أَقولُ لِصاحِبَيَّ وَمِثلُ ما بي

أَقولُ لِصاحِبَيَّ وَمِثلُ ما بي

شَكاهُ المَرءُ ذو الوَجدِ الأَليمِ

شَكاهُ المَرءُ ذو الوَجدِ الأَليمِ

I say to my two companions—and a plight like mine

I say to my friend, and one who shares my woe,

Has been lamented by a man in agonizing longing

Like a man in pain complaining of his pain:

إِلى الأَخَوَينِ مِثلِهِما إِذا ما

إِلى الأَخَوَينِ مِثلِهِما إِذا ما

تَأَوَّبَهُ مُؤَرِّقَةُ الهُمومِ

تَأَوَّبَهُ مُؤَرِّقَةُ الهُمومِ

To two brothers like them, whenever

To two brothers like them, when cares besiege him

Sleep-banishing cares revisit him at night—

And sleepless worries his repose restrain:

لِحَيني وَالبَلاءِ لَقيتُ ظُهراً

لِحَيني وَالبَلاءِ لَقيتُ ظُهراً

بِأَعلى النَقعِ أُختَ بَني تَميمِ

بِأَعلى النَقعِ أُختَ بَني تَميمِ

To my undoing and affliction, I met at noon

"A while ago, at fortune's height superb,

In upper al-Naqʿ a sister of Banu Tamim.

I rode a camel that excelled the steeds of Thamim's strain

فَلَمّا أَن بَدا لِلعَينِ مِنها

فَلَمّا أَن بَدا لِلعَينِ مِنها

أَسيلُ الخَدِّ في خَلقٍ عَميمِ

أَسيلُ الخَدِّ في خَلقٍ عَميمِ

Then, when I saw in her

But when her charms unveiled before my eyes,

A smooth cheek upon a tall, well-formed body,

A rill of tears flowed down in copious rain,

وَعَينا جُؤذَرٍ خَرِقٍ وَثَغرٌ

وَعَينا جُؤذَرٍ خَرِقٍ وَثَغرٌ

كَمِثلِ الأُقحُوانِ وَجيدُ ريمِ

كَمِثلِ الأُقحُوانِ وَجيدُ ريمِ

And the eyes of a startled oryx calf, and a mouth

With languid lids, and cheeks gashed deep, a mouth

Like chamomile, and a white gazelle's neck,

Pouting like paired Sirius when the Dogstar's bane,

حَنا أَترابُها دوني عَلَيها

حَنا أَترابُها دوني عَلَيها

حُنوَّ العائِداتِ عَلى سَقيمِ

حُنوَّ العائِداتِ عَلى سَقيمِ

Her companions bent over her, keeping me away,

Her friends, not I, stood near her, stooping o'er her,

As women visiting the sick bend over an ailing man:

As stoops a nurse to whom an infant clings in vain,

عَقائِلُ لَم يَعِشنَ بِعَيشِ بُؤسٍ

عَقائِلُ لَم يَعِشنَ بِعَيشِ بُؤسٍ

وَلَكِن بِاِلغَضارَةِ وَالنَعيمِ

وَلَكِن بِاِلغَضارَةِ وَالنَعيمِ

Noblewomen who had never lived in hardship,

With necks unadorned: they lived a life of want,

But in prosperity and ease.

Not luxury and delight and joy's bright reign."