1. هامَ قَلبي بِاللَواتي

    هُنَّ دائي وَشَقاتي

    My heart is enamored of those women

    who are my sickness and my misery.

  2. ذَهَبَت نَفسي إِلَيهِن

    ن بِقَلبي حَسَراتِ

    My soul went out to them,

    with sorrows in my heart.

  3. وَلَقَد قُلتُ لِراجٍ

    راحَتي بِالرُقَياتِ

    I have said to one who sought

    to ease me with healing charms:

  4. إِنَّما تَيَّمَ قَلبي

    بَقَرٌ في الحَجَلاتِ

    Only these have enslaved my heart—

    wild cows in bridal chambers.

  5. مِثلُ عَبّادَةَ فيهِن

    ن فَتاةُ الفَتَياتِ

    Such as ʿAbbādah among them,

    the maiden of maidens.

  6. بِهَواها طالَ لَيلي

    وَبِها طالَت شَكاتي

    Love of her has lengthened my night,

    and through her my lament has grown long.

  7. أَكثَرَت في القُربِ خُلفي

    وَعَلى النَأيِ عِداتي

    When near, she often broke her word to me;

    when distant, she multiplied her promises to me.

  8. ما الَّذي مَنَّتكَ إِلّا

    نَظرَةٌ في الخَطَراتِ

    What did she hold out to you but

    a glance in passing?

  9. أَمسَكَت نَفسي عَلَيها

    بَعدَ ما مَلَّت لَهاتي

    It held my soul fast to her,

    after my throat had grown weary.

  10. وَلَقَد أَغرى بِعَبّا

    دَةَ قَولُ القائِلاتِ

    And what inflamed my love for ʿAbbādah

    was what the women said:

  11. اِسلُ عَن عَبدَةَ قَد أَن

    زَفتَ فيها العَبَراتِ

    'Forget ʿAbdah; you have

    exhausted your tears over her.'

  12. وَلَقَد أَيقَنَ أَنّي

    لا أَطيعُ العاذِلاتِ

    And he knew for certain that I

    do not obey the women who reproach me.

  13. تَيَّمَتني إِذ تَهادَت

    في ثَلاثٍ تائِباتِ

    She enslaved me when she swayed along

    among three penitent women,

  14. بِتَهادي مُرجَحِنٍّ

    مِثلَ مُهتَزِّ القَناةِ

    with a heavy, swaying gait,

    like a quivering spear-shaft;

  15. وَاِعتِدالٍ في قَوامٍ

    فَوقَ نَعتِ الناعِتاتِ

    and a well-proportioned figure

    beyond the descriptions of women describing her;

  16. وَبِخَدِّ خَدِّ شَمسٍ

    طالَعَت مِن مُزُناتِ

    and a cheek—the cheek of a sun

    that rose from rainclouds;

  17. وَبِعَينَي بَقَرٍ في

    بَقَرٍ أَو جُؤذَراتِ

    and a wild cow's two eyes among

    wild cows or their calves;

  18. وَبِجيدٍ جيدِ ريمٍ

    يَرتَعي حُرَّ النَباتِ

    and a neck—the neck of a white gazelle

    grazing on the choicest plants;

  19. وَبِذي طَعمٍ شَتيتٍ

    بارِدٍ عَذبِ اللِثاتِ

    and a flavorsome mouth with spaced teeth,

    cool, with sweet gums;

  20. طَعمُهُ مِن ذَوبِ شُهدٍ

    شيبَ بِالماءِ الفُراتِ

    its flavor is of melted honey

    mingled with sweet, fresh water.

  21. يَصِفُ الجاراتُ مِنهُ

    نَفحَةَ المِسكِ الفُتاتِ

    The neighboring women describe its

    waft of powdered musk.

  22. عِظَتي فيها رُوَيداً

    قَد مَلِلتُ الواعِظاتِ

    Go gently in admonishing me about her;

    I have wearied of the women who admonish.

  23. لا أُطيعُ الناسَ فيها

    أَبَداً حَتّى المَماتِ

    I will heed no one concerning her,

    ever, until death.

  24. تِلكَ أَسقامي وَبُرئي

    مِن سَقامي لَو تُواتي

    She is my ailments and my cure

    from my sickness—if she would consent;

  25. وَمُنى نَفسي وَهَمّي

    في مَقيلي وَبَياتي

    and my soul's wishes and my concern,

    in my midday rest and my nights;

  26. وَنَعيمي حينَ أَغفي

    وَشِفاءُ اليَقَظاتِ

    and my bliss when I doze,

    and the cure for my wakefulness;

  27. وَالَّتي أُمسي وَأَغدو

    في عَشِيٍّ وَغَداةِ

    and she for whom I pass evenings and mornings,

    at evening and at daybreak,

  28. ذاهِبَ اللُبِّ إِلَيها

    مُعلِناً بِالزَفَراتِ

    bereft of reason over her,

    giving voice to my sighs.

  29. فَإِذا قُمتُ أُصَلّي

    عَرَضَت لي في صَلاتي

    Then, when I rise to pray,

    she appears to me in my prayer.

  30. لَيتَني أَعطَيتُ مِنهُ

    لَيلَةً في حَسَناتي

    If only I had given of it

    one night toward my good deeds.

  31. وَكَأَنّي مِن هَواها

    بِبُكاءٍ وَصُماتِ

    And through love of her, I seem

    to be in tears and silence.

  32. فَاِشفِني بِالصَبرِ مِنها

    يا مُجيبَ الدَعَواتِ

    So heal me of her through patience,

    O Answerer of prayers,

  33. أَو أَذِقها يَومَ عَنّي

    كُربَةً مِن كُرُباتي

    or make her taste one day, on my behalf,

    one of my anguishes.

  34. بَلَغَت بي مِن هَواها

    فَوقَ ما سَرَّ عُداتي

    Through love of her, she has brought me

    beyond what delighted my enemies.

  35. صاحِ أَوصيكَ إِلَيها

    ثِقَةً فَاِحفَظ وَصاتي

    Friend, I entrust you with a charge for her,

    in confidence—so keep my instructions:

  36. قُل لِعَبّادَةَ رُدّي

    بَعضَ حُزني وَأَذاتي

    Tell ʿAbbādah: 'Drive away

    some of my sorrow and my hurt.

  37. عَبدَ أَصبَحتِ حَياتي

    فَصِليني يا حَياتي

    ʿAbd, you have become my life;

    so grant me union, O my life.

  38. أَغلِقي عَنّي بِوَصلٍ

    بابَ سُقمي وَأَذاتي

    Through union, close off from me

    the door of my sickness and my hurt.

  39. وَإِذا ما مُتُّ فَاِبكي

    لَطَفاً في الباكِياتِ

    And when I die, then weep

    tenderly, among the women who weep.

  40. لا تَكوني مِثلَ أُخرى

    تَتَجَنّى جَفَواتي

    Do not be like another woman

    who falsely accuses me of coldness.

  41. فَلَقَد أَصفَيتُكِ الشعِ

    رَ بِرَغمِ الحاسِداتِ

    For I have devoted my poetry to you,

    despite the envious women.'