَ يَوماً أَن تَجودَ لَهُ

وَإِن تَطاوَلَ ما يَرجو وَيَنتَظِرُ

وَإِن تَطاوَلَ ما يَرجو وَيَنتَظِرُ

He hopes that ʿUbayda will one day show him favor,

Obaidah hopes one day she will be generous to him,

Even if what he hopes for and awaits is long delayed.

Even if her generosity is longed for and awaited.