أبا جعْفَرٍ إنّ الثّقيلَ الذي ثَوى

أبا جعْفَرٍ إنّ الثّقيلَ الذي ثَوى

بمَضْرِبِنا قدْ أعْجَلَتْهُ يدُ النّوى

بمَضْرِبِنا قدْ أعْجَلَتْهُ يدُ النّوى

O Abu Jaʿfar, indeed the tiresome fellow who lodged

O Abu Ja'far, indeed the dear one who stayed

in our tent has already been hurried away by the hand of separation.

In our dwelling, the hand of fate hastened him away

وكمْ كَذَبَتْ عنْدَ السُرَى عزَماتُهُ

وكمْ كَذَبَتْ عنْدَ السُرَى عزَماتُهُ

كما أحْدَثَ الإنسانُ منْ بعْدِ ما نَوى

كما أحْدَثَ الإنسانُ منْ بعْدِ ما نَوى

And how often his resolutions proved false when setting out by night,

And how often his resolves lied when secrets were shared

as a man breaks his ritual purity after forming his intention.

As man makes new after he's prepared

وقدْ أمْكَنَتْنا خَلْوَةٌ فابْتَدِرْ لَها

وقدْ أمْكَنَتْنا خَلْوَةٌ فابْتَدِرْ لَها

تَبثُّ بِها شكْوَى الصّبابةِ والجَوى

تَبثُّ بِها شكْوَى الصّبابةِ والجَوى

And a private moment is now ours, so hasten to it,

And we've been granted a tryst, so seize the chance

to pour out there your complaint of ardent longing and love's anguish.

To vent the complaints of youth and romance

على أنّ ظنّي فيكَ أنّ رَفيقَهُ

على أنّ ظنّي فيكَ أنّ رَفيقَهُ

تحمّلَ منْكَ القلْبَ في شرَكِ الهَوى

تحمّلَ منْكَ القلْبَ في شرَكِ الهَوى

Yet I suspect, in your case, that his companion

Though I suspect that his companion

has carried off your heart in the snare of love,

Bore from you a smitten heart in love's partition

ووالَى علَيْهِ منْ فُتورِ لحاظِهِ

ووالَى علَيْهِ منْ فُتورِ لحاظِهِ

كُؤوسَ الهوَى حتّى تملأ وارْتَوى

كُؤوسَ الهوَى حتّى تملأ وارْتَوى

and, from his languid glances, has poured upon it in succession

And succumbed to the languor in his gaze

cups of love, until it was full and drank its fill.

Until he drank deep of passion's ways

وكمْ حيلةٍ أضْمَرْتَ في غسَقِ الدُجى

وكمْ حيلةٍ أضْمَرْتَ في غسَقِ الدُجى

زجَرْتَ لَها داعي الغَرامِ فما ارْعَوَى

زجَرْتَ لَها داعي الغَرامِ فما ارْعَوَى

And how many a stratagem you concealed in the deep darkness of night,

And how many tricks in the night's veil you'd dress

for which you rebuked love's summons, but it would not desist.

To curb love's caller, but he wouldn't recess

سمَوْتَ بِها بيْنَ المضارِبِ موْهِناً

سمَوْتَ بِها بيْنَ المضارِبِ موْهِناً

كما انْسابَ صِلُّ الماءِ في الماءِ والتَوى

كما انْسابَ صِلُّ الماءِ في الماءِ والتَوى

You advanced with it among the tents late at night,

You'd float between the tents, humbled,

as a water-snake glided through the water and twisted.

Like water flows in water, melded and swirled

فلَوْلاً عُيونٌ في الخِيامِ سَواهِرٌ

فلَوْلاً عُيونٌ في الخِيامِ سَواهِرٌ

دبَبْتَ فسُدَّتْ منْ مَضارِبِها الكُوَى

دبَبْتَ فسُدَّتْ منْ مَضارِبِها الكُوَى

But for wakeful eyes within the tents—

Else wakeful eyes in the tents would've spied

you crept, so the openings of their tents were shut—

And you'd slip, and their cover be ripped and pried

لقضّيْتَ منْهُ حاجةً لوْذَعيّةً

لقضّيْتَ منْهُ حاجةً لوْذَعيّةً

وبرّدْتَ منْ نارِ الحَشا لاعِجاً كَوى

وبرّدْتَ منْ نارِ الحَشا لاعِجاً كَوى

you would have satisfied a shrewd desire through him,

You'd have met a wanton need

and cooled the scorching flame that seared your breast.

And cooled the fires of love, so passionate and keyed

لَوى وعْدَهُ لمّا طمِعْتَ بوصْلِهِ

لَوى وعْدَهُ لمّا طمِعْتَ بوصْلِهِ

وكمْ موْعِدٍ منْ قبْلِ ذلِكَ قد لَوَى

وكمْ موْعِدٍ منْ قبْلِ ذلِكَ قد لَوَى

He put off fulfilling his promise when you hoped for union with him,

He broke his promise when you hoped to connect

and how many a tryst before that he had put off!

And how many meetings before this he did negate

فأصْبحْتَ في هَذا المحَصَّبِ ثاوِياً

فأصْبحْتَ في هَذا المحَصَّبِ ثاوِياً

وسارَ فكَمْ بيْنَ المحَصَّبِ واللِّوى

وسارَ فكَمْ بيْنَ المحَصَّبِ واللِّوى

So you remained here in al-Muḥaṣṣab,

So you woke in this camp, sprawled and lonely

while he departed—what a distance between al-Muḥaṣṣab and al-Liwā!

While far is the camp from where he's homed only

فصَبْراً لعلّ الدّهْرَ يعْدِلُ حُكْمُهُ

فصَبْراً لعلّ الدّهْرَ يعْدِلُ حُكْمُهُ

وقدْ ذُقْتَ هذا الصّدَّ فانْتَظِرِ الدّوا

وقدْ ذُقْتَ هذا الصّدَّ فانْتَظِرِ الدّوا

Patience, then; perhaps time's judgment will grow just,

Have patience, maybe fate will make right

and, having tasted this rejection, await the cure.

You've tasted this hurt, so wait for the light

بَقيتَ رِياضاً للمَحاسِنِ والنُّهَى

بَقيتَ رِياضاً للمَحاسِنِ والنُّهَى

إذا صوّحَ الرّوْضُ المؤرَّجُ أو ذَوَى

إذا صوّحَ الرّوْضُ المؤرَّجُ أو ذَوَى

May you remain gardens of beauty and wisdom,

You remain a garden of beauty and grace

when the fragrant garden dries up or withers.

When the verdant meadow rings or fades