ليْتَ عندي الحبيب أو

ليْتَ عندي الحبيب أو

ليْتني كُنْتُ عِنْدَهُ

ليْتني كُنْتُ عِنْدَهُ

Would that my beloved were with me, or

would that I were with him.

ليت زَنْدي وسادةً

ليت زَنْدي وسادةً

أو توسدت زَنْدهُ

أو توسدت زَنْدهُ

Would that my forearm were his pillow,

or I could pillow my head upon his forearm.

أوْ أرى خده لكي

أوْ أرى خده لكي

أجْتَني منه ورْدَه

أجْتَني منه ورْدَه

Or that I could see his cheek, so I might

pluck its roses from it.

أو ترَشّفتُ ريقه

أو ترَشّفتُ ريقه

فتلمظت شَهْدَهُ

فتلمظت شَهْدَهُ

Or that I could sip his saliva,

and savor its honey on my tongue.

أو تصفحتُ وجهه

أو تصفحتُ وجهه

وتلافيت عهدهُ

وتلافيت عهدهُ

Or that I could gaze upon his face,

and renew my bond with him.

أو تنشيت ريحه

أو تنشيت ريحه

وتنشقت نَدّهُ

وتنشقت نَدّهُ

Or that I could breathe in his scent,

and inhale his incense.

أو تداني لكي أحل

أو تداني لكي أحل

لَ بكفيَّ بَنْدَهُ

لَ بكفيَّ بَنْدَهُ

Or that he would draw near, so I could undo

his sash with both my hands.

أو حباني بقربه

أو حباني بقربه

بعدما ذقتُ بُعْدَهُ

بعدما ذقتُ بُعْدَهُ

Or that he would favor me with his nearness,

after I had tasted his distance.

كيف أسلوُه والهوى

كيف أسلوُه والهوى

صيَّر القلبَ عَبْدَهُ

صيَّر القلبَ عَبْدَهُ

How could I forget him, when love

has made my heart his slave?

أتمناه كلّما

أتمناه كلّما

إِن تذكّرتُ ودّهُ

إِن تذكّرتُ ودّهُ

I yearn for him whenever

I remember his affection.

وأُناجيه كلَّما

وأُناجيه كلَّما

أَنِسَ القلبُ رُشْدَهُ

أَنِسَ القلبُ رُشْدَهُ

And I whisper to him whenever

my heart senses its right course.

وأصافيه كلما

وأصافيه كلما

غازل الطرف وعده

غازل الطرف وعده

And I love him sincerely whenever

my gaze courts his promise.

رَشَأ طال ما رعي

رَشَأ طال ما رعي

ت بعيْنَيَّ خده

ت بعيْنَيَّ خده

A young gazelle—long have I grazed

with both my eyes upon his cheek.

رامَ سُكْري بريقه

رامَ سُكْري بريقه

فترشفتُ قَنْدَه

فترشفتُ قَنْدَه

He sought to make me drunk with his saliva,

so I sipped its sugar.

وتوخيْتُ لثمة

وتوخيْتُ لثمة

حين أُنسِيْتُ عدَّه

حين أُنسِيْتُ عدَّه

And I sought a kiss,

when I was made to lose count.

واعتنقنا تلازماً

واعتنقنا تلازماً

مُذْ نَضَا عنه بُرْدَه

مُذْ نَضَا عنه بُرْدَه

And we embraced, clinging together,

once he had stripped off his cloak.

وتَوَسَّمْتُ جيدَه

وتَوَسَّمْتُ جيدَه

فلواهُ ومدّه

فلواهُ ومدّه

And I studied his neck,

then he bent it and stretched it out.

وتعلَّقْتُ خَصره

وتعلَّقْتُ خَصره

وتعشقتُ قده

وتعشقتُ قده

And I clung to his waist,

and fell in love with his figure,

مذْ دعاني لِصبْوَةٍ

مذْ دعاني لِصبْوَةٍ

خَلَّدَتْ فيَّ وجْدَهُ

خَلَّدَتْ فيَّ وجْدَهُ

since he called me to a passion

that made longing for him eternal within me.

وغَدا في حُشاشتي

وغَدا في حُشاشتي

ليس لا غير وحدَه

ليس لا غير وحدَه

And he came to dwell in my heart's core,

he alone, and no other.

وفِطامي عن الهوى

وفِطامي عن الهوى

رامَ فاخترتُ قصْدَه

رامَ فاخترتُ قصْدَه

And my weaning from love

he sought, but I chose to seek him.

وتمتعت بالمنى

وتمتعت بالمنى

حين القيتُ صدَّه

حين القيتُ صدَّه

And I took delight in hopes,

when I cast aside his rejection.

وتعللتُ بالظنو

وتعللتُ بالظنو

ن وأمّلتُ ردّه

ن وأمّلتُ ردّه

And I consoled myself with conjectures,

and hoped for his return.

فعسى أن يعود لي

فعسى أن يعود لي

بعد ما ذقتُ فَقْدَه

بعد ما ذقتُ فَقْدَه

Perhaps, then, he will return to me,

after I have tasted his loss.

فهو لا شك قاتلي

فهو لا شك قاتلي

يا سقي اللّهُ عَهْدَه

يا سقي اللّهُ عَهْدَه

For he is, beyond doubt, my slayer—

ah, may God water our days together!