بَدَتْ وَجَناحُ الفَجْرِ لَمْ يَتَنَفَّضِ

بَدَتْ وَجَناحُ الفَجْرِ لَمْ يَتَنَفَّضِ

لَوامِعُ بَرْقٍ يَشْتَكي الأَيْنَ مُومِضِ

لَوامِعُ بَرْقٍ يَشْتَكي الأَيْنَ مُومِضِ

They appeared while dawn's wing had not yet fluttered—

The wings of dawn appeared, they did not flutter,

Flashes of flickering lightning complaining of weariness.

Flashes of lightning complaining - where is the twinkler?

يَلوحُ ابْتِسامَ العامِرِيَّةِ وَالجَوى

يَلوحُ ابْتِسامَ العامِرِيَّةِ وَالجَوى

يُبَرِّحُ بي وَالنَّجْمُ لَمْ يَتَعَرَّضِ

يُبَرِّحُ بي وَالنَّجْمُ لَمْ يَتَعَرَّضِ

It gleams like the smile of the ʿĀmirī woman, while heartache

The smile of prosperity and wellbeing is seen,

Torments me, and the star has not yet turned across the sky.

It bids me farewell while the star did not wink.

فَقُلْتُ لِأَدْنَى صاحِبَيَّ وقد طَوى

فَقُلْتُ لِأَدْنَى صاحِبَيَّ وقد طَوى

عَلى النَّوْمِ جَفْنَيْ راقِدِ اللَّيْلِ مُغْمِضِ

عَلى النَّوْمِ جَفْنَيْ راقِدِ اللَّيْلِ مُغْمِضِ

So I said to the nearer of my two companions, who had folded

So I said to my closest friend as he folded

His eyelids shut in sleep, a slumberer by night:

Over sleep his eyelids, the night slumbering,

تَصِحُّ وَتَلْحانِي فَذَرْنِي وَحُبَّها

تَصِحُّ وَتَلْحانِي فَذَرْنِي وَحُبَّها

فَإِنَّ مُصِحِّي في الصَّبابَةِ مُمْرِضي

فَإِنَّ مُصِحِّي في الصَّبابَةِ مُمْرِضي

You are well and reproach me; so leave me to my love for her,

“Wake up and rouse me!” But leave me be, and her love,

For in ardent longing, my healer is the one who makes me ill.

For my rouser in youth makes me sick.

وَمَنْ يَتَعَوَّضْ عَنْ هَواهُ فَإِنَّني

وَمَنْ يَتَعَوَّضْ عَنْ هَواهُ فَإِنَّني

وَجَدِّكَ عَنْ ظَمْياءَ لَمْ أَتَعَوَّضِ

وَجَدِّكَ عَنْ ظَمْياءَ لَمْ أَتَعَوَّضِ

And whoever takes a substitute for his love—as for me,

He who is consoled of his passion, I swear

By your good fortune, I have taken no substitute for Ẓamyāʾ.

By your life! I have not been consoled.

أَحِنُّ إِلَيْها وَالنَّوى مُطمَئِنَّةٌ

أَحِنُّ إِلَيْها وَالنَّوى مُطمَئِنَّةٌ

بِنا وَبُيوتُ الحَيِّ لَمْ تَتَقوَّضِ

بِنا وَبُيوتُ الحَيِّ لَمْ تَتَقوَّضِ

I yearn for her while separation lies at rest

I yearn for her while fortune is settled

Among us, and the tribe's dwellings have not been dismantled.

Between us, and the homes of the neighborhood did not crumble.

فَلا الصَّبْرُ مَوْجودٌ وَلا القَلْبُ ذاهِلٌ

فَلا الصَّبْرُ مَوْجودٌ وَلا القَلْبُ ذاهِلٌ

وَلا الشَّمْلُ مَجْموعٌ وَلا الشَّوْقُ مُنْقَضِ

وَلا الشَّمْلُ مَجْموعٌ وَلا الشَّوْقُ مُنْقَضِ

So no patience is to be found, nor is the heart forgetful,

Neither is patience present, nor is the heart forgetful,

Nor is our company reunited, nor is longing at an end.

Neither is union complete, nor longing finished.