أَلماًvisit, you two بِذاتِto the woman with الخالِthe beauty spot فَاِستَطلِعاthen find out, you two لَناfor us
أَلماً بِذاتِ الخالِ فَاِستَطلِعا لَنا
عَلىon العَهدِthe pledge باقٍremaining وُدُّهاher affection أَمor تَصَرَّماhas broken off
عَلى العَهدِ باقٍ وُدُّها أَم تَصَرَّما
Visit the woman with the beauty spot, and find out for us
Ask, with my regards, how her love remains steadfast,
whether her affection remains true to the pledge or has broken off.
If our pact still stands or has completely unraveled.
وَقولاand say, you two لَهَto her إِنَّindeed النَوىseparation أَجنَبيَّةٌestranging
وَقولا لَهَ إِنَّ النَوى أَجنَبيَّةٌ
بِناwith us وَبِكُمand with you قَدindeed خِفتُI feared أَنthat تَتَتَمَّماbecome complete
بِنا وَبِكُم قَد خِفتُ أَن تَتَتَمَّما
And tell her: separation makes strangers
And say, "My heart worries our love has grown estranged,
of us and you; I have feared it might become complete,
Both yours and mine, should the people convene."
شَطونٌfar-distant بِأَهواءٍwith affections نَرىwe see أَنَّthat قُربَناour nearness
شَطونٌ بِأَهواءٍ نَرى أَنَّ قُربَنا
وَقُربَكُمُand your nearness إِنif يَشهَدِattend الناسُthe people مَوسِماa seasonal gathering
وَقُربَكُمُ إِن يَشهَدِ الناسُ مَوسِما
driving our affections far apart; we see that our nearness
Misguided by whims while we feel our closeness,
and yours is possible if people attend a seasonal gathering.
Yours and ours, would thrive if witnessed by all.
وَقولاand say, you two لَهاto her لاdo not تَقبَليaccept قَولَthe words of كاشِحٍan ill-wisher
وَقولا لَها لا تَقبَلي قَولَ كاشِحٍ
وَقوليand say لَهُto him إِنif زَلَّhe errs أَنفُكَyour nose أَرغِماbe rubbed in dust
وَقولي لَهُ إِن زَلَّ أَنفُكَ أَرغِما
And tell her: do not accept an ill-wisher's words,
And say to her, "Reject not the words of a slanderer,
and tell him, if he errs: may your nose be rubbed in dust.
And say to him, your nose shall be bent if you persist."
وَقولاand say, you two لَهاto her لَمdid not يُسلِناmake us forget النَأيُdistance عَنكُمُfrom you
وَقولا لَها لَم يُسلِنا النَأيُ عَنكُمُ
وَلاnor قَولُthe words of واشٍa talebearer كاذِبٍlying إِنif تَنَمَّماhe spreads slander
وَلا قَولُ واشٍ كاذِبٍ إِن تَنَمَّما
And tell her: distance from you has not made us forget,
And say to her, "Our estrangement was not wished by us,
nor a lying talebearer's words, even if he spreads slander.
Nor by the lies of a mendacious talebearer, if he persists."
وَقولاand say, you two لَهاto her ماno فيamong العِبادِpeople كَريمَةٌa noble woman
وَقولا لَها ما في العِبادِ كَريمَةٌ
أَعَزَّdearer عَلَيناto us مِنكِthan you طُرّاًall without exception وَأَكرَمَand more honored
أَعَزَّ عَلَينا مِنكِ طُرّاً وَأَكرَمَ
And tell her: among all people, no noble woman is
And say to her, "None among the servants, o noble one,
dearer to us than you, or more honored—none at all.
Is more beloved to us than you, however it hurts or appeases."
وَقولاand say, you two لَهاto her لاdo not تَسمَعِنَّever listen لِكاشِحٍto an ill-wisher
وَقولا لَها لا تَسمَعِنَّ لِكاشِحٍ
مَقالاًspeech وَإِنand even if أَسدىlaid the warp لَدَيكِbefore you وَأَلحَماand wove the weft
مَقالاً وَإِن أَسدى لَدَيكِ وَأَلحَما
And tell her: never listen to an ill-wisher's
And say to her, "Hear not the words of a slanderer,
speech, though he sets up the warp before you and weaves the weft.
Though he may flatter and fawn in your presence."
وَقولاand say, you two لَهاto her لَمdid not أَجنِI commit ذَنباًan offense فَتَعتُبيso you could reproach
وَقولا لَها لَم أَجنِ ذَنباً فَتَعتُبي
عَلَيَّagainst me بِحَقٍّwith justification بَلrather عَتَبتِyou reproached تَجَرُّماby inventing guilt
عَلَيَّ بِحَقٍّ بَل عَتَبتِ تَجَرُّما
And tell her: I have committed no offense for you to reproach
And say to her, "No wrong have I done that you'd reproach me.
me justly; rather, you reproached me by inventing guilt.
Rather you've unjustly cast blame, heaping insult atop."
فَقالاso the two said لَهاto her فَاِرفَضَّthen burst forth فَيضُthe flood of دُموعِهاher tears
فَقالا لَها فَاِرفَضَّ فَيضُ دُموعِها
كَماas أَسلَمَreleased السِلكُthe thread الجُمانَthe pearls المُنَظَّماstrung in order
كَما أَسلَمَ السِلكُ الجُمانَ المُنَظَّما
So the two told her, and the flood of her tears burst forth,
So they said to her, and her tears flowed freely,
as a thread lets fall the pearls strung upon it.
As beads of pearl slip smoothly down the threading.
تَحَدُّرَstreaming down غُصنِa bough of البانِthe bān tree لانَتgrew supple فُروعُهُits shoots
تَحَدُّرَ غُصنِ البانِ لانَت فُروعُهُ
وَجادَتand poured generously عَلَيهِupon it ديمَةٌsteady rain ثُمَّthen أُرهِماwas sprinkled with drizzle
وَجادَت عَلَيهِ ديمَةٌ ثُمَّ أُرهِما
Like water streaming from a bān bough whose shoots had softened,
The boughs of willow bent down, its branches languished,
on which steady rain had poured, followed by drizzle.
As a light rain poured down continuously.
فَلَمّاthen when رَأَتshe saw عَينيmy eye عَلَيهاupon her تَهَلَّلَتshe brightened
فَلَمّا رَأَت عَيني عَلَيها تَهَلَّلَت
مَخافَةَfor fear أَنthat تَنهَلَّwould stream كُرهاًunwillingly تَبَسُّماsmiling
مَخافَةَ أَن تَنهَلَّ كُرهاً تَبَسُّما
Then, when she saw my gaze upon her, she brightened,
When her eyes fell upon me, she smiled,
for fear her tears would flow, smiling against her will.
Fearing a frown might reveal her hidden contempt.
وَقالَتand she said لِأُختَيهاto her two sisters اِذهَباgo, you two فيin حَفيظَةٍprotective zeal
وَقالَت لِأُختَيها اِذهَبا في حَفيظَةٍ
فَزوراthen visit, you two أَباAbu (father of) الخَطّابِal-Khattab سِرّاًsecretly وَسَلِّماand greet, you two
فَزورا أَبا الخَطّابِ سِرّاً وَسَلِّما
And she told her two sisters: go with protective care,
And she said to her sisters, “Leave protected,
then visit Abu al-Khattab in secret, and greet him.
And secretly visit Abu al-Khattab, giving greetings."
وَقولاand say, you two لَهُto him وَاللَهِby God ماnot الماءُwater لِلصَدىfor the thirsty
وَقولا لَهُ وَاللَهِ ما الماءُ لِلصَدى
بِأَشهىmore desirable إِلَيناto us مِنthan لِقائِكَmeeting you فَاِعلَماso know
بِأَشهى إِلَينا مِن لِقائِكَ فَاِعلَما
And tell him: by God, water for the thirsty is not
"And say to him, by God, my longing for you
more desirable to us than meeting you—so know this.
Surpasses the thirsty earth’s craving for rain."
وَقولاand say, you two لَهُto him ماnot شاعَhas spread قَولُthe words of مُحَرِّشٍan instigator
وَقولا لَهُ ما شاعَ قَولُ مُحَرِّشٍ
لَدَيَّin my presence وَلاnor رامَsought الرِضاapproval أَوor تَرَغَّماgrew resentful
لَدَيَّ وَلا رامَ الرِضا أَو تَرَغَّما
And tell him: no instigator's words have gained currency
"No slander has swayed me, nor discontentment;
with me, nor has he sought approval or shown resentment.
And if you've done wrong, custom allows moving on."
وَقولاand say, you two لَهُto him إِنif تَجنِyou commit ذَنباًan offense أَعُدُّهُI count it
وَقولا لَهُ إِن تَجنِ ذَنباً أَعُدُّهُ
مِنَamong العُرفِkind deeds إِنif رامَsought الوُشاةُthe talebearers التَكَلُّماspeaking
مِنَ العُرفِ إِن رامَ الوُشاةُ التَكَلُّما
And tell him: if you commit an offense, I shall count it
So I said, "Go, say to her, 'You're the sole object
as kindness, if the talebearers seek to speak.
Of my greatest desire, beyond all others combined.'"
فَقُلتُso I said اِذهَباgo, you two قولاsay, you two لَهاto her أَنتِyou هَمُّهُhis concern
فَقُلتُ اِذهَبا قولا لَها أَنتِ هَمُّهُ
وَكِبرُand the greatest of مُناهُhis wishes مِنamong فَصيحٍone of clear speech وَأَعجَمَand one without clear speech
وَكِبرُ مُناهُ مِن فَصيحٍ وَأَعجَمَ
So I said: go, both of you, and tell her: you are his concern
"'When the fair one is close, life's bounty and passion overflow;
and his greatest wish, among those of clear speech and those without it.
Your home coming to us is the world's greatest prize.'"
إِذاwhen بِنتِyou departed بانَتdeparted نِعمَةُthe bliss of العَيشِlife وَالهَوىand love
إِذا بِنتِ بانَت نِعمَةُ العَيشِ وَالهَوى
وَإِنand if قَرُبَتdrew near دارٌa dwelling بِكُمwith you فَكَأَنَّماthen it is as though
وَإِن قَرُبَت دارٌ بِكُم فَكَأَنَّما
When you depart, the bliss of life and love departs;
"'He who finds you near sees life's joy for himself,
and if your dwelling draws near, it is as though
And your loss, sheer despair; your presence, a gain.'"
يَرىhe sees نِعمَةَthe bliss of الدُنياthe world اِحتَواهاhe has gathered it لِنَفسِهِfor himself
يَرى نِعمَةَ الدُنيا اِحتَواها لِنَفسِهِ
يَرىhe sees اليَأسَdespair غَبناًa loss وَاِقتِرابَكِand your nearness مَغنَماa prize
يَرى اليَأسَ غَبناً وَاِقتِرابَكِ مَغنَما
he sees that he has gathered the world's bliss for himself.
"Why favor us with a love we don't share,
He sees despair as a loss, and your nearness as a prize.
When ours for you will last, stable and true?"
فَلِمwhy, then تَفضُليناyou surpass us فيin هَوىًlove غَيرَexcept أَنَّناthat we
فَلِم تَفضُلينا في هَوىً غَيرَ أَنَّنا
نَرىwe see وُدَّناour affection أَبقىmore lasting بَقاءًin duration وَأَدوَماand more enduring
نَرى وُدَّنا أَبقى بَقاءً وَأَدوَما
Why, then, should you surpass us in love? Yet we
see our affection as longer-lasting and more enduring.
Partial English translation: 36 of 38 Arabic lines translated.