تَقولُ بُثَينَةُ لَمّا رَأَت

تَقولُ بُثَينَةُ لَمّا رَأَت

فُنوناً مِنَ الشَعَرِ الأَحمَرِ

فُنوناً مِنَ الشَعَرِ الأَحمَرِ

Buthayna says, on seeing

Buthaina says, when she saw

varied strands of red hair:

Strands of red hair:

كَبِرتَ جَميلُ وَأَودى الشَبابُ

كَبِرتَ جَميلُ وَأَودى الشَبابُ

فَقُلتُ بُثَينَ أَلا فَاِقصُري

فَقُلتُ بُثَينَ أَلا فَاِقصُري

“You have grown old, Jamil, and youth has gone.”

“My beauty is gone, and youth has passed away.”

So I said, “Buthayn, come now, desist!

So I said: “Buthaina, make it brief!

أَتَنسينَ أَيّامَنا بِاللِوى

أَتَنسينَ أَيّامَنا بِاللِوى

وَأَيّامَنا بِذَوي الأَجفَرِ

وَأَيّامَنا بِذَوي الأَجفَرِ

Do you forget our days at al-Liwa,

Have you forgotten our days in al-Liwa’,

and our days at Dhawi al-Ajfar?

And our days among the large-eyed gazelles?

أَما كُنتِ أَبصَرتِني مَرَّةً

أَما كُنتِ أَبصَرتِني مَرَّةً

لَيالِيَ نَحنُ بِذي جَهوَرِ

لَيالِيَ نَحنُ بِذي جَهوَرِ

Had you not once seen me,

Don’t you remember seeing me once

on the nights we were at Dhu Jahwar,

On nights when we were in Dhi Juhur,

لَيالِيَ أَنتُم لَنا جيرَةٌ

لَيالِيَ أَنتُم لَنا جيرَةٌ

أَلا تَذكُرينَ بَلى فَاِذكُري

أَلا تَذكُرينَ بَلى فَاِذكُري

the nights when you were our neighbors?

Nights when you were our neighbours—

Do you not remember? Yes—then remember!

Oh, do you not remember? Remember!

وَإِذ أَنا أَغيَدُ غَضُّ الشَبابِ

وَإِذ أَنا أَغيَدُ غَضُّ الشَبابِ

أَجُرُّ الرِداءَ مَعَ المِئزَرِ

أَجُرُّ الرِداءَ مَعَ المِئزَرِ

And when I was lithe, in youth's freshness,

When I was in the freshness of youth

trailing my cloak along with my waist-wrap;

I would let down my cloak, and my sash,

وَإِذ لِمَّتي كَجَناحِ الغُرابِ

وَإِذ لِمَّتي كَجَناحِ الغُرابِ

تُرَجَّلُ بِالمِسكِ وَالعَنبَرِ

تُرَجَّلُ بِالمِسكِ وَالعَنبَرِ

and when my locks were like a raven's wing,

And my plaits were like a raven’s wings,

combed with musk and ambergris.

Scented with musk and ambergris.

فَغَيَّرَ ذَلِكَ ما تَعلَمينَ

فَغَيَّرَ ذَلِكَ ما تَعلَمينَ

تَغَيُّرَ ذا الزَمَنِ المُنكَرِ

تَغَيُّرَ ذا الزَمَنِ المُنكَرِ

What you know has changed all that—

But what you know has changed—

the changing of this hateful age.

Changed like these wicked times.

وَأَنتِ كَلُؤلُؤَةِ المَرزُبانِ

وَأَنتِ كَلُؤلُؤَةِ المَرزُبانِ

بِماءِ شَبابِكِ لَم تُعصِري

بِماءِ شَبابِكِ لَم تُعصِري

And you are like the marzuban's pearl,

You’re like a pearl of the sea

with your youth's luster, not yet come of age.

That did not squeeze out its juice of youth.

قَريبانِ مَربَعُنا واحِدٌ

قَريبانِ مَربَعُنا واحِدٌ

فَكَيفَ كَبِرتُ وَلَم تَكبَري

فَكَيفَ كَبِرتُ وَلَم تَكبَري

We are close; our spring encampment is the same;

Soon both our tents will be folded away.

so how have I grown old while you have not?”

So how is it I have grown old when you have not?”