لَوْلاَكَ يَا غَايَتي وَقَصْدِي

لَوْلاَكَ يَا غَايَتي وَقَصْدِي

مَا هِمْتُ وَجْداً بَرَبْعِ نَجْدِ

مَا هِمْتُ وَجْداً بَرَبْعِ نَجْدِ

Were it not for you, O my goal and purpose,

Without you, my ultimate desire,

I would not have been mad with longing for Najd’s encampment.

I would not have yearned in the land of Najd.

أَسْقَيْتَنِي في الهَوىَ حَدِيثاً

أَسْقَيْتَنِي في الهَوىَ حَدِيثاً

يُسْكِرُ لِلْعَاشِقِينَ بَعْدِي

يُسْكِرُ لِلْعَاشِقِينَ بَعْدِي

You gave me, in love, a tale to drink

You intoxicated me with love’s tales -

that intoxicates lovers after me.

An intoxication for lovers after me.

وَمُذْكِرِى للسُّلُوِ عَهْداً

وَمُذْكِرِى للسُّلُوِ عَهْداً

بِذِكْرِ غَيْرِي نَسِيتَ عَهْدِي

بِذِكْرِ غَيْرِي نَسِيتَ عَهْدِي

And you who remind me of a pledge to forget love—

And my reminiscing of nights of joy -

by remembering another, you forgot my pledge.

With mentions of another you forgot me.

وَرُبَّ مُهْدِي الصِّبَا سُحَيْراً

وَرُبَّ مُهْدِي الصِّبَا سُحَيْراً

أَغْنَتْهُ عَنْ نَشْرِهَا بِبُرْدِ

أَغْنَتْهُ عَنْ نَشْرِهَا بِبُرْدِ

And many a giver to the east wind just before dawn

And many a guide of youth made drunk -

it enriched with a mantle in place of its fragrance.

Their singing made them forget spreading it.

لاَ تَذْكُرُوا لِلنَّسِيمِ سُكْرِي

لاَ تَذْكُرُوا لِلنَّسِيمِ سُكْرِي

فَقَدْ أَتَى مُبْشِراً بِوَجْدِي

فَقَدْ أَتَى مُبْشِراً بِوَجْدِي

Do not mention my drunkenness to the breeze,

Do not mention to the breeze my intoxication,

for it has come bearing glad tidings of my ecstasy.

For it came with glad tidings of my fervor.