أَراني وَهِنداً أَكثَرَ الناسُ قالَةً

أَراني وَهِنداً أَكثَرَ الناسُ قالَةً

عَلَينا وَقالُ الناسِ بِالمَرءِ مُلحِقُ

عَلَينا وَقالُ الناسِ بِالمَرءِ مُلحِقُ

I see myself and Hind: people have much to say

They see me as weak, most people find fault

against us—and people's talk leaves its mark on a man.

With me, while people tend to blame a man,

تُكَنِّنُها نِسوانُها وَيَلومُني

تُكَنِّنُها نِسوانُها وَيَلومُني

صِحابي وَكُلٌّ ما اِستَطاعَ مُعَوِّقُ

صِحابي وَكُلٌّ ما اِستَطاعَ مُعَوِّقُ

Her women keep her hidden, while I am reproached

Their women malign me, and my friends blame me too,

by my companions, each hindering as much as he can.

Each does the utmost that he can to hinder.

فَنَحنُ عَلى بَغيِ الوُشاةِ وَسَعيِهِم

فَنَحنُ عَلى بَغيِ الوُشاةِ وَسَعيِهِم

هَوانا جَميعٌ أَمرُنا حَيثُ يُصفَقُ

هَوانا جَميعٌ أَمرُنا حَيثُ يُصفَقُ

Yet we, despite the slanderers' malice and their efforts,

Yet we pursue the path the slanderers made,

are one in love; our affair stands where agreement is sealed.

Submissive, whatever way the matter ends.

فَإِن نَحنُ جِئنا سُنَّةً لَم تَكُن مَضَت

فَإِن نَحنُ جِئنا سُنَّةً لَم تَكُن مَضَت

فَنَحنُ إِذا مِمّا يَقولونَ أَخرَقُ

فَنَحنُ إِذا مِمّا يَقولونَ أَخرَقُ

For if we have introduced a custom never practiced before,

If we should start a course till now untried,

then we are more foolish than they say.

We would be called, for what they say, iconoclasts.

وَإِن كانَ أَمراً سَنَّهُ الناسُ قَبلَنا

وَإِن كانَ أَمراً سَنَّهُ الناسُ قَبلَنا

فَفيمَ مَقالُ الناسِ فينا تَفَرَّقوا

فَفيمَ مَقالُ الناسِ فينا تَفَرَّقوا

But if it is something people established before us,

But if the course was one men followed before,

then why all this talk about us? Go your separate ways!

Why do they talk of us, make divisions?

أَحَقّاً بِأَن لَم تَهوَ غانِيَةٌ فَتىً

أَحَقّاً بِأَن لَم تَهوَ غانِيَةٌ فَتىً

وَأَنَّ أُناساً لَم يُحِبّوا وَيَعشَقوا

وَأَنَّ أُناساً لَم يُحِبّوا وَيَعشَقوا

Is it really true that no fair woman has ever loved a young man,

Is it right that a songstress never loved a knight,

and that people have never loved or felt passion?

Or that no men have loved and felt passion?

فَمَن ذا الَّذي إِن جِئتُ ما أَمَروا بِهِ

فَمَن ذا الَّذي إِن جِئتُ ما أَمَروا بِهِ

يَبيتُ بِهَمٍّ آخِرَ اللَيلِ يَأرَقُ

يَبيتُ بِهَمٍّ آخِرَ اللَيلِ يَأرَقُ

Who, then, if I did what they commanded,

Who is the man, if I do as they command,

would lie awake with worry in the last hours of the night?

That frets on sleepless nights and tosses wakeful?

وَإِنَّ الَّتي نَهَّينَها عَن وِصالِنا

وَإِنَّ الَّتي نَهَّينَها عَن وِصالِنا

تَبيتُ إِذا اِشتاقَت إِلَينا تَشَوَّقُ

تَبيتُ إِذا اِشتاقَت إِلَينا تَشَوَّقُ

And indeed, she whom they have barred from union with us

But she we're barred from joining, if she longs for us,

spends the night yearning whenever she longs for us.

Will lie awake, when yearning comes, craving us.

فَإِنّا لَمَحقوقونَ أَن لا يَرُدَّنا

فَإِنّا لَمَحقوقونَ أَن لا يَرُدَّنا

أَقاويلُ ما سَدّوا عَلَينا وَأَلصَقوا

أَقاويلُ ما سَدّوا عَلَينا وَأَلصَقوا

So we are surely justified in not being deterred

We are wronged that their talk should bar our road,

by gossip, however much they bar our way and pin charges on us.

All the charges they have levelled and attached.