شاقَ قَلبي مَنزِلٌ دَثَرا

شاقَ قَلبي مَنزِلٌ دَثَرا

حالَفَ الأَرواحَ وَالمَطَرا

حالَفَ الأَرواحَ وَالمَطَرا

A ruined dwelling stirred my heart with longing,

A ruined dwelling stirred my heart to longing,

long companion to the winds and rain.

Having made a pact with winds and rain:

شَمأَلاً تُذري إِذا لَعِبَت

شَمأَلاً تُذري إِذا لَعِبَت

عاصِفاً أَذيالُها الشَجَرا

عاصِفاً أَذيالُها الشَجَرا

A north wind scatters all when it frolics,

A north wind that scatters, whenever it plays,

its raging skirts lashing the trees—

The trees with its fiercely sweeping skirts.

لِلَّتي قالَت لِجارَتِها

لِلَّتي قالَت لِجارَتِها

وَيحَ قَلبي ما دَهى عُمَرا

وَيحَ قَلبي ما دَهى عُمَرا

for the woman who said to her companion,

It belonged to the woman who said to her neighbor:

“Woe to my heart—what has stricken Umar?

“Alas for my heart! What has befallen Umar?

فيمَ أَمسى لا يُكَلِّمُنا

فيمَ أَمسى لا يُكَلِّمُنا

وَإِذا ناطَقتُهُ بَسَرا

وَإِذا ناطَقتُهُ بَسَرا

Why has evening found him not speaking to us,

Why has he ceased speaking to us,

and when I speak to him, he scowls?

And why does he frown whenever I speak to him?

أَبِهِ عُتبى فَأَعتِبُهُ

أَبِهِ عُتبى فَأَعتِبُهُ

أَم بِهِ صَبراً فَقَد صَبَرا

أَم بِهِ صَبراً فَقَد صَبَرا

Is he aggrieved? Then I will make amends.

Does he have a grievance, that I might appease him?

Or is it patience? He has indeed endured.

Or is he being patient? He has been patient indeed.

أَم حَديثٌ جاءَهُ كَذِبٌ

أَم حَديثٌ جاءَهُ كَذِبٌ

أَم بِهِ هَجرٌ فَقَد هَجَرا

أَم بِهِ هَجرٌ فَقَد هَجَرا

Or has some false report reached him?

Or has a false report reached him?

Or is it estrangement? Then he has truly shunned us.

Or is he estranged? He has indeed kept away.

أَم لِقَولٍ قالَهُ كاشِحٌ

أَم لِقَولٍ قالَهُ كاشِحٌ

كاذِبٌ يا لَيتَهُ قُبِرا

كاذِبٌ يا لَيتَهُ قُبِرا

Or was it something an ill-wisher said,

Or is it because of words spoken by a spiteful foe,

a liar—would that he were buried!

A liar—oh, would that he were buried!

لَو عَلِمنا ما يُسَرُّ بِهِ

لَو عَلِمنا ما يُسَرُّ بِهِ

ما طَعِمنا البارِدَ الخَصِرا

ما طَعِمنا البارِدَ الخَصِرا

If we knew what would please him,

If we knew what would please him,

we would not taste the cool, fresh water.

We would not taste the chillingly cold water.

وَأَرى شَوقي سَيَقتُلُني

وَأَرى شَوقي سَيَقتُلُني

وَحَبيبَ النَفسِ إِن هَجَرا

وَحَبيبَ النَفسِ إِن هَجَرا

I see that my longing will kill me,

And I think my longing will kill me,

if the beloved of my soul should shun me.

And my soul’s beloved, if he forsakes me.

إِنَّ نَومي ما يُلائِمُني

إِنَّ نَومي ما يُلائِمُني

أَجلَهُ يا أُختِ إِن ذُكِرا

أَجلَهُ يا أُختِ إِن ذُكِرا

My sleep gives me no comfort—

Indeed, sleep will not come to me,

I put it off, sister, whenever he is mentioned.”

Because of him, sister, if he is mentioned.”

فَأَجابَت في مُلاطَفَةٍ

فَأَجابَت في مُلاطَفَةٍ

أَسرَعَت فيها لَها الحَورا

أَسرَعَت فيها لَها الحَورا

Her friend answered with gentle teasing,

Then she answered with gentle kindness,

swiftly turning her wide, dark eyes upon her:

Hastening to give her a reply:

إِنَّني إِن لَم أَمُت عَجَلاً

إِنَّني إِن لَم أَمُت عَجَلاً

أَرتَجي أَن راحَ أَو بَكَرا

أَرتَجي أَن راحَ أَو بَكَرا

“If I do not die at once,

“Indeed, unless I die too soon,

I hope to see him this evening or tomorrow morning.

I hope he comes, in the evening or the morning.

فَإِذا ما راحَ فَاِستَلِمي

فَإِذا ما راحَ فَاِستَلِمي

إِن دَنا في طَوفِهِ الحَجَرا

إِن دَنا في طَوفِهِ الحَجَرا

When he sets out, reach forth and touch,

So when he comes in the evening, touch

if in his circling he draws near the Stone.

The Stone, if he draws near during his circuit.

وَأُشَفّي البُردَ عَنكِ لَهُ

وَأُشَفّي البُردَ عَنكِ لَهُ

كَي تَشوقيهِ إِذا نَظَرا

كَي تَشوقيهِ إِذا نَظَرا

For him I will draw your mantle away,

And I will draw your mantle aside for him,

so that, when he looks, you may kindle his longing.”

So that you stir his longing when he looks.”

فَأَرَتني مُسفِراً حَسَناً

فَأَرَتني مُسفِراً حَسَناً

خِلتُهُ إِذ أَسفَرَت قَمَرا

خِلتُهُ إِذ أَسفَرَت قَمَرا

Then she showed me a beautiful, unveiled face;

Then she showed me a radiant, lovely face;

when she unveiled it, I took it for the moon,

I thought it a moon when she unveiled.

وَشَتيتَ النَبتِ مُتَّسِقاً

وَشَتيتَ النَبتِ مُتَّسِقاً

طَيِّباً أَنيابُهُ خَصِرا

طَيِّباً أَنيابُهُ خَصِرا

and teeth, delicately spaced and even,

And a mouth with well-spaced, evenly aligned teeth,

her teeth sweet and cool.

Sweet, with cool canine teeth.

لِشَقائي قادَني بَصَري

لِشَقائي قادَني بَصَري

وَلِحَينٍ وافَقَ القَدَرا

وَلِحَينٍ وافَقَ القَدَرا

To my misery my eyes led me,

My gaze led me to my misery,

and toward doom, in keeping with fate.

And to doom, in accord with fate.

ثُمَّ قالَت لِلَّتي مَعَها

ثُمَّ قالَت لِلَّتي مَعَها

لا تُديمي نَحوَهُ النَظَرا

لا تُديمي نَحوَهُ النَظَرا

Then she said to the woman beside her,

Then she said to the woman with her:

“Do not keep your gaze fixed upon him.

“Do not keep gazing toward him.

خالِسيهِ أُختِ في خَفَرٍ

خالِسيهِ أُختِ في خَفَرٍ

فَوَعَيتُ القَولَ إِذ وَقَرا

فَوَعَيتُ القَولَ إِذ وَقَرا

Steal a glance at him, sister, with modesty.”

Steal glances at him, sister, with modesty.”

I understood the words once they had sunk in:

So I took in the words as they sank in.

إِنَّهُ يا أُختِ يَصرِمُنا

إِنَّهُ يا أُختِ يَصرِمُنا

إِن قَضى مِن حاجَةٍ وَطَرا

إِن قَضى مِن حاجَةٍ وَطَرا

“Sister, he will break with us

“Indeed, sister, he will cut us off

once he has satisfied his desire.”

Once he has satisfied his desire.”

قُلتُ قَد أُعطيتِ مَنزِلَةً

قُلتُ قَد أُعطيتِ مَنزِلَةً

ما أَرى عِندي لَها خَطَرا

ما أَرى عِندي لَها خَطَرا

I said, “You have been granted a standing

I said: “You have been given a place

for which I see nothing I possess of equal worth.

That, to me, has no equal.

فَأَنيلي عاشِقاً دَنِفاً

فَأَنيلي عاشِقاً دَنِفاً

ثُمَّ أَخزى اللَهُ مَن كَفَرا

ثُمَّ أَخزى اللَهُ مَن كَفَرا

So show favor to a lovesick lover—

So grant your favor to a lovesick lover;

then may God abase whoever proves ungrateful!”

Then may God disgrace whoever is ungrateful.”