لستُ صخراً في حبيَ الخنساءَ

لستُ صخراً في حبيَ الخنساءَ

فهْيَ تجني بوجنةٍ حمراءَ

فهْيَ تجني بوجنةٍ حمراءَ

I am no Sakhr in my love for al-Khansa;

I am not a rock in my love for Khansa

For she does harm with a crimson cheek.

She reaps with a red cheek

عاذلي غيرُ عادلٍ في هواها

عاذلي غيرُ عادلٍ في هواها

وإذا أحسنَ العذولُ أساءَ

وإذا أحسنَ العذولُ أساءَ

My reproacher is unjust about my love for her;

My reproacher is unfair in his passion for her

And when the reproacher does good, he does harm.

And if the reproacher is kind, he is harmful

وجهُها البدرُ منْ سحائبِ وشيٍ

وجهُها البدرُ منْ سحائبِ وشيٍ

قدْ تجلَّى على الورى وأضاءَ

قدْ تجلَّى على الورى وأضاءَ

Her face, the full moon, from clouds of brocade

Her face is the full moon from clouds of beauty

Has emerged before humankind and shone.

It has appeared to creation and shone

قصَّرَتْ بالقصورِ كالتركِ ألحا

قصَّرَتْ بالقصورِ كالتركِ ألحا

ظاً وكالعُرْبِ خطرةً وذكاءَ

ظاً وكالعُرْبِ خطرةً وذكاءَ

She dwells secluded in palaces, like the Turks in her glan-

She falls short of palaces in slenderness and stature

ces, and like the Arabs in her bearing and wit;

And arabs in liveliness, intelligence and brightness

وكشمسِ الضحى ضياءً وكالظَّبْ

وكشمسِ الضحى ضياءً وكالظَّبْ

يِ قالتْ وكالغصونِ انثناءَ

يِ قالتْ وكالغصونِ انثناءَ

And like the morning sun in radiance; and like the ga-

And the morning sun in radiance and gazelles in

zelle she rests at noon, and like boughs in her swaying.

Saying and branches in bending

فإذا قلتُ هلْ أنالُ وصالاً

فإذا قلتُ هلْ أنالُ وصالاً

منكَ قالتْ ومنْ ينالُ السماءَ

منكَ قالتْ ومنْ ينالُ السماءَ

So when I ask, 'Can I attain union

So if I say, will I attain union with you?

With you?' she says, 'And who can reach the sky?'

She says, and who attains heaven?