إِلَى الجَحِيمِ فِدَاكُمْ كُلُّ نَاكِثَةٍ

إِلَى الجَحِيمِ فِدَاكُمْ كُلُّ نَاكِثَةٍ

لِلعَهْدِ عُذْراً أَيَا نَجْلاَءُ فَابْتَعِدِي

لِلعَهْدِ عُذْراً أَيَا نَجْلاَءُ فَابْتَعِدِي

To hell with you! May your ransom be every woman who breaks—

To hell, as your ransom, with every woman who breaks

her pledge. Forgive me, O Najla; keep away

her pledge! Forgive me, O Najla, and stay away

عَنِّي فَوَاللهِ لَمْ يَصْدُرْ بِكُمْ وَلَهاً

عَنِّي فَوَاللهِ لَمْ يَصْدُرْ بِكُمْ وَلَهاً

مِنْ بَعْدِ غَدْرِكُمُ شِعْرِي وَلَمْ يَرِدِ

مِنْ بَعْدِ غَدْرِكُمُ شِعْرِي وَلَمْ يَرِدِ

from me. By God, it did not spring forth in rapture over you—

from me; for, by God, it has not gone forth in longing for you—

after your betrayal, my verse—nor did it come to me.

my verse, since your betrayal—nor has it arrived.

لَقَدْ نَسِيتُمْ وَكَانَ القُبْحُ شِيمَتَكُمْ

لَقَدْ نَسِيتُمْ وَكَانَ القُبْحُ شِيمَتَكُمْ

أَنَّ الجَمَالَ جَمَالُ الرُّوحِ لاَ الجَسَدِ

أَنَّ الجَمَالَ جَمَالُ الرُّوحِ لاَ الجَسَدِ

You have forgotten—and ugliness has always been your hallmark—

You have indeed forgotten—and ugliness was your nature—

that beauty is the beauty of the soul, not the body.

that beauty is the beauty of the soul, not the body.

كَمْ مِنْ نَجِيبٍ جَلَبْتُمْ دُونَمَا رَسَنٍ

كَمْ مِنْ نَجِيبٍ جَلَبْتُمْ دُونَمَا رَسَنٍ

فِي غَفْلَةٍ مِنْهُ مَسْلُوباً بِلاَ رَشَدِ

فِي غَفْلَةٍ مِنْهُ مَسْلُوباً بِلاَ رَشَدِ

How many a noble thoroughbred you brought in without a rein,

How many a noble man you have brought in without a halter,

while he, unawares, was stripped of all sound judgment,

while he was unaware, despoiled and without sound judgment.

وَعَادَ وَهْوَ كَلِيمُ النَّفْسِ مُكْتَئِباً

وَعَادَ وَهْوَ كَلِيمُ النَّفْسِ مُكْتَئِباً

يَجُرُّ أَقْدَامَهُ الحَيْرَى بِلاَ جَلَدِ

يَجُرُّ أَقْدَامَهُ الحَيْرَى بِلاَ جَلَدِ

and returned wounded in spirit, dejected,

And he returned, wounded in soul and dejected,

dragging his bewildered feet, bereft of fortitude.

dragging his bewildered feet, without fortitude.

مَهْمَا انْتَعَلْتُمْ فَمَا كَانَتْ أَنَامِلُكُمْ

مَهْمَا انْتَعَلْتُمْ فَمَا كَانَتْ أَنَامِلُكُمْ

سِوَى بَرَاثِنِ عَنْقَاءٍ عَلَى وَتَدِ

سِوَى بَرَاثِنِ عَنْقَاءٍ عَلَى وَتَدِ

Whatever you wore as shoes, your fingertips were never

Whatever shoes you have worn, your fingertips have been nothing

anything but the talons of an ‘Anqa poised upon a stake,

but the talons of a phoenix upon a stake,

أَوْ أَنْصُلٍ ذَاتِ حَدٍّ فَاتِكٍ عَبَرَتْ

أَوْ أَنْصُلٍ ذَاتِ حَدٍّ فَاتِكٍ عَبَرَتْ

ظُلْماً عَلَى جَدَثِي وَاسْتَأْصَلَتْ خَلَدِي

ظُلْماً عَلَى جَدَثِي وَاسْتَأْصَلَتْ خَلَدِي

or blades bearing a deadly edge, which passed

or blades with a deadly edge that passed

wrongfully over my corpse and uprooted my innermost soul.

unjustly over my grave and uprooted my mind.

وَجِئْتُ أَسْعَى بِنَحْسٍ لاَ يُفَارِقُنِي

وَجِئْتُ أَسْعَى بِنَحْسٍ لاَ يُفَارِقُنِي

إِلَى حِمَاكُمْ وَبُؤْسِي مُمْسِكاً بِيَدِي

إِلَى حِمَاكُمْ وَبُؤْسِي مُمْسِكاً بِيَدِي

I came hastening, dogged by ill fortune that never leaves me,

And I came hurrying, with misfortune that never leaves me,

toward your sanctuary, with my misery holding my hand.

to your sanctuary, my misery holding my hand.

فَلَمْ أُلاَقِ سِوَى هُدْبٍ عَلَى حَدَقٍ

فَلَمْ أُلاَقِ سِوَى هُدْبٍ عَلَى حَدَقٍ

تَسِيرُ بِاللُجَّةِ الظَّلْمَاءِ فِي رَمَدِ

تَسِيرُ بِاللُجَّةِ الظَّلْمَاءِ فِي رَمَدِ

But I found nothing save a fringe of lashes over eyes,

So I found nothing but eyelashes upon eyes

moving through the dark abyss, afflicted with inflammation.

moving through the dark deep, inflamed.

وَلَمْ أُوَافِ سِوَى زَيْفٍ وَمُعْضِلَتِي

وَلَمْ أُوَافِ سِوَى زَيْفٍ وَمُعْضِلَتِي

أَنِّي أُصَدِّقُ حُمْقاً كُلَّ ذِي إِدَدِ

أَنِّي أُصَدِّقُ حُمْقاً كُلَّ ذِي إِدَدِ

And I encountered nothing but sham; my dilemma is

And I met nothing but falsehood; my predicament

that in my folly I believe every bearer of monstrous deceit.

is that I foolishly believe every bearer of abominations.

يَا رَبَّةَ البَيْتِ لَوْ تَدْرِي الرَّبَابُ بِنَا

يَا رَبَّةَ البَيْتِ لَوْ تَدْرِي الرَّبَابُ بِنَا

لأَغْرَقَتْنَا بِزَيْتِ الخَلِّ فِي كَمَدِ

لأَغْرَقَتْنَا بِزَيْتِ الخَلِّ فِي كَمَدِ

O mistress of the house, if Rabab should learn about us,

O mistress of the house, if the white clouds knew of us,

she would drown us in oil and vinegar, consumed by grief.

they would drown us in vinegar's oil, in grief.

مَا كُنْتِ يَوْماً فَتَاتِي غَيْرَ أَنَّ لَنَا

مَا كُنْتِ يَوْماً فَتَاتِي غَيْرَ أَنَّ لَنَا

عَقْلاً بِهِ خَبَلٌ يَهْفُو إِلَى الوَلَدِ

عَقْلاً بِهِ خَبَلٌ يَهْفُو إِلَى الوَلَدِ

You were never—not for a day—my beloved; it is only that we have

You were never my girl, yet we have

a mind touched by madness, yearning for a child.

a mind touched by madness that yearns for a child.

إِنَّ الثَّرَاءَ سَيَأْتِي رَغْمَ مَنْ قَفَلُوا

إِنَّ الثَّرَاءَ سَيَأْتِي رَغْمَ مَنْ قَفَلُوا

كُوَى ارْتِزَاقِي وَأَوْدَوْا بِالسُّدَى أَمَدِي

كُوَى ارْتِزَاقِي وَأَوْدَوْا بِالسُّدَى أَمَدِي

Wealth will surely come, despite those who locked

Wealth will surely come, despite those who shut

the windows of my livelihood and consigned my future to waste.

the windows of my livelihood and brought my lifetime to ruin through futility.

وَرَغْمَ عُسْرِي فَحُلْمِي لَنْ تُكَبِّلَهُ

وَرَغْمَ عُسْرِي فَحُلْمِي لَنْ تُكَبِّلَهُ

هَذِي الجَنَازِيرُ يَا نَجْلاَءُ فَاتَّئِدِي

هَذِي الجَنَازِيرُ يَا نَجْلاَءُ فَاتَّئِدِي

Despite my hardship, my dream will never be shackled by

And despite my poverty, my dream will not be shackled

these chains. O Najla, take your time.

by these chains; O Najla, take your time,

لِتَسْمَعِينِي قُبَيْلَ العَادِيَاتِ غَداً

لِتَسْمَعِينِي قُبَيْلَ العَادِيَاتِ غَداً

ضَبْحاً لِتَجْتَثَّ آلاَمِي وَلِلأَبَدِ

ضَبْحاً لِتَجْتَثَّ آلاَمِي وَلِلأَبَدِ

Tomorrow you shall surely hear me, just before the charging mares,

so you may hear me tomorrow, just before the charging steeds—

panting as they uproot my pains forever.

panting, so they may uproot my pains forever.

إِنِّي ذَكَرْتُكِ يَا نَجْلاَءُ لَيْسَ هَوَىً

إِنِّي ذَكَرْتُكِ يَا نَجْلاَءُ لَيْسَ هَوَىً

بَلِ امْتِعَاضاً لِمَا لاَقَيْتُ مِنْ كَبَدِ

بَلِ امْتِعَاضاً لِمَا لاَقَيْتُ مِنْ كَبَدِ

I remembered you, O Najla—not out of love,

Indeed, I mentioned you, O Najla, not out of love,

but in disgust at the anguish I have suffered.

but out of resentment at the suffering I have endured.

وَرَغْمَ بُؤْسِي فَلِي نَفْسٌ بِهَا أَنَفٌ

وَرَغْمَ بُؤْسِي فَلِي نَفْسٌ بِهَا أَنَفٌ

لَوْ شِئْتِ مِثْلِي بِهَذَا الكَوْنِ لَنْ تَجِدِي

لَوْ شِئْتِ مِثْلِي بِهَذَا الكَوْنِ لَنْ تَجِدِي

Despite my misery, I have a spirit filled with proud self-respect:

And despite my misery, I have a soul endowed with pride;

were you to seek my equal in this universe, you would never find one.

if you wanted someone like me in this universe, you would never find one.