ألا مَن لِصَبٍّ إِن تَغَشَّتهُ نَعسَةٌ

ألا مَن لِصَبٍّ إِن تَغَشَّتهُ نَعسَةٌ

سَرى البَرقُ نَجديَّ السَّنا وَهوَ شائِقُهْ

سَرى البَرقُ نَجديَّ السَّنا وَهوَ شائِقُهْ

Ah, who will help a lovesick man if drowsiness envelops him?

Alas! He who loves ardently, if sleep oppresses him,

Lightning travels by night, its gleam from Najd, stirring his longing.

The lightning of Najd flashes while he yearns for it

فَإن لَم يُؤرِّقهُ وَعاوَدَهُ الكَرى

فَإن لَم يُؤرِّقهُ وَعاوَدَهُ الكَرى

فَطَيفُكِ يا بنتَ الهِلاليِّ طارِقُهْ

فَطَيفُكِ يا بنتَ الهِلاليِّ طارِقُهْ

And if it does not keep him awake, and sleep returns to him,

If slumber does not keep him awake and away from him

Your phantom, O daughter of al-Hilali, visits him by night.

Your phantom, O daughter of the crescent, keeps him awake

بِلَيلٍ طَويلٍ يَنشُدُ النَّجمُ صُبحَهُ

بِلَيلٍ طَويلٍ يَنشُدُ النَّجمُ صُبحَهُ

فَلا الصُّبحُ مَسبوقٌ وَلا النَّجمُ لاحِقُهْ

فَلا الصُّبحُ مَسبوقٌ وَلا النَّجمُ لاحِقُهْ

In a long night, the star seeks its dawn,

On a long night when the star seeks its dawn

Yet dawn is not overtaken, nor does the star catch it.

Neither has the dawn preceded nor the star followed it

فَواهاً لِيَومٍ عِندَ سائِقَةِ النَّقا

فَواهاً لِيَومٍ عِندَ سائِقَةِ النَّقا

عَفا الدَّهرُ عَنهُ وَهوَ جَمٌّ بوائِقُهْ

عَفا الدَّهرُ عَنهُ وَهوَ جَمٌّ بوائِقُهْ

Ah, for a day beside her who leads the sand-dune,

Alas for a day at the riding camels' watering place

Which time spared, though its calamities are many.

Time has spared it while it is crowded with those departing

وَغُيِّبَ عَنّا كُلُّ غَيرانَ يَرتَدي

وَغُيِّبَ عَنّا كُلُّ غَيرانَ يَرتَدي

بِمِحمَلِ مَفتوقِ الغِرارَينِ عاتِقُهْ

بِمِحمَلِ مَفتوقِ الغِرارَينِ عاتِقُهْ

And every jealous man was kept away from us, wearing

And every different looker has been hidden from us

Upon his shoulder the baldric of a blade keen on both edges.

With a howdah of broken wood on his shoulders

وَلَم تُنذِرِ الطَّيرُ النَّواعِبُ بِالنَّوى

وَلَم تُنذِرِ الطَّيرُ النَّواعِبُ بِالنَّوى

وَأَلقى العَصا حادي المَطِيِّ وَسائِقُهْ

وَأَلقى العَصا حادي المَطِيِّ وَسائِقُهْ

And the cawing birds gave no warning of separation,

Nor did the warbling birds warn of the intent

And the camels’ chanter and driver laid down the staff.

And the goad's holder threw down his stick and departed

وَعنديَ مَن كانَ العَفافُ رَقيبَهُ

وَعنديَ مَن كانَ العَفافُ رَقيبَهُ

أُغازِلُهُ طَوراً وَطَوراً أُعانِقُهْ

أُغازِلُهُ طَوراً وَطَوراً أُعانِقُهْ

And beside me was one whose guardian was chastity;

And I have one whose chastity is his watcher

I wooed her at times, and at times embraced her.

I flirt with him at times and at times embrace him

وَيَملأُ سَمعي مِن حَديثٍ بِمِثلِهِ

وَيَملأُ سَمعي مِن حَديثٍ بِمِثلِهِ

عَلى النَّحرِ مِنهُ نظَّمَ العِقدَ ناسِقُهْ

عَلى النَّحرِ مِنهُ نظَّمَ العِقدَ ناسِقُهْ

And she filled my ears with speech, with the like of which

And he fills my hearing with talk the like of his

The necklace’s maker had strung it upon her throat.

On my throat he threaded the necklace, its arranger

فَلَمّا اِنقَضى ما ازدَدتُ إِلّا تَذَكُّراً

فَلَمّا اِنقَضى ما ازدَدتُ إِلّا تَذَكُّراً

لَهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ بِالحِمى ذَرَّ شارِقُهْ

لَهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ بِالحِمى ذَرَّ شارِقُهْ

And when it ended, I only grew in remembrance

So when it was finished I increased nothing but remembering him

Of it, with each day whose sun rose over the protected pasture.

Every day at Hima its wandering one flashes