هاجَ ذا القَلبَ مَنزِلُ

هاجَ ذا القَلبَ مَنزِلُ

دارِسُ الآيِ مُحوِلُ

دارِسُ الآيِ مُحوِلُ

A dwelling stirred this heart,

The heart's abode is now inhabited

Its traces faded, a year deserted.

By one who studies verses and alters them

غَيَّرَت آيَهُ الصَبا

غَيَّرَت آيَهُ الصَبا

وَجَنوبٌ وَشَمأَلُ

وَجَنوبٌ وَشَمأَلُ

The east wind changed its traces,

The verse of youth has changed it

And the south wind, and the north wind.

With a southern and northern wind

وَلَقَد كانَ آهِلاً

وَلَقَد كانَ آهِلاً

فيهِ ظَبيٌ مُبَتَّلُ

فيهِ ظَبيٌ مُبَتَّلُ

And indeed it was once inhabited,

It used to be populated

Within it, a finely formed gazelle,

By a wearied, afflicted gazelle

طَيِّبُ النَشرِ واضِحٌ

طَيِّبُ النَشرِ واضِحٌ

أَحوَرُ العَينِ أَكحَلُ

أَحوَرُ العَينِ أَكحَلُ

Sweet-scented and fair-skinned,

Of good lineage, bright-eyed

With eyes of vivid black and white, naturally kohl-rimmed.

Dark-eyed, kohl-lined

فَلَئِن بانَ أَهلُهُ

فَلَئِن بانَ أَهلُهُ

فَبِما كانَ يُؤهَلُ

فَبِما كانَ يُؤهَلُ

And if its people have departed,

So if its people have left

Yet how often it used to be inhabited!

It is with what suited them

قَد أَرانا بِغَبطَةٍ

قَد أَرانا بِغَبطَةٍ

فيهِ نَلهو وَنَجذَلُ

فيهِ نَلهو وَنَجذَلُ

I once saw us in bliss,

It has shown us joy

There, playing and rejoicing,

With which we play and jest

بِجَوارٍ خَرائِدٍ

بِجَوارٍ خَرائِدٍ

ذاكَ وَالوُدُّ يُبذَلُ

ذاكَ وَالوُدُّ يُبذَلُ

With bashful young maidens,

With intimate friends

Back then, when love was freely given;

As affection is shared

إِذ فُؤادي بِزَينَبٍ

إِذ فُؤادي بِزَينَبٍ

أُمِّ يَعلى مُوَكَّلُ

أُمِّ يَعلى مُوَكَّلُ

When my heart, on Zaynab—

While my heart is entrusted

Umm Ya‘la—was firmly set,

To Um Yazid, mother of Yazid

وَهيَ فينا فَلا تُبا

وَهيَ فينا فَلا تُبا

ليهِ تُلحى وَتَعذَلُ

ليهِ تُلحى وَتَعذَلُ

And she was among us, yet cared not—

She is above us, so does not refuse

—for it, though blamed and reproached,

To be called on and summoned

قَبلَ أَن يَستَفِزَّها

قَبلَ أَن يَستَفِزَّها

قَولُ واشٍ يُحَمِّلُ

قَولُ واشٍ يُحَمِّلُ

Before she was provoked

Before the words of a slanderer

By an inciting slanderer's words.

Provoke her

حينَ أَرسَلتُ ثَهلَلاً

حينَ أَرسَلتُ ثَهلَلاً

وَأَخو الوُدِّ مُرسِلُ

وَأَخو الوُدِّ مُرسِلُ

When I sent Thahlal—

When I sent Tuhlal

And a lover sends messengers—

The brother of affection is the sender

بِاِعتِذارٍ مِن سُخطِها

بِاِعتِذارٍ مِن سُخطِها

عَلَّ أَسماءَ تَقبَلُ

عَلَّ أَسماءَ تَقبَلُ

With an apology to allay her anger,

With an apology for her anger

Hoping Asma' would accept,

Hopefully Asma will accept

فَأَتَتني بِما هَوي

فَأَتَتني بِما هَوي

تُ مِنَ القَولِ ثَهلَلُ

تُ مِنَ القَولِ ثَهلَلُ

Then came to me, with what I longed

She brought me the words

To hear, Thahlal,

I love to hear from Tuhlal

حينَ قالَت تَقولُ زَي

حينَ قالَت تَقولُ زَي

نَبُ إِنّا سَنَفعَلُ

نَبُ إِنّا سَنَفعَلُ

When she said, “Thus says Zay—

When Zainab said, Tuhlal says

—nab: ‘We shall indeed do so.’”

We will surely act

أَنا مِن ذاكَ آيِسٌ

أَنا مِن ذاكَ آيِسٌ

غَيرَ أَنّي أُعَلَّلُ

غَيرَ أَنّي أُعَلَّلُ

I have no hope of that,

I am hopeless about that

Yet I am lulled with hopes.

Except to make excuses

وَأَخٌ يَستَحِثُّني

وَأَخٌ يَستَحِثُّني

وَيُنادي وَيَبذُلُ

وَيُنادي وَيَبذُلُ

And a friend urges me on,

And a brother who rouses me

And calls out and gives freely.

Calling me, offering

كُلَّما قالَ لي اِنطَلِق

كُلَّما قالَ لي اِنطَلِق

قُلتُ إِربَع سَأَفعَلُ

قُلتُ إِربَع سَأَفعَلُ

Whenever he says to me, “Go,”

Whenever he says to me, set forth

I say, “Wait; I shall do so.”

I say, wait, I will do so