لَنا بَرامَةَ أَوطانٌ وَأَوطارُ

لَنا بَرامَةَ أَوطانٌ وَأَوطارُ

وَمِن لَيالي هَوى أَسماءَ أَسمارُ

وَمِن لَيالي هَوى أَسماءَ أَسمارُ

In Barāma we have homelands and longings,

In Ramah we have homelands and longings,

and from nights of love for Asmāʾ, tales for the night.

and evening tales of nights of love for Asma.

أُسِرُّ وَجداً وَلَكِنّي أُصِرُّ عَلى ال

أُسِرُّ وَجداً وَلَكِنّي أُصِرُّ عَلى ال

بُكا وَلِلصَّبِّ إِسرارٌ وَإِصرارُ

بُكا وَلِلصَّبِّ إِسرارٌ وَإِصرارُ

I hide my passion, yet I persist in—

I conceal my longing, yet persist in

weeping; the ardent lover has secrets and persistence.

weeping; the lovesick have both secrecy and persistence.

حَمامَ بانِ الحِمَى هَيَّجتَ لي شَجَناً

حَمامَ بانِ الحِمَى هَيَّجتَ لي شَجَناً

وَبِالنَقا تُثمِرُ الأَشجان أَشجارُ

وَبِالنَقا تُثمِرُ الأَشجان أَشجارُ

O dove of the bān trees in the protected pasture, you have stirred grief in me,

O doves of the sanctuary's ban trees, you have stirred sorrow in me;

and at al-Naqā, sorrows bear fruit as trees.

and on the sandhill, trees bear sorrows as fruit.

بِهِ القَماري عَلى الباناتِ صادِحَةٌ

بِهِ القَماري عَلى الباناتِ صادِحَةٌ

وَفي القِبابِ عَلى الأَغصانِ أَقمارُ

وَفي القِبابِ عَلى الأَغصانِ أَقمارُ

There, the turtledoves sing upon the bān trees,

There, turtledoves sing upon the ban trees,

and within the domes, moons rest upon the branches.

and in the domed tents are moons upon branches.

لِيَهنِ سُكانَ نَجدٍ أَنَّ مَسكَنَهُم

لِيَهنِ سُكانَ نَجدٍ أَنَّ مَسكَنَهُم

قَلبي وَإِن نَزَحَت ما بَينَنا الدارُ

قَلبي وَإِن نَزَحَت ما بَينَنا الدارُ

Blest be the people of Najd, for their dwelling is

May the people of Najd rejoice that their dwelling is

my heart, though the abode between us lies far away.

my heart, though our homes lie far apart.

أَستَودِعُ اللَهَ جيراناً كَلَفتُ بِهِم

أَستَودِعُ اللَهَ جيراناً كَلَفتُ بِهِم

جاروا وَعِندَهُمُ لا يحفَظُ الجارُ

جاروا وَعِندَهُمُ لا يحفَظُ الجارُ

I commend to God’s care neighbors with whom I became enthralled;

I entrust to God neighbors with whom I am enamored;

they wronged me, and in their keeping no neighbor is protected.

they have been unjust, and among them no neighbor is protected.

ثَلاثَةٌ حينَ أَلقى مَن كَلِفتُ بِهِ

ثَلاثَةٌ حينَ أَلقى مَن كَلِفتُ بِهِ

تَعتادني لَيسَ لي مِنهُنّ أَنصارُ

تَعتادني لَيسَ لي مِنهُنّ أَنصارُ

Three things, whenever I meet the one who enthralls me,

Three things, when I meet the one I love,

beset me, and I have no champions against them:

beset me; against them I have no allies:

مِن ناظِرَيهِ وَمِن دَمعي وَمِن نَفسي

مِن ناظِرَيهِ وَمِن دَمعي وَمِن نَفسي

سَيفٌ وَسَيلٌ وَنارٌ دونَها النارُ

سَيفٌ وَسَيلٌ وَنارٌ دونَها النارُ

from his eyes, from my tears, and from my own soul—

from his two eyes, from my tears, and from my breath,

a sword, a flood, and a fire before which every fire pales.

a sword, a torrent, and a fire fiercer than fire itself.

نَشوانُ ريقَتُهُ خَمرٌ وَنَكهَتُهُ

نَشوانُ ريقَتُهُ خَمرٌ وَنَكهَتُهُ

عِطرٌ فَفي فيهِ خَمّار وَعَطّارُ

عِطرٌ فَفي فيهِ خَمّار وَعَطّارُ

Drunken, his saliva is wine, and his breath—

He is intoxicated; his saliva is wine, and his breath

perfume: within his mouth dwell a vintner and a perfumer.

is perfume; so in his mouth are a wine seller and a perfumer.

كَأَنَّهُ صَنَمٌ تَهفو لِفِتنَتِهِ

كَأَنَّهُ صَنَمٌ تَهفو لِفِتنَتِهِ

مِنّا قُلوبٌ وَأَسماعٌ وَأَبصارُ

مِنّا قُلوبٌ وَأَسماعٌ وَأَبصارُ

As though he were an idol, toward whose enchantment flutter

He is like an idol, toward whose allure flutter

our hearts, our hearing, and our eyes.

our hearts, our ears, and our eyes.

مِن قَبلِهِ ما رَأَت عَينايَ شَمس ضُحىً

مِن قَبلِهِ ما رَأَت عَينايَ شَمس ضُحىً

تَبدو وَمطلعِها جَيبٌ وَأَزرارُ

تَبدو وَمطلعِها جَيبٌ وَأَزرارُ

Before him, my eyes had never seen a morning sun

Before him, my eyes had never seen a midmorning sun

appear with a neckline and buttons for its rising-place.

appear, its rising-place a neckline and buttons.

يا قاتِلي بِضَعيفِ اللَحظِ فاتِرِهِ

يا قاتِلي بِضَعيفِ اللَحظِ فاتِرِهِ

آهاً لَهُ مِن ضَعيفٍ وَهوَ جَبّارُ

آهاً لَهُ مِن ضَعيفٍ وَهوَ جَبّارُ

O you who slay me with your feeble, languid glance—

O you who slay me with a weak, languid glance,

ah, what a feeble thing it is, and yet a conqueror!

ah, what a weakling it is—and yet a tyrant!

أَرى جُفونَكَ ما تَنفَكُّ قاتِلَةً

أَرى جُفونَكَ ما تَنفَكُّ قاتِلَةً

فَهَل لَهُنَّ عَلَينا في الهَوى ثارُ

فَهَل لَهُنَّ عَلَينا في الهَوى ثارُ

I see your eyelids never cease their killing;

I see that your eyelids never cease to kill;

do they have some blood-feud with us in love?

do they, then, have a blood-feud against us in love?

هَبني الكَرى لِيَزورَ الطَيفُ حِلفَ ضَنىً

هَبني الكَرى لِيَزورَ الطَيفُ حِلفَ ضَنىً

فَما عَلَيكَ إِذا ما زارَ أوزارُ

فَما عَلَيكَ إِذا ما زارَ أوزارُ

Grant me sleep, that your phantom may visit one sworn to wasting;

Grant me sleep, so the dream-image may visit a companion of wasting sickness;

what burden would fall upon you if it came to visit?

for no sins weigh upon you if it visits.