أيا نَفَحاتِ الريحِ من أرضِ بابل

أيا نَفَحاتِ الريحِ من أرضِ بابل

بحَقِّ الهوى إلاّ حَمَلْتِ رسائلي

بحَقِّ الهوى إلاّ حَمَلْتِ رسائلي

O wafts of wind from the land of Babylon,

O breezes blowing from the land of Babylon

For love's sake, I implore you: carry my letters

By the right of passion, carry my messages

إلى خيرِ إلفٍ هام قلبي بحبِّه

إلى خيرِ إلفٍ هام قلبي بحبِّه

به تمّ وَسْواسي وهاجَتْ بَلابلي

به تمّ وَسْواسي وهاجَتْ بَلابلي

To the best of companions, with whom my heart is madly in love;

To the best of companions, my heart is infatuated with his love

Through him my obsession reached its fullness, and my anxieties surged.

With it my worries are complete and my mind confused

وقلت له: يا نورَ قلبي وناظري

وقلت له: يا نورَ قلبي وناظري

رحلتَ بقلبي، والهوى غيرُ راحِلِ

رحلتَ بقلبي، والهوى غيرُ راحِلِ

And say to him: 'O light of my heart and my eyes,

And I said to him: O light of my heart and my vision

You departed with my heart, but love has not departed;

You have departed with my heart, while passion does not depart

وفرَّقتَ ما بينَ الجُفون ونومها

وفرَّقتَ ما بينَ الجُفون ونومها

وواصلتَ ما بيني وبين عواذلي

وواصلتَ ما بيني وبين عواذلي

And you parted the eyelids from their sleep,

And you have separated what is between the eyelids and their sleep

And joined me to those who reproach me.'

And connected what is between me and my loves

وإنّ بصحراءِ المُرَيْطِ منازلاً

وإنّ بصحراءِ المُرَيْطِ منازلاً

لأحبابنا، أكرِمْ بها من منازل!

لأحبابنا، أكرِمْ بها من منازل!

And indeed, in the desert of al-Murayṭ are dwellings

Indeed in the deserts of Murayt are dwellings

For our loved ones—how noble those dwellings are!

For our loved ones, honor them over other dwellings!

وفيها التي هام الفؤادُ بحبِّها

وفيها التي هام الفؤادُ بحبِّها

وكم سائلٍ لم يحظَ منها بطائلِ

وكم سائلٍ لم يحظَ منها بطائلِ

And in them is she with whom the heart is madly in love;

And in them is she whom my heart is infatuated with her love

And many a suitor has gained nothing of worth from her.

And how many questioners have gained nothing from them

تعلَّقها بالأمسِ خِلْواً من الهوى

تعلَّقها بالأمسِ خِلْواً من الهوى

فقدْ شغلتْهُ اليومَ عن كلّ شاغِلِ

فقدْ شغلتْهُ اليومَ عن كلّ شاغِلِ

He fell in love with her yesterday, till then free of love;

Her attachment to the past without passion

So today she has distracted him from every other concern.

Has today preoccupied her from all preoccupations