أَلا مِن لِقَلبٍ لا يَمُلُّ فَيَذهَلُ

أَلا مِن لِقَلبٍ لا يَمُلُّ فَيَذهَلُ

أَفِق فَالتَعَزّي عَن بُثَينَةَ أَجمَلُ

أَفِق فَالتَعَزّي عَن بُثَينَةَ أَجمَلُ

Ah, who will help a heart that never tires enough to forget?

Alas! For a heart that does not tire or languish!

Come to your senses: finding solace apart from Buthayna is more becoming.

Look towards the horizon, for consolation from Buthaina is most beautiful.

سَلا كُلُّ ذي وُدٍّ عَلِمتُ مَكانَهُ

سَلا كُلُّ ذي وُدٍّ عَلِمتُ مَكانَهُ

وَأَنتَ بِها حَتّى المَماتِ مُوَكَّلُ

وَأَنتَ بِها حَتّى المَماتِ مُوَكَّلُ

Every lover whose whereabouts I knew has found solace,

Greetings to all beloved ones whose places I have come to know,

while you are bound to her until death.

While you remain there until death's appointed time.

فَما هَكَذا أَحبَبتَ مَن كانَ قَبلُها

فَما هَكَذا أَحبَبتَ مَن كانَ قَبلُها

وَلا هَكَذا فيما مَضى كُنتَ تَفعَلُ

وَلا هَكَذا فيما مَضى كُنتَ تَفعَلُ

For you did not love like this those who came before her,

Not like this did you love those before her,

nor did you act this way in days gone by.

Nor in times past did you behave this way.

أَعِن ظُعُنِ الحَيِّ الأُلى كُنتَ تَسأَلُ

أَعِن ظُعُنِ الحَيِّ الأُلى كُنتَ تَسأَلُ

بِلَيلٍ فَرَدّوا عيرَهُم وَتَحَمَّلوا

بِلَيلٍ فَرَدّوا عيرَهُم وَتَحَمَّلوا

Was it about the tribe's women in litters that you were asking

Help me endure the piercing of ardent love that you used to ask for

by night? They turned their caravan around and departed.

In the night they returned their revilements and endured patiently

فَأَمسوا وَهُم أَهلُ الدِيارِ وَأَصبَحوا

فَأَمسوا وَهُم أَهلُ الدِيارِ وَأَصبَحوا

وَمِن أَهلِها الغِربانُ بِالدارِ تَحجِلُ

وَمِن أَهلِها الغِربانُ بِالدارِ تَحجِلُ

At evening they were still the camp's people; at dawn,

So they became the people of the dwellings by morning and

crows were among its inhabitants, hopping about the camp.

The ravens in the abode became anxious.

عَلى حينَ وَلّى الأَمرُ عَنّا وَأَسمَحَت

عَلى حينَ وَلّى الأَمرُ عَنّا وَأَسمَحَت

عَصا البَينِ وَاِنبَتَّ الرَجاءُ المُؤَمَّلُ

عَصا البَينِ وَاِنبَتَّ الرَجاءُ المُؤَمَّلُ

When fortune turned away from us, and pliant grew

At the time when authority turned away from us and

the staff of parting, and the hope we cherished was cut off.

The rod of separation flourished and hoped-for reconciliation sprouted.

وَقَد أَبقَتِ الأَيّامُ مِنّي عَلى العِدى

وَقَد أَبقَتِ الأَيّامُ مِنّي عَلى العِدى

حُساماً إِذا مَسَّ الضَريبَةَ يَفصِلُ

حُساماً إِذا مَسَّ الضَريبَةَ يَفصِلُ

And what the days have left of me, against my foes, is

And days have left in me, because of the hostility,

a keen sword that cuts clean through whatever it strikes.

A blade that severs when it strikes.

وَلَستُ كَمَن إِن سيمَ ضَيماً أَطاعَهُ

وَلَستُ كَمَن إِن سيمَ ضَيماً أَطاعَهُ

وَلا كَاِمرِئٍ إِن عَضَّهُ الدَهرُ يَنكُلُ

وَلا كَاِمرِئٍ إِن عَضَّهُ الدَهرُ يَنكُلُ

I am not one who submits when subjected to injustice,

I am not like one who, if he feels injury, submits,

nor a man who flinches when time sinks its teeth into him.

Nor one whom fate has bitten and who recoils.

لَعُمري لَقَد أَبدى لِيَ البَينُ صَفحَةُ

لَعُمري لَقَد أَبدى لِيَ البَينُ صَفحَةُ

وَبَيَّنَ لي ما شِئتَ لَو كُنتُ أَعقِلُ

وَبَيَّنَ لي ما شِئتَ لَو كُنتُ أَعقِلُ

By my life, parting has indeed shown me its face,

By my life, separation has shown me its aspect

and made plain to me whatever you wished—if only I had sense.

And made clear what I would want, had I any sense.

وَآخِرُ عَهدي مِن بُثَينَةَ نَظرَةٌ

وَآخِرُ عَهدي مِن بُثَينَةَ نَظرَةٌ

عَلى مَوقِفٍ كادَت مِنَ البَينِ تَقتُلُ

عَلى مَوقِفٍ كادَت مِنَ البَينِ تَقتُلُ

And my last encounter with Buthayna was a glance

And the last time I saw Buthaina was a gaze

at a stopping-place—a glance that nearly killed me through parting.

At a stance that nearly killed me from the separation.

فَلِلَّهِ عَينا مَن رَأى مِثلُ حاجَةٍ

فَلِلَّهِ عَينا مَن رَأى مِثلُ حاجَةٍ

كَتَمتُكِها وَالنَفسُ مِنها تَمَلمَلُ

كَتَمتُكِها وَالنَفسُ مِنها تَمَلمَلُ

God bless the eyes of whoever has seen a longing like

So God bless he who saw the like of an ardour

the one I hid from you, while my soul writhed with it.

I concealed though my soul chafed from it.

وَإِنّي لَأَستَبكي إِذا ذُكِرَ الهَوى

وَإِنّي لَأَستَبكي إِذا ذُكِرَ الهَوى

إِلَيكِ وَإِنّي مَن هَواكِ لَأَوجِلُ

إِلَيكِ وَإِنّي مَن هَواكِ لَأَوجِلُ

And I am indeed moved to tears whenever love is mentioned

I weep when love for you is recalled

for you; and indeed I tremble at my love for you.

And I am made abject by passion for you.

نَظَرتُ بِبِشرٍ نَظرَةً ظَلتُ أَمتَري

نَظَرتُ بِبِشرٍ نَظرَةً ظَلتُ أَمتَري

بِها عَبرَةً وَالعَينُ بِالدَمعِ تُكحَلُ

بِها عَبرَةً وَالعَينُ بِالدَمعِ تُكحَلُ

I cast a glance at Bishr, and kept drawing

I looked with a joyous mien, a look which left me

from it a tear, while my eye was lined with tears.

Shedding copious tears while my eyes grew dark.

إِذا ما كَرَرتُ الطَرفَ نَحوَكِ رَدَّهُ

إِذا ما كَرَرتُ الطَرفَ نَحوَكِ رَدَّهُ

مِنَ البُعدِ فَيّاضٌ مِنَ الدَمعِ يَهمِلُ

مِنَ البُعدِ فَيّاضٌ مِنَ الدَمعِ يَهمِلُ

Whenever I turn my gaze toward you again, it is driven back

When I glance her way it returns the glance

by a flood of tears, streaming down because of the distance.

Damp with tears welling forth.

فَيا قَلبُ دَع ذِكرى بُثَينَةَ إِنَّها

فَيا قَلبُ دَع ذِكرى بُثَينَةَ إِنَّها

وَإِن كُنتَ تَهواها تَضَنَّ وَتَبخَلُ

وَإِن كُنتَ تَهواها تَضَنَّ وَتَبخَلُ

So, heart, leave off remembering Buthayna: she,

So heart, leave off thoughts of Buthaina though

though you love her, begrudges and withholds.

You love her, fretting and miserly.

قَناةٌ مِنَ المُرّانِ ما فَوقَ حَقوِها

قَناةٌ مِنَ المُرّانِ ما فَوقَ حَقوِها

وَما تَحتَهُ مِنها نَقاً يَتَهَيَّلُ

وَما تَحتَهُ مِنها نَقاً يَتَهَيَّلُ

What is above her waist is an ash-wood spear-shaft;

A canal of bitters not above its banks

and what lies below it is a dune of loose, cascading sand.

With naught beneath it but brackish seepage.

وَقَد أَيأَسَت مِن نَيلِها وَتَجَهَّمَت

وَقَد أَيأَسَت مِن نَيلِها وَتَجَهَّمَت

وَلَليَأسُ إِن لَم يُقدَرِ النَيلُ أَمثَلُ

وَلَليَأسُ إِن لَم يُقدَرِ النَيلُ أَمثَلُ

She has made me despair of winning her and has scowled,

I have despaired of attaining her and frowned gloomily

and despair is surely better if attainment is impossible.

For despair, if attainment lacks, is best.

وَإِلّا فَسَلها نائِلاً قَبلَ بَينِها

وَإِلّا فَسَلها نائِلاً قَبلَ بَينِها

وَأَبخِل بِها مَسؤولَةً حينَ تُسأَلُ

وَأَبخِل بِها مَسؤولَةً حينَ تُسأَلُ

Otherwise, ask her for a favor before her departure,

Unless you ask her before she is far off

and how miserly she is when petitioned for a favor!

And spare her when asked, once distant.

وَكَيفَ تُرَجّي وَصلَها بَعدَ بُعدِها

وَكَيفَ تُرَجّي وَصلَها بَعدَ بُعدِها

وَقَد جُذَّ حَبلُ الوَصلِ مِمَّن تُؤَمِّلُ

وَقَد جُذَّ حَبلُ الوَصلِ مِمَّن تُؤَمِّلُ

And how can you hope for union with her after she has gone far away,

How can you hope for union after such distance

when the cord of union with the one you hope for has been cut?

When the rope of union is cut by the one you hope for?

وَإِنَّ الَّتي أَحبَبتَ قَد حيلَ دونَها

وَإِنَّ الَّتي أَحبَبتَ قَد حيلَ دونَها

فَكُن حازِماً وَالحازِمُ المُتَحَوِّلُ

فَكُن حازِماً وَالحازِمُ المُتَحَوِّلُ

Indeed, the woman you loved has been put beyond reach;

She whom you loved is now beyond reach

so be prudent: the prudent man is the one who moves on.

So be resolute and turn elsewhere, O resolved one.

فَفي اليَأسِ ما يُسلي وَفي الناسِ خُلَّةٌ

فَفي اليَأسِ ما يُسلي وَفي الناسِ خُلَّةٌ

وَفي الأَرضِ عَمَّن لا يُؤاتيكَ مَعزِلُ

وَفي الأَرضِ عَمَّن لا يُؤاتيكَ مَعزِلُ

For in despair there is consolation, and among people, companionship,

In despair there is consolation, amongst people there are friends,

and on earth, a place apart from whoever will not respond to you.

And on earth, a refuge from those who do you no good.

بَدا كَلَفٌ مِنّي بِها فَتَثاقَلَت

بَدا كَلَفٌ مِنّي بِها فَتَثاقَلَت

وَما لا يُرى مِن غائِبِ الوَجدِ أَفضَلُ

وَما لا يُرى مِن غائِبِ الوَجدِ أَفضَلُ

My passion for her became plain, so she held back;

Coolness from me towards her was burdensome for her

and the unseen part of hidden passion is greater still.

And the hidden torment of ardour is best.

هَبيني بَريئاً نِلتِهِ بِظُلامَةٍ

هَبيني بَريئاً نِلتِهِ بِظُلامَةٍ

عَفاها لَكُم أَو مُذنِباً يَتَنَصَّلُ

عَفاها لَكُم أَو مُذنِباً يَتَنَصَّلُ

Think of me as an innocent man whom you wronged,

Excuse me, attained by darkness,

who forgave you all for it—or a guilty man offering excuses.

Whether innocent or culpable, seeking respite.