يا بَرْقَ نَجْدٍ هَلْ حَكَيْتَ فُؤَادِي

يا بَرْقَ نَجْدٍ هَلْ حَكَيْتَ فُؤَادِي

فِي ذَا التَّلَّهُبِ والخُفُوقِ البَادِي

فِي ذَا التَّلَّهُبِ والخُفُوقِ البَادِي

O lightning of Najd, have you mirrored my heart

O lightning of Najd, did you tell my heart,

in this blazing and this visible throbbing?

In that blazing and flashing,

لَوْلاَ اشْتِرَاكُ هَوَاكُمَا لمْ تَسْفَحَا

لَوْلاَ اشْتِرَاكُ هَوَاكُمَا لمْ تَسْفَحَا

دَمْعَيْكُمَا في سَفْحِ ذَاكَ الوَادِي

دَمْعَيْكُمَا في سَفْحِ ذَاكَ الوَادِي

Were your love not shared, you two would not have shed

Were it not for your shared passion, your tears would not have flowed,

your tears upon the slope of that valley.

Down the valley's slopes.

أَتُرىَ سُوَيْكِنَةُ الحِمَى بِجَمَالِهَا

أَتُرىَ سُوَيْكِنَةُ الحِمَى بِجَمَالِهَا

سَلَبَتْ رُقَادَكَ في الهَوى وَرُقَادِي

سَلَبَتْ رُقَادَكَ في الهَوى وَرُقَادِي

Do you think the sanctuary’s little dweller, with her beauty,

Does the beauty of Sawayqina's fever,

has stolen your sleep in love, and mine?

Deprive you of sleep in passion as it does me?

عَرَّضْتُ قَلْبِي يَوْمَ رَامَةَ إِذْ بَدَتْ

عَرَّضْتُ قَلْبِي يَوْمَ رَامَةَ إِذْ بَدَتْ

بِنَوَاظِرٍ تَحْكي حُدُودَ حِدَادِ

بِنَوَاظِرٍ تَحْكي حُدُودَ حِدَادِ

I exposed my heart that day at Rama, when she appeared

I exposed my heart the day Rama appeared,

with eyes that mirrored the edges of keen blades.

With glances that told of deep sorrow.

وَسَأَلْتُهَا سَلْبِي لِعِلْمِيَ أَنْ مَنْ

وَسَأَلْتُهَا سَلْبِي لِعِلْمِيَ أَنْ مَنْ

سَلَبَتْهُ صَارَ أَمِيرَ ذَاكَ النَّادِي

سَلَبَتْهُ صَارَ أَمِيرَ ذَاكَ النَّادِي

And I asked her to rob me, knowing that whoever

And I asked her to take me, for I knew,

she robbed became prince of that gathering.

He whom she takes becomes the lord of that club.

وَأَغَنَّ تَعْشَقُ لَيْنَهُ قُضُبُ النَّقَا

وَأَغَنَّ تَعْشَقُ لَيْنَهُ قُضُبُ النَّقَا

إِنْ مَاسَ أَهْيَفُ قَدِّهِ الميَادِ

إِنْ مَاسَ أَهْيَفُ قَدِّهِ الميَادِ

And a soft-voiced beloved, whose suppleness the dune’s boughs adore

And the bending of the supple spear makes love richer,

when his slender, swaying figure struts,

When the nimble one straightens his neck.

يسقِي الندِيمَ بِكَأْسِهِ وَبِلَحْظِهِ

يسقِي الندِيمَ بِكَأْسِهِ وَبِلَحْظِهِ

وَبِثَغْرِهِ رَيّاً فَيُصْبِحُ صَادِي

وَبِثَغْرِهِ رَيّاً فَيُصْبِحُ صَادِي

gives his drinking companion drink with his cup and his glance,

He gives drink to the companion with his cup, his glance,

and with his mouth, to satiety—yet the companion grows thirsty.

And his mouth, until he awakens thrilled.

مَاذَاكَ إِلاَّ أَنَّ وَقَّادَ الجَوَى

مَاذَاكَ إِلاَّ أَنَّ وَقَّادَ الجَوَى

بَيْنَ الجَوَانِحِ دَائِمُ الإِيْقَادِ

بَيْنَ الجَوَانِحِ دَائِمُ الإِيْقَادِ

That is only because the kindler of love’s anguish

That is only because passion kindled a flame,

between the ribs never ceases kindling.

Ever burning between the ribs.

وَيَبِيتُ أَدْنَى لِلحَشَا مِنْ مُهْجَتِي

وَيَبِيتُ أَدْنَى لِلحَشَا مِنْ مُهْجَتِي

وَأَبِيتُ أَشْكُو مِنْهُ فَرْطَ بُعَادِ

وَأَبِيتُ أَشْكُو مِنْهُ فَرْطَ بُعَادِ

And he spends the night closer to my heart than my lifeblood,

And he sleeps closer to the lovely one than my thoughts,

while I spend the night lamenting his utter remoteness.

While I stay awake complaining of remoteness.

فَكَأَنَّمَا نَهْوَى اتحَادَ وَصِالِنَا

فَكَأَنَّمَا نَهْوَى اتحَادَ وَصِالِنَا

شَغَفاً وَنَكْرَهُ فُرْقَةَ التَّعْدَادِ

شَغَفاً وَنَكْرَهُ فُرْقَةَ التَّعْدَادِ

So it is as though we crave the oneness of our union,

So it is as though the union of our tryst,

in ardent love, and hate the separation of multiplicity.

In eagerness we desire, and separation we dislike.