نوحُ الحَمَامِ على الأغصان يُشجيني

نوحُ الحَمَامِ على الأغصان يُشجيني

والبَرْقُ يَضْحَكُ أحياناً فيُبْكِيني

والبَرْقُ يَضْحَكُ أحياناً فيُبْكِيني

The mourning of doves upon the branches saddens me.

The dove's cooing on the branches makes me languish

And lightning laughs at times, making me weep.

And the lightning sometimes laughs, and then makes me weep

ما كانَ لي ولخَوطِ البانِ أعشقه

ما كانَ لي ولخَوطِ البانِ أعشقه

ما كان لي ولسهْم اللحظِ يرميني

ما كان لي ولسهْم اللحظِ يرميني

What had I to do with the ban-tree's slender bough, that I should love it?

I did not fall for the thread of separation, nor for

What had I to do with the arrow of a glance, that it should strike me?

The arrow of a glance that pierces me

يا دارَ زينبَ والدنيا مفرقةٌ

يا دارَ زينبَ والدنيا مفرقةٌ

حيِّيْتَ فيك غزالاً لا يحييّني

حيِّيْتَ فيك غزالاً لا يحييّني

O dwelling of Zaynab, while the world brings separation,

O Zainab's house, though the world separates us

I greeted within you a gazelle who does not greet me.

You sheltered a gazelle who cannot shelter me

يا دار زينب بي داءٌ أكتْمه

يا دار زينب بي داءٌ أكتْمه

مُليت شعري مِنه مَنْ يدويي

مُليت شعري مِنه مَنْ يدويي

O dwelling of Zaynab, I have an illness I conceal.

O Zainab's house, I have a hidden pain

Would that I knew who could cure me of it! [Reading uncertain.]

That has filled my poetry, who can heal me?

أظهرَ موالي نُكراً بعدَ معرفةٍ

أظهرَ موالي نُكراً بعدَ معرفةٍ

وكان أهونُ مِنْ ذا الشيء يكفيني

وكان أهونُ مِنْ ذا الشيء يكفيني

My friends showed estrangement after familiarity;

My friend turned hostile after knowing me

even something milder than this would have sufficed me.

That was easier to bear than this thing that saddens me

وقد أطلت عُبُوري حول دَارِكم

وقد أطلت عُبُوري حول دَارِكم

عطشانَ لو سمح السَّاقي فيَسقيني

عطشانَ لو سمح السَّاقي فيَسقيني

And I have long passed about your dwelling,

I lingered long around your house

thirsty—if only the cupbearer were generous and gave me drink.

Thirsty, if only the cupbearer would let me drink

عرضتُ بي كقناة الخِطِ عاسلةً

عرضتُ بي كقناة الخِطِ عاسلةً

هيفا يَلْعَبُ عطفاهَا مِنء اللّين

هيفا يَلْعَبُ عطفاهَا مِنء اللّين

She appeared before me, swaying like a spear of al-Khatt,

I put myself forward like a supple letter

slender-waisted, her flanks dancing with suppleness.

Swaying gently in the soft, blowing wind

ماذا العجائبُ مَا هذي الذوائبِ ما

ماذا العجائبُ مَا هذي الذوائبِ ما

هذي الترائبُ في حسن وتحسين

هذي الترائبُ في حسن وتحسين

What wonders! What are these tresses? What

What are these wonders, these disappearances, these

are these collarbones, in beauty and adornment?

Appearances of beauty and perfection?

لدن القدود ورُمّان النّهُودِ إلى

لدن القدود ورُمّان النّهُودِ إلى

وردِ الخُدودِ وتفاح البسَاتين

وردِ الخُدودِ وتفاح البسَاتين

Supple figures and pomegranates of breasts, alongside

From smooth cheeks to pomegranate blossoms

roses of cheeks and apples of the orchards.

To rosy cheeks and apple orchards

وعاذلٌ فيكِ لمَا إنْ وصفتُ له

وعاذلٌ فيكِ لمَا إنْ وصفتُ له

عينيكِ عاد بعيْنيه يواسيني

عينيكِ عاد بعيْنيه يواسيني

And one who reproached me for you, when I described to him

When I described your eyes to a lover

your eyes, turned to console me with his own.

He looked at me with his eyes comforting me

بكيتُ حتى بكى مثلي وأحَزَنَه

بكيتُ حتى بكى مثلي وأحَزَنَه

مَا بي وعَنّاه مني ما يُعنّيني

مَا بي وعَنّاه مني ما يُعنّيني

I wept until he wept as I did, and he was saddened by

I wept until one like me wept and grieved

what ailed me; through me, what torments me tormented him.

What is this thing in me that troubles me?

تيمته مثلَ ما تيمتني بفم

تيمته مثلَ ما تيمتني بفم

وحاجبٍ مثل قوس الترك مقرون

وحاجبٍ مثل قوس الترك مقرون

You enthralled him as you enthralled me, with a mouth

His passion is like my passion, his mouth and

and a joined brow like a bow of the Turks.

Eyebrow like the joined arc of a Turkish bow

سبحانَ خالقِ هذا الخصر مُنْجدلاً

سبحانَ خالقِ هذا الخصر مُنْجدلاً

جَدْلَ العنانِ وهذا أعين العينِ

جَدْلَ العنانِ وهذا أعين العينِ

Glory to the Creator of this waist, twined

Glory to the Creator of this swaying waist

like a braided rein, and of this most wide-eyed of the wide-eyed!

Twisting like a bridle, and these eyes of the eye

ذا الثغَرُ والشَعْرُ هذا النحر عذبني

ذا الثغَرُ والشَعْرُ هذا النحر عذبني

ذاا الخصْرُ أخرجَني والله من ديني

ذاا الخصْرُ أخرجَني والله من ديني

This mouth and hair, this upper chest, have tormented me;

These lips and hair have seduced me

this waist, by God, has driven me from my faith.

This waist has undone me, by God, of my religion

تمائلٌ وتهادٍ ما يميل كذا

تمائلٌ وتهادٍ ما يميل كذا

قُضْبانُ نَعْمان في كُثبانِ يَبْرين

قُضْبانُ نَعْمان في كُثبانِ يَبْرين

Swaying and gliding—not like this do they sway,

Swaying and inclining, bending like this

the branches of Nu'man amid the dunes of Yabrin.

Numan's rods in the sand dunes of Yabrin

قالوا حللت بذاتِ القُراط قلت لهم

قالوا حللت بذاتِ القُراط قلت لهم

طعْنُ القدودِ والرَديَنياتِ يُرديني

طعْنُ القدودِ والرَديَنياتِ يُرديني

They said, "You have settled with the wearer of earrings." I told them,

They said, "You are smitten with the slender-waisted one." I said, "The stab

"The thrusts of slender forms and Rudayni spears slay me."

Of smooth cheeks and soft sides has pierced me."

وَآخرَ قلباه لو أرشفتني برداً

وَآخرَ قلباه لو أرشفتني برداً

من فيكَ رَيْقني في الصف يرويني

من فيكَ رَيْقني في الصف يرويني

Ah, my burning heart! If only you let me sip coolness

If her final greeting were to give me a sip

from your mouth—[unclear wording] would quench me in the ranks.

Cold from her mouth, that would quench me in the battle line

لَونُ الطواويس ذا لون الحمام وذا

لَونُ الطواويس ذا لون الحمام وذا

لون البشامُ وذا لون الرياحين

لون البشامُ وذا لون الرياحين

The hue of peacocks; this, the hue of doves; and this,

The color of partridges, the color of doves and the

the hue of balsam; and this, the hue of fragrant herbs.

Color of wild roses and the color of sweet basil

في القلب منك جنون لا يفارقني

في القلب منك جنون لا يفارقني

وإنما يَرعُ المجنون في الحين

وإنما يَرعُ المجنون في الحين

In my heart is a madness from you that never leaves me,

In my heart is a madness that will not leave me

whereas a madman has fits only at times [reading uncertain].

But the madman only finds relief at times