جاءَتْ بعودٍ كأنّ نَغْمَتَهُ

جاءَتْ بعودٍ كأنّ نَغْمَتَهُ

صَوْتُ فَتَاةٍ تَشْكُو فِراقَ فتى

صَوْتُ فَتَاةٍ تَشْكُو فِراقَ فتى

She came with an oud whose melody was like

She came with a lute, whose melody

the voice of a girl lamenting parting from a young man.

Was like the voice of a girl lamenting the absence of her beloved

مُخَفَّفٌ خَفَّتِ النفوسُ لَهُ

مُخَفَّفٌ خَفَّتِ النفوسُ لَهُ

كأنّما الزّهْرُ حَوْلَهُ نَبَتا

كأنّما الزّهْرُ حَوْلَهُ نَبَتا

Light in weight, it made souls feel light,

Subdued, souls became light for it

as though flowers had sprouted around it.

As if flowers bloomed around it

دارَتْ مَلاَوِيهِ فِيهِ واخْتَلَفَتْ

دارَتْ مَلاَوِيهِ فِيهِ واخْتَلَفَتْ

مثلَ اختلافِ الكفَّيْنِ شُبِّكَتَا

مثلَ اختلافِ الكفَّيْنِ شُبِّكَتَا

Its tuning pegs turned within it and alternated,

Her fingers turned about it, and moved

like the interlacing of two clasped hands.

Like intertwining hands that clasp

لَوْ حرَّكَتْهُ وراء مُنْهَزِمٍ

لَوْ حرَّكَتْهُ وراء مُنْهَزِمٍ

عَلَى بَرِيدٍ لعاجَ والتَفَتَا

عَلَى بَرِيدٍ لعاجَ والتَفَتَا

If she played it behind a fleeing man

If she strummed it chasing one who flees

on a post-horse, he would turn aside and look back.

On a fast steed, he would turn back

يا حُسْنَ صوتَيْهِما كَأَنّهُما

يا حُسْنَ صوتَيْهِما كَأَنّهُما

أُخْتَانِ في صَنْعَةٍ تَرَاسَلَتَا

أُخْتَانِ في صَنْعَةٍ تَرَاسَلَتَا

How lovely their two voices—as though they were

Oh, the beauty of their two voices, as if

two sisters answering one another in their craft.

They were two sisters conversing

وهُوَ على ذا ينوبُ إن سَكَتَتْ

وهُوَ على ذا ينوبُ إن سَكَتَتْ

عَنْهُ وَعَنْهُ تنوب إنْ سَكَتَا

عَنْهُ وَعَنْهُ تنوب إنْ سَكَتَا

Yet if she falls silent, it stands in

And it takes his place if she falls silent

for her voice; and she stands in for it if it falls silent.

And it takes her place if the two fall silent