أبت الوداع فبكرت برحيل

أبت الوداع فبكرت برحيل

أجناية أم أتعمت بجميل

أجناية أم أتعمت بجميل

She refused farewell and set out early on her journey.

She refused farewell, so she departed early.

Was that a crime—or a kindness brought to completion?

Was it a crime, or did she bestow a kindness?

عهدي بسالبة الفؤاد شريكتي

عهدي بسالبة الفؤاد شريكتي

في الحب لا تولي الغرام بديلي

في الحب لا تولي الغرام بديلي

I knew the thief of my heart as my partner

As I know her, my heart's captor is my partner

in love, never giving passion any substitute.

in love; she gives no passion to another in my place.

خشيت تصدع بالوداع جوانحي

خشيت تصدع بالوداع جوانحي

فغدت تحث السير قبل عويلي

فغدت تحث السير قبل عويلي

She feared that farewell would split my ribs apart,

She feared farewell would shatter my ribs,

so she left, urging the journey on before my wailing.

so she set about urging haste before my wailing.

رحلوا بها ولو استشيرت ما مضت

رحلوا بها ولو استشيرت ما مضت

معهم ولا رضيت لهم بقفول

معهم ولا رضيت لهم بقفول

They departed with her; had she been consulted, she would not have gone

They departed with her; had she been consulted, she would not have gone

with them, nor would she have consented to their return.

with them, nor consented to their return.

رضخت لأحكام الزمان فأظهرت

رضخت لأحكام الزمان فأظهرت

جلدا يحط بقالهم والقيل

جلدا يحط بقالهم والقيل

I bowed to time’s decrees, displaying

She yielded to the decrees of time, and showed

a fortitude proof against all their talk and gossip.

fortitude that makes light of their talk and gossip.

حب شريف لا يدنس عرضنا

حب شريف لا يدنس عرضنا

فيه ولا نخشى ملام عذول

فيه ولا نخشى ملام عذول

A noble love that never sullies our honor;

A noble love: our honor is not sullied

within it we fear no reproachful censor’s blame.

in it, nor do we fear a faultfinder's reproach.

وإذا الصبابة أنشبت أظفارها

وإذا الصبابة أنشبت أظفارها

ألق السلاح لسيفها المصقول

ألق السلاح لسيفها المصقول

But when passion sinks its claws into you,

And when ardent yearning sinks its claws,

lay down your arms before its burnished sword.

lay down your arms before its polished sword.

عبثا تحاول أن تحول وجهة

عبثا تحاول أن تحول وجهة

بسوى المحب لقلبك المشغول

بسوى المحب لقلبك المشغول

In vain you try to turn the course

In vain you try to change the course

of your preoccupied heart toward anyone but the beloved.

of your engrossed heart toward anyone but the beloved.

أواه من مضض الفراق وحره

أواه من مضض الفراق وحره

ومن الوقوف بدمنة وطلول

ومن الوقوف بدمنة وطلول

Ah, the bitter anguish of parting and its fire,

Alas for the anguish of parting and its heat,

and standing before a campsite’s remains and ruins!

and for standing by a deserted campsite's traces and ruins!

ويلاه كم طلل على جنباته

ويلاه كم طلل على جنباته

ذهبت حياة معذب معلول

ذهبت حياة معذب معلول

Alas, how many a ruin, along whose sides,

Woe is me! How many a ruin, beside which

has the life of a tormented, ailing lover passed away!

a tormented, ailing man's life was lost!

تتمزق الأحشا حيال رسومه

تتمزق الأحشا حيال رسومه

يتلهف وتشوق وذهول

يتلهف وتشوق وذهول

His innards tear apart before its lingering traces;

The entrails are torn before its traces;

he laments, yearns, and reels in terror.

he laments, amid longing and bewilderment.

فنبثه الشوق المبرح عله

فنبثه الشوق المبرح عله

يجد المشوق به شفاء غليل

يجد المشوق به شفاء غليل

So we pour out to it our tormenting longing, in hopes

So we confide to it our agonizing longing; perhaps

that the yearning lover may find in it relief for his burning thirst.

the yearning lover may find through it a cure for his burning thirst.

هذا الغرام وهذه حالاته

هذا الغرام وهذه حالاته

والناس بين منغص وقتيل

والناس بين منغص وقتيل

Such is passion, and such are its states:

This is love, and these are its states,

among people, some are tormented and some are slain.

and people are either embittered or slain.

بينا الفتى في حظوة وملذة

بينا الفتى في حظوة وملذة

فإذا به في شقوة وحؤول

فإذا به في شقوة وحؤول

One moment a young man enjoys favor and delight;

While the youth enjoys favor and delight,

the next, there he is in misery and reversal.

then suddenly he suffers misery and reversals of fortune.

كانت وكان الموقت صفوا بيننا

كانت وكان الموقت صفوا بيننا

ومشت فأبقت لي شعار نحول

ومشت فأبقت لي شعار نحول

She was there, and time between us was serene;

She was here, and our time together was serene;

then she went, leaving wasting as my close-worn garment.

and she went away, leaving me the garb of wasting.

تركت عيونا لا يكفكف دمعها

تركت عيونا لا يكفكف دمعها

فوق الخدود يفيض فيض سيول

فوق الخدود يفيض فيض سيول

She left behind eyes whose tears cannot be stanched,

She left eyes whose tears cannot be held back,

streaming over the cheeks in torrents.

pouring over the cheeks like flooding torrents.

من مخبري هل ساقطت عبراتها

من مخبري هل ساقطت عبراتها

يوم الرحيل على فراق خليل

يوم الرحيل على فراق خليل

Who will tell me whether she shed her tears

Who will tell me: did she shed her tears

on departure day, at parting from a beloved?

on the day of departure, over parting from a dear companion?

عهدي بها ذات انعطاف في الهوى

عهدي بها ذات انعطاف في الهوى

سلكت ولا تثريب فيه سبيلي

سلكت ولا تثريب فيه سبيلي

I knew her as tenderly inclined in love,

I have known her to be tender in love;

following my path—a path beyond reproach.

she followed my path, with no blame in it.

لولا الدلال وحبها العذري ما

لولا الدلال وحبها العذري ما

كنت الغرور بوعدها الممطول

كنت الغرور بوعدها الممطول

Were it not for her coyness and her chaste, ʿUdhrī love, I would not

But for coquetry and her chaste love, I would not

have been the guileless dupe of her ever-deferred promise.

have been deceived by her long-deferred promise.

ما ضرها لو ودعتني إنما

ما ضرها لو ودعتني إنما

أبت الوداع فبكرت برحيل

أبت الوداع فبكرت برحيل

What would it have cost her to bid me farewell? Yet—

What harm would it have done her to bid me farewell? Yet

She refused farewell and set out early on her journey.

She refused farewell, so she departed early.