أَبَت عَينايَ بَعدَكِ أَن تَناما

أَبَت عَينايَ بَعدَكِ أَن تَناما

وَكَيفَ يَنامُ مَن ضَمِنَ السُقاما

وَكَيفَ يَنامُ مَن ضَمِنَ السُقاما

My eyes refused to sleep after you left.

My eyes refused to sleep after you

My eyes refused, after you, to find sleep,

And how can one afflicted with sickness sleep?

How can one who is sick sleep?

For how can he sleep who has sickness to keep?

بَكَيتُ مِنَ الفِراقِ لِما أُلاقي

بَكَيتُ مِنَ الفِراقِ لِما أُلاقي

وَراجَعتُ الصَبابَةَ وَالغَراما

وَراجَعتُ الصَبابَةَ وَالغَراما

I wept at parting for what I endure,

I cried from the separation when I met

I wept at the parting for the pain I endure,

And returned to yearning and consuming love.

And revisited youth and passion

And returned to the passion and love of yore.

وَعُدتُ إِلى العِراقِ بِرَغمِ أَنفي

وَعُدتُ إِلى العِراقِ بِرَغمِ أَنفي

وَفارَقتُ الجَزيرَةَ وَالشَآما

وَفارَقتُ الجَزيرَةَ وَالشَآما

And I returned to Iraq against my will,

And I returned to Iraq against my will

I returned to Iraq against my own will,

And left al-Jazira and al-Sham.

And left the Levant and Damascus

And parted from Jazira and the lands of Sham.

عَلى شَطِّ الشَآمِ وَساكِنيهِ

عَلى شَطِّ الشَآمِ وَساكِنيهِ

سَلامُ مُسَلِّمٍ لَقِيَ الحِماما

سَلامُ مُسَلِّمٍ لَقِيَ الحِماما

To al-Sham's shore and its inhabitants,

On the coast of Damascus and its inhabitants

Upon the banks of Sham and those who dwell there,

Greetings from one who has met death.

Greetings from a Muslim who met the doves

Is the peace of a man who has met his despair.

مُذَكَّرَةٌ مُؤَنَّثَةٌ مَهاةٌ

مُذَكَّرَةٌ مُؤَنَّثَةٌ مَهاةٌ

إِذا بَرَزَت تُشَبِّهُها الغُلاما

إِذا بَرَزَت تُشَبِّهُها الغُلاما

Boyish yet feminine, an oryx doe,

A feminine notebook, a love letter

Masculine, feminine, a wild oryx doe,

When she appears, you liken her to a boy.

When she appears, she resembles a boy

Resembling a lad when she steps out to show.

تَعافُ الماءَ وَالعَسَلَ المُصَفّى

تَعافُ الماءَ وَالعَسَلَ المُصَفّى

وَتَشرَبُ مِن فُتُوَّتِها المُداما

وَتَشرَبُ مِن فُتُوَّتِها المُداما

She shuns water and purified honey,

She avoids water and pure honey

She disdains the water and honey so pure,

And out of her youthful boldness drinks wine.

And drinks from her youth the wine

And drinks, from her vigor, the wine to endure.

تَقولُ لِسَيفِها يا سَيفُ أَبشِر

تَقولُ لِسَيفِها يا سَيفُ أَبشِر

سَتُروى مِن دَمٍ وَتَقُدُّ هاما

سَتُروى مِن دَمٍ وَتَقُدُّ هاما

She says to her sword, “O sword, rejoice:

She says to her sword, O sword rejoice

She says to her sword, "O blade, rejoice now,

You shall be slaked with blood and cleave heads.”

You will be satisfied with blood and lead the attack

You shall be quenched with blood and cleave through the brow."

وَقائِلَةٍ لَها مِن وَجهِ نُصحٍ

وَقائِلَةٍ لَها مِن وَجهِ نُصحٍ

عَلامَ قَتَلتِ هَذا المُستَهاما

عَلامَ قَتَلتِ هَذا المُستَهاما

And a woman said to her, by way of counsel:

And one advising her sincerely

Then a counselor asked her, intending advice,

“Why did you kill this love-distraught man?”

Why did you kill this brave one?

"Why slay this poor lover? What is his price?"

فَكانَ جَوابُها في حُسنِ مَسٍّ

فَكانَ جَوابُها في حُسنِ مَسٍّ

أَأَجمَعُ وَجهَ هَذا وَالحَراما

أَأَجمَعُ وَجهَ هَذا وَالحَراما

Then her answer, with a charming touch of madness, was:

Her elegant reply was

Her answer came back with a delicate grace,

“Should I combine this man's face with sin?”

Shall I combine this face and the unlawful?

"Shall I gather the forbidden along with this face?"

لَقَد رَبِحَت تِجارَةُ كُلِّ صَبٍّ

لَقَد رَبِحَت تِجارَةُ كُلِّ صَبٍّ

تُهاديهِ حَبيبَتُهُ السَلاما

تُهاديهِ حَبيبَتُهُ السَلاما

The trade of every passionate lover has indeed prospered

The trade of every lover succeeded

"Profitable indeed is the trade of the lover,

Whose beloved presents him with greetings.

Who gifts his beloved greetings

"Whose beloved sends peace for him to recover."