يا نُعمَ قَد طالَت مُماطَلَتي

يا نُعمَ قَد طالَت مُماطَلَتي

إِن كانَ يَنفَعُ عاشِقاً مَطَلُه

إِن كانَ يَنفَعُ عاشِقاً مَطَلُه

O Nuʿm, your putting me off has dragged on,

O Nu'm, your procrastination has been prolonged

If putting him off can benefit a lover.

If waiting benefits a lover, then our healing

كانَ الشِفاءُ لَنا وَمُنيَتُنا

كانَ الشِفاءُ لَنا وَمُنيَتُنا

مِنكِ الحَديثَ فَغالَنا غِيَلُه

مِنكِ الحَديثَ فَغالَنا غِيَلُه

Our cure and our wish were

And our death would be

Talk with you—but its treachery destroyed us.

In hearing you, so we miss that

فَفَديتُ مَن أُشفى بِرُؤيَتِهِ

فَفَديتُ مَن أُشفى بِرُؤيَتِهِ

وَأَبى وَكانَ كَثيرَةً عِلَلُه

وَأَبى وَكانَ كَثيرَةً عِلَلُه

So I would ransom the one whose sight heals me,

I ransomed the one who was cured by seeing him

Yet who refused, whose excuses were many.

But he refused though he had many ailments

ظَبيٌ تُزَيِّنُهُ عَوارِضُهُ

ظَبيٌ تُزَيِّنُهُ عَوارِضُهُ

وَالعَينُ زَيَّنَ لَحظَها كُحُلُه

وَالعَينُ زَيَّنَ لَحظَها كُحُلُه

A gazelle adorned by its teeth,

A gazelle adorned by its attributes

And its kohl has graced the eye's glance.

And the eye adorned by its kohl

وَلَوَ اِنَّها بَرَزَت لِمُنتَصِبٍ

وَلَوَ اِنَّها بَرَزَت لِمُنتَصِبٍ

قَسٍّ طَويلِ اللَيلِ يَبتَهِلُه

قَسٍّ طَويلِ اللَيلِ يَبتَهِلُه

And if she appeared before one standing in prayer—

Had she appeared to an erect, steadfast

A priest who spends the long night in supplication,

Tall knight spending the nights beseeching

سَيّارِ أَرضٍ لا أَنيسَ بِها

سَيّارِ أَرضٍ لا أَنيسَ بِها

فيها شَريعَتُهُ وَمُبتَقَلُه

فيها شَريعَتُهُ وَمُبتَقَلُه

Roaming a land with no companion in it,

Roaming a land without companions

Where lie his watering place and herb-gathering ground—

In it are his law and destination

لَصَبا وَأَلقى عَنهُ بُرنُسَهُ

لَصَبا وَأَلقى عَنهُ بُرنُسَهُ

وَسَعى وَأَهوَنُ سَعيِهِ رَمَلُه

وَسَعى وَأَهوَنُ سَعيِهِ رَمَلُه

He would surely fall in love and cast off his hooded cloak,

He stood firmly and took off his cloak

And hurry, his slowest pace a trot,

And strove, making his striving easier than sand

حَتّى يُعايِنَها مُعايَنَةً

حَتّى يُعايِنَها مُعايَنَةً

غَزِلاً وَحَقَّ لِقَسِّهِم غَزَلُه

غَزِلاً وَحَقَّ لِقَسِّهِم غَزَلُه

Until he saw her with his own eyes,

Until he beholds her closely

Love-struck—and their priest's passion would be fitting.

As a woven thread, and their steadfastness deserves to be woven

كُنّا نُؤَمِّلُ أَن نَفوزَ بِهِ

كُنّا نُؤَمِّلُ أَن نَفوزَ بِهِ

فيمَن نُؤَمِّلُهُ وَنَختَتِلُه

فيمَن نُؤَمِّلُهُ وَنَختَتِلُه

We had hoped to win that gazelle,

We hoped to attain him

Among those we hoped for and sought by stealth,

Among those we hope for and converse with

حَتّى أُتيحَ لِظَبيِنا رَجُلٌ

حَتّى أُتيحَ لِظَبيِنا رَجُلٌ

مِن أَهلِ مَكَّةَ زانَهُ حُلَلُه

مِن أَهلِ مَكَّةَ زانَهُ حُلَلُه

Until a man came our gazelle's way,

Until there came to our gazelle a man

From the people of Mecca, adorned by his fine robes.

From Mecca, adorned by his garments

يَغدو عَلَيهِ الخَزُّ يَسحَبُهُ

يَغدو عَلَيهِ الخَزُّ يَسحَبُهُ

وَيَروحُ في عَصبٍ وَيَبتَذِلُه

وَيَروحُ في عَصبٍ وَيَبتَذِلُه

He goes out mornings in silk-and-wool, trailing it,

Who goes to it in the morning pulling his train

And goes out evenings in striped cloth, treating it as everyday wear.

And returns in a band, humbling it

فَرَمى فَأَقصَدَها بِرَميَتِهِ

فَرَمى فَأَقصَدَها بِرَميَتِهِ

وَرَنا فَمُهِّدَ لِلفَتى أَجَلُه

وَرَنا فَمُهِّدَ لِلفَتى أَجَلُه

Then he shot, striking her dead with his shot,

So he shot, and hit his mark

And gazed; the young man's appointed end was made ready.

And it moaned, facilitating the youth's fate

قالَت لِقَيناتٍ يَطُفنَ بِها

قالَت لِقَيناتٍ يَطُفنَ بِها

حَولي وَدَمعي دائِمٌ سَبَلُه

حَولي وَدَمعي دائِمٌ سَبَلُه

She said to singing slave-girls circling her,

She said to the companions going around her

Around me, while my tears flowed unceasingly:

My eyes and tears, continuous are their streams

أَنتُنَّ زينَتُنَّ فُرقَتَنا

أَنتُنَّ زينَتُنَّ فُرقَتَنا

وَلِكُلِّ صاحِبِ زينَةٍ عَمَلُه

وَلِكُلِّ صاحِبِ زينَةٍ عَمَلُه

You made our parting seem fair,

You are our adornment, our separation

And every maker of adornment has his own work.

And for every friend, his deed is his adornment

لا تُعجِلاهُ أَن يُسائِلَنا

لا تُعجِلاهُ أَن يُسائِلَنا

إِن كانَ شَفَّ فُؤادَهُ ثِقَلُه

إِن كانَ شَفَّ فُؤادَهُ ثِقَلُه

Do not hurry him to question us,

Do not hasten him to ask us

If his burden has wasted his heart.

If the heaviness of his heart has been lifted

فَفَدَيتُ حامِلَهُ وَحاضِرَهُ

فَفَدَيتُ حامِلَهُ وَحاضِرَهُ

وَفَدَيتُ ما يَسمو بِهِ جَمَلُه

وَفَدَيتُ ما يَسمو بِهِ جَمَلُه

So I would ransom whoever carries him and whoever is with him,

I ransom the carrier and the present one

And I would ransom what his camel bears aloft,

And I ransom what his perfection ascends with

وَفَدَيتُ مَن كانَت مَساكِنُهُ

وَفَدَيتُ مَن كانَت مَساكِنُهُ

بِالسَهلِ أَو مُستَوعَرٌ جَبَلُه

بِالسَهلِ أَو مُستَوعَرٌ جَبَلُه

And I would ransom the one whose dwellings lay

And I ransom the one whose dwellings

On the plain, or upon his rugged mountain.

Were in the plain or a rugged mountain