يا حُبَّ عَبدَةَ قَد رَجَعتَ جَديدا

يا حُبَّ عَبدَةَ قَد رَجَعتَ جَديدا

ما كُنتُ أَحسَبُ هالِكاً مَوجودا

ما كُنتُ أَحسَبُ هالِكاً مَوجودا

O love for ʿAbdah, you have returned anew;

O love of Abdah, you have returned anew.

I never thought a dead thing could still be present.

I never thought what had perished could be found again.

لِلَّهِ دَرُّكَ مِن خَليطٍ شاعِفٍ

لِلَّهِ دَرُّكَ مِن خَليطٍ شاعِفٍ

هَل يَنفَعَنَّكَ أَن أَبيتَ عَميدا

هَل يَنفَعَنَّكَ أَن أَبيتَ عَميدا

God bless you—what a companion, making me yearn!

God bless you, what a heart-consuming companion!

Does it profit you that I pass the night love-sick?

Does it help you that I spend the night love-stricken?

إِن كانَ في طولِ الصَحابَةِ عِبرَةٌ

إِن كانَ في طولِ الصَحابَةِ عِبرَةٌ

فَلَقَد صَحِبتُكَ شائِباً وَوَليدا

فَلَقَد صَحِبتُكَ شائِباً وَوَليدا

If long companionship can teach a lesson,

If there is a lesson in long companionship,

I have kept you company as old man and child.

Then I have kept you company, gray-haired and an infant.

ما في اِتِّباعِكَ إِن تَبِعتُكَ راحَةٌ

ما في اِتِّباعِكَ إِن تَبِعتُكَ راحَةٌ

وَلَئِن فَقَدتُ لَأَفقِدَنَّ مَجودا

وَلَئِن فَقَدتُ لَأَفقِدَنَّ مَجودا

There is no rest in following you, if I follow you;

There is no rest in following you, if I follow you;

yet if I lose you, I shall surely lose one truly present.

Yet if I lose you, I shall lose one showered with tears.

راجَعتُ مِن كَلَفٍ لِعَبدَةَ دَيدَناً

راجَعتُ مِن كَلَفٍ لِعَبدَةَ دَيدَناً

لا أَستَطيعُ بِهِ القِيامَ وَحيدا

لا أَستَطيعُ بِهِ القِيامَ وَحيدا

Through my passion for ʿAbdah, I returned to a familiar habit

Out of passion for Abdah, I resumed a habit

that I cannot carry on alone.

That I cannot carry out alone.

وَذَكَرتُ مِن رَمَضانَ آخِرَ لَيلَةٍ

وَذَكَرتُ مِن رَمَضانَ آخِرَ لَيلَةٍ

طَلَعَت كَواكِبُها عَلَيَّ سُعودا

طَلَعَت كَواكِبُها عَلَيَّ سُعودا

I remembered the final night of Ramadan,

And I recalled the last night of Ramadan:

when its stars rose auspiciously over me—

Its stars rose over me auspiciously.

إِذ نَلتَقي حَلَقاً وَنَستَرِقُ الهَوى

إِذ نَلتَقي حَلَقاً وَنَستَرِقُ الهَوى

سَرقَ العَفاريتِ السَماعَ مَذودا

سَرقَ العَفاريتِ السَماعَ مَذودا

when we met in circles and stole love,

When we met in circles and stole our love,

as spirits steal at hearing even while it is warded off.

As demons steal a hearing while driven away.

فَكَأَنَّنا عَسَلٌ بِماءِ سَحابَةٍ

فَكَأَنَّنا عَسَلٌ بِماءِ سَحابَةٍ

بَعدَ التَفَرُّغِ بِالأَناةَ أُعيدا

بَعدَ التَفَرُّغِ بِالأَناةَ أُعيدا

We were as honey mingled with rain-cloud water,

So we were like honey with water from a rain cloud,

after separation, reunited in the vessel.

Gently brought together again, once we were free.

وَغَداةَ تَرمُقُها الوُشاةُ سَأَلتُها

وَغَداةَ تَرمُقُها الوُشاةُ سَأَلتُها

عَلَلاً فَلَم تَجِدِ الفَتاةُ مَزيدا

عَلَلاً فَلَم تَجِدِ الفَتاةُ مَزيدا

One morning, as the informers watched her, I asked her

And on the morning when talebearers watched her, I asked her

for pretexts, but the girl could find no more.

For another draught, but the maiden found no more.

خافَت وَعيدَهُمو فَقُلتُ لَها اِسلَمي

خافَت وَعيدَهُمو فَقُلتُ لَها اِسلَمي

ما خافَ مِن قَمَرٍ سِواكِ وَعيدا

ما خافَ مِن قَمَرٍ سِواكِ وَعيدا

She feared their threats, and I told her, “Go safely—

She feared their threats, so I told her, “Be safe:

no moon but you has ever feared a threat.”

No moon but you has ever feared a threat.”

وَإِذا تَعَرَّضَ ذِكرُها كاتَمتُهُ

وَإِذا تَعَرَّضَ ذِكرُها كاتَمتُهُ

وَكَفى بِأَدمُعِيَ السِجامِ شُهودا

وَكَفى بِأَدمُعِيَ السِجامِ شُهودا

Whenever mention of her arose, I concealed it,

Whenever mention of her arose, I concealed it;

and my pouring tears sufficed as witnesses.

Yet my streaming tears sufficed as witnesses.

وَيَلومُني الصَلِفُ الخَلِيُّ وَإِنَّما

وَيَلومُني الصَلِفُ الخَلِيُّ وَإِنَّما

بَكَرَت وَساوِسُها عَلَيَّ وُفودا

بَكَرَت وَساوِسُها عَلَيَّ وُفودا

The smug man, free of love, reproaches me, though in truth

And the arrogant, fancy-free man blames me, though it is only that

thoughts of her came early upon me, delegation upon delegation.

Thoughts of her have come early upon me in throngs.

وَكَأَنَّني رَحِلٌ أَضَلَّ رُقادَهُ

وَكَأَنَّني رَحِلٌ أَضَلَّ رُقادَهُ

عانٍ تُطيفُ بِهِ الهُمومُ جُنودا

عانٍ تُطيفُ بِهِ الهُمومُ جُنودا

I am like a traveler whose sleep has lost its way,

And I am like a traveler who has lost his sleep,

a captive ringed by cares like armies.

A captive whom worries encircle like armies.

وَلَقَد حَسَدتُ عَلى عُبَيدَةَ عَينَها

وَلَقَد حَسَدتُ عَلى عُبَيدَةَ عَينَها

عَجَباً خُلِقتُ لِما أُحِبُّ حَسودا

عَجَباً خُلِقتُ لِما أُحِبُّ حَسودا

I have grown jealous over ʿUbaydah even of her own eye—

Indeed, I envied her own eye for seeing Ubaydah.

strange: I was created jealous of all I love!

How strange—I was created envious of what I love!

وَثَقيلَةِ الأَردافِ مُخطَفَةِ الحَشا

وَثَقيلَةِ الأَردافِ مُخطَفَةِ الحَشا

مِثلِ الغَزالَةِ مُقلَتَينِ وَجيدا

مِثلِ الغَزالَةِ مُقلَتَينِ وَجيدا

Heavy in the haunches, her waist drawn slim,

And a woman heavy in the haunches, slender in the waist,

a gazelle in her two eyes and neck.

Like a gazelle in her two eyes and neck,

قامَت تُوَدِّعُني فَقُلتُ لَها قِري

قامَت تُوَدِّعُني فَقُلتُ لَها قِري

قَد كُنتِ نائِيَةً وَكُنتُ بَعيدا

قَد كُنتِ نائِيَةً وَكُنتُ بَعيدا

She rose to bid me farewell. I said, “Stay!

Rose to bid me farewell, so I told her, “Stay:

You have been far away, and I was far away.

You had been far away, and I had been distant.

لا تَعجَلي نَصِلِ الحَديثَ بِمِثلِهِ

لا تَعجَلي نَصِلِ الحَديثَ بِمِثلِهِ

لا خَيرَ في شَرعِ الفَتى تَصريدا

لا خَيرَ في شَرعِ الفَتى تَصريدا

Do not hurry; let us join this conversation to another like it—

Do not hurry; let us follow our talk with more talk.

there is no good in driving a young man off once he has begun.”

There is no good in a youth's reaching water only to sip.”

قالَت وَكَيفَ بِما تُحِبُّ مَعَ العِدى

قالَت وَكَيفَ بِما تُحِبُّ مَعَ العِدى

شَبَّت عُيونُهُمو عَلَيَّ وَقودا

شَبَّت عُيونُهُمو عَلَيَّ وَقودا

She said, “But how can we have what you desire with enemies around?

She said, “How can we have what you love amid enemies?

Their eyes have blazed against me like fire.”

Their eyes have blazed upon me like kindling.”

ذوقي عُبَيدَ كَما أَذوقُ مِنَ الهَوى

ذوقي عُبَيدَ كَما أَذوقُ مِنَ الهَوى

إِن كُنتِ صادِقَةَ الصَفاءِ وَدودا

إِن كُنتِ صادِقَةَ الصَفاءِ وَدودا

Taste, ʿUbaydah, what I taste of love,

Taste of passion, Ubayd, as I do,

if you are sincere in affection and loving.

If your affection is sincere and you are loving.

إِنَّ المُحِبَّ يَذوبُ مِن مَضَضِ الهَوى

إِنَّ المُحِبَّ يَذوبُ مِن مَضَضِ الهَوى

دونَ السَرابِ وَلا يَكونُ حَديدا

دونَ السَرابِ وَلا يَكونُ حَديدا

The lover melts from the anguish of passion

Indeed, the lover melts from the anguish of passion,

before even the mirage—for no lover is iron.

Before reaching the mirage; he is not made of iron.