حَمَامَاتِ شِيرازَ رِفْقاً بِنَا

حَمَامَاتِ شِيرازَ رِفْقاً بِنَا

لَهِجْتُنَّ بالنَّوحِ ما عِندنَا

لَهِجْتُنَّ بالنَّوحِ ما عِندنَا

Doves of Shiraz, be gentle with us.

O doves of Shiraz, be gentle with us,

Your ceaseless lament voices what is within us.

Your cooing laments what ails us,

وذَكَّرتِنَا اليومَ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ

وذَكَّرتِنَا اليومَ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ

صُرُوفُ النَّوَى أمْسِ أَنْسَينَنَا

صُرُوفُ النَّوَى أمْسِ أَنْسَينَنَا

And today you reminded us of what

And reminds us today of what we had forgotten -

yesterday's turns of separation had not made us forget.

That the whims of passion make us oblivious.

أَرَاكُنَّ إمَّا طَعِمنا الكَرَى

أَرَاكُنَّ إمَّا طَعِمنا الكَرَى

أَخذْتُنَّ بالنَّوحِ تُوقِظْنَنا

أَخذْتُنَّ بالنَّوحِ تُوقِظْنَنا

I see that whenever we taste sleep,

Whenever misfortune befell us,

you begin lamenting, waking us.

Your lament awakened us,

عَلامَ وأَنتُنَّ عندَ القَرينِ

عَلامَ وأَنتُنَّ عندَ القَرينِ

في بَارِدِ الظِّلِّ دَانِي الجَنَى

في بَارِدِ الظِّلِّ دَانِي الجَنَى

Why lament, when you are beside your mate,

Why, while your mates are near,

in cool shade, with fruit within reach,

Do you linger in the cool shade,

تُغَازِلْنَ فَاكِهَةً غَضَّةً

تُغَازِلْنَ فَاكِهَةً غَضَّةً

وآوِنَةً غُصُناً لَيِّنَا

وآوِنَةً غُصُناً لَيِّنَا

flirting with tender fruit,

Flirting with tender blossoms

and, at times, a supple branch?

And swaying boughs?

نَنُوحُ اشْتياقاً وتَغْريدُكُنَّ

نَنُوحُ اشْتياقاً وتَغْريدُكُنَّ

غِنَاءٌ فَشَتَّانَ مَا بيْنَنا

غِنَاءٌ فَشَتَّانَ مَا بيْنَنا

We lament from longing, while your birdsong

We lament in longing, while your song

is song—how far apart we are!

Is joyous - how different our states!

فَإنَّ بُكَانَا علَى مَنْ نَأَى

فَإنَّ بُكَانَا علَى مَنْ نَأَى

خِلافَ بُكَاكِ علَى مَنْ دَنَا

خِلافَ بُكَاكِ علَى مَنْ دَنَا

For our weeping is for one far away,

Those who weep when loved ones are far

unlike your weeping for one nearby.

Are unlike those weeping as loved ones draw near.

لَحَا اللَّهُ أبْطَلَنَا في الغَرامِ

لَحَا اللَّهُ أبْطَلَنَا في الغَرامِ

دَعْوَى وأكذَبَنَا أَلْسُنَا

دَعْوَى وأكذَبَنَا أَلْسُنَا

May God curse the falsest of us in love,

May God render futile our claims of love,

in claims, and the most deceitful of tongue,

And make our tongues liars,

وأكثَرَنَا عِندَ أُلاّفِهِ

وأكثَرَنَا عِندَ أُلاّفِهِ

مَبِيتاً وأجْمَدَنَا أعيُنَا

مَبِيتاً وأجْمَدَنَا أعيُنَا

and the one who stays most with his loved ones

And multiply our sleepless nights with loved ones,

by night, and the driest-eyed of us.

And keep our eyes sleepless.

ألا قُلْ لسُكَّانِ وادِي المَحَلْ

ألا قُلْ لسُكَّانِ وادِي المَحَلْ

لِ هَلْ وَرَدُوا في الهَوَى وِرْدَنَا

لِ هَلْ وَرَدُوا في الهَوَى وِرْدَنَا

Come, ask the dwellers of Wadi al-Mahall:

Ask the dwellers of the valley,

have they drunk, in love, from the same waters as we?

If they have attained our desire;

فَإنَّا نَغَصُّ بِماءِ الجَفَا

فَإنَّا نَغَصُّ بِماءِ الجَفَا

وهُمْ يَستَسيغُونَ وِرْدَ الهَنَا

وهُمْ يَستَسيغُونَ وِرْدَ الهَنَا

For we choke on the water of estrangement,

For we are poisoned by the water of disdain,

while they savor the draught of bliss.

While they savor the wine of affection.

فَمَنْ لِعَليلٍ أَبَى أن يَبِلَّ

فَمَنْ لِعَليلٍ أَبَى أن يَبِلَّ

بِغَيرِكُمُ داءَهُ المُزْمِنَا

بِغَيرِكُمُ داءَهُ المُزْمِنَا

Who will help a sick man who refuses to soothe

He who scorns to cure his malady through you

his chronic ailment with anyone but you?

Will suffer it chronically, until he finds relief

تَمرَّضَ حتَّى استَعَادَ السَّقَا

تَمرَّضَ حتَّى استَعَادَ السَّقَا

مَ مِنْ جِسمِهِ واسْتَقَالَ الضَّنى

مَ مِنْ جِسمِهِ واسْتَقَالَ الضَّنى

He languished until sickness itself sought to be taken back

And regains his health and calm;

from his body, and wasting begged release.

I wonder at you - how the nights refuse

عَجَبْتُ لكُمْ واللَّيالِي أبَى

عَجَبْتُ لكُمْ واللَّيالِي أبَى

لَهَا خُلُقُ السُّوءِ أنْ تُحْسِنَا

لَهَا خُلُقُ السُّوءِ أنْ تُحْسِنَا

I marvel at you; the nights are forbidden

To show kindness and treat us well!

by their evil nature to be kind.

You spend the darkest hours in tranquility,

تَبِيتُونَ أكْرَى الورَى مُقْلَةً

تَبِيتُونَ أكْرَى الورَى مُقْلَةً

ونَسْهرُ والثَّأرُ فِيكُمْ لَنَا

ونَسْهرُ والثَّأرُ فِيكُمْ لَنَا

You spend the night with the sleepiest eyes of all,

While we stay wakeful, nursing our vengeance.

while we keep vigil, though our claim for vengeance is against you.

Who suffers more - the oppressor or the oppressed?

أَضِيقُ المَجَالِ علَى مَنْ جَنَى

أَضِيقُ المَجَالِ علَى مَنْ جَنَى

عَلَيهِ الأَذَى أمْ عَلَى مَنْ جَنَى

عَلَيهِ الأَذَى أمْ عَلَى مَنْ جَنَى

Is the way made narrow for the one

My friends! Do you know how we feel here,

whom harm has struck, or for the wrongdoer?

While you are there? I swear by all the paths of separation

فَيَا هَلْ عَلِمتُمْ وأنتُمْ هُنَا

فَيَا هَلْ عَلِمتُمْ وأنتُمْ هُنَا

كَ مَا عِنْدَنَا مِنْكُمُ هَا هُنَا

كَ مَا عِنْدَنَا مِنْكُمُ هَا هُنَا

So, do you know, while you are there,

That you who left us are dearest to us,

what we bear because of you here?

The people of the hill of parting -

يَميناً بِكُلِّ أَمُونِ العِثَا

يَميناً بِكُلِّ أَمُونِ العِثَا

رِ أَقْصَى مُنَى مَنْ عَلَيهَا مِنَى

رِ أَقْصَى مُنَى مَنْ عَلَيهَا مِنَى

I swear by every she-camel safe from stumbling,

Our first request, our final wish!

whose rider's utmost wish is Mina:

My friend, perhaps what one intends

لَسُكَّانُ ظَهرِ مَنِي من أُوا

لَسُكَّانُ ظَهرِ مَنِي من أُوا

لَ أوّلُ مطلبِنَا والمُنَى

لَ أوّلُ مطلبِنَا والمُنَى

surely the dwellers of Zahr Mani, in Awal,

Gets deferred by destiny;

are our foremost quest and desire.

I asked you - why not visit their tents,

فيَا صَاحِبي والفَتَى ربَّمَا

فيَا صَاحِبي والفَتَى ربَّمَا

أَحَالَ علَى خِلِّهِ ما عَنَى

أَحَالَ علَى خِلِّهِ ما عَنَى

So, my friend—a young man sometimes

And say to their dwellers, have you kept safe

entrusts to his companion what troubles him—

Those promises, or has our separation shattered them?

سَأَلتُكَ ألاَّ طَرَقْتَ الخِيامَ

سَأَلتُكَ ألاَّ طَرَقْتَ الخِيامَ

وقُلتَ لِسُكَّانِها مُعْلنا

وقُلتَ لِسُكَّانِها مُعْلنا

I ask you: would you not visit the tents by night

Many have permitted us the sweetest union,

and say aloud to their dwellers:

Yet we saw no beauty in it;

أَأَنتُمْ عَلَى حِفْظِ تِلكَ العُهُو

أَأَنتُمْ عَلَى حِفْظِ تِلكَ العُهُو

دِ أَمْ نَقَضَ البُعْدُ ذَاكَ البِنَا

دِ أَمْ نَقَضَ البُعْدُ ذَاكَ البِنَا

Are you keeping those pledges,

They seek to divert us from thoughts of you,

or has distance demolished that edifice?

Though had they left us be, we would not have wavered,

أَلاَ رُبَّ قَوْمٍ أَباحُوا لَنَا

أَلاَ رُبَّ قَوْمٍ أَباحُوا لَنَا

مِنَ الوَصْلِ أَطيَبَ ما يُجتَنَى

مِنَ الوَصْلِ أَطيَبَ ما يُجتَنَى

Ah, many people have freely offered us

So do not blame us if we depart

the sweetest fruits one can gather from union.

When the caravan leaves you;

وفِيهِمْ مِن الحُسْنِ ما فِيهِمُ

وفِيهِمْ مِن الحُسْنِ ما فِيهِمُ

فَلَمْ نَرَ ذلكَ مُستَحْسَنَا

فَلَمْ نَرَ ذلكَ مُستَحْسَنَا

And they possess what beauty they possess,

Though the lover is inclined to renounce

yet we did not find that pleasing.

The one he loves, and abandon us.

يُريدُونَ سُلْوانَنَا عنكُمُ

يُريدُونَ سُلْوانَنَا عنكُمُ

ولَو كانَ ذَلِكَ لم يُسْلِنَا

ولَو كانَ ذَلِكَ لم يُسْلِنَا

They wish us to forget you,

If you see me morose at times,

but even if that happened, it would not console us.

And at others, tranquil;

فَلا تُنْكرَنَّ عَلَيْنَا الرَّحيلَ

فَلا تُنْكرَنَّ عَلَيْنَا الرَّحيلَ

غَدَاةَ نَأَى الرَّكْبُ عَنكُمْ بِنَا

غَدَاةَ نَأَى الرَّكْبُ عَنكُمْ بِنَا

So do not hold our departure against us,

I move from one encampment to another,

that morning the caravan carried us far from you.

Exchanging an intimacy for an intimacy,

فَبالرَّغْمِ من أن يَسْتَقيلَ المُحِبْ

فَبالرَّغْمِ من أن يَسْتَقيلَ المُحِبْ

بُ عَمَّنْ يُحبُّ وأن يَظْعَنَا

بُ عَمَّنْ يُحبُّ وأن يَظْعَنَا

For unwillingly does a lover seek release

Only to settle near you,

from the one he loves, and journey away.

And reside close to you.

فإنْ تَرَنِي مُشئِماً تَارَةً

فإنْ تَرَنِي مُشئِماً تَارَةً

وآوِنةً تَرَني مُعْمِنَا

وآوِنةً تَرَني مُعْمِنَا

So if you see me at one time bound for al-Sham,

and at another see me bound for Oman,

لأَعتاضُ من خِلَّةٍ خِلَّةً

لأَعتاضُ من خِلَّةٍ خِلَّةً

وأُبدِلُ مِنْ مَسْكَنٍ مَسْكَنَا

وأُبدِلُ مِنْ مَسْكَنٍ مَسْكَنَا

I indeed exchange one beloved for another,

and trade one dwelling for another;

وما ذَاكَ إلاّ لأَنْ أسْتَقِرْ

وما ذَاكَ إلاّ لأَنْ أسْتَقِرْ

رَ عِنْدَكُمُ ولأَنْ أسْكُنَا

رَ عِنْدَكُمُ ولأَنْ أسْكُنَا

and that is only so that I may settle

with you, and find repose.