وَآخِرُ عَهدي بِالرَبابِ مَقالُها

وَآخِرُ عَهدي بِالرَبابِ مَقالُها

أَلَستَ تَرى مَن حَولَنا فَتَرَقَّبا

أَلَستَ تَرى مَن حَولَنا فَتَرَقَّبا

And my last memory of al-Rabab was her saying:

My last words to Rabab as she spoke

'Do you not see those around us? Be on your guard

Don’t you see those around us, so wait and watch

مِنَ الضَوءِ وَالسُمّارُ فيهِم مُكَذِّبٌ

مِنَ الضَوءِ وَالسُمّارُ فيهِم مُكَذِّبٌ

جَريءٌ عَلَينا أَن يَقولَ فَيَكذِبا

جَريءٌ عَلَينا أَن يَقولَ فَيَكذِبا

against the light; among the nighttime companions is a slanderer,

From the light and gossip - among them a slanderer

bold enough to speak against us and lie.'

Bold enough to speak of us and lie

فَقُلتُ لَها في اللَهِ وَاللَيلُ ساتِرٌ

فَقُلتُ لَها في اللَهِ وَاللَيلُ ساتِرٌ

فَلا تَشعَبي إِن تُسأَلي العُرفَ مَشعِبا

فَلا تَشعَبي إِن تُسأَلي العُرفَ مَشعِبا

So I said to her, 'For God's sake—night conceals us—

So I said to her, by God and the veiling night

do not stray down a byway if asked for kindness.'

Do not diverge if asked the path forked in two

فَصَدَّت وَقالَت بَل تُريدُ فَضيحَتي

فَصَدَّت وَقالَت بَل تُريدُ فَضيحَتي

فَأَحبِب إِلى قَلبي بِها مُتَغَضِّبا

فَأَحبِب إِلى قَلبي بِها مُتَغَضِّبا

Then she turned away and said, 'Rather, you want to disgrace me.'

So she turned away and said you only want my shame

And how dear she was to my heart, even in anger!

Making my heart for her angry and provoked

وَباتَت تُفاتيني لَعوبٌ كَأَنَّها

وَباتَت تُفاتيني لَعوبٌ كَأَنَّها

مَهاةٌ تُراعي بِالصَرائِمِ رَبرَبا

مَهاةٌ تُراعي بِالصَرائِمِ رَبرَبا

And she spent the night bantering with me, playful, as though she were

And she evaded me playing tricks like

a female oryx watching a herd among the dunes.

A prowling wolf eyeing the flock’s sheep

فَلَمّا تَقَضّى اللَيلُ إِلّا أَقَلَّهُ

فَلَمّا تَقَضّى اللَيلُ إِلّا أَقَلَّهُ

وَأَعنَقَ تالي نَجمِهِ فَتَصَوَّبا

وَأَعنَقَ تالي نَجمِهِ فَتَصَوَّبا

So when all but a little of the night had passed,

So when the night ended except its last

and the last of its stars sped on, then sank,

And the stars lowered their gaze and took cover

وَقالَت تَكَفَّت حانَ مِن عَينِ كاشِحٍ

وَقالَت تَكَفَّت حانَ مِن عَينِ كاشِحٍ

هُبوبٌ وَأَخشى الصُبحَ أَن يَتَصَوَّبا

هُبوبٌ وَأَخشى الصُبحَ أَن يَتَصَوَّبا

and she said, 'Make haste: it is time for an enemy's eye

She said enough, the eye of dawn casts light

to wake, and I fear the dawn may descend,'

I fear the morn may shine its sun soon over

فَجِئتُ مَجوداً بِالكَرى باتَ سَرجُهُ

فَجِئتُ مَجوداً بِالكَرى باتَ سَرجُهُ

وِساداً لَهُ يَنحاشُ أَن يَتَقَلَّبا

وِساداً لَهُ يَنحاشُ أَن يَتَقَلَّبا

then I came to one drenched in sleep; his saddle had lain all night

So I came leading the mule, its saddle upright

as his pillow; he shrank from turning over.

A pillow for it, shuffling not to turn over

فَقُلتُ لَهُ أَسرِج نُوائِل فَقَد بَدا

فَقُلتُ لَهُ أَسرِج نُوائِل فَقَد بَدا

تَباشيرُ مَعروفٍ مِنَ الصُبحِ أَشهَبا

تَباشيرُ مَعروفٍ مِنَ الصُبحِ أَشهَبا

So I said to him, 'Saddle up so we may escape, for there have already appeared

I said saddle the she-camel for morn has come

the first glimmers of the familiar, pale-gray dawn.'

Harbingers of daybreak from dawn red as ember

فَأَصبَحتُ مِن دارِ الرَبابِ بِبَلدَةٍ

فَأَصبَحتُ مِن دارِ الرَبابِ بِبَلدَةٍ

بَعيدٍ وَلَو أَحبَبتُ أَن أَتَقَرَّبا

بَعيدٍ وَلَو أَحبَبتُ أَن أَتَقَرَّبا

So by morning I was in a land away from al-Rabab's home,

And I left Rabab’s abode for a town afar

far off, even if I wished to draw near.

Even if I wished to return or come nearer