بَرَّح الشَّوقُ أُصيْحابيَ بي

بَرَّح الشَّوقُ أُصيْحابيَ بي

وبما برَّح بي قد فتكا

وبما برَّح بي قد فتكا

Longing has sorely tormented me, my dear companions.

Longing has sorely tormented me, my dear companions,

And through its tormenting me, it has struck with deadly force.

And through that torment it has indeed slain me.

هي نفسٌ لا بذنب قُتِلَتْ

هي نفسٌ لا بذنب قُتِلَتْ

ودَمٌ في غير جرم سُفِكا

ودَمٌ في غير جرم سُفِكا

It is a soul killed for no sin,

It is a soul slain for no sin,

and blood shed without any crime.

And blood shed without a crime.

آنساتٌ من ظباء المنحنى

آنساتٌ من ظباء المنحنى

نَصَبَتْ لي من هواها شركا

نَصَبَتْ لي من هواها شركا

Gentle maidens—gazelles of the river bend—

Winsome maidens among the gazelles of the bend

have set for me, out of their love, a snare.

Have set for me a snare of love for them.

يا ظباءَ المنحنى أنْقِذْنَه

يا ظباءَ المنحنى أنْقِذْنَه

من هواكنَّ وإلاّ هلكا

من هواكنَّ وإلاّ هلكا

O gazelles of the river bend, save him

O gazelles of the bend, save him

from your love, or else he will perish.

From love for you, or else he will perish.

وصبابات جوىً ما وَجَدتْ

وصبابات جوىً ما وَجَدتْ

بسوى قلبي لها معتركا

بسوى قلبي لها معتركا

And pangs of consuming passion found

And the ardent longings of heartache did not find

no battleground for themselves but my heart.

A battleground for themselves anywhere but in my heart.

ولأنتم ساكني وادي الغضا

ولأنتم ساكني وادي الغضا

فيكم الشكوى ومنكم ما شكا

فيكم الشكوى ومنكم ما شكا

Indeed, you who dwell in the Valley of the Ghada Trees:

And you indeed, dwellers of Wadi al-Ghada,

the complaint is of you, and from you comes what it laments.

The complaint is of you, and from you comes what he laments.

كنتُم أقمارَها طالعةً

كنتُم أقمارَها طالعةً

في مغانيها وكانت فَلَكا

في مغانيها وكانت فَلَكا

You were its rising moons

You were its rising moons

within its dwellings, while it was a celestial sphere.

In its dwellings, while it was a celestial sphere.

فأثرتُمْ بعدها وخَّادَةً

فأثرتُمْ بعدها وخَّادَةً

لَطَمتْ وجه الفيافي رتكا

لَطَمتْ وجه الفيافي رتكا

Then, after leaving it, you drove a swift-trotting she-camel

Then, after that, you set a swift-striding she-camel in motion,

that struck the face of the deserts with quick, close-set strides.

That slapped the face of the wastelands at a swift trot.

ليت شعري يومَ ولّى ركبكم

ليت شعري يومَ ولّى ركبكم

للنوى أيَّ طريق سلكا

للنوى أيَّ طريق سلكا

Would that I knew, when your caravan turned away,

If only I knew, the day your caravan departed,

bound for separation, which road it took.

Which road it took into the distance.

وأحاديثُ المنى ما صَدَقتْ

وأحاديثُ المنى ما صَدَقتْ

بتدانيكم وأضحت أفكا

بتدانيكم وأضحت أفكا

The tales of hope did not come true

And the tales of hope did not prove true

about your drawing near, but proved a lie.

About your drawing near, and became falsehood.

فسقاكم وسقى عهدكم

فسقاكم وسقى عهدكم

عارض إن ضحك البرق بكى

عارض إن ضحك البرق بكى

So may you, and the time of fellowship with you, be watered by

So may it water you, and water your days—

a rain cloud that weeps whenever the lightning laughs.

A raincloud that weeps when the lightning laughs.