عُقَيلِيَّةٌ أَمّا مُلاثُ إِزارِها

عُقَيلِيَّةٌ أَمّا مُلاثُ إِزارِها

فَدَعصٌ وَأَمّا خَصرُها فَبَتيلُ

فَدَعصٌ وَأَمّا خَصرُها فَبَتيلُ

A woman of 'Uqayl—as for where her waistcloth wraps,

She wraps herself in a loose cloak, her waist so slender,

it is a mound of sand; as for her waist, it is slender.

Sheltering with the tribe where an-Nu'man's valley lies.

تَقَيَّظُ أَكنافِ الحِمى وَيُظِلُّها

تَقَيَّظُ أَكنافِ الحِمى وَيُظِلُّها

بِنُعمانَ مِن وادي الأَراكِ مُقيلُ

بِنُعمانَ مِن وادي الأَراكِ مُقيلُ

She summers on the fringes of the protected pasture, shaded

Is not a glance from you but little, if you glanced at me?

at Nu'man by a midday resting place in the valley of arak trees.

Nay, from you nothing's little, so high you rank in my eyes.

أَلَيسَ قَليلاً نَظرَةٌ إِن نَظَرتُها

أَلَيسَ قَليلاً نَظرَةٌ إِن نَظَرتُها

إِلَيكِ وَكَلّا لَيسَ مِنكِ قَليلُ

إِلَيكِ وَكَلّا لَيسَ مِنكِ قَليلُ

Is a glance not a little thing, if I cast it

O you whose soul's most dear, above all dear souls to me,

toward you? No indeed—nothing from you is little.

Of pure-hearted friends we have none like you, close and wise,

فَيا خِلَّةَ النَفسِ الَّتي لَيسَ فَوقَها

فَيا خِلَّةَ النَفسِ الَّتي لَيسَ فَوقَها

لَنا مِن أَخِلّاءِ الصَفاءِ خَليلُ

لَنا مِن أَخِلّاءِ الصَفاءِ خَليلُ

So, O beloved of my soul, whom no one surpasses

Who hid your love from us - no enemy discovered it,

among our friends of pure affection,

No stranger gained access or spied out our secret prize.

وَيا مَن كَتَمنا حُبَّهُ لَم يُطَع بِهِ

وَيا مَن كَتَمنا حُبَّهُ لَم يُطَع بِهِ

عَدوٌّ وَلَم يُؤمَن عَلَيهِ دَخيلُ

عَدوٌّ وَلَم يُؤمَن عَلَيهِ دَخيلُ

and O you whose love we concealed, concerning which we heeded

Shall I not visit where fear of foes gives me no rest,

no enemy, nor trusted a confidant with it:

When longing for you holds me, and the road to you lies clear?

أَما مِن مَقامٍ أَشتَكي غُربَةَ النَوى

أَما مِن مَقامٍ أَشتَكي غُربَةَ النَوى

وَخَوفَ العِدى فيهِ إِلَيكِ سَبيلُ

وَخَوفَ العِدى فيهِ إِلَيكِ سَبيلُ

Is there no way to a place where I may lament the loneliness of separation

My heart's unease continues while you are thus,

and fear of enemies there to you?

Moon of my soul, all smiles withheld and meetings denied.

وَإِنَّ عَناءَ النَفسِ ما دُمتِ هَكَذا

وَإِنَّ عَناءَ النَفسِ ما دُمتِ هَكَذا

عَنودَ النَوى مَحجوبَةً لَطَويلُ

عَنودَ النَوى مَحجوبَةً لَطَويلُ

And surely my soul's suffering, as long as you remain thus—

O paradise of life, O goal of all I wish and want,

distant beyond reach and veiled from sight—is long indeed.

O light of my eye, is there a way to you for me?

فَيا جَنَّةَ الدُنيا وَيا مُنتَهى المُنى

فَيا جَنَّةَ الدُنيا وَيا مُنتَهى المُنى

وَيا نورَ عَيني هَل إِلَيكِ سَبيلُ

وَيا نورَ عَيني هَل إِلَيكِ سَبيلُ

So, O paradise of this world, O utmost of wishes,

Many's the enemy, and my woes are long,

and O light of my eye, is there a way to you?

While my strength with you is little, and far is my place to be.

فَدَيتُكِ أَعدائي كَثيرُ وَشِقَّتي

فَدَيتُكِ أَعدائي كَثيرُ وَشِقَّتي

بَعيدُ وَأَشياعي لَدَيكَ قَليلُ

بَعيدُ وَأَشياعي لَدَيكَ قَليلُ

May I be your ransom! My enemies are many, and my journey

When I came, it was with a weak excuse,

is long, and my supporters with you are few.

So I voiced my excuses - how can I speak them now?

وَكُنتُ إِذا ما جِئتُ جِئتُ بِعِلَّةٍ

وَكُنتُ إِذا ما جِئتُ جِئتُ بِعِلَّةٍ

فَأَفنَيتُ عِلّاتي فَكَيفُ أَقولُ

فَأَفنَيتُ عِلّاتي فَكَيفُ أَقولُ

And whenever I came, I would come with an excuse;

Not every day for me is there need, my land, of you,

so I have exhausted my excuses—what can I say?

Not every day have I a messenger to you I can allow.

فَما كُلُّ يَومٍ لي بِأَرضِكِ حاجَةٌ

فَما كُلُّ يَومٍ لي بِأَرضِكِ حاجَةٌ

وَلا كُلُّ يَومٍ لي إِلَيكِ رَسولُ

وَلا كُلُّ يَومٍ لي إِلَيكِ رَسولُ

For I do not have business in your land every day,

When there is none I can send, the zephyr's breath

nor do I have a messenger to you every day.

From me to you will be messenger enough, I vow.

إِذا لَم يَكُن بَيني وَبَينَكِ مُرسَلٌ

إِذا لَم يَكُن بَيني وَبَينَكِ مُرسَلٌ

فَريحُ الصَبا مِنّي إِلَيكِ رَسولُ

فَريحُ الصَبا مِنّي إِلَيكِ رَسولُ

If there is no envoy between me and you,

O comfort of my eye, would that you could be ours,

then the east wind is a messenger from me to you.

The substitute for all goodness, proven and tried!

أَيا قُرَّةَ العَينِ الَّتي لَيتَ أَنَّها

أَيا قُرَّةَ العَينِ الَّتي لَيتَ أَنَّها

لَنا بِجَميعِ الصالِحاتِ بَديلُ

لَنا بِجَميعِ الصالِحاتِ بَديلُ

O coolness of the eye—would that you

Ask if God permits a Muslim to be killed, unavenged.

were ours in exchange for all that is good!

By other than blood-money - or is there a blood-debt owed by you?

سَلي هَل أَحَلَّ اللَهُ مِن قَتلِ مُسلِمٍ

سَلي هَل أَحَلَّ اللَهُ مِن قَتلِ مُسلِمٍ

بِغَيرِ دَمٍ أَم هَل عَلَيَّ قَتيلُ

بِغَيرِ دَمٍ أَم هَل عَلَيَّ قَتيلُ

Ask: has God permitted the killing of a Muslim

By God, if you were mine all time, till time itself grew cold,

without blood-guilt? Or am I answerable for a slain man?

I'd die, no cure could heal me - so strong my passions, so true.

فَأُقسِمُ لَو مَلَكتُكِ الدَهرَ كُلَّهُ

فَأُقسِمُ لَو مَلَكتُكِ الدَهرَ كُلَّهُ

لَمُتُّ وَلَمّا يُشفَ مِنكِ غَليلُ

لَمُتُّ وَلَمّا يُشفَ مِنكِ غَليلُ

So I swear: if I possessed you for all time,

Pages of reproach I've folded away to unleash some day -

I would die with my burning thirst for you still unquenched.

Unfolded, one day, the reproaches will be plenty and new.

صَحائِفُ عِندي لِلعِتابِ طَوَيتُها

صَحائِفُ عِندي لِلعِتابِ طَوَيتُها

سَتُنشَرُ يَوماً وَالعِتابُ طَويلُ

سَتُنشَرُ يَوماً وَالعِتابُ طَويلُ

I have pages of reproach that I have folded away;

Regrets stir my heart - I travel with my clan,

they will be unfolded one day, and the reproach is long.

And for you no raid ends with you numbered among the slain.

أَراجِعَةٌ قَلبي عَلَيَّ فَرائِحٌ

أَراجِعَةٌ قَلبي عَلَيَّ فَرائِحٌ

مَعَ الرَكبِ لَم يُكتَب عَلَيكِ قَتيلُ

مَعَ الرَكبِ لَم يُكتَب عَلَيكِ قَتيلُ

Will you return my heart to me, so I may depart

So do not take my sin on yourself; you are weak,

with the caravan, with no slain man recorded against you?

And the burden of my blood on the Last Day will be heavy to bear.

فَلا تَحمِلي ذَنبي وَأَنتِ ضَعيفَةٌ

فَلا تَحمِلي ذَنبي وَأَنتِ ضَعيفَةٌ

فَحَملُ دَمي يَومَ الحِسابِ ثَقيلُ

فَحَملُ دَمي يَومَ الحِسابِ ثَقيلُ

So do not bear the guilt for my death, weak as you are,

for bearing my blood on the Day of Reckoning is heavy.