يا قلبُ هل لك في السُّلُوِّ

يا قلبُ هل لك في السُّلُوِّ

فَقَد أراعَك مَنْ تحبُّ

فَقَد أراعَك مَنْ تحبُّ

O heart, can you find consolation,

O heart, would you seek forgetfulness?

when the one you love has frightened you so?

For he whom you love has alarmed you.

وجفاك من نهوى فلا

وجفاك من نهوى فلا

منه إليك اليوم قربُ

منه إليك اليوم قربُ

The one we love has shunned you, and now

And he whom we love has shunned you, so no

no closeness to him remains for you.

closeness comes from him to you today.

ظَعَنَ الذين هَوَيْتَهم

ظَعَنَ الذين هَوَيْتَهم

وَحَدَتْ بهم نجبٌ ونجبُ

وَحَدَتْ بهم نجبٌ ونجبُ

Those whom you loved struck camp,

Those you loved have departed,

and noble camels sped them on, bearing noble riders.

and noble camels upon noble camels bore them away.

وتنافَرَتْ تلك الظِّباء

وتنافَرَتْ تلك الظِّباء

وريع منها ويك سرب

وريع منها ويك سرب

Those gazelles scattered apart,

Those gazelles scattered,

and—alas!—a herd among them took fright.

and a herd of them was startled—alas for you!

ساروا بصبرك حيث شاؤوا

ساروا بصبرك حيث شاؤوا

فَقَد أراعَك من تحبُّ

فَقَد أراعَك من تحبُّ

They carried your patience off wherever they pleased,

They bore your patience away wherever they wished;

for the one you love has frightened you so.

for he whom you love has alarmed you.

فالقلبُ صَبٌّ في هواهم

فالقلبُ صَبٌّ في هواهم

مغرمٌ والدَّمع صَبُّ

مغرمٌ والدَّمع صَبُّ

The heart is impassioned in its love for them,

For the heart is lovesick with love for them,

enamored, while tears pour forth.

enamored, while tears pour forth.

طرفي بدمعي لا يجفُّ

طرفي بدمعي لا يجفُّ

ولا زفيرُ الوجد يخبو

ولا زفيرُ الوجد يخبو

My eye, awash with tears, never dries,

My eyes, wet with my tears, never dry,

nor does longing’s sigh die down.

nor does the sigh of longing die down.

يا طرفُ نَهْنِهْ من دُموعك

يا طرفُ نَهْنِهْ من دُموعك

بعدهم فالوَجْدُ حَسب

بعدهم فالوَجْدُ حَسب

O eye, restrain your tears;

O eye, hold back some of your tears

after their departure, longing alone is enough.

after their departure, for longing is enough.

فارَقْتُهم وتفرّق الأَحبا

فارَقْتُهم وتفرّق الأَحبا

ب بعد الجمع صعب

ب بعد الجمع صعب

I parted from them, and the beloved ones were scattered—

I parted from them; the separation of loved ones

after union, separation is hard.

after being together is hard.

وذكرتُهم فكأنَّما

وذكرتُهم فكأنَّما

نارٌ بأحشائي تشبُّ

نارٌ بأحشائي تشبُّ

I remembered them, and it was as though

And I remembered them, so it was as though

a fire were blazing in my innermost depths.

a fire were flaring in my entrails.

يا ليتَ قَومي يَعْلَمون

يا ليتَ قَومي يَعْلَمون

بما أُصابُ وما أَصُبُّ

بما أُصابُ وما أَصُبُّ

If only my people knew

Oh, if only my people knew

what I suffer and what I pour forth in tears;

what afflicts me and what I pour forth!

أو إنَّهم رجعوا إليَّ

أو إنَّهم رجعوا إليَّ

وضَمَّنا يا سعد شعبُ

وضَمَّنا يا سعد شعبُ

or if only they would return to me,

Or if only they would return to me,

and a mountain pass enfold us, O Sa‘d.

and a valley would gather us together, O Sa'd!

ويلاه من هذا الزَّمان

ويلاه من هذا الزَّمان

فكم دهاني منه خطب

فكم دهاني منه خطب

Alas for this age!

Woe is me because of this age!

How many calamities from it have struck me.

For how many calamities from it have assailed me!

في كلّ يومٌ تُسْتَفاضُ

في كلّ يومٌ تُسْتَفاضُ

مدامعٌ ويُراعُ قلبُ

مدامعٌ ويُراعُ قلبُ

Every day there are poured forth

Each day are shed

tears, and a heart is filled with dread.

tears, and a heart is alarmed.

وللوعتي وتجلُّدي

وللوعتي وتجلُّدي

في الحبّ إيجاب وسلبُ

في الحبّ إيجاب وسلبُ

My anguish and my show of fortitude

And my anguish and my fortitude

in love are affirmation and negation.

in love have their affirmation and negation.

لا موردي صَافي النّمير

لا موردي صَافي النّمير

ولا مذاق العيش عذب

ولا مذاق العيش عذب

The fresh water at my drinking place is not clear,

My watering place has no clear, sweet water,

nor is the taste of life sweet.

nor is the taste of life sweet.

وأُعاتِبُ الدَّهرَ المِشُتَّ

وأُعاتِبُ الدَّهرَ المِشُتَّ

وهَلْ يفيد الدَّهر عتب

وهَلْ يفيد الدَّهر عتب

I reproach time, the great disperser—

And I reproach time, the scatterer;

but does reproaching time avail?

but does reproaching time do any good?

والذَّنبُ للأَحبابِ إذ

والذَّنبُ للأَحبابِ إذ

رَحَلوا وما للبَيْن ذَنْبُ

رَحَلوا وما للبَيْن ذَنْبُ

The blame belongs to the beloved, since

And the blame lies with the loved ones, since

they departed; separation itself bears no blame.

they departed; separation is not to blame.