[They killed my love]

translated from the Arabic by Abdullah al-Udhari 

1 
They killed my love then threatened me for wearing my mourning clothes. 

2 
Let Allah bless those who grieve or untap their tears for the man killed by his haters. 

3 
Let the morning clouds, like his generous hand, shower the earth that blankets him.

هدّّدوني من أجلِِ لب سِِ الحداد          لحبيبٍٍ أردوه لي بالحدادِِ
ر مَحَ اللهُُ مََن يجودُُ بدمعٍٍ.               أو ينوحُُ على قتيلِِ الأعادِِ
وسقتْْه بمثلِِ جودِِ يديْْه              هيثُُ أضحى من البلادِِ الغوادِِ

Credit

“[They killed my love]” by Hafsa bint al-Ḥājj al-Rakūniyya is published in Classical Poems by Arab Women: A Bilingual Anthology by Abdullah al-Udhari (Saqi Books, 1991). Used with the permission of Saqi Books.