أَشاقَكَ بارِقٌ في الجُنحِ ساري

أَشاقَكَ بارِقٌ في الجُنحِ ساري

فَبَتَّ وَدَمعُ جَفنِكَ في اِنحِدارِ

فَبَتَّ وَدَمعُ جَفنِكَ في اِنحِدارِ

Did a lightning flash, coursing through night's gloom, stir your longing,

A lightning bolt in the wings flashed by

so you spent the night with tears streaming from your eyelid?

And your eyelid's tear started flowing

وَشِمتَ التونسيَّ فَصِرتَ ناسٍ

وَشِمتَ التونسيَّ فَصِرتَ ناسٍ

لِصَبرِكَ وَالتَجَلّدِ وَالوَقارِ

لِصَبرِكَ وَالتَجَلّدِ وَالوَقارِ

And you watched the Tunisian flash, and so forgot

You envied the Tunisian so you became forgetful

your patience, fortitude, and dignity.

Of your patience, composure and dignity

تُقَلِّبُكَ الشُجونُ عَلى فِراشٍ

تُقَلِّبُكَ الشُجونُ عَلى فِراشٍ

كَأن بِحَشوِهِ زُرقُ الشِفارِ

كَأن بِحَشوِهِ زُرقُ الشِفارِ

Sorrows toss you upon a bed

Melancholy tosses you on a bed

as though blue blades lay within its stuffing.

As if its stuffing were the blueness of lips

تَذَكَّرتَ العُهودَ فَبِتَّ صادٍ

تَذَكَّرتَ العُهودَ فَبِتَّ صادٍ

أَخا ظَمإِ إِلى بيرِ الحِجارِ

أَخا ظَمإِ إِلى بيرِ الحِجارِ

You recalled the old bonds, and spent the night athirst,

You recalled the covenants so you stayed resolute

a brother to thirst, longing for Bir al-Hijar.

A brother thirsty for the well of stones

أَقَمتُ بِهِ سِنينَ وَما تَرَوَّت

أَقَمتُ بِهِ سِنينَ وَما تَرَوَّت

بِهِ كَبِدي وَلا خَمَدَت جِماري

بِهِ كَبِدي وَلا خَمَدَت جِماري

I dwelt there for years, yet still unquenched

I dwelled by it for years but my liver was not sated

was my liver there, and my embers never died.

Nor did my embers subside

سَقى بيرَ الحِجارِ وَساكِنيهِ

سَقى بيرَ الحِجارِ وَساكِنيهِ

سُرورٌ وَاكِفٌ وَكفَ القِطارِ

سُرورٌ وَاكِفٌ وَكفَ القِطارِ

May Bir al-Hijar and its inhabitants be watered

The well of stones and its inhabitants were quenched

by joy pouring down as rain pours.

By sufficient, adequate rain that wetted the trains

وَحَيّا بِالسَعادَةِ كُلَّ بَدرٍ

وَحَيّا بِالسَعادَةِ كُلَّ بَدرٍ

بِهِ يُجلىَ وَصانَ عَنِ السِرارِ

بِهِ يُجلىَ وَصانَ عَنِ السِرارِ

And may it greet with happiness every full moon

And greeted with happiness each full moon

unveiled there, and shield it from the moon's dark phase.

It was illuminated by it and protected from mysteries

وَبَيّا واضِحَ الخَدَّينِ غِرّا

وَبَيّا واضِحَ الخَدَّينِ غِرّا

غَريراً أَغيَداً ماضي الغِرارِ

غَريراً أَغيَداً ماضي الغِرارِ

And welcome the bright-cheeked, innocent one,

And greeted the rosy-cheeked young man

guileless, supple, and keen of blade,

With a pure, white, radiant smile

عَزيزَ النَيلِ ذا حُسنٍ عَزيزٍ

عَزيزَ النَيلِ ذا حُسنٍ عَزيزٍ

صَغيرٍ كَبَّروهُ عَلى الصِغارِ

صَغيرٍ كَبَّروهُ عَلى الصِغارِ

hard to win, endowed with rare beauty,

The beloved Nile, of rare beauty

a youth whom they exalted above the young.

Small whom they exalted over the little ones

إِذا ما ماسَ يَمزَحَ قالَ قَلبي

إِذا ما ماسَ يَمزَحَ قالَ قَلبي

خُفوقاً مِن مُهَنِّدِهِ حَذارِ

خُفوقاً مِن مُهَنِّدِهِ حَذارِ

When he swayed in play, my heart said,

If he touched, he joked, my heart said

throbbing, 'Beware his Indian sword!'

Throbbing cautiously from his tenderness

يَرى تَعذيبَ مَن يَهواهُ عَذباً

يَرى تَعذيبَ مَن يَهواهُ عَذباً

وَلا يَدري الوِصالَ وَلا يُداري

وَلا يَدري الوِصالَ وَلا يُداري

He finds tormenting those who love him sweet,

He sees the torment of the one he loves as agony

and knows no union, nor shows consideration.

And knows not union nor rivalry

أَبيتُ بِهِ عَلىَ يَأسي مُقيماً

أَبيتُ بِهِ عَلىَ يَأسي مُقيماً

يَدي صِفرٌ وَوَجهي ذو اِصفِرارِ

يَدي صِفرٌ وَوَجهي ذو اِصفِرارِ

I spend the night with him, abiding despite my despair,

I persisted in my despair, staying put

my hand empty, and my face yellowed.

My hands jaundiced and my face yellow

وَقاصِرَة الحِجالِ إِذا تَبَدَّت

وَقاصِرَة الحِجالِ إِذا تَبَدَّت

تَرى التَقصيرَ في البيضِ القِصارِ

تَرى التَقصيرَ في البيضِ القِصارِ

And a maiden secluded behind curtains—when she appears,

Her anklets, when revealed

you see how the fair, short-statured women fall short.

Show inadequacy in the short whites

تَصُدُّ مَلاحَةً وَتَتيهُ صَدّا

تَصُدُّ مَلاحَةً وَتَتيهُ صَدّا

وَهَل لِلشَمسِ تُبصَرُ مِن قَرارِ

وَهَل لِلشَمسِ تُبصَرُ مِن قَرارِ

She turns away in loveliness and glories in refusal;

She acts coyly and wanders astray

and can the sun be gazed at steadily?

Does the sun see from its abode?

يُلاحِظُها العَذولُ فَيَصطَفيها

يُلاحِظُها العَذولُ فَيَصطَفيها

وَيَعذِرُ كُلَّ خَلّاع العِذارِ

وَيَعذِرُ كُلَّ خَلّاع العِذارِ

The reproacher glances at her, and so chooses her,

The bachelor observes her and chooses her

and excuses all who throw off the bridle.

And excuses every evasive excuse

نَعِمتُ بِها بِرَغمِ أُنوفِ قَومٍ

نَعِمتُ بِها بِرَغمِ أُنوفِ قَومٍ

تُلاحظني بِطَرفٍ ذي ازوِرارِ

تُلاحظني بِطَرفٍ ذي ازوِرارِ

I delighted in her, rubbing certain people's noses in the dust—

I enjoyed her despite the noses of a people

those who watch me with a disdainful eye.

She glances at me with a coy eye

وَبِتنا وَالمُدامُ لَنا نَديم

وَبِتنا وَالمُدامُ لَنا نَديم

يَسُرُّ وَنَحنُ كاليَدِ وَالسِوارِ

يَسُرُّ وَنَحنُ كاليَدِ وَالسِوارِ

And we spent the night, wine our boon companion,

We stayed overnight and wine was our companion

bringing joy, while we were like hand and bracelet.

Making us happy like a hand and bracelet

إِذا عاطَيتُها كأسَ الحُمَيّا

إِذا عاطَيتُها كأسَ الحُمَيّا

كَساها حُلةً مِن جُلنَّارِ

كَساها حُلةً مِن جُلنَّارِ

When I offered her a cup of heady wine,

When I give her a cup of rapture

it clothed her in a robe of pomegranate blossom.

It dresses her in a gown of ember

وَألثِمُها فَيَزدادُ اِشتياقي

وَألثِمُها فَيَزدادُ اِشتياقي

كَأَن اللَثمَ مِن جِنسِ العُقارِ

كَأَن اللَثمَ مِن جِنسِ العُقارِ

And I kiss her, and so my longing grows,

When I kiss her, my yearning increases

as though kissing were of the same kind as wine.

As if the kiss were a kind of elixir

وَبِنتُ الكَرمِ يَمزِجُها ابن كَرمٍ

وَبِنتُ الكَرمِ يَمزِجُها ابن كَرمٍ

وَيَدري إِذ يُديرُ لِمَن يُداري

وَيَدري إِذ يُديرُ لِمَن يُداري

And the vine's daughter is blended by a son of generosity,

The daughter of generosity blended by the son of generosity

who knows, as he passes it round, whom to humor.

Who knows well when to pay attention

وَخامِسُنا خَميسُ الزَينُ يَشدو

وَخامِسُنا خَميسُ الزَينُ يَشدو

مُرادي يا عُيونَ جَنا القِفارِ

مُرادي يا عُيونَ جَنا القِفارِ

And our fifth, Khamis al-Zayn, sings:

Our fifth, the beauty Khamees, sings

“My desire, O eyes of the deserts' harvest!”

My wish, O eyes of the empty desert

فَتَحسُدُ مُقلَتي إِذ ذاكَ سَمعي

فَتَحسُدُ مُقلَتي إِذ ذاكَ سَمعي

وَتَشهَدُ بِالفَضيلَةِ وَالفَخارِ

وَتَشهَدُ بِالفَضيلَةِ وَالفَخارِ

My eye then envies my hearing,

My eyelids then envy my hearing

and bears witness to excellence and glory.

And testify to the merit and pride

فَيا عَصرَ التَواصُلِ هَل إِيابٌ

فَيا عَصرَ التَواصُلِ هَل إِيابٌ

فَنُطفي ما أَواري مِن أَوارِ

فَنُطفي ما أَواري مِن أَوارِ

So, O time of togetherness, will you return,

O era of communication, is there a return

so we may quench the burning heat I hide,

To extinguish what I concealed of feelings?

وَيُنظُمُ شَملَنا مِن بَعدِ شَت

وَيُنظُمُ شَملَنا مِن بَعدِ شَت

كَما نَهوى عَلى وِفقِ اِختياري

كَما نَهوى عَلى وِفقِ اِختياري

and our company may be reunited after dispersal,

And reunite us after separation

as we desire, in keeping with my choice?

As we desire according to my choice

لَعَلَّ اللَهُ يَجمَعُنا سَريعاً

لَعَلَّ اللَهُ يَجمَعُنا سَريعاً

وَآخُذُ مِن صُروفِ الدَهرِ ثاري

وَآخُذُ مِن صُروفِ الدَهرِ ثاري

Perhaps God will bring us together soon,

Perhaps God will unite us soon

and I shall take my revenge on the turns of time.

And I will take my revenge on the twists of fate

أَخلائي اِذكُروا عَهدي فَإِنّي

أَخلائي اِذكُروا عَهدي فَإِنّي

أَحِنّ لَكُم عَلى شَحَط المَزارِ

أَحِنّ لَكُم عَلى شَحَط المَزارِ

My friends, remember my pledge, for I

My friends, remember my covenant, for I

yearn for you, though the place of meeting is far away.

Yearn for you at the far tombs