حديث الصِبا حُلْوٌ فخذلي من الصِّبا

حديث الصِبا حُلْوٌ فخذلي من الصِّبا

وعن زينب حدّث رعى الله زينبَا

وعن زينب حدّث رعى الله زينبَا

Talk of youth is sweet; bring me tales of youth.

The talk of youth is sweet, so grant me some youthful talk,

And speak of Zaynab—may God watch over Zaynab.

And speak to me of Zainab - may God tend Zainab!

وإياك تلحاني على ساكِني الغَضَا

وإياك تلحاني على ساكِني الغَضَا

فقد سكنوا مني الفؤادَ المعذبا

فقد سكنوا مني الفؤادَ المعذبا

And beware of reproaching me for the dwellers of al-Ghada;

But do not press me about those who dwell in my heart,

For they have settled within my tormented heart.

For they have settled in my tormented soul.

وكيفَ سُلوِى عنْ أناس أحُبِهُم

وكيفَ سُلوِى عنْ أناس أحُبِهُم

وما حُبّك الانسان إلاَّ تّحَبَّبَا

وما حُبّك الانسان إلاَّ تّحَبَّبَا

And how can I forget people whom I love?

How can I be diverted from people I love?

And your love for another is but an effort to win affection.

One only loves his fellow man when there is affection.

نَعَمْ هُمْ مُنَى نَفْسي وغايةُ مطلبي

نَعَمْ هُمْ مُنَى نَفْسي وغايةُ مطلبي

فما تبتغي نَفْسي سوى القومِ مَطْلَبَا

فما تبتغي نَفْسي سوى القومِ مَطْلَبَا

Yes, they are my soul's desires and the goal of my quest;

Yes, they are the desire of my soul and the goal of my quest;

So my soul seeks no goal apart from these people.

My soul seeks nothing but to be with them.

ولي فيهم من لو أعرّض باسمِه

ولي فيهم من لو أعرّض باسمِه

قطَرْنَ دماً زُرْق الأسنة والظُبَا

قطَرْنَ دماً زُرْق الأسنة والظُبَا

Among them I have one whose name, were I to hint at it,

Among them I have one, were I to hint at his name,

The blue spearheads and sword-edges would drip blood.

My tongue would bleed and the wild beasts weep.

غزالاً ترى منه أسيلاً موَرّداً

غزالاً ترى منه أسيلاً موَرّداً

وأسْحَمَ غربيباً وأبيضَ أشيبا

وأسْحَمَ غربيباً وأبيضَ أشيبا

A gazelle in whom you see a smooth, rose-flushed cheek,

A gazelle you see, pouring forth tears,

And a jet-black hue, and a hoary white.

Ash-colored, a lost fawn, white with age,

تقسَّم اثلاثا قضيباً مهفهفاً

تقسَّم اثلاثا قضيباً مهفهفاً

ورِدْفاً زرودياً وصُدْغا مُعقربا

ورِدْفاً زرودياً وصُدْغا مُعقربا

He is divided into thirds: a slender branch,

Split hoofed, his legs speckled,

And a rump like Zarud's dunes, and a scorpion-curled temple lock.

With a fattened rump and a striped withers.

فنْ لاحَ قلتُ البدرَ أظهره الدجى

فنْ لاحَ قلتُ البدرَ أظهره الدجى

وإن فاح قلت المسك هبت به الصبا

وإن فاح قلت المسك هبت به الصبا

If he appears, I say: 'The darkness has revealed the full moon.'

When his face shines out I say the moon has risen in darkness,

And if he gives off fragrance, I say: 'The east breeze has carried musk.'

And when he displays himself I say musk is blown by the breeze.

إذا رمتَ يوماً لثمَ وَجنتِه سخا

إذا رمتَ يوماً لثمَ وَجنتِه سخا

وإن رمت يوماً نقض تكتِيهِ أبى

وإن رمت يوماً نقض تكتِيهِ أبى

If one day you seek to kiss his cheek, he is generous;

If one day you throw a kiss and he lowers his cheek,

But if one day you seek to undo his two drawstrings, he refuses.

And one day you throw a veil and he refuses to raise it,

فمن يرني حال الحسينِ بكربلٍ

فمن يرني حال الحسينِ بكربلٍ

يَرى الماء لكن لا يُمْكِّنَ مَشرْبا

يَرى الماء لكن لا يُمْكِّنَ مَشرْبا

So whoever sees me sees al-Husayn's plight at Karbala:

Who sees al-Husayn’s state at Karbala’

He sees the water, but is allowed no drink.

Sees water but cannot reach drink,

بُليْتُ بجافي القلب لا يعرف الهوى

بُليْتُ بجافي القلب لا يعرف الهوى

ولا يكتفي عن مذهب الهجر مذهبَا

ولا يكتفي عن مذهب الهجر مذهبَا

I am afflicted with a hard-hearted one who knows no love,

I am troubled by a heart that knows not passion

Nor is he content with any path but estrangement.

And is not content to pursue the ways of estrangement.

فيا صِاحبي نجواي طال تربّصي

فيا صِاحبي نجواي طال تربّصي

على الضيم موتوِرَ الفؤادِ مُذَبَذْبا

على الضيم موتوِرَ الفؤادِ مُذَبَذْبا

So, O my two confidants, long has my waiting lasted,

My companion, my wish has long awaited fulfilment,

Under oppression, wounded at heart and tossed to and fro.

My heart throbbing with enduring injustice.

فشدّا بناتٍ للجديل وقرِّبَا

فشدّا بناتٍ للجديل وقرِّبَا

مِن العيسِ ادناها من النجمِ مَرْكبا

مِن العيسِ ادناها من النجمِ مَرْكبا

So saddle the daughters of al-Jadil, and bring close

So journey with maidens bound for Judayl, and draw near,

From the pale camels, the mount nearest the star.

From the Goat, their towers, to the Star, their ship.

كم تَعِتبونَ على قتيلِ هواكم

كم تَعِتبونَ على قتيلِ هواكم

والذّنْبُ منك والجفاء جفَاكم

والذّنْبُ منك والجفاء جفَاكم

How often you reproach one slain by love for you!

How you blame the slain victim of your passion,

Yet the fault is yours, and the coldness is your own.

When the sin is yours, and the coldness your coldness!