طالَ اِنتِظاري عَهدَ أَبّاءِ

طالَ اِنتِظاري عَهدَ أَبّاءِ

وَجاوَرَت في الشوسِ مِن حاءِ

وَجاوَرَت في الشوسِ مِن حاءِ

Long have I awaited Abbāʾ’s promised meeting;

My waiting has been long, O stubborn beauty

And she has settled among the proud men of Ḥāʾ.

And dwelled in anxious sighs and melancholy

وَبِتُّ كَالنَشوانِ مِن حاجَةٍ

وَبِتُّ كَالنَشوانِ مِن حاجَةٍ

ضاقَت بِها نَفسي وأَحشائى

ضاقَت بِها نَفسي وأَحشائى

And I spent the night like one drunk with longing,

Sleep evades me like the restless, desperate man

Which constricted my soul and innards.

My soul and heart ache with this agony

أَقولُ لَمّا اِبتَزَّها خاطِبٌ

أَقولُ لَمّا اِبتَزَّها خاطِبٌ

مِن بَينِ أَعمامٍ وَآباءِ

مِن بَينِ أَعمامٍ وَآباءِ

I say, when a suitor snatched her away

When her suitor came to take her from among

From among paternal uncles and fathers:

Her uncles and elders surrounding her fully

أَرُحتِ في الرائِحِ يَومَ اللِوى

أَرُحتِ في الرائِحِ يَومَ اللِوى

لا تَبعُدي يابِنتَ وَرقاءِ

لا تَبعُدي يابِنتَ وَرقاءِ

Did you leave with those departing on the day of al-Liwā?

The day she went, the winds blew feeling my pain

Do not go far, O daughter of Warqāʾ.

Do not go far, O fair daughter of Wurqa

إِن كُنتِ حَرباً لَهُم فَاِنظُري

إِن كُنتِ حَرباً لَهُم فَاِنظُري

شَطري بِعَينٍ غَيرِ حَولاءِ

شَطري بِعَينٍ غَيرِ حَولاءِ

If you are an enemy to them, then look

If you're at war with them, then look my way

Toward me, with an eye that does not squint.

With eyes sincere, not fickle or disloyal

ياحُسنَها يَومَ تَراءَت لَنا

ياحُسنَها يَومَ تَراءَت لَنا

مَكسورَةَ الطَرفِ بِإِغضاءِ

مَكسورَةَ الطَرفِ بِإِغضاءِ

How beautiful she was the day she appeared to us,

How lovely the day she appeared before me

Her gaze downcast beneath lowered lids;

With downcast eyes, pretending to be annoyed

كَأَنَّما أَلبَستَها رَوضَةً

كَأَنَّما أَلبَستَها رَوضَةً

مِن بَينِ صَفراءٍ وَخَضراءِ

مِن بَينِ صَفراءٍ وَخَضراءِ

As though you had clothed her in a meadow

As if robed in a garden of yellow and green

Of mingled yellow and green.