قُلْ لأسماء أَنْجِزي الميعادا

قُلْ لأسماء أَنْجِزي الميعادا

وانْظُري أنْ تُزوِّدي منكِ زادا

وانْظُري أنْ تُزوِّدي منكِ زادا

Tell Asma: fulfill the promised meeting,

Say to Asma: Fulfill the promise,

and see that you provision me with something of yourself.

And see that you give me sustenance from yourself.

أًينما كنتِ أو حَلَلتِ بأَرضٍ

أًينما كنتِ أو حَلَلتِ بأَرضٍ

أو بلادٍ أَحيَيْتِ تلكَ البلادا

أو بلادٍ أَحيَيْتِ تلكَ البلادا

Wherever you may be, or whichever land you settle in,

Wherever you may be, or settle in a land,

or country—you bring that country to life.

Or lands, you bring those lands to life.

إن تَكُونِي تَرَكْتِ رَبْعَكِ بالشَّأ

إن تَكُونِي تَرَكْتِ رَبْعَكِ بالشَّأ

مِ وجاوَزْتِ حِمْيراً ومُرادا

مِ وجاوَزْتِ حِمْيراً ومُرادا

If you have left your dwelling in al-Sham

If you have left your dwelling in al-Sham,

and passed beyond Himyar and Murad,

And passed beyond Himyar and Murad,

فارْتَجِي أَن أَكونَ منكِ قريباً

فارْتَجِي أَن أَكونَ منكِ قريباً

فاسْألي الصَّادِرِين والوُرَّادا

فاسْألي الصَّادِرِين والوُرَّادا

then hope that I may be somewhere near you;

Then hope that I am near you,

ask those departing and those arriving at the water.

So ask those departing and those arriving.

وإذا ما رأَيْتِ رَكْباً مُخِبِّيـ

وإذا ما رأَيْتِ رَكْباً مُخِبِّيـ

ـنَ يَقُودونَ مُقْرَباتٍ جِيادا

ـنَ يَقُودونَ مُقْرَباتٍ جِيادا

And whenever you see a company of riders hastening—

And if you see a band of riders hurrying,

men leading choice, noble steeds—

Leading prized, fine steeds,

فَهُمُ صُحْبتِي على أَرْحُلِ المَيْـ

فَهُمُ صُحْبتِي على أَرْحُلِ المَيْـ

ـسِ يُزَجُّونَ أَيْنُقاً أَفْرادا

ـسِ يُزَجُّونَ أَيْنُقاً أَفْرادا

then they are my companions, upon saddles of mays—

Then they are my companions, on hackberry-wood saddles,

—wood, urging single she-camels onward.

Urging lone she-camels onward.

وإذا ما سَمعتِ من نحوِ أرضٍ

وإذا ما سَمعتِ من نحوِ أرضٍ

بِمُحِبٍّ قد ماتَ أَو قِيلَ كادا

بِمُحِبٍّ قد ماتَ أَو قِيلَ كادا

And if you hear, from the direction of some land,

And if you hear, from the direction of some land,

of a lover who has died—or, it is said, nearly died—

Of a lover who has died, or is said to be near death,

فاعْلَمِي غيرَ عِلْمِ شَكٍّ بأنِّي

فاعْلَمِي غيرَ عِلْمِ شَكٍّ بأنِّي

ذاكِ وأبْكِي لِمُصْفَدٍ أَنْ يُفادى

ذاكِ وأبْكِي لِمُصْفَدٍ أَنْ يُفادى

then know, with knowledge untouched by doubt, that I

Then know, without any doubt, that I

am that man; and I weep for a muṣḥaf that might be ransomed.

Am he; and weep for one in fetters, that he may be ransomed.

أو تناءت بك النوى فلقد قدتِ

أو تناءت بك النوى فلقد قدتِ

فؤادِي لحينه فانقادا

فؤادِي لحينه فانقادا

Or if separation has borne you far away, then you have led

Or if separation has carried you far away, you have indeed led

my heart toward its doom, and it let itself be led.

My heart to its doom, and it obeyed.

ذاك أنِّي علقت منك جوى الحبّ

ذاك أنِّي علقت منك جوى الحبّ

وليداً فزدتُ سنّاً فزادا

وليداً فزدتُ سنّاً فزادا

That is because from you I caught love’s wasting passion

That is because I was seized by love's burning anguish for you

as a child; as I grew in years, it too grew.

As a child; I grew in years, and so did it.