هَل بِالنَّقا عَن سُلَيمَى مُذ نأَتْ خَبَرٌ

هَل بِالنَّقا عَن سُلَيمَى مُذ نأَتْ خَبَرٌ

فَكُلُّ ذي صَبوَةٍ يَرتاحُ لِلخَبَرِ

فَكُلُّ ذي صَبوَةٍ يَرتاحُ لِلخَبَرِ

Is there at al-Naqa any news of Sulayma since she went far away?

Has any news come of Sulaima since she went away?

For every lover rejoices at the news.

Every infatuated man finds comfort in the news.

وَيْلي مِنَ النَّفَرِ الغادينَ إِذ ظَعَنوا

وَيْلي مِنَ النَّفَرِ الغادينَ إِذ ظَعَنوا

بِها وَقَلبيَ يَتلوها عَلى الأَثَرِ

بِها وَقَلبيَ يَتلوها عَلى الأَثَرِ

Woe to me for the band setting out at dawn, when they departed

Woe is me from the departing company when they marched off,

with her, while my heart follows her close behind.

With her, while my heart recites her name in sequence.

أَلقى الوُشاةَ بِقَلبٍ قُدَّ مِن حَزَنٍ

أَلقى الوُشاةَ بِقَلبٍ قُدَّ مِن حَزَنٍ

وَالعاذِلينَ بِطَرفٍ صيغَ مِن سَهَرِ

وَالعاذِلينَ بِطَرفٍ صيغَ مِن سَهَرِ

I meet the tale-bearers with a heart hewn from sorrow,

I met the slanderers with a heart exhausted from grief,

and the reproachers with a gaze fashioned from sleeplessness.

And the censurers with an eye bleary from sleeplessness.

وَأُتبِعُ النَّجمَ يَحكي عِقدَها نَظَراً

وَأُتبِعُ النَّجمَ يَحكي عِقدَها نَظَراً

وَأَحرِمُ القَمَرَ المألوفَ مِن نَظَري

وَأَحرِمُ القَمَرَ المألوفَ مِن نَظَري

And I send my gaze after the star that resembles her necklace,

And I follow the star relating the tale of her jewels in my sight,

and deprive the familiar moon of my gaze.

And deprive the familiar moon from my gaze.

وَالذِّكرُ مَثَّلَها لِلعَينِ سافِرَةً

وَالذِّكرُ مَثَّلَها لِلعَينِ سافِرَةً

وَمَن رآها فَلا يَرنو إِلى القَمَرِ

وَمَن رآها فَلا يَرنو إِلى القَمَرِ

And remembrance has pictured her unveiled before my eyes;

Remembrance portrays her to the eye traveling,

and whoever has seen her does not gaze at the moon.

And he who saw her cannot wish for the moon.