حز يا نَسيم عَلى بان النِقا وَسَل

حز يا نَسيم عَلى بان النِقا وَسَل

عَنِ الاِحِبَّةِ هَل مالوا اِلى بَدل

عَنِ الاِحِبَّةِ هَل مالوا اِلى بَدل

Pass, O breeze, by the bān trees of the dunes, and ask

O breeze, pass by the beloved's abode and ask

About the beloved ones: have they turned to someone else?

If they have turned to another in our stead

وَاِشرَح صَبابَة صَب دَمعِهِ هَطَل

وَاِشرَح صَبابَة صَب دَمعِهِ هَطَل

لَو لاهمو لَم يَجِد بِالمَدمَعِ الهَطَل

لَو لاهمو لَم يَجِد بِالمَدمَعِ الهَطَل

And describe the longing of a lovesick one whose tears pour down.

Explain to them my flowing tears of longing

Were it not for them, he would find no torrent in his tear ducts.

Without yearning, tears would not have been shed

وَحيهم بِتَحِيّاتٍ مُعَطَّرَة

وَحيهم بِتَحِيّاتٍ مُعَطَّرَة

بِالمِسكِ وَاِسلُك اِلَيهِم أَقرَب السُبل

بِالمِسكِ وَاِسلُك اِلَيهِم أَقرَب السُبل

And greet them with greetings perfumed

Greet them with scented salutations

With musk, and take the shortest paths to them.

Of musk, and take to them the nearest roads

وَاِن تَعَذَّرَ فيما بَينَنا رسل

وَاِن تَعَذَّرَ فيما بَينَنا رسل

فان مَسراك يُغنينا عَنِ الرُسُل

فان مَسراك يُغنينا عَنِ الرُسُل

And if sending messengers between us proves impossible,

If messengers cannot pass between us

Then your night journey spares us the need for messengers.

Then your passage will suffice instead

فَاِنَّهُم مُنذُ ما سارَ الفَريق بِهِم

فَاِنَّهُم مُنذُ ما سارَ الفَريق بِهِم

ما لَذ لي العَيش في قَولٍ وَلا عَمَل

ما لَذ لي العَيش في قَولٍ وَلا عَمَل

For ever since the company departed with them,

Since they left, life holds no joy for me

Life has held no sweetness for me, in word or deed.

In word or deed, while my heart

وَالقَلبُ باتَ وَأَمسى حَشوه شَغف

وَالقَلبُ باتَ وَأَمسى حَشوه شَغف

وَالدَمعُ كَالمزن اِن تَحبسه بتهمل

وَالدَمعُ كَالمزن اِن تَحبسه بتهمل

And the heart passes night and evening filled with passion.

Has awoken and retired filled with passion

And tears are like rain clouds: hold them back, and they pour down.

My tears flow freely if not held back

من لي بِتَنزيه عَيني في مَحاسِنِهِم

من لي بِتَنزيه عَيني في مَحاسِنِهِم

كَي تَشتَفى بِتَهاني قُربِهِم عَلَلي

كَي تَشتَفى بِتَهاني قُربِهِم عَلَلي

Who will let my eye delight in their charms,

Who can prevent my eyes from beholding their beauty

So that the joys of their nearness may heal my ailments?

That they may be sated by their nearness and cure my affliction

اِنسان عَيني غَريق في مَدامِعُه

اِنسان عَيني غَريق في مَدامِعُه

فَكَيفَ يَخشى عَلى هذا مِنَ البَلَل

فَكَيفَ يَخشى عَلى هذا مِنَ البَلَل

The pupil of my eye is drowning in its tears;

My eyes are drowned in tears

How, then, can one fear its getting wet?

So why should I fear getting wet?

لما نَأَوا عَن عَيون ظَلت مُكتئيا

لما نَأَوا عَن عَيون ظَلت مُكتئيا

حَلف الهيام وَقَلبي دائِم الوَجل

حَلف الهيام وَقَلبي دائِم الوَجل

When they withdrew from sight, I remained downcast,

When they became distant, my eyes grew dark

A companion of love's madness, and my heart ever fearful.

Passion and my heart are ever restless

لَولا الأَماني أَغَثتَني عَواطِفُها

لَولا الأَماني أَغَثتَني عَواطِفُها

لَراحَت الروحُ بَين الرَسم وَالطَلَل

لَراحَت الروحُ بَين الرَسم وَالطَلَل

Were it not for hopes, whose tenderness came to my aid,

Were it not for the hopes kindled by my feelings

The soul would have departed among the camp's traces and ruins.

My soul would have vanished between ephemeral life and ruins

كَم بَين روحي وَالاِتلاف مُعتَرِك

كَم بَين روحي وَالاِتلاف مُعتَرِك

وَكَم لِجَفني مَعَ التَسهيد مِن جَدَل

وَكَم لِجَفني مَعَ التَسهيد مِن جَدَل

How many a struggle lies between my soul and destruction!

How much my soul and intimacy wrestle

And how many quarrels my eyelid has with sleeplessness!

And how much my eyelids and sleep contend

وَكَم قَطَعت اللَيالي في مَحَبَّتِهِم

وَكَم قَطَعت اللَيالي في مَحَبَّتِهِم

وَكَم أَرَقت وَنجم اللَيلِ يَشهَدُ لي

وَكَم أَرَقت وَنجم اللَيلِ يَشهَدُ لي

And how many nights I have spent in loving them!

How many nights I spent consumed in loving them

And how often I have lain awake, while the night's star bears witness for me!

While the stars bear witness to my wakefulness

أَبَيتُ لَيلى أُناجي السَهد مُنتَظِراً

أَبَيتُ لَيلى أُناجي السَهد مُنتَظِراً

غَمضا وَما السَهد عَن جِفتي بِمُنتَقِل

غَمضا وَما السَهد عَن جِفتي بِمُنتَقِل

I spend my night confiding in sleeplessness, awaiting

I refused sleep, waiting to confide in a companion,

A closing of the eyes—yet sleeplessness will not leave my eyelid.

While my eyes remained closed, no companion came

اِن غِبت روحي فَمياس القَوام لَهُ

اِن غِبت روحي فَمياس القَوام لَهُ

بَينَ الضُلوعِ اِحتِفال أَي مُحتَفِل

بَينَ الضُلوعِ اِحتِفال أَي مُحتَفِل

If you are absent, my soul, the one of swaying stature has

If my soul departs, the body still stands

A celebration between the ribs—what a celebration!

But what celebration can there be between my ribs?

حَيّاكَ عَنّي سُعودُ الفَوزُ مُبتَهِجا

حَيّاكَ عَنّي سُعودُ الفَوزُ مُبتَهِجا

بِلَذَّةِ العَيشِ مَسروراً وَبِالأَمَلِ

بِلَذَّةِ العَيشِ مَسروراً وَبِالأَمَلِ

May victory's good fortunes greet you on my behalf, rejoicing

Convey my greetings to them, may they rejoice

In life's delight, gladdened also by hope.

In the joy of life and hope