باللّهِ يا ريحَ الشّمالِ تحمّلي

باللّهِ يا ريحَ الشّمالِ تحمّلي

منّي التحية نحوَ ذاكَ المنزلِ

منّي التحية نحوَ ذاكَ المنزلِ

By God, O north wind, bear

By God, O north wind, carry

my greeting toward that dwelling.

A greeting from me toward that dwelling.

خُفِّي على حملِ السّلامِ وخَفِّفي

خُفِّي على حملِ السّلامِ وخَفِّفي

عن قلب صبٍ بالصّبابةِ مثقلِ

عن قلب صبٍ بالصّبابةِ مثقلِ

Fly lightly as you carry the greeting, and lighten

Be swift in bearing greetings, and relieve

the heart of a lover burdened with longing.

A lover's heart weighed down by longing.

قولي لمن شغلَ الفؤاد بحبِّه

قولي لمن شغلَ الفؤاد بحبِّه

ويحاكَ إنَّ فؤادَهُ منه خلي

ويحاكَ إنَّ فؤادَهُ منه خلي

Tell the one whose love has occupied my heart:

Say to the one who filled the heart with love for him:

“Alas for you—his own heart is empty of such love.

Alas for you! His heart is empty of it.

حلَّتْ عقودُ موعهِ وعقودُهُ

حلَّتْ عقودُ موعهِ وعقودُهُ

وعهودُهُ معقودةٌ لم تحللِ

وعهودُهُ معقودةٌ لم تحللِ

The bonds of his promised tryst and pledges have come undone,

The strings of his [tears?] have come undone, while his bonds

though his covenants were tied fast, never to be undone.”

And his vows remain tied, not undone.

سقياً لأَحبابٍ تبدَّلَ وُدُّهم

سقياً لأَحبابٍ تبدَّلَ وُدُّهم

بعدي ولم أَنقضْ ولم أَتبدَّلِ

بعدي ولم أَنقضْ ولم أَتبدَّلِ

May rain bless beloved friends whose affection changed

May rain fall upon loved ones whose affection changed

in my absence, though I neither broke faith nor changed—

In my absence, though I broke no pledge and did not change.

الظّاعنينَ وودُّهم مستوطنٌ

الظّاعنينَ وودُّهم مستوطنٌ

والرَّاحلينَ وذكرُهم لم يرحلِ

والرَّاحلينَ وذكرُهم لم يرحلِ

those who journeyed away while love for them stays lodged within me,

Those who departed, while love for them still dwells here,

those who departed while remembrance of them never left.

And those who left, while their memory has not left.

لي بعدهم حالُ المعنَّى المُبتلى

لي بعدهم حالُ المعنَّى المُبتلى

حُزناً وعينُ السَّاهرِ المتململِ

حُزناً وعينُ السَّاهرِ المتململِ

Since they left, mine is the plight of one love-tormented, afflicted

Since they left, mine is the state of one tormented and afflicted

by grief, and the eye of one sleepless, tossing restlessly.

By grief, and the eye of one sleepless and restless.

يا راكباً يطوي الفلا مستعجلاً

يا راكباً يطوي الفلا مستعجلاً

هَيّجتَ أَحزاني فلا تستعجلِ

هَيّجتَ أَحزاني فلا تستعجلِ

O rider hastily traversing the trackless waste,

O rider crossing the desert wastes in haste,

you have stirred my sorrows—do not hurry on.

You have stirred my sorrows, so do not hurry.

أَقفلت بابَ مسرَّتي وفتحتَ من

أَقفلت بابَ مسرَّتي وفتحتَ من

دمعي وحُزني كلَّ بابٍ مقفلِ

دمعي وحُزني كلَّ بابٍ مقفلِ

You locked the door of my joy and opened, with

You shut the door of my joy, and opened

my tears and grief, every door that had been locked.

Every locked door of my tears and grief.

عَرجْ وعُجْ نحوَ الحمى سُقي الحمى

عَرجْ وعُجْ نحوَ الحمى سُقي الحمى

أَعدلْ فليس عن الحمى مِن معدلِ

أَعدلْ فليس عن الحمى مِن معدلِ

Turn aside and cry aloud toward the beloveds’ encampment—may rain bless that encampment.

Turn aside and veer toward the sanctuary—may the sanctuary be watered!

Turn toward it—for from the beloveds’ encampment there is no turning away.

Turn aside, for there is no turning away from the sanctuary.