عَجَباً ما عَجِبتُ مِمّا لَو أَبصَر

عَجَباً ما عَجِبتُ مِمّا لَو أَبصَر

تَ خَليلي ما دونَهُ لَعَجِبتا

تَ خَليلي ما دونَهُ لَعَجِبتا

What wonder I felt at something—had you seen

How strange! I did not find strange what, had you seen

even less of it, my friend, you would have marveled!

Below it, you would have found strange.

لِمَقالِ الصَفِيَّ فيمَ التَجَنّي

لِمَقالِ الصَفِيَّ فيمَ التَجَنّي

وَلِما قَد جَفَوتَني وَهَجَرتا

وَلِما قَد جَفَوتَني وَهَجَرتا

At my beloved's words: “Why this unjust blame,

For the words of Safiyya - why be shy

and why have you shunned and deserted me?”

When you have turned from me and departed?

في بُكاءٍ فَقُلتُ ما ذا الَّذي أَب

في بُكاءٍ فَقُلتُ ما ذا الَّذي أَب

كاكِ قالَت فَتاتُها ما فَعَلتا

كاكِ قالَت فَتاتُها ما فَعَلتا

As she wept, I asked, “What is it that has made

Weeping, I asked: "What makes you

you weep?” Her maid said, “What you have done.”

Weep?" Her slave-girl said: "She did nothing."

وَلَوَت رَأسَها ضِراراً وَقالَت

وَلَوَت رَأسَها ضِراراً وَقالَت

إِذ رَأَتني إِختَرتَ ذَلِكَ أَنتا

إِذ رَأَتني إِختَرتَ ذَلِكَ أَنتا

And she turned her head away out of spite, and said,

And she turned her face in disdain, and said,

when she saw me, “You chose that yourself,

When she saw me: "You did that yourself."

حينَ أَثَرتَ بِالمَوَدَّةِ غَيري

حينَ أَثَرتَ بِالمَوَدَّةِ غَيري

وَتَناسَيتَ وَصلَنا وَمَلِلتا

وَتَناسَيتَ وَصلَنا وَمَلِلتا

when you favored another over me with your love,

When you preferred the love of another to me

and chose to forget our union, and grew weary.

And forgot our friendship and grew weary.

قُلتَ لي قَولَ مازِحٍ تَستَبيني

قُلتَ لي قَولَ مازِحٍ تَستَبيني

بِلِسانٍ مُقَوِّلٍ إِذ حَلَفتا

بِلِسانٍ مُقَوِّلٍ إِذ حَلَفتا

You spoke playfully to me, seeking to captivate me,

You said to me words of jest to test me

with an eloquent tongue, when you swore:

With a fickle tongue when you swore oaths.

عاشِري فَاِخبُري فَمِن سوءِ جَدّي

عاشِري فَاِخبُري فَمِن سوءِ جَدّي

وَشَقائي عُوشِرتَ ثُمَّ خُبِرتا

وَشَقائي عُوشِرتَ ثُمَّ خُبِرتا

‘Keep my company, then learn my nature.’ Through my ill fortune

"Consort with me, and I will inform you." But from my ill fortune

and misery, we kept your company, then learned your nature.

And misery you consorted, then informed.

فَوَجَدناكَ إِذ خَبَرنا مَلولاً

فَوَجَدناكَ إِذ خَبَرنا مَلولاً

طَرِفاً لَم تَكُن كَما كُنتَ قُلتا

طَرِفاً لَم تَكُن كَما كُنتَ قُلتا

So we found you, when we came to know you, easily bored,

So we found you, when we were informed, listless,

fickle—not as you had said you were.

No longer as you used to say.

وَتَجَلَّدتَ لي لِتَصرِمَ حَبلي

وَتَجَلَّدتَ لي لِتَصرِمَ حَبلي

بَعدَما كُنتَ رِثَّةً قَد وَصَلتا

بَعدَما كُنتَ رِثَّةً قَد وَصَلتا

And you hardened yourself against me to sever my cord,

And you pretended with me to cut my ties

after you had already joined what was worn and frayed.

After you were a shelter to which I was joined.

فَاِذكُرِ العَهدَ بِالمُحَصَّبِ وَالوُد

فَاِذكُرِ العَهدَ بِالمُحَصَّبِ وَالوُد

دَ الَّذي كانَ بَينَنا ثُمَّ خُنتا

دَ الَّذي كانَ بَينَنا ثُمَّ خُنتا

So remember the pledge at al-Muhassab, and the love

Remember then the pact in al-Muhassab, and the love

that was between us; then you betrayed it.

That was between us, which you then betrayed.

وَلَعَمري ماذا بِأَوَّلِ ما عا

وَلَعَمري ماذا بِأَوَّلِ ما عا

هَدتَني يا اِبنَ عَمِّ ثُمَّ غَدَرتا

هَدتَني يا اِبنَ عَمِّ ثُمَّ غَدَرتا

And by my life, this is not the first time you have pledged

By my life! What will be the first of what you

your word to me, cousin, and then broken faith.

Swore to me, O cousin, then betrayed?

فَحَرامٌ عَلَيكَ أَن لا تَنالَ ال

فَحَرامٌ عَلَيكَ أَن لا تَنالَ ال

دَهرَ مِنّي غَيرَ الَّذي كُنتَ نِلتا

دَهرَ مِنّي غَيرَ الَّذي كُنتَ نِلتا

So you are barred: you shall never gain

It is forbidden you that you should have from me

from me, ever, anything beyond what you once gained.”

Naught but that which you already attained.

قُلتُ مَهلاً عَفواً جَميلاً فَقالَت

قُلتُ مَهلاً عَفواً جَميلاً فَقالَت

لا وَعَيشي وَلَو رَأَيتُكَ مِتّا

لا وَعَيشي وَلَو رَأَيتُكَ مِتّا

I said, “Gently! Grant a gracious pardon.” She said,

I said: "Gently, pardon, beauty!" But she said:

“No, by my life, even if I saw you dead!”

"No, by my life, even if I saw you dead!"

وَأَجازَت بِها البِغالُ تَهادى

وَأَجازَت بِها البِغالُ تَهادى

نَحوَ خَبتٍ حَتّى إِذا جُزنَ خَبتا

نَحوَ خَبتٍ حَتّى إِذا جُزنَ خَبتا

And the mules bore her onward, swaying gently,

And the she-camels went on, slowly plodding

toward Khabt, until, when they had crossed Khabt,

Toward Khabat, until they reached Khabat.

سَكَنَت مُشرِفَ الذُرى ثُمَّ قالَت

سَكَنَت مُشرِفَ الذُرى ثُمَّ قالَت

لا تَزُرنا وَلا نَزورُكَ سَبتا

لا تَزُرنا وَلا نَزورُكَ سَبتا

she settled on a height with lofty crests, then said,

They halted, overlooking the lowlands, then she said:

“Do not visit us, nor shall we visit you, for an age.”

"Visit us not, nor will we visit you ever."