فَضَحتِ بِدَورَ التَمِّ إِذ فُقتِها حُسنا

فَضَحتِ بِدَورَ التَمِّ إِذ فُقتِها حُسنا

وَأَخجَلتِها إِذ كُنتِ مِن نورِها أَسنى

وَأَخجَلتِها إِذ كُنتِ مِن نورِها أَسنى

You shamed the full moons when you surpassed them in beauty,

You outshone the full moons when you eclipsed their beauty,

and abashed them, for you were more radiant than their light.

And put them to shame when you were brighter than their light.

وَلَمّا رَجَونا مِن مَحاسِنِكِ الحُسنى

وَلَمّا رَجَونا مِن مَحاسِنِكِ الحُسنى

بَعَثتِ لَنا مِن سِحرِ مُقلَتِكِ الوَسنى

بَعَثتِ لَنا مِن سِحرِ مُقلَتِكِ الوَسنى

And when we hoped for kindness from your charms,

When we hoped for yet more of your beauty,

you sent us, through the magic of your drowsy eye,

You sent us, from the magic of your glances, a wakeful charm

سُهاداً يَذودُ النَومَ أَن يَألَفَ الجَفنا

سُهاداً يَذودُ النَومَ أَن يَألَفَ الجَفنا

وَخِلتُ بِأَنّي عَن مَغانيكِ راحِلٌ

وَخِلتُ بِأَنّي عَن مَغانيكِ راحِلٌ

sleeplessness that keeps sleep from befriending the eyelid.

That wards off sleep lest it grow used to our eyelids.

And I thought I was departing from your dwellings,

I stayed up thinking I would leave your pleasures

وَرَبعَ ضَميري مِن وِدادِكِ ماحِلٌ

وَرَبعَ ضَميري مِن وِدادِكِ ماحِلٌ

فَأَسهَرَ طَرفي ناظِرٌ مِنكِ كاحِلٌ

فَأَسهَرَ طَرفي ناظِرٌ مِنكِ كاحِلٌ

and the dwelling of my heart lay barren of your love;

While my conscience pulled away from loving you,

then a kohl-dark eye of yours kept my own awake.

So my eyes kept watch, though you glanced disapprovingly,

وَأَبصَرَ جِسمي أَنَّ خَصرَكِ ناحِلٌ

وَأَبصَرَ جِسمي أَنَّ خَصرَكِ ناحِلٌ

فَحاكاهُ لَكِن زادَني دِقَّةَ المَعنى

فَحاكاهُ لَكِن زادَني دِقَّةَ المَعنى

And my body saw that your waist was slender,

And my body saw your slender waist.

so it imitated it, but made me subtler still in essence.

It imitated you, but your refined subtlety increased my fervor.

حَوَيتِ جَمالاً قَد خُلِقتِ بِرَسمِهِ

حَوَيتِ جَمالاً قَد خُلِقتِ بِرَسمِهِ

فَخِلناكِ بَدرَ التَمِّ إِذ كُنتِ كَاِسمِهِ

فَخِلناكِ بَدرَ التَمِّ إِذ كُنتِ كَاِسمِهِ

You possessed a beauty in whose image you were created;

You encompassed a beauty created in its image,

so we thought you the full moon, for you matched its name.

So we called you the full moon, for you were like it.

فَمُذ صارَ مِنكِ الحُسنُ قِسماً كَقِسمِهِ

فَمُذ صارَ مِنكِ الحُسنُ قِسماً كَقِسمِهِ

حَكَيتِ أَخاكِ البَدرَ في حالِ تِمِّهِ

حَكَيتِ أَخاكِ البَدرَ في حالِ تِمِّهِ

Since your share of beauty became like its own,

Since loveliness from you was apportioned like its apportionment,

you resembled your brother, the full moon, in its fullness,

You resembled your brother, the full moon, at its perfection,

سَناً وَسَناءً إِذ تَشابَهتُما سِنّا

سَناً وَسَناءً إِذ تَشابَهتُما سِنّا

سَجَنتِ فُؤادي حينَ حَرَّمتِ زَورَتي

سَجَنتِ فُؤادي حينَ حَرَّمتِ زَورَتي

in radiance and splendor, since you were alike in age.

Year after year, as you two were of equal splendor.

You imprisoned my heart when you forbade my visit,

You imprisoned my heart when you denied me your visit,

وَأَطلَقتِ دَمعي لَو طَفا حَرَّ زَفرَتي

وَأَطلَقتِ دَمعي لَو طَفا حَرَّ زَفرَتي

فَقُلتُ وَقَد أَبدى الغَرامُ سَريرَتي

فَقُلتُ وَقَد أَبدى الغَرامُ سَريرَتي

and released my tears—if only they could quench the heat of my sigh.

And unleashed my tears, had they gushed like my agonized sighs.

So I said, as passion had laid bare my secret:

I said, as passion laid bare my secret:

أَهَيفاءُ إِن أَطلَقتِ بِالبُعدِ عَبرَتي

أَهَيفاءُ إِن أَطلَقتِ بِالبُعدِ عَبرَتي

فَإِنَّ لِقَلبي مِن تَباريحِهِ سِجنا

فَإِنَّ لِقَلبي مِن تَباريحِهِ سِجنا

O slender one, if through separation you have released my tears,

“Gentle lady, if your distance unleashes my tears,

then my heart has a prison in its torments.

Then my heart has prisons within its prisons.”

حُرِمتُ الرِضى إِن لَم أَزُركِ عَلى النَوى

حُرِمتُ الرِضى إِن لَم أَزُركِ عَلى النَوى

وَأَحمِلَ أَثقالَ الصَبابَةِ وَالجَوى

وَأَحمِلَ أَثقالَ الصَبابَةِ وَالجَوى

May I be denied contentment if I do not visit you despite the distance,

I am deprived of peace if I do not visit you with affection,

and bear the burdens of yearning and love's anguish.

And carry the burdens of youth and passion.

فَلَيسَ لِداءِ القَلبِ غَيرُكِ مِن دَوا

فَلَيسَ لِداءِ القَلبِ غَيرُكِ مِن دَوا

فَإِن تُحجَبي بِالبيضِ وَالسُمرِ فَالهَوى

فَإِن تُحجَبي بِالبيضِ وَالسُمرِ فَالهَوى

For the heart's sickness has no remedy other than you.

For the sickness of the heart has no cure but you.

And if you are guarded by bright swords and dusky spears, love

If you veil yourself in white and dark, passion

يُهَوَّنُ عِندَ العاشِقِ الضَربِ وَالطَعنا

يُهَوَّنُ عِندَ العاشِقِ الضَربِ وَالطَعنا

سَأَثني حُدودَ المَشرَفيَّةِ وَالقَنا

سَأَثني حُدودَ المَشرَفيَّةِ وَالقَنا

makes blows and thrusts light to the lover.

Makes bearing the sword thrusts and spears lighter for the lover.

I shall turn back the edges of Mashrafi swords and the spears,

I will transcend the limits of al-Mushrifiyyah and al-Qinaa,

وَأَسعى إِلى مَغناكِ إِن شَطَّ أَو دَنا

وَأَسعى إِلى مَغناكِ إِن شَطَّ أَو دَنا

وَأَلقى المَنايا كَي أَنالَ بِها المُنى

وَأَلقى المَنايا كَي أَنالَ بِها المُنى

and hasten to your dwelling, whether it lies far or near,

I will hasten to your glades, whether winding or straight,

and face death's perils, to win through them my wishes.

And welcome death, so I may attain the wished-for end.

وَما الشَوقُ إِلّا أَن أَزورَكِ مُعلِنا

وَما الشَوقُ إِلّا أَن أَزورَكِ مُعلِنا

وَلَو مَنَعَت أُسدُ الشَرى ذَلِكَ المَغنى

وَلَو مَنَعَت أُسدُ الشَرى ذَلِكَ المَغنى

And longing is nothing but visiting you openly,

This yearning is only to visit you openly,

even if the lions of al-Shara bar access to that dwelling.

And even if the lion of calamity prevents that pleasure,

عَدِمتَ اِصطِباري بَعدَ بُعدِ أَحِبَّتي

عَدِمتَ اِصطِباري بَعدَ بُعدِ أَحِبَّتي

فَماذا عَليهِم لَو رَعوا حَقَّ صُحبَتي

فَماذا عَليهِم لَو رَعوا حَقَّ صُحبَتي

You found my patience gone after my loved ones went far away;

My patience runs out after the remoteness of my beloved,

so what would it cost them if they honored the claim of my companionship?

What is it to them, if they had respected the rights of companionship?

فَبِتُّ وَما أَفنى الغَرامُ مَحَبَّتي

فَبِتُّ وَما أَفنى الغَرامُ مَحَبَّتي

أَأَحبابَنا قَضَيتُ فيكُم شَبيبَتي

أَأَحبابَنا قَضَيتُ فيكُم شَبيبَتي

So I passed the night, and passion had not consumed my love:

I stay up, and passion has not diminished my love,

O our beloved ones, I spent my youth in loving you,

O sweethearts! My youth was spent on you,

وَلَم تُسعِفوا يَوماً بِإِحسانِكُم حُسنى

وَلَم تُسعِفوا يَوماً بِإِحسانِكُم حُسنى

أَعيدوا لَنا طيبَ الوِصالِ الَّذي مَضى

أَعيدوا لَنا طيبَ الوِصالِ الَّذي مَضى

yet never once did you grant me a favor through your kindness.

And you never gratified me, even for a day, with your kindness.

Restore to us the sweetness of the union that has passed,

Restore for us the goodness of union that has passed,

فَقَد ضاقَ بي مِن بَعدِ بُعدِكُمُ الفَضا

فَقَد ضاقَ بي مِن بَعدِ بُعدِكُمُ الفَضا

وَلا تَهجُروا فَالعُمرُ قَد فاتَ وَاِنقَضى

وَلا تَهجُروا فَالعُمرُ قَد فاتَ وَاِنقَضى

for after your departure, the open expanse has closed in on me.

For, after your remoteness, space has narrowed around me,

And do not abandon me, for life has already passed and ended;

And do not abandon me, for life has ended and faltered,

وَما نِلتُ مِن مَأمولِ وَصلِكُمُ رِضى

وَما نِلتُ مِن مَأمولِ وَصلِكُمُ رِضى

وَلا ذُقتُ مِن رَوعاتِ هَجرِكُمُ أَمنا

وَلا ذُقتُ مِن رَوعاتِ هَجرِكُمُ أَمنا

and I gained no contentment from the hoped-for union with you,

I have not gotten from your hoped-for union any consent,

nor tasted safety from the terrors of your abandonment.

Nor tasted, from your feared estrangement, any safety.

حَفِظتُ لَكُم عَهدي عَلى القُربِ وَالنَوى

حَفِظتُ لَكُم عَهدي عَلى القُربِ وَالنَوى

وَما ضَلَّ قَلبي في هَواكُم وَما غَوى

وَما ضَلَّ قَلبي في هَواكُم وَما غَوى

I kept my pledge to you through nearness and distance,

I kept my vow to you, with affection and the will to visit,

and my heart neither strayed nor erred in its love for you.

My heart did not waver in passion for you or distract,

فَكَيفَ نَقَضتُم عَهدَ مَن شَفَّهُ الجَوى

فَكَيفَ نَقَضتُم عَهدَ مَن شَفَّهُ الجَوى

وَكُنّا عَقَدنا لا نَحولُ عَنِ الهَوى

وَكُنّا عَقَدنا لا نَحولُ عَنِ الهَوى

How, then, did you break the pledge of one whom love's anguish has wasted away,

So how could you break the pact with one whose bosom passion inflamed?

when we had pledged never to turn away from love?

We had tied a bond we would not turn from passion,

فَقَد وَحَياةِ الحُبِّ حُلتُم وَما حُلنا

فَقَد وَحَياةِ الحُبِّ حُلتُم وَما حُلنا

فَلَستُ بِسالٍ جُرتُمُ أَو عَدَلتُمُ

فَلَستُ بِسالٍ جُرتُمُ أَو عَدَلتُمُ

Indeed, by the life of love, you have changed, and we have not.

You have dissolved the life of love, while we have not.

So I do not forget you, whether you are unjust or fair,

I will not ask whether you turned away or came closer,

وَلا حُلتُ إِن قاطَعتُمُ أَو وَصَلتُمُ

وَلا حُلتُ إِن قاطَعتُمُ أَو وَصَلتُمُ

وَلَكِنَّني راضٍ بِما قَد فَعَلتُمُ

وَلَكِنَّني راضٍ بِما قَد فَعَلتُمُ

nor have I changed, whether you severed ties or joined me.

Nor will I dissolve if you cut off or joined ties,

But I am content with what you have done,

Rather, I am pleased with what you have done,

فَشُكراً لِما أَولَيتُمُ إِذ جَعَلتُمُ

فَشُكراً لِما أَولَيتُمُ إِذ جَعَلتُمُ

بِدايَتَكُم بِالبُعدِ مِنكُم وَلا مِنّا

بِدايَتَكُم بِالبُعدِ مِنكُم وَلا مِنّا

so thanks for what you bestowed, since you made

So thank you for ordaining, when you distanced yourselves from us,

the first move toward separation yours, not ours.

Neither disconnection from you, nor from ourselves.