أَلا يا بَكرُ قَد طَرَقا

أَلا يا بَكرُ قَد طَرَقا

خَيالٌ هاجَ لي الأَرَقا

خَيالٌ هاجَ لي الأَرَقا

Listen, Bakr: there has come by night

O Bakr, a restless dream has come to me,

a phantom that stirred my sleeplessness.

Stirring sorrow and depriving me of sleep.

أَجازَ البيدَ مُعتَرِضاً

أَجازَ البيدَ مُعتَرِضاً

فَعَرضَ الوادِ فَالشَفَقا

فَعَرضَ الوادِ فَالشَفَقا

It crossed the deserts, cutting across,

It crossed the desert, appearing at dusk

then the valley’s breadth, then al-Shafaq—

Across the valley that separated us.

لِهِندٍ إِنَّ ذِكرَتَها

لِهِندٍ إِنَّ ذِكرَتَها

تُرى مِن شيمَتي خُلُقا

تُرى مِن شيمَتي خُلُقا

a vision of Hind; indeed, remembering her

If I mention my beloved Hind,

is seen as a trait of my nature.

You’ll see good character in my manners.

وَلَو عَلِمَت وَخَيرُ العِل

وَلَو عَلِمَت وَخَيرُ العِل

مِ لِلإِنسانِ ما صَدَقا

مِ لِلإِنسانِ ما صَدَقا

If only she knew—and the best knowledge

If she knew—and the best knowledge

for a person is what proves true—

Is what proves truest for a person—

بِأَنَّ بِها حَديثَ النَف

بِأَنَّ بِها حَديثَ النَف

سِ وَالأَشعارَ إِن نَطَقا

سِ وَالأَشعارَ إِن نَطَقا

that my inward thoughts are of her,

That she occupies my soul in verse

and my verses, if given voice,

And speech, whenever it speaks,

وَحُبّاً راضِياً لِلقَل

وَحُبّاً راضِياً لِلقَل

بِ لَم أَخلِط بِهِ مَلَقا

بِ لَم أَخلِط بِهِ مَلَقا

and a love that satisfies the heart,

And a heartfelt love I haven’t mixed

into which I have mixed no flattery.

With any falseness, she wouldn’t blame.

فَما مِن مُغزِلٌ أَدما

فَما مِن مُغزِلٌ أَدما

ءُ تُزجي شادِناً خَرِقا

ءُ تُزجي شادِناً خَرِقا

For no white doe with young,

No fair maiden cards wool more finely

urging along a timid fawn,

Than she, when she appears with graceful neck.

بِأَحسَنَ مُقلَةً مِنها

بِأَحسَنَ مُقلَةً مِنها

إِذا بَرَزَت وَلا عُنُقا

إِذا بَرَزَت وَلا عُنُقا

has an eye more beautiful than hers,

One morning when she left, I too prepared

when she appears, nor a lovelier neck,

To depart, intending to follow her.

غَداةَ غَدَت تُوَدِّعُنا

غَداةَ غَدَت تُوَدِّعُنا

وَقَد أَزمَعتُ مُنطَلِقا

وَقَد أَزمَعتُ مُنطَلِقا

on the morning she came to bid us farewell,

You’d see her glances leave the eyes

when I had resolved to depart.

Of her admirers streaming with tears.

تَرى إِنسانَ مُقلَتِها

تَرى إِنسانَ مُقلَتِها

بِدَمعِ العَينِ قَد شَرِقا

بِدَمعِ العَينِ قَد شَرِقا

You see the pupil of her eye

She swore a sincere oath that she was made

already choked with the eye’s tears.

By the hand of the One who created all.

وَقَد حَلَفَت يَميناً بِر

وَقَد حَلَفَت يَميناً بِر

رَةً بِمَحَلِّ مَن خَلَقا

رَةً بِمَحَلِّ مَن خَلَقا

And she had sworn a true oath

For ages I’ve been bound by ropes of love—

by the majesty of Him who created:

Ropes like those that bind her shoulders.

لَقَد عُلِّقتُ مِن عُمَرٍ

لَقَد عُلِّقتُ مِن عُمَرٍ

حِبالاً مِثلَها عَلِقَ

حِبالاً مِثلَها عَلِقَ

“I have indeed been bound to Umar

by cords like those to which he clung.”