بي مِثلُ ما بِكِ يا قُمرِيَّةَ الوادي

بي مِثلُ ما بِكِ يا قُمرِيَّةَ الوادي

نادَيتُ لَيلى فَقومي في الدُجى نادي

نادَيتُ لَيلى فَقومي في الدُجى نادي

I feel what you feel, O turtledove of the valley.

My plight is like yours, oh moon of the valley

I called to Layla; so rise and call out in the darkness.

I called for Layla, so rise in the darkness and call

وَأَرسِلي الشَجوَ أَسجاعاً مُفَصَّلَةٌ

وَأَرسِلي الشَجوَ أَسجاعاً مُفَصَّلَةٌ

أَو رَدِّدي مِن وَراءِ الأَيكِ إِنشادي

أَو رَدِّدي مِن وَراءِ الأَيكِ إِنشادي

And send forth your sorrow in distinct, rhyming coos,

And send your passion as articulate laments

Or echo my song from behind the grove.

Or echo from behind the brush, my chant

لا تَكتُمي الوَجدَ فَالجُرحانِ مِن شَجَنٍ

لا تَكتُمي الوَجدَ فَالجُرحانِ مِن شَجَنٍ

وَلا الصَبابَةَ فَالدَمعانِ مِن وادِ

وَلا الصَبابَةَ فَالدَمعانِ مِن وادِ

Do not hide your passion, for both wounds spring from sorrow;

Do not conceal the fervor, for the wounds of yearning

Nor your ardent longing, for both tears flow from one valley.

Nor the youth, for the tears of the valley

تَذَكَّري هَل تَلاقَينا عَلى ظَمَإٍ

تَذَكَّري هَل تَلاقَينا عَلى ظَمَإٍ

وَكَيفَ بَلَّ الصَدى ذو الغُلَّةِ الصادي

وَكَيفَ بَلَّ الصَدى ذو الغُلَّةِ الصادي

Remember—did we meet thirsty?

Remember, did we meet in thirst

And how did the parched, thirsting one slake his thirst?

And how the echo with thick accent responded

وَأَنتِ في مَجلِسِ الرَيحانِ لاهِيَةٌ

وَأَنتِ في مَجلِسِ الرَيحانِ لاهِيَةٌ

ما سِرتِ مِن سامِرٍ إِلا إِلى نادي

ما سِرتِ مِن سامِرٍ إِلا إِلى نادي

And you were carefree in the gathering of sweet basil,

While you were in the garden of basil, amused

You went only from one evening gathering to another.

You never went from evening gatherer except to a friend

تَذَكَّري قُبلَةً في الشَعرِ حائِرَةً

تَذَكَّري قُبلَةً في الشَعرِ حائِرَةً

أَضَلَّها فَمَشَت في فَرقِكِ الهادي

أَضَلَّها فَمَشَت في فَرقِكِ الهادي

Remember a kiss, bewildered in your hair—

Remember a kiss lost in hair

Your hair led it astray, so it walked along your guiding parting—

Misled by your parted guide

وَقُبلَةً فَوقَ خَدٍّ ناعِمٍ عَطِرٍ

وَقُبلَةً فَوقَ خَدٍّ ناعِمٍ عَطِرٍ

أَبهى مِنَ الوَردِ في ظِلِّ النَدى الغادي

أَبهى مِنَ الوَردِ في ظِلِّ النَدى الغادي

And a kiss upon a soft, fragrant cheek,

And a kiss above a soft, fragrant cheek

More radiant than roses in the shade of morning dew.

More splendid than roses in the shadow of the fading dew

تَذَكَّري مَنظَرَ الوادي وَمَجلِسَنا

تَذَكَّري مَنظَرَ الوادي وَمَجلِسَنا

عَلى الغَديرِ كَعُصفورَينِ في الوادي

عَلى الغَديرِ كَعُصفورَينِ في الوادي

Remember the sight of the valley and where we sat,

Remember the look of the valley and our sitting place

By the pool, like two sparrows in the valley.

By the stream like two birds in the valley

وَالغُصنُ يَحنو عَلَينا رِقَّةً وَجَوىً

وَالغُصنُ يَحنو عَلَينا رِقَّةً وَجَوىً

وَالماءُ في قَدَمَينا رائِحٌ غادِ

وَالماءُ في قَدَمَينا رائِحٌ غادِ

And the branch bends over us with tenderness and aching love,

The branch inclining to us gently and breeze

And the water at our feet flows back and forth.

And the water at our feet flowing scented

تَذَكَّري نَغَماتٍ هَهُنا وَهُنا

تَذَكَّري نَغَماتٍ هَهُنا وَهُنا

مِن لَحنِ شادِيَةٍ في الدَوحِ أَو شادي

مِن لَحنِ شادِيَةٍ في الدَوحِ أَو شادي

Remember the melodies here and there,

Remember melodies here and there

From a songbird's tune in the spreading trees, female or male.

Of the tune of a chanter in the sand dunes or chanter

تَذَكَّري مَوعِداً جادَ الزَمانُ بِهِ

تَذَكَّري مَوعِداً جادَ الزَمانُ بِهِ

هَل طِرتُ شَوقاً وَهَل سابَقتُ ميعادي

هَل طِرتُ شَوقاً وَهَل سابَقتُ ميعادي

Remember a tryst that time generously granted:

Remember a promised time the days passed with

Did I fly with longing, and did I race ahead of my appointed time?

Did I fly in longing and outpace my tryst

فَنلتُ ما نلتُ مِن سُؤلٍ وَمِن أَمَلِ

فَنلتُ ما نلتُ مِن سُؤلٍ وَمِن أَمَلِ

وَرُحتُ لَم أَحصِ أَفراحي وَأَعيادي

وَرُحتُ لَم أَحصِ أَفراحي وَأَعيادي

So I gained what I gained of wishes and hopes,

And attained what I attained of question and hope

And I left without counting my joys and my celebrations.

And left before counting my joys and holidays