قُل لِلمَليحَةِ قَد أَبلَتنِيَ الذِكَرُ

قُل لِلمَليحَةِ قَد أَبلَتنِيَ الذِكَرُ

فَالدَمعُ كُلَّ صَباحٍ فيكِ يَبتَدِرُ

فَالدَمعُ كُلَّ صَباحٍ فيكِ يَبتَدِرُ

Tell the lovely woman: memories have worn me out;

Tell the beauty I'm consumed with longing

for tears rush forth for you every morning.

And each morn tears for her flow first

فَلَيتَ قَلبي وَفيهِ مِن تَعَلُّقِكُم

فَلَيتَ قَلبي وَفيهِ مِن تَعَلُّقِكُم

ما لَيسَ عِندي لَهُ عِدلٌ وَلا خَطَرُ

ما لَيسَ عِندي لَهُ عِدلٌ وَلا خَطَرُ

If only my heart—with its attachment to you,

If only my heart and its attachment to you

for which I know no equal and no peer—

Were something I had no justice or pretext for

أَفاقَ إِذ بَخُلَت هِندٌ وَما بَذَلَت

أَفاقَ إِذ بَخُلَت هِندٌ وَما بَذَلَت

ما كُنتُ آمُلُهُ مِنها وَأَنتَظِرُ

ما كُنتُ آمُلُهُ مِنها وَأَنتَظِرُ

had recovered when Hind withheld and did not give

She disappointed when Hind was stingy

what I hoped for from her and awaited.

And gave not what I had hoped and waited for

وَقَد حَذِرتُ النَوى في قُربِ دارِهِمُ

وَقَد حَذِرتُ النَوى في قُربِ دارِهِمُ

فَعيلَ صَبري وَلَم يَنفَعنِيَ الحَذَرُ

فَعيلَ صَبري وَلَم يَنفَعنِيَ الحَذَرُ

I had feared separation even near their dwelling;

I was wary of visiting near their homes

so my patience was exhausted, and caution did not help me.

But still my patience failed and caution was no use

قَد قُلتُ إِذ لَم تَكُن لِلقَلبِ ناهِيَةٌ

قَد قُلتُ إِذ لَم تَكُن لِلقَلبِ ناهِيَةٌ

عَنها تُسَلّي وَلا لِقَلبِ مُزدَجِرُ

عَنها تُسَلّي وَلا لِقَلبِ مُزدَجِرُ

I said, since my heart had no restraint

I said if the heart cannot be diverted

to turn it from her and console it, nor any deterrent:

From her, nor dissuaded, then so it shall endure

يا لَيتَني مِتُّ إِذ لَم أَلقَ مِن كَلَفي

يا لَيتَني مِتُّ إِذ لَم أَلقَ مِن كَلَفي

مُفَرِّحاً وَشَآني نَحوَها النَظَرُ

مُفَرِّحاً وَشَآني نَحوَها النَظَرُ

Oh, if only I had died, since in my passion I found

Would that I had died before this burden fell on me

nothing to gladden me, and gazing toward her stirred me.

And lifted my sight expecting joy towards her

وَشاقَني مَوقِفٌ بِالمَروَتَينِ لَها

وَشاقَني مَوقِفٌ بِالمَروَتَينِ لَها

وَالشَوقُ يُحدِثُهُ لِلعاشِقِ الفِكَرُ

وَالشَوقُ يُحدِثُهُ لِلعاشِقِ الفِكَرُ

And her standing at al-Marwatayn stirred my longing;

And a stand at the hill of al-Marwah tortured me

and thoughts awaken longing in the lover.

With yearning kindled in the lover by thought

وَقَولُها لِفَتاةٍ غَيرِ فاحِشَةٍ

وَقَولُها لِفَتاةٍ غَيرِ فاحِشَةٍ

أَرائِحٌ مُمسِياً أَم باكِرٌ عُمَرُ

أَرائِحٌ مُمسِياً أَم باكِرٌ عُمَرُ

And her words to a maiden who was not immodest:

And her saying to a girl not wicked

Is Umar leaving in the evening or early in the morning?

"Does he come at dusk or early in the day?"

اللَهُ جارٌ لَهُ إِمّا أَقامَ بِنا

اللَهُ جارٌ لَهُ إِمّا أَقامَ بِنا

وَفي الرَحيلِ إِذا ما ضَمَّهُ السَفَرُ

وَفي الرَحيلِ إِذا ما ضَمَّهُ السَفَرُ

May God be his protector, whether he stays with us,

God be my neighbor whether he stays with us

and on departure, when travel enfolds him.

Or if travel takes him when the journey starts

فَجِئتُ أَمشي وَلَم يُغفِ الأُلى سَمَروا

فَجِئتُ أَمشي وَلَم يُغفِ الأُلى سَمَروا

وَصاحِبي هِندُوانِيٌّ بِهِ أُثُرُ

وَصاحِبي هِندُوانِيٌّ بِهِ أُثُرُ

So I came walking, before the nighttime talkers had dozed;

So I came walking but sleep did not make the friends drowsy

and my companion was an Indian blade bearing patterned marks.

And my companion was an Indian—traces showed

فَلَم يَرُعها وَقَد نَضَت مَحاسِدَها

فَلَم يَرُعها وَقَد نَضَت مَحاسِدَها

إِلّا سَوادٌ وَراءَ البَيتِ يَستَتِرُ

إِلّا سَوادٌ وَراءَ البَيتِ يَستَتِرُ

Then, once she had shed her finery, nothing startled her

But her enviers were roused and did not restrain her

but a dark figure hiding behind the dwelling.

Except for a shadow behind the house hiding

فَلَطَّمَت وَجهَها وَاِستَنبَهَت مَعَها

فَلَطَّمَت وَجهَها وَاِستَنبَهَت مَعَها

بَيضاءُ آنِسَةٌ مِن شَأنِها الخَفَرُ

بَيضاءُ آنِسَةٌ مِن شَأنِها الخَفَرُ

So she struck her face, and beside her awoke

She slapped her face and was roused with her

a fair, amiable maiden, modest by nature.

A fair beloved whose task was to keep guard

ما بالُهُ حينَ يَأتي أُختِ غَفلَتُنا

ما بالُهُ حينَ يَأتي أُختِ غَفلَتُنا

وَشُؤمُ جَدّي وَحينٌ ساقَهُ القَدَرُ

وَشُؤمُ جَدّي وَحينٌ ساقَهُ القَدَرُ

What brings him, sister, when we are off our guard,

Why is it when forgetfulness' sister came upon us

with my ill luck and a doom brought on by fate,

And my grandfather's misfortune the fateful hour brought

لِشَقوَةٌ مِن شَقائي أُختِ مَنزِلَنا

لِشَقوَةٌ مِن شَقائي أُختِ مَنزِلَنا

وَقَد رَأى كَثرَةَ الأَعداءِ إِذ حَضَروا

وَقَد رَأى كَثرَةَ الأَعداءِ إِذ حَضَروا

to our dwelling, sister, to add a misery to my woes,

It was misery from my miseries, sister of our dwellings

though he saw the many enemies when they gathered?

For he saw the thronging of foes when they gathered

قالَت أَرَدتَ بِذا عَمداً فَضيحَتَنا

قالَت أَرَدتَ بِذا عَمداً فَضيحَتَنا

وَصَرمَ حَبلي وَتَحقيقَ الَّذي ذَكَروا

وَصَرمَ حَبلي وَتَحقيقَ الَّذي ذَكَروا

She said: You meant by this, deliberately, to disgrace us,

She said "Did you intend disgracing us deliberately?

and to sever my cord and confirm what they have said.

And cut the rope and confirm what they mentioned?"

هَلّا دَسَستَ رَسولاً مِنكَ يُعلِمُني

هَلّا دَسَستَ رَسولاً مِنكَ يُعلِمُني

وَلَم تَعَجَّل إِلى أَن يَسقُطَ القَمَرُ

وَلَم تَعَجَّل إِلى أَن يَسقُطَ القَمَرُ

Why did you not secretly send a messenger from you to inform me,

Why did you not discreetly send me a messenger

and hold back until the moon had set?

And not rush until the moon falls?

فَقُلتُ داعٍ دَعا قَلبي فَأَرَّقَهُ

فَقُلتُ داعٍ دَعا قَلبي فَأَرَّقَهُ

وَلا يُتابِعُني فيكُم فَيَنزَجِرُ

وَلا يُتابِعُني فيكُم فَيَنزَجِرُ

I said: A caller summoned my heart and kept it sleepless,

I said a summoner summoned my heart and kept it awake

and it will not heed me concerning you and thus be restrained.

And none will check me among you or restrain me

فَبِتُّ أُسقى عَتيقَ الخَمرِ خالَطَهُ

فَبِتُّ أُسقى عَتيقَ الخَمرِ خالَطَهُ

شَهدٌ مَشارٌ وَمِسكٌ خالِصٌ ذَفِرُ

شَهدٌ مَشارٌ وَمِسكٌ خالِصٌ ذَفِرُ

So I spent the night being given aged wine, mingled with

I stay intoxicated with aged wine mixed with

honey drawn from the comb and pure, strong-scented musk,

Pure honey and musk that flows lavishly

وَعَنبَرَ الهِندِ وَالكافورَ خالَطَهُ

وَعَنبَرَ الهِندِ وَالكافورَ خالَطَهُ

قَرَنفُلٌ فَوقَ رَقراقٍ لَهُ أُشُرُ

قَرَنفُلٌ فَوقَ رَقراقٍ لَهُ أُشُرُ

and Indian ambergris and camphor, mingled with

With Indian ambergris and camphor mixed with it

cloves, above a glistening mouth with finely serrated teeth.

Clove atop a burgundy wine of lovely color

فَبِتُّ أَلثَمُها طَوراً وَيُمتِعُني

فَبِتُّ أَلثَمُها طَوراً وَيُمتِعُني

إِذا تَمايَلَ عَنهُ البُردُ وَالخَصَرُ

إِذا تَمايَلَ عَنهُ البُردُ وَالخَصَرُ

So I spent the night kissing her at times, and finding delight

I stay kissing her awhile then she delights me

in her slender waist when the mantle swayed away from it.

When coolness and slenderness sway away from it

حَتطى إِذا اللَيلُ وَلّى قالَتا زَمَراً

حَتطى إِذا اللَيلُ وَلّى قالَتا زَمَراً

قوما بِعَيشِكُما قَد نَوَّرَ السَحَرُ

قوما بِعَيشِكُما قَد نَوَّرَ السَحَرُ

Until, when the night withdrew, the two said in unison:

When the night turned away she said to the singing girls

Rise, you two, by your lives! The predawn hour has brightened.

"Rise, your lives have been illuminated by the dawn"

فَقُمتُ أَمشي وَقامَت وَهيَ فاتِرَةٌ

فَقُمتُ أَمشي وَقامَت وَهيَ فاتِرَةٌ

كَشارِبِ الخَمرِ بَطّى مَشيَهُ السَكَرُ

كَشارِبِ الخَمرِ بَطّى مَشيَهُ السَكَرُ

So I rose and walked, and she rose, languid,

So I rose walking while she rose languid

like a drinker of wine whose gait drunkenness had slowed.

Like a drunk, his walking made difficult by drunkenness

يَسحَبنَ خَلفي ذُيولَ الخَزِّ آوِنَةً

يَسحَبنَ خَلفي ذُيولَ الخَزِّ آوِنَةً

وَناعِمَ العَصبِ كَيلا يُعرَفَ الأَثَرُ

وَناعِمَ العَصبِ كَيلا يُعرَفَ الأَثَرُ

At times they dragged behind me the hems of silk-and-wool cloth,

She dragged behind me train and skirts to hide

and soft striped cloth, so that the tracks would not be recognized.

The smooth anklets lest the trace be known