قِفا خَبِّراني أَيُّها الرَّجُلانِ

قِفا خَبِّراني أَيُّها الرَّجُلانِ

عَنِ النَومِ إِنَّ الهَجرَ عَنهُ نَهاني

عَنِ النَومِ إِنَّ الهَجرَ عَنهُ نَهاني

Stop and tell me, you two men,

O two men, stop and tell me

About sleep, for separation has kept me from it.

About sleep - separation from it has forbidden me

وَكَيفَ يَكونُ النَومُ أَم كَيفَ طَعمُهُ

وَكَيفَ يَكونُ النَومُ أَم كَيفَ طَعمُهُ

صِفا النَومَ لي إِن كُنتُما تَصِفانِ

صِفا النَومَ لي إِن كُنتُما تَصِفانِ

And what is sleep like, or how does it taste?

How can sleep be? Or what is its taste?

Describe sleep to me, if you two can describe it.

Describe sleep to me, if you two can describe

فَإِنّي لَمُشتاقٌ إِلى النَومِ فَاِعلَما

فَإِنّي لَمُشتاقٌ إِلى النَومِ فَاِعلَما

وَلا عَهدَ لي بِالنَومِ مُنذُ زَمانِ

وَلا عَهدَ لي بِالنَومِ مُنذُ زَمانِ

For I truly long for sleep, so know this, you two,

For I long for sleep, so know

And I have not known sleep for a long time.

I've not known sleep for an age

وَإِنّي لَظَمآنٌ إِلى بَردِ أَعيُنٍ

وَإِنّي لَظَمآنٌ إِلى بَردِ أَعيُنٍ

جَرَت بِحَواشي بُقعَةِ الزَبَداني

جَرَت بِحَواشي بُقعَةِ الزَبَداني

And I truly thirst for the coolness of springs

And I thirst for the coolness of eyes

That flowed along the edges of the al-Zabadani region.

That flowed down the edges of eyelids

عُيونٌ جَرَت بِالسَفحِ حَتّى تَدافَعَت

عُيونٌ جَرَت بِالسَفحِ حَتّى تَدافَعَت

تَدافُعَ خَيلٍ أُرسِلَت لِرِهانِ

تَدافُعَ خَيلٍ أُرسِلَت لِرِهانِ

Springs flowed along the slope until they jostled one another,

Eyes that flowed down the slopes until they met

Jostling like horses let loose to race.

Like horses let loose for a race

فَتِلكَ مِياهٌ لَو شَرِبتُ زُلالَها

فَتِلكَ مِياهٌ لَو شَرِبتُ زُلالَها

وَبي كُلُّ داءٍ قاتِلٍ لَشَفاني

وَبي كُلُّ داءٍ قاتِلٍ لَشَفاني

So those waters, if I drank their pure draught,

Those are waters - if I drank their freshness

Would heal me, even were I afflicted with every deadly disease.

Every killing disease in me would be cured

أَلا حَبَّذا عَيشٌ هَنيءٌ قَطَعتُهُ

أَلا حَبَّذا عَيشٌ هَنيءٌ قَطَعتُهُ

بِظِلِّكُما يا أَيُّها الجَبَلانِ

بِظِلِّكُما يا أَيُّها الجَبَلانِ

Ah, how lovely the pleasant life I spent

If only a life, serene, I'd severed

In your shade, O you two mountains!

In your shadow, O you two mountains

تَناوَحتُما كَالفَرقَدَينِ فَأَشرَفَت

تَناوَحتُما كَالفَرقَدَينِ فَأَشرَفَت

بِسَفحَيكُما لِلناسِ خَيرُ مَغانِ

بِسَفحَيكُما لِلناسِ خَيرُ مَغانِ

You faced each other like the two Farqad stars, and there rose

You two wrestled like baby horses, and overlooked

Upon your two slopes the finest dwellings for people.

With your slopes, the best of livelihoods for people

عُيونُكُما قَرَّت وَعَيني سَخينَةٌ

عُيونُكُما قَرَّت وَعَيني سَخينَةٌ

وَهَل يَستَوي قاصي الدِيارِ وَداني

وَهَل يَستَوي قاصي الدِيارِ وَداني

Your springs are cool, while my eye is hot with grief;

Your eyes are sated, while mine are burning

And can one far from home be like one near it?

Can one far from home be like one nearby?

أَهَذا وَما كابَدتُما غُربَةَ النَوى

أَهَذا وَما كابَدتُما غُربَةَ النَوى

فَكَيفَ الغَريبُ الدارِ مُنذُ زَمانِ

فَكَيفَ الغَريبُ الدارِ مُنذُ زَمانِ

Is this so, though you two have not endured the loneliness of separation?

Is this despite what you've endured of the exile of dwellings?

Then how fares one long exiled from home?

So how must one exiled from home since ages feel?