متى تكشفا عنّي القميصَ تَبَيَّنا

متى تكشفا عنّي القميصَ تَبَيَّنا

بِيَ الضُّرَّ من عَفْراء يا فَتَيانِ

بِيَ الضُّرَّ من عَفْراء يا فَتَيانِ

Whenever you two remove my shirt, you will see

When will you two undress me and see

my suffering because of Afra, O young men.

That I suffer love-sickness, O youths!

وَتَعْتَرِفا لَحْماً قليلاً وأَعْظُماً

وَتَعْتَرِفا لَحْماً قليلاً وأَعْظُماً

دِقاقاً وَقَلْباً دائمَ الخَفَقانِ

دِقاقاً وَقَلْباً دائمَ الخَفَقانِ

And you will find scant flesh and bones

And find little flesh with prominent ribs,

thin, and a heart forever pounding.

And a heart ever fluttering.

على كَبدي من حُبِّ عفراءَ قَرْحةٌ

على كَبدي من حُبِّ عفراءَ قَرْحةٌ

وعينايَ من وَجْدٍ بها تَكِفانِ

وعينايَ من وَجْدٍ بها تَكِفانِ

Upon my liver is a sore from love of Afra,

On my liver is a wound of love for 'Ufraya,

and my eyes stream with tears from longing for her.

And my eyes from passion for her are sleepless.

فَعَفْراءُ أَرْجي النّاسِ عندي مَوَدَّةً

فَعَفْراءُ أَرْجي النّاسِ عندي مَوَدَّةً

وعفراءُ عَنّي المُعْرِضُ المُتَوَاني

وعفراءُ عَنّي المُعْرِضُ المُتَوَاني

For of all people, I most hope for Afra's affection,

'Ufraya is the most beloved of people to me,

yet Afra turns away from me and holds back.

While 'Ufraya turns away from me, slowly.

أُحِبُّ ابْنَةَ العُذْرِيِّ حُبّاً وإِنْ نَأَتْ

أُحِبُّ ابْنَةَ العُذْرِيِّ حُبّاً وإِنْ نَأَتْ

ودانَيْتُ فيها غيرَ ما مُتَدانِ

ودانَيْتُ فيها غيرَ ما مُتَدانِ

I love al-Udhri's daughter dearly, though she is far away,

I love the daughter of Udhra, though she acts

and for her sake I drew close to one who would not draw close.

Wrongly, and I am blamed for loving her.

إِذا رامَ قلبي هَجْرَها حالَ دونَهُ

إِذا رامَ قلبي هَجْرَها حالَ دونَهُ

شَفيعانِ من قَلْبي لها جَدِلانِ

شَفيعانِ من قَلْبي لها جَدِلانِ

When my heart seeks to forsake her, its way is barred

When my heart wanted to shun her, two

by two advocates from my heart, skilled in arguing for her.

Pleading intercessors in my heart disputed him.

إِذا قلتُ لا قالا بلى ثمّ أَصْبَحا

إِذا قلتُ لا قالا بلى ثمّ أَصْبَحا

جميعاً على الرَّأْيِ الذي يَرَيانِ

جميعاً على الرَّأْيِ الذي يَرَيانِ

When I say 'No,' they both say 'Yes,' and then stand

When I said "No," they said "Yes," and when morning came,

united in the view they both hold.

They both agreed on the view they espied.

فيا رَبِّ أنتَ المُسْتَعانُ على الذي

فيا رَبِّ أنتَ المُسْتَعانُ على الذي

تَحَمَّلْتُ من عفراءَ منذ زَمانِ

تَحَمَّلْتُ من عفراءَ منذ زَمانِ

So, my Lord, it is Your help I seek with what

So, O Lord, You are the one I ask for aid

I have endured from Afra for so long.

Against what I have borne from 'Ufraya for so long.

فيا لَيْتَ كلَّ اثنينِ بينهما هوى

فيا لَيْتَ كلَّ اثنينِ بينهما هوى

مِنَ النّاس والأَنْعامِ يَلْتَقِيانِ

مِنَ النّاس والأَنْعامِ يَلْتَقِيانِ

Oh, would that every pair bound by love—

Would that every two souls among mankind

whether people or livestock—might meet,

And beasts who share a passion meet!

فَيَقْضي مُحِبٌّ من حبيبٍ لُبانةً

فَيَقْضي مُحِبٌّ من حبيبٍ لُبانةً

ويَرْعاهما رَبّي فلا يُرَيانِ

ويَرْعاهما رَبّي فلا يُرَيانِ

so a lover might satisfy his longing with his beloved,

So a lover attains union with the beloved

and my Lord guard them both, so they remain unseen.

And my Lord shepherd them so they see no wrong.

أَمامي هوىً لا نومَ دونَ لِقائِهِ

أَمامي هوىً لا نومَ دونَ لِقائِهِ

وخَلْفي هوىً قد شفّني وبرَاني

وخَلْفي هوىً قد شفّني وبرَاني

Ahead of me lies a love: no sleep until I meet it,

Before me is a passion whose meeting grants no sleep,

and behind me a love that has wasted me and worn me away.

And behind me a passion that has consoled and delighted me.

فَمَنْ يَكُ لم يغرضْ فإِنّي وناقتي

فَمَنْ يَكُ لم يغرضْ فإِنّي وناقتي

بِحَجْرٍ إلى أهلِ الحِمى غَرَضانِ

بِحَجْرٍ إلى أهلِ الحِمى غَرَضانِ

Whoever else may feel no longing, my she-camel and I

Who will be for one who has not turned away? For I and my she-camel

at Hajr both yearn for the people of the protected pasture.

Are heading to the tribe of Banu Himyar.

تَحِنُّ فتُبْدي ما بها مِنْ صَبابَةٍ

تَحِنُّ فتُبْدي ما بها مِنْ صَبابَةٍ

وأُخْفي الذي لولا الأَسى لَقَضاني

وأُخْفي الذي لولا الأَسى لَقَضاني

She yearns, revealing the ardent longing within her,

She yearns and shows her youthful vigour

while I conceal what, but for solace, would have killed me.

While I conceal what, were it not for sadness, would finish me.

هوى ناقتي خَلْفي وقُدّامي الهوى

هوى ناقتي خَلْفي وقُدّامي الهوى

وإِنِّي وإِيّاها لَمُخْتَلِفانِ

وإِنِّي وإِيّاها لَمُخْتَلِفانِ

My she-camel's love lies behind me, and mine before me,

My she-camel's passion is behind me, and my passion before me,

and she and I are certainly not of one mind.

And she and I are going in different directions.

هوايَ عراقيٌّ وتَثْني زِمامَها

هوايَ عراقيٌّ وتَثْني زِمامَها

لِبَرْقٍ إذا لاحَ النجومُ يَمانِ

لِبَرْقٍ إذا لاحَ النجومُ يَمانِ

My love is in Iraq, while she turns her rein

My passion is Iraqi, while if she inclines

toward lightning from Yemen when the stars appear.

Her bridle it is towards lightning flashing from Yemen.

هوايَ أمامي ليس خلفي مُعَرِّجٌ

هوايَ أمامي ليس خلفي مُعَرِّجٌ

وشَوْقُ قَلوصي في الغُدُوِّ يَمانِ

وشَوْقُ قَلوصي في الغُدُوِّ يَمانِ

My love is ahead of me; I do not turn back,

My passion is ahead of me, not veering behind,

while my young she-camel's longing at dawn is for Yemen.

While my heart's desire at dawn is towards Yemen.