تَقولُ وَليدَتي لَمّا رَأَتني

تَقولُ وَليدَتي لَمّا رَأَتني

طَرِبتُ وَكُنتُ قَد أَقصَرتُ حينا

طَرِبتُ وَكُنتُ قَد أَقصَرتُ حينا

My maidservant says, on seeing me

My beloved says when she saw me

stirred with longing, though I had desisted for a while:

I was disturbed, though for a while I resisted

أَراكَ اليَومَ قَد أَحدَثتَ شَوقاً

أَراكَ اليَومَ قَد أَحدَثتَ شَوقاً

وَهاجَ لَكَ الهَوى داءً دَفينا

وَهاجَ لَكَ الهَوى داءً دَفينا

“I see you have awakened a new longing today,

Today I see you’ve stirred up longing

And passion has stirred a buried ailment in you.

And passion for you rages, a hidden malady

وَكُنتَ زَعَمتَ أَنَّكَ ذو عَزاءٍ

وَكُنتَ زَعَمتَ أَنَّكَ ذو عَزاءٍ

إِذا ما شِئتَ فارَقتَ القَرينا

إِذا ما شِئتَ فارَقتَ القَرينا

Yet you had claimed that you were steadfast:

You claimed to easily part from a companion

Whenever you wished, you could part with your companion.

If you wished, leaving your fellow

بِرَبِّكَ هَل أَتاكَ لَها رَسولٌ

بِرَبِّكَ هَل أَتاكَ لَها رَسولٌ

فَشاقَكَ أَم لَقيتَ لَها خَدينا

فَشاقَكَ أَم لَقيتَ لَها خَدينا

By your Lord, has a messenger of hers come to you

By your Lord, did a messenger come to you from her

And made you yearn, or have you met a confidant of hers?”

Distressing you, or did you meet her alluring cheeks?

فَقُلتُ شَكا إِلَيَّ أَخٌ مُحِبٌّ

فَقُلتُ شَكا إِلَيَّ أَخٌ مُحِبٌّ

كَبَعضِ زَمانِنا إِذ تَعلَمينا

كَبَعضِ زَمانِنا إِذ تَعلَمينا

So I said: “A brother in love complained to me,

So I said a loving brother complained to me

Like us in some bygone days, as you know.

Of a time of ours when you were learning

فَقَصَّ عَلَيَّ ما يَلقى بِهِندٍ

فَقَصَّ عَلَيَّ ما يَلقى بِهِندٍ

فَذَكَّرَ بَعدَ ما كُنّا نَسينا

فَذَكَّرَ بَعدَ ما كُنّا نَسينا

He recounted to me what he suffers because of Hind,

And he recounted to me Hind’s suffering

And brought it back to mind after we had forgotten.

Reminding me of what we had forgotten

وَذو الشَوقِ القَديمِ وَإِن تَعَزّى

وَذو الشَوقِ القَديمِ وَإِن تَعَزّى

مَشوقٌ حينَ يَلقى العاشِقينا

مَشوقٌ حينَ يَلقى العاشِقينا

And one with an old longing, even if he consoles himself,

He who longs, though he controls himself

Is stirred to longing when he meets lovers.

Yearns when he meets the ardent lover

وَكَم مِن خُلَّةٍ أَعرَضتُ عَنها

وَكَم مِن خُلَّةٍ أَعرَضتُ عَنها

لِغَيرِ قِلىً وَكُنتُ بِها ضَنينا

لِغَيرِ قِلىً وَكُنتُ بِها ضَنينا

And many a beloved have I turned away from,

And many a gorgeous woman have I ignored

Not from aversion, though I was loath to lose her.

Preferring others, though she delighted me

أَرَدتُ فِراقَها وَصَبَرتُ عَنها

أَرَدتُ فِراقَها وَصَبَرتُ عَنها

وَلَو جُنَّ الفُؤادُ بِها جُنونا

وَلَو جُنَّ الفُؤادُ بِها جُنونا

I wanted to part from her and endured being without her,

I wanted to leave her and had patience to do so

Even if my heart went utterly mad for her.”

Even if my heart was maddened with passion for her