حُيِّيتَ يا رَبْعَ الحِمَى بِزَرُودِ

حُيِّيتَ يا رَبْعَ الحِمَى بِزَرُودِ

مِنْ مُغْرَمٍ دَنِفِ الحَشَا مَعْمُودِ

مِنْ مُغْرَمٍ دَنِفِ الحَشَا مَعْمُودِ

Greetings to you, O dwelling of the sanctuary at Zarud,

I salute you, O abode of dignity, with a wreath

From a lover, sick at heart and sorely stricken.

From a lover with a slender waist and braided hair,

يا نُزْهَتِي الكُبْرى ومَعُدِن لذَّتِي

يا نُزْهَتِي الكُبْرى ومَعُدِن لذَّتِي

ومَحَلَّ أَهْلِ مَوَدَّتِي وعُهُودِي

ومَحَلَّ أَهْلِ مَوَدَّتِي وعُهُودِي

O my greatest delight and the source of my pleasure,

O my greatest delight and source of my pleasure,

And home to those bound to me by love and pledges.

And dwelling of those I love and made covenants with.

عُوجُوا عليهِ فَلَسْتُ أُبْرِدُ غُلَّةً

عُوجُوا عليهِ فَلَسْتُ أُبْرِدُ غُلَّةً

حَتّى أُعَفِّر في ثَراهُ خُدُودي

حَتّى أُعَفِّر في ثَراهُ خُدُودي

Turn aside to it, for I cannot quench my burning thirst

They were unjust to him, so I will not cool my burning thirst

Until I rub my cheeks in its dust.

Until I rub my cheeks in his dust.

لَوْ كُنْتُ إِذْ أَدْعو أُجَابُ لَقُلْتُ يا

لَوْ كُنْتُ إِذْ أَدْعو أُجَابُ لَقُلْتُ يا

أَيّامَ وَصْلي بالأَحِبَّةِ عُودِي

أَيّامَ وَصْلي بالأَحِبَّةِ عُودِي

If I were answered when I called, I would say: O

If I were answered when I call, I would say:

Days of my union with my loved ones, return!

“O days of my union with the loved ones, return!”

أَيّامُ ذاتِ الخالِ لَيْسَ تَخِلّ في

أَيّامُ ذاتِ الخالِ لَيْسَ تَخِلّ في

وَعْدٍ وَذاتِ الجيدِ ذاتِ الجُودِ

وَعْدٍ وَذاتِ الجيدِ ذاتِ الجُودِ

Days of the woman with the mole, who never breaks

O days of the dark-lipped ones, who never break

A promise, and of the graceful-necked, generous one,

A promise, givers of generosity.

وَرَشِيقَةُ الأَعْطَافِ ذاتُ مُقبَّلٍ

وَرَشِيقَةُ الأَعْطَافِ ذاتُ مُقبَّلٍ

يَفْتَرُّ عَنْ عَذْبِ الرّضَابِ بَرُودِ

يَفْتَرُّ عَنْ عَذْبِ الرّضَابِ بَرُودِ

And the slender-figured one, with a kissable mouth

And the soft-limbed gazelle, she of the kisses

That parts in a smile, revealing saliva sweet and cool.

That distract from the sweetness of the red wine.

نَادَيْتُهَا والرَّكْبُ بَيْنَ مُوَدَّعٍ

نَادَيْتُهَا والرَّكْبُ بَيْنَ مُوَدَّعٍ

يَهْدي الجَوَى وَمُودِّعٍ مَكْمُودِ

يَهْدي الجَوَى وَمُودِّعٍ مَكْمُودِ

I called to her, while the caravan was divided between those being bid farewell,

I called her while the caravan was between one bidding farewell,

Who bestow heartache, and those bidding farewell, grief-stricken.

Bearing passion, and one bidding farewell, submissive.

يا ظَبْيةَ الوَعْسَاءِ ما ضَرَّ الهَوَى

يا ظَبْيةَ الوَعْسَاءِ ما ضَرَّ الهَوَى

لَوْ كُنْتِ مِنْ قَنْصِي وبَعْضِ صُيُودِي

لَوْ كُنْتِ مِنْ قَنْصِي وبَعْضِ صُيُودِي

O gazelle of the soft sands, what harm would love suffer

O roe of the rugged land, passion did no wrong

If you were among my quarry and one of my captures?

If you were of my hunting or some of my prey.

قَالُوا الشَّبَابُ إِلى الغَواني شَافِعٌ

قَالُوا الشَّبَابُ إِلى الغَواني شَافِعٌ

مَا لي رَجَعْتُ بِشَافِعٍ مَرْدُودِ

مَا لي رَجَعْتُ بِشَافِعٍ مَرْدُودِ

They said: Youth is an intercessor with beautiful women.

They said: “Youth can intercede for sins,”

Why have I returned with an intercessor rejected?

But I have not returned with an intercessor driven away.

قَالُوا الثَّرَاءُ يَزِينُهُ فَاعْمدْ إِلى

قَالُوا الثَّرَاءُ يَزِينُهُ فَاعْمدْ إِلى

ظِلِّ ابنِ عَبْدِ الظَّاهِرِ المَمْدُودِ

ظِلِّ ابنِ عَبْدِ الظَّاهِرِ المَمْدُودِ

They said: Wealth adorns it, so make for

They said: “Wealth makes it beautiful,” so I set out

The outstretched shade of Ibn Abd al-Zahir.

For the shade of the son of ʿAbd al-Ẓāhir the outstretched.

فَخَرجتُ أُظْهِرُ هِمَّتي ومحبَّتي

فَخَرجتُ أُظْهِرُ هِمَّتي ومحبَّتي

وَمَطِيَّتي ومَقاصِدِي وقَصِيدي

وَمَطِيَّتي ومَقاصِدِي وقَصِيدي

So I set out, displaying my resolve and my love,

So I set out displaying my resolve, love,

And my mount, my aims, and my verse.

My mount, my aims, and my ode,

وَسَريتُ مُدَّلِجاً إِليه ومُدْلِحاً

وَسَريتُ مُدَّلِجاً إِليه ومُدْلِحاً

وَالشّوْقُ يُدْني مِنْهُ كُلَّ بَعِيدِ

وَالشّوْقُ يُدْني مِنْهُ كُلَّ بَعِيدِ

And I journeyed to him late at night, heavily laden,

And I traveled by night to him, drawing near

And longing brings all that is distant close to him.

While yearning brought him closer, though remote.

لا وَعْرُ أَهْلِ الشّام يُبْعِدني وَلَا ال

لا وَعْرُ أَهْلِ الشّام يُبْعِدني وَلَا ال

رَمْلُ المدِيدُ ولا اتِّسَاعُ البيدِ

رَمْلُ المدِيدُ ولا اتِّسَاعُ البيدِ

Neither the rugged ground of al-Sham's people keeps me away, nor the

Neither the ruggedness of Syria’s land keeps me away

Far-stretching sand, nor the vastness of the deserts,

Nor the elongated sands, nor the breadth of the waste,

حَتَّى أَنَخْتُ بِمَنْ بِهِ اتَّضَحَتْ لَنَا

حَتَّى أَنَخْتُ بِمَنْ بِهِ اتَّضَحَتْ لَنَا

طُرُقُ الهُدَى وأَدلَّةُ التَّوْحِيدِ

طُرُقُ الهُدَى وأَدلَّةُ التَّوْحِيدِ

Until I made my mount kneel beside the one who made clear to us

Until I alighted near the one by whom the paths

The paths of guidance and the proofs of God's oneness.

Of guidance and the proofs of monotheism were made clear.