ضاقَ الغَداةَ بِحاجَتي صَدري

ضاقَ الغَداةَ بِحاجَتي صَدري

وَيَئِستُ بَعدَ تَقارُبٍ الأَمرِ

وَيَئِستُ بَعدَ تَقارُبٍ الأَمرِ

This morning my breast grew tight with my longing,

My chest was straitened at dawn by my need

And I despaired after success had seemed so near.

And I despaired after coming close to the matter

وَذَكَرتُ فاطِمَةَ الَّتي عُلِّقتُ

وَذَكَرتُ فاطِمَةَ الَّتي عُلِّقتُ

عَرَضاً فَيا لَحَوادِثِ الدَهرِ

عَرَضاً فَيا لَحَوادِثِ الدَهرِ

And I remembered Fatimah, with whom I fell in love

And I remembered Fatima to whom I was attached

By chance—ah, the vicissitudes of time!

So oh the calamities of fate

مَمكورَةٌ رَدعُ العَبيرِ بِها

مَمكورَةٌ رَدعُ العَبيرِ بِها

جَمُّ العِظامِ لَطيفَةُ الخَصرِ

جَمُّ العِظامِ لَطيفَةُ الخَصرِ

Full-limbed, with perfume's stain upon her,

She has a supple body that restrains fragrance

Ample of frame, slender of waist.

With delicate bones and a slender waist

وَكَأَنَّ فاهاً عِندَ رَقَدَتِها

وَكَأَنَّ فاهاً عِندَ رَقَدَتِها

تَجري عَلَيهِ سُلافَةُ الخَمرِ

تَجري عَلَيهِ سُلافَةُ الخَمرِ

And it is as though her mouth, while she sleeps,

It's as if her mouth when she sleeps

Has the choicest wine flowing over it,

Has wine flowing over it

شَرِقاً بِذَوبِ الشَهدِ يَخلِطُهُ

شَرِقاً بِذَوبِ الشَهدِ يَخلِطُهُ

بِالزَنجَبيلِ وَفَأرَةِ التَجرِ

بِالزَنجَبيلِ وَفَأرَةِ التَجرِ

Brimming with melted honey, blended

In the morning mixing melted honey

With ginger and the merchants' musk pod.

With ginger and quince syrup

عَرَضَت لَنا بِالخَيفِ في بَقَرٍ

عَرَضَت لَنا بِالخَيفِ في بَقَرٍ

تَقرو الكَباثَ وَناضِرَ السَدرِ

تَقرو الكَباثَ وَناضِرَ السَدرِ

She appeared to us at al-Khayf among wild cattle,

She appeared to us in the afternoon at Bagrah

Seeking ripe arak berries and fresh lote-tree growth.

Where the wild cows graze and the lotus trees bloom

وَجَلَت أَسيلاً يَومَ ذي خُشُبٍ

وَجَلَت أَسيلاً يَومَ ذي خُشُبٍ

رَيّانَ مِثلَ فُجاءَةِ البَدرِ

رَيّانَ مِثلَ فُجاءَةِ البَدرِ

And on the day at Dhu Khushub she unveiled a smooth cheek,

She came flowing like the full moon

Fresh and full, like the full moon's sudden appearance.

On a day of wooden camels

فَسَبَت فُؤادي إِذ عَرَضتُ لَها

فَسَبَت فُؤادي إِذ عَرَضتُ لَها

يَومَ الرَحيلِ بِساحَةِ القَصرِ

يَومَ الرَحيلِ بِساحَةِ القَصرِ

So she captured my heart when I appeared before her,

So she captivated my heart when I bid her farewell

On the day of departure, in the palace courtyard,

At the courtyard of the palace

بِمُزَيَّنٍ رَدعُ العَبيرِ بِهِ

بِمُزَيَّنٍ رَدعُ العَبيرِ بِهِ

حَسَنِ التَرائِبِ واضِحِ النَحرِ

حَسَنِ التَرائِبِ واضِحِ النَحرِ

With an adorned form bearing perfume's stain,

Adorned, restraining fragrance

Lovely in the upper breast, radiant at the throat,

Of beautiful garments and prominent neck

وَبَعَينِ آدَمَ شادِنٍ خَرِقٍ

وَبَعَينِ آدَمَ شادِنٍ خَرِقٍ

يَرعى الرِياضَ بِبَلدَةٍ قَفرِ

يَرعى الرِياضَ بِبَلدَةٍ قَفرِ

And with the eye of a tawny, timid young gazelle,

And with restless dark eyes

Grazing the meadows in an uninhabited land.

Grazing the meadows in a barren land

لَمّا رَأَيتُ مَطِيَّها حِزَقاً

لَمّا رَأَيتُ مَطِيَّها حِزَقاً

خَفَقَ الفُؤادُ وَكُنتُ ذا صَبرِ

خَفَقَ الفُؤادُ وَكُنتُ ذا صَبرِ

When I saw her riding camels in clusters,

When I saw her swift steed

My heart fluttered, though I had been patient.

My heart fluttered though I was patient

وَتَبادَرَت عَينايَ بَعدَهُمُ

وَتَبادَرَت عَينايَ بَعدَهُمُ

فَاِنهَلَّتا جَزَعاً عَلى الصَدرِ

فَاِنهَلَّتا جَزَعاً عَلى الصَدرِ

And after they left, my eyes vied in weeping;

And after they left, my eyes

Then both poured tears onto my breast in anguish.

Poured down in anguish on my chest

أَرِقَ الحَبيبُ إِلى الحَبيبِ لَوَ أَنَّ

أَرِقَ الحَبيبُ إِلى الحَبيبِ لَوَ أَنَّ

عَذَرَت بِذَلِكَ أَوَّلَ العُذرِ

عَذَرَت بِذَلِكَ أَوَّلَ العُذرِ

The lover lay sleepless for the beloved—if only

A lover travels to his lover if only

She would accept that as his first excuse.

That excuses the first separation

وَلَقَد عَصَيتُ ذَوي قَرابَتِنا

وَلَقَد عَصَيتُ ذَوي قَرابَتِنا

طُرّاً وَأَهلَ الوُدِّ وَالصَهرِ

طُرّاً وَأَهلَ الوُدِّ وَالصَهرِ

And indeed I disobeyed our kinsfolk,

I have indeed disobeyed our relatives

All of them, along with friends and kin by marriage,

And the people of love and in-laws

حَتّى مَقالِهِمُ إِذا اِجتَمَعوا

حَتّى مَقالِهِمُ إِذا اِجتَمَعوا

أَجُنِنتَ أَم ذا داخِلُ السِحرِ

أَجُنِنتَ أَم ذا داخِلُ السِحرِ

Even their words when they gathered:

Until their talk when they gather

'Have you gone mad, or is this sorcery at work?'

Are you crazy or spellbound?

فَأَجَبتُ مَهلاً بَعضَ عَذلِكُمُ

فَأَجَبتُ مَهلاً بَعضَ عَذلِكُمُ

لا بَل مُنيتُ وَلَم أَنَل وِتري

لا بَل مُنيتُ وَلَم أَنَل وِتري

So I replied, 'Gently—less of your reproach!

So I answered gently, some of your blame

No, rather I was stricken, and have not attained my desire,

No, but I have been fated, and did not attain my desire

بِيَدَي ضَعيفِ البَطشِ مُعتَجِرِ

بِيَدَي ضَعيفِ البَطشِ مُعتَجِرِ

فَرَمى وَلَم آخُذ لَهُ حِذري

فَرَمى وَلَم آخُذ لَهُ حِذري

At the hands of one weak of grasp, wrapped in a headcloth;

At the hands of one weak in might, watchful

He shot, and I had taken no precautions against him.'

So he threw, and I did not take heed