وَآلِفَةٍ بَردَ الحِجالِ اِحتَوَيتُها

وَآلِفَةٍ بَردَ الحِجالِ اِحتَوَيتُها

وَقَد نامَ مَن يَخشى عَلَيها وَأَسحَرا

وَقَد نامَ مَن يَخشى عَلَيها وَأَسحَرا

And I embraced a woman accustomed to the coolness of curtained chambers,

A friendly camp whose tents defend from biting frost,

while he who feared for her slept on into the predawn hour.

Where sleeps the one I fear for, though secure from harm.

تَغَلغَلَ وَقّاعٌ إِلَيها وَأَقبَلَت

تَغَلغَلَ وَقّاعٌ إِلَيها وَأَقبَلَت

تَجوسُ خُدارِيّاً مِنَ اللَيلِ أَخضَرا

تَجوسُ خُدارِيّاً مِنَ اللَيلِ أَخضَرا

A tireless lover stole through to her, and she came forward,

The sand creeps up, approaching it, while from the dark

roaming through a pitch-black, green-hued stretch of night.

Of night a green wind wanders, softly murmuring.

لَطيفٌ إِذا ما اِنسَلَّ أَدرَكَ ما اِبتَغى

لَطيفٌ إِذا ما اِنسَلَّ أَدرَكَ ما اِبتَغى

إِذا هُوَ لِلطِنءِ المَخوفِ تَقَتَّرا

إِذا هُوَ لِلطِنءِ المَخوفِ تَقَتَّرا

Nimble, whenever he slipped away he attained what he sought,

When crafty he descends, he gains his heart's desire,

when he lay concealed for the dreaded illicit affair.

Although when fearful crashings sound he cowers back.

يَزيدُ عَلى ما كُنتُ أَوصَيتُهُ بِهِ

يَزيدُ عَلى ما كُنتُ أَوصَيتُهُ بِهِ

وَإِن ناكَرَتهُ الآنَ ثُمَّتَ أَنكَرا

وَإِن ناكَرَتهُ الآنَ ثُمَّتَ أَنكَرا

He goes beyond what I had instructed him to do,

More than I charged him with he brings me, though as yet

and if she rebuffs him now, he in turn protests.

Ungrateful, she disowns it all and then denies.

وَلَو أَنَّها تَدعو صَدايَ أَجابَها

وَلَو أَنَّها تَدعو صَدايَ أَجابَها

صَدايَ لِعَهدٍ بَعدَها ما تَغَيَّرا

صَدايَ لِعَهدٍ بَعدَها ما تَغَيَّرا

And were she to call my echo, it would answer her—

And if she called my name I would reply at once,

my echo, for a bond unchanged since her departure.

For names unchanged persist though times and men may change.

يَقولُ أَما يَنهاكَ عَن طَلَبِ الصِبا

يَقولُ أَما يَنهاكَ عَن طَلَبِ الصِبا

لِداتُكَ قَد شابوا وَإِن كُنتَ أَكبَرا

لِداتُكَ قَد شابوا وَإِن كُنتَ أَكبَرا

He says, 'Does it not deter you from pursuing youthful passion

"Does not the whiteness of your hair forbid," says he,

that your peers have gone gray, though you are older

"Your courting youth, although you still are in its prime?"

مِنِ اِبنِ الثَمانينِ الَّذي لَيسَ وارِداً

مِنِ اِبنِ الثَمانينِ الَّذي لَيسَ وارِداً

وَلا جائِياً مِن غَيبَةٍ مُتَنَظَّرا

وَلا جائِياً مِن غَيبَةٍ مُتَنَظَّرا

than an eighty-year-old, who neither comes

"Because I'm eighty?" I reply. "I do not come

nor is expected back from an absence?'

Expecting nor expecting to return again from my long absence."

أَبَت مُقلَتا عَينَيَّ وَالصاحِبُ الَّذي

أَبَت مُقلَتا عَينَيَّ وَالصاحِبُ الَّذي

عَصى الظَنَّ مُذ كُنتُ الغُلامَ الحَزَوَّرا

عَصى الظَنَّ مُذ كُنتُ الغُلامَ الحَزَوَّرا

Both my eyes refused, and so did the companion who

My eyes have been denied and she, my soul's delight,

has defied expectation since I was a sturdy lad.

Who long ago when I was a stammering lad disdained me.

وَقَد كُنتُ لا لَهواً تُريدُ لِقاءَهُ

وَقَد كُنتُ لا لَهواً تُريدُ لِقاءَهُ

فَقَد كُنتُ إِذ أَمشي إِلَيكَ كَأَوجَرا

فَقَد كُنتُ إِذ أَمشي إِلَيكَ كَأَوجَرا

And I was no pastime whose company you desired;

Yet 'twas no frivolous desire that sought her face;

for, when I walked to you, I was a short, stout fellow.

When I walked out to you I was like one enchained.

لِقاؤُكِ في حَيثُ اِلتَقَينا وَإِنَّما

لِقاؤُكِ في حَيثُ اِلتَقَينا وَإِنَّما

أَطَعتُ مَواثيقَ الجَرِيِّ المُكَرَّرا

أَطَعتُ مَواثيقَ الجَرِيِّ المُكَرَّرا

In meeting you there where we met, I only

Our meeting where we met - I only did fulfil

honored the pledges of the repeatedly sent messenger.

Vows sworn of old and oft repeated o'er again.

وَلَيلَةَ بِتنا دَيرَ حَسّانَ نَبَّهَت

وَلَيلَةَ بِتنا دَيرَ حَسّانَ نَبَّهَت

هُجوداً وَعيساً كَالخَسِيّاتِ ضُمَّرا

هُجوداً وَعيساً كَالخَسِيّاتِ ضُمَّرا

And one night we spent at Dayr Hassan, she awakened

The night we passed at Hassan's convent and the sobs

sleepers and lean, pale camels like seed-grown palms.

Of camels, like enshrouded women, broke our sleep.

بَكَت ناقَتي لَيلاً فَهاجَ بُكاؤُها

بَكَت ناقَتي لَيلاً فَهاجَ بُكاؤُها

فُؤاداً إِلى أَهلِ الوَريعَةِ أَصوَرا

فُؤاداً إِلى أَهلِ الوَريعَةِ أَصوَرا

My she-camel wept at night, and her weeping stirred

My camel wept all night until her weeping moved

a heart inclined toward the people of al-Wariʿah.

My heart to long for the Valley's folks once more.

وَحَنَّت حَنيناً مُنكَراً هَيَّجَت بِهِ

وَحَنَّت حَنيناً مُنكَراً هَيَّجَت بِهِ

عَلى ذي هَوىً مِن شَوقِهِ ما تَنَكَّرا

عَلى ذي هَوىً مِن شَوقِهِ ما تَنَكَّرا

And she gave a strange cry of longing, with which she stirred

She moaned a moaning strange that wrenched my very soul

in a lover the yearning that had grown strange to him.

With longing for a loved one's voice I could not hear.

فَبِتنا قُعوداً بَينَ مُلتَزِمِ الهَوى

فَبِتنا قُعوداً بَينَ مُلتَزِمِ الهَوى

وَناهي جُمانِ العَينِ أَن يَتَحَدَّرا

وَناهي جُمانِ العَينِ أَن يَتَحَدَّرا

So we spent the night seated—some clinging to love,

We sat the night between one bound by passion's vow

and some forbidding the eye's pearls to trickle down.

And one forbidding eyes that would be wet to weep.