رأى الطرف اطلال الحمى فتنشطا

رأى الطرف اطلال الحمى فتنشطا

فؤاد عليه البين والهفي سطا

فؤاد عليه البين والهفي سطا

The eye saw the sanctuary's ruins, and there revived

The eyes saw the ruins of a dwelling and became active,

a heart assailed by separation and my longing.

My heart longed for separation and sighed.

خليلي ما للحي من آل عامر

خليلي ما للحي من آل عامر

اطالوا سهادي آه لو ترك القطا

اطالوا سهادي آه لو ترك القطا

My two friends, what ails the clan of the house of ʿAmir?

O my friend, the tribe of Aamer,

They have prolonged my sleeplessness—ah, if only the sandgrouse were left alone!

Prolonged my insomnia, oh if only the caravan had halted!

بعيشكما جوزا بكلي الى الحما

بعيشكما جوزا بكلي الى الحما

فعل بعيد البعد ان يكشف الغطا

فعل بعيد البعد ان يكشف الغطا

By both your lives, take all of me across to the sanctuary;

In your survival, good fortune paired with misfortune befell me.

for perhaps the far-distant one will lift the veil.

It is farfetched that the covering would be removed after being distant.

وعل الفجاج النائيات بحيهم

وعل الفجاج النائيات بحيهم

ولو خطأ منها تقربنا الخطا

ولو خطأ منها تقربنا الخطا

And perhaps, in the far-off passes by their camp,

The distant, desolate places became populated with their settlements,

even by mistake, footsteps through them will bring us nearer.

If they made a mistake in getting close, we made two mistakes.

عجبت لقلبي وهو يعرف طورهم

عجبت لقلبي وهو يعرف طورهم

على أي راي في هواهم تورطا

على أي راي في هواهم تورطا

I marvel at my heart, though it knows their ways:

I was surprised at my heart while it knew their ways,

by what judgment did it become entangled in love for them?

By what opinion was it engulfed in passion for them?

هوى فج من قلبي فجاج لبابه

هوى فج من قلبي فجاج لبابه

وخيم في ارجائها فتوسطا

وخيم في ارجائها فتوسطا

Love cleft open the passes within my heart's innermost core,

An intense love sprang from my heart, raging at its doorway,

and pitched its tent in their reaches, settling in their midst.

And became entrenched in its corners, so it took the middle way.

عذيري من قلب طوى الحب عالما

عذيري من قلب طوى الحب عالما

باحكامه حتى استهام وافرطا

باحكامه حتى استهام وافرطا

Who will excuse me for a heart that harbored love, knowing

My excuse, from a heart that folded up love knowingly,

its decrees, until it grew love-mad and went too far?

Obeying its rulings, even if defiant and reckless.

يثور اذا سارت جنائب من بهم

يثور اذا سارت جنائب من بهم

توله يتلوها ولم يعرف البطا

توله يتلوها ولم يعرف البطا

It surges when the led mounts depart—the mounts of those

It rages whenever the winds blow from the direction of those it loves,

for whom it is love-mad; it follows them, knowing no delay.

Swaying it, though it knew no submission or humility.

اعيدا خليلي الركاب لحاجر

اعيدا خليلي الركاب لحاجر

عسى القلب ان يلوى لسلع ويغلطا

عسى القلب ان يلوى لسلع ويغلطا

Turn the riding camels back to Hajir, my two friends;

Return, my friend, the riders to the camping ground,

perhaps the heart will turn toward Salʿ and go astray,

Perhaps the heart will bend to peace and be mistaken.

لينسى بأيام البعاد وبالنوى

لينسى بأيام البعاد وبالنوى

وادوارها من ركبهم متنه امتطى

وادوارها من ركبهم متنه امتطى

so that it may forget, through days of separation and estrangement,

To forget the days of separation and intention,

and through estrangement's cycles, those whose caravan rode upon its back.

And their cycles, from their riding beasts it mounted.

فيسكنه النسيان او يطرح الهوى

فيسكنه النسيان او يطرح الهوى

ليحسد بين الوالهين ويغبطا

ليحسد بين الوالهين ويغبطا

Then forgetfulness may soothe it, or it may cast love away,

So forgetfulness will pacify it or love will recease,

to be envied among the love-crazed and deemed fortunate.

To envy, between the enamored and the envied, and begrudge.

ورب نزال بالأجيع شخص

ورب نزال بالأجيع شخص

نامت حبات القلوب نلقطا

نامت حبات القلوب نلقطا

And many a sojourner at al-Ajiʿ came into view;

And many a companion at night, whose personality

the hearts' kernels slept; we gather [wording unclear].

put the seeds of hearts to sleep, we picked.

اعاد دواعي الحب للقلب مذ رنا

اعاد دواعي الحب للقلب مذ رنا

ومر بعطري الرياض مقرطا

ومر بعطري الرياض مقرطا

He restored love's promptings to the heart the moment he gazed,

Love’s excuses returned to the heart when we stopped over,

and passed with the gardens' two fragrances, adorned with earrings.

And passed by the scent of gardens adorned.

الا قاتل الله الهوى وشؤُنه

الا قاتل الله الهوى وشؤُنه

ظلوما لاهليه تراه ومقسطا

ظلوما لاهليه تراه ومقسطا

Ah, may God confound love and its doings!

Damn this love and its ways,

You see it both unjust to its devotees and just.

Unjustly treating those who love it, yet it acts justly.

يبيتون والنيران تلفح بالاذى

يبيتون والنيران تلفح بالاذى

جوانحهم فهي الغطاء بل الوطا

جوانحهم فهي الغطاء بل الوطا

They spend the night while fires painfully scorch

They sleep while the fires scorch painfully,

their ribs; those fires are their cover—nay, their bedding.

Their breasts, which are its cover, nay its bed.

دع الحب يا من لا يطيق عراكه

دع الحب يا من لا يطيق عراكه

فان اقتحام المستيحل من الخطا

فان اقتحام المستيحل من الخطا

Leave love alone, you who cannot bear its struggle,

Leave this love, O you who cannot withstand its strife,

for plunging into the impossible is an error.

For breaching the impregnable is an error.

وان شريف الحب ما كان راجعا

وان شريف الحب ما كان راجعا

لبر كريم شأنه المن والعطا

لبر كريم شأنه المن والعطا

And noble love is that which has its source

The noble love is not that which returns

in the kindness of a generous one whose way is bounty and giving.

To virtuous kindness, its affair is grant and gift.