أَرسَلتُ لَمّا عيلَ صَبري إِلى

أَرسَلتُ لَمّا عيلَ صَبري إِلى

أَسماءَ وَالصَبُّ بِأَن يُرسِلا

أَسماءَ وَالصَبُّ بِأَن يُرسِلا

When my patience failed, I sent word to

When I sent my weary patience off

Asmāʾ—for a lovesick lover is apt to send word—

To Asma and to waiting stand,

أَذكُرُ أَن لا بُدَّ مِن مَجلِسٍ

أَذكُرُ أَن لا بُدَّ مِن مَجلِسٍ

يَكونُ عَن سامِرِكُم مَعزِلا

يَكونُ عَن سامِرِكُم مَعزِلا

saying, ‘There must be a meeting

I thought of sitting with you, dear -

apart from your evening company,

Far from your camel-horde's expanse.

أَبُثُّكُم فيهِ جَوىً شَفَّني

أَبُثُّكُم فيهِ جَوىً شَفَّني

حُمِّلتُهُ مِن حُبِّكُم مُثقِلا

حُمِّلتُهُ مِن حُبِّكُم مُثقِلا

where I can confide to you the heartache that has wasted me,

To you my pent-up love outpour

laid upon me by my love for you, a crushing burden.’

With thoughts of you my spirit fills.

فَاِبتَسَمَت عَن نَيِّرٍ واضِحٍ

فَاِبتَسَمَت عَن نَيِّرٍ واضِحٍ

مُفَلَّجِ عَذبٍ إِذا قُبِّلا

مُفَلَّجِ عَذبٍ إِذا قُبِّلا

She smiled, revealing a radiant, gleaming mouth,

She smiled, her lovely teeth displayed

with spaced teeth, sweet when kissed,

Like hailstones dropped in flowing rills,

كَأُقحُوانِ الرَملِ في جائِرٍ

كَأُقحُوانِ الرَملِ في جائِرٍ

أَو كَسَنا البَرقِ إِذا هَلَّلا

أَو كَسَنا البَرقِ إِذا هَلَّلا

like sand-grown chamomile in a hollow,

Or sparkling rain when lightning flashed -

or like lightning’s radiance when it flashes.

Then called her sister, “Omar, look!

ثُمَّ دَعَت مِن عَجَبٍ أُختَها

ثُمَّ دَعَت مِن عَجَبٍ أُختَها

هِنداً فَقالَت عُمَرٌ أَرسَلا

هِنداً فَقالَت عُمَرٌ أَرسَلا

Then, in astonishment, she called her sister,

He woos me for a tryst, as though

Hind, and said, ‘ʿUmar has sent word;

He thinks I will not him forsook.”

يَسومُني مُعتَذِراً مَجلِساً

يَسومُني مُعتَذِراً مَجلِساً

كَأَنَّهُ يَأمَنُ أَن نَبخَلا

كَأَنَّهُ يَأمَنُ أَن نَبخَلا

he asks me, apologetically, for a meeting,

So to her sister Hind she said,

as though certain we would not refuse.’

“Go tell him this before consent -

فَأَرسَلَت أَروى وَقالَت لَها

فَأَرسَلَت أَروى وَقالَت لَها

مِن قَبلِ أَن تَرضى وَأَن تَقبَلا

مِن قَبلِ أَن تَرضى وَأَن تَقبَلا

So she sent Arwā, saying to her,

By God he will not act this way,

before agreeing and consenting:

By God this thing he will repent!

إِئتيهِ بِاللَهِ وَقولي لَهُ

إِئتيهِ بِاللَهِ وَقولي لَهُ

وَاللَهِ لا يَفعَلُهُ ثُمَّ لا

وَاللَهِ لا يَفعَلُهُ ثُمَّ لا

‘Go to him, by God, and tell him:

And fix the meeting at Malik’s

“By God, he shall not do it—again, no!”

Or Ruba’s tents - no place between.

وَواعِديهِ سَرحَتَي مالِكٍ

وَواعِديهِ سَرحَتَي مالِكٍ

أَوِ الرُبى دونَهُما مَنزِلا

أَوِ الرُبى دونَهُما مَنزِلا

And arrange to meet him at Mālik’s two spreading trees,

If he should come, then let him ride

or at the hillocks this side of them, as a rendezvous.

A mare, lest stallions intervene.

وَليَأتِ إِن جاءَ عَلى بَغلَةٍ

وَليَأتِ إِن جاءَ عَلى بَغلَةٍ

إِنّي أَخافُ المُهرَ أَن يَصهِلا

إِنّي أَخافُ المُهرَ أَن يَصهِلا

And let him come, if he comes, on a she-mule;

When we met, Hind with courtesy

I fear that the colt might neigh.’

Greeted and said with humor’s tongue,

لَمّا اِلتَقَينا رَحَّبَت تِربُها

لَمّا اِلتَقَينا رَحَّبَت تِربُها

هِندٌ وَقالَت قُلَّباً حُوَّلا

هِندٌ وَقالَت قُلَّباً حُوَّلا

When we met, her age-mate welcomed me—

“She turned from an insistent wooer

Hind—and said, ‘You wily, resourceful man!’

Who would not cease his praises sung.

وَأَعرَضَت مِن غَيرِ ما بِغضَةٍ

وَأَعرَضَت مِن غَيرِ ما بِغضَةٍ

لِكاشِحٍ لَم يَألُ أَن يَمحُلا

لِكاشِحٍ لَم يَألُ أَن يَمحُلا

And she turned away, though not out of hatred,

With lies to her he sent a message,

because of a spiteful foe who spared no effort to slander.

And people who bear lies are cursed.”

بَلَّغَها كِذباً وَلَم يَألُها

بَلَّغَها كِذباً وَلَم يَألُها

غِشّاً وَشَرُّ الناسِ مَن حَمَّلا

غِشّاً وَشَرُّ الناسِ مَن حَمَّلا

He brought her lies, and spared her no

deceit; the worst of men is one who spreads malicious tales.