يا بِنتَ صَقرِ بنِ قَعقاعٍ عَلى كَبِدي

يا بِنتَ صَقرِ بنِ قَعقاعٍ عَلى كَبِدي

شَوقٌ إِلَيكِ وَفي روحي وَفي جَسَدي

شَوقٌ إِلَيكِ وَفي روحي وَفي جَسَدي

O daughter of Saqr ibn Qa'qa', upon my very heart

O daughter of Saqr ibn Qaʿqaʿ, my liver bears

lies longing for you—in my spirit and in my body.

longing for you, as do my soul and body.

كَدَّرتِ شُربَ الغَواني لا صَفَوتِ لَنا

كَدَّرتِ شُربَ الغَواني لا صَفَوتِ لَنا

وَقَد صَفا لَكِ وُدّي مَورِداً فَرِدي

وَقَد صَفا لَكِ وُدّي مَورِداً فَرِدي

You have clouded my draught of lovely women, yet would not run clear for me,

You have muddied the draught of beauties—may you never run clear for us,

though my love runs clear for you—my one and only spring.

though my love runs clear for you as a watering place—so come drink.

أَمِنتِ مِن شِركِ أُخرى في مَوَدَّتِنا

أَمِنتِ مِن شِركِ أُخرى في مَوَدَّتِنا

ما حافَظَت ذاتُ أَحشاءٍ عَلى وَلَدِ

ما حافَظَت ذاتُ أَحشاءٍ عَلى وَلَدِ

You need fear no other woman's share in our love,

You are safe from another woman sharing in our love,

so long as a mother with a womb keeps watch over her child.

as long as a mother guards her child.

اللَهُ يَعلَمُ أَنّي مُنذُ حَدَّثَني

اللَهُ يَعلَمُ أَنّي مُنذُ حَدَّثَني

عَنكِ النِساءُ طَويلُ اللَيلِ بِالسُهُدِ

عَنكِ النِساءُ طَويلُ اللَيلِ بِالسُهُدِ

God knows that I, ever since I was told

God knows that, ever since I was told

of you by the women, have spent the long night sleepless.

of you by the women, my nights have been long with sleeplessness.

أَحرَمتُ رَيحانَ بُستانٍ وَناضِرَهُ

أَحرَمتُ رَيحانَ بُستانٍ وَناضِرَهُ

حَتّى أَشُمَّكِ يا رَيحانَةَ البَلَدِ

حَتّى أَشُمَّكِ يا رَيحانَةَ البَلَدِ

I have denied myself a garden's sweet basil and fresh bloom

I have denied myself a garden’s sweet basil and its fresh greenery,

until I breathe in your scent, O basil of the town.

until I breathe your scent, O sweet basil of the land.

ما ساقَني لَكِ مَملوكاً وَعَلَّقَني

ما ساقَني لَكِ مَملوكاً وَعَلَّقَني

إِلاَّ العُيونُ اللَواتي جِئنَ مِن صَدَدِ

إِلاَّ العُيونُ اللَواتي جِئنَ مِن صَدَدِ

What drove me to you, enslaved, and bound me fast

Nothing drove me to you as a slave and enthralled me

was nothing but those eyes that came in sidelong glances.

except those eyes—the women scouts who came from close by.

جَمَعنَ نَفسي وَقَد كانَت مُفَرَّقَةً

جَمَعنَ نَفسي وَقَد كانَت مُفَرَّقَةً

بَينَ النِساءِ وَما أَبقَينَ مِن جَلَدِ

بَينَ النِساءِ وَما أَبقَينَ مِن جَلَدِ

They gathered up my soul when it had been scattered

They gathered my soul, which had been scattered

among women, and left me no endurance.

among women, and left me no endurance.

قالَ النَواصِحُ طُوبى قَد ظَفِرتَ بِها

قالَ النَواصِحُ طُوبى قَد ظَفِرتَ بِها

مَكسورَةَ الطَرفِ بِالتَأنيثِ وَالرَمَدِ

مَكسورَةَ الطَرفِ بِالتَأنيثِ وَالرَمَدِ

The counsellors said, “Good fortune! You have won her—”

The women advisers said, “Good fortune! You have won her—

her gaze softened by womanly grace and a languid soreness of the eyes.

languid-eyed through feminine softness and sore eyes,

جِنِّيَّةُ الحُسنِ مُرتَجٌّ رَوادِفُها

جِنِّيَّةُ الحُسنِ مُرتَجٌّ رَوادِفُها

كَأَنَّها مِن جَواري الجَنَّةِ الخُلُدِ

كَأَنَّها مِن جَواري الجَنَّةِ الخُلُدِ

A jinni of beauty, her buttocks trembling,

a jinn in beauty, her buttocks quivering,

as though she were one of the maidens of everlasting Paradise.

as though she were among the immortal maidens of Paradise.

أَبشِر سَتَلقى غَدا سُعدى بِرُؤيَتِها

أَبشِر سَتَلقى غَدا سُعدى بِرُؤيَتِها

وَكُلُّ ما في غَدٍ دانٍ وَبَعدَ غَدٍ

وَكُلُّ ما في غَدٍ دانٍ وَبَعدَ غَدٍ

Take heart: tomorrow, through the sight of her, you will meet with bliss;

Rejoice! Tomorrow you will meet Suʿda in person;

and all that tomorrow holds is near—and so is the day after tomorrow.

and all that tomorrow and the day after hold is near.”