يَقَرُّ بِعَيني أَن أَرى لَكِ مَنزِلاً

يَقَرُّ بِعَيني أَن أَرى لَكِ مَنزِلاً

بِنَعمانَ يَزكو تُربُهُ وَيَطيبُ

بِنَعمانَ يَزكو تُربُهُ وَيَطيبُ

It gladdens my eye to see a dwelling of yours

My eyes delight to see a home for you

at Na'man, whose soil grows rich and sweet,

In Na'aman, where the soil is sweet and pure,

وَأَرضاً بِنُوّارِ الأَقاحي صَقيلَةً

وَأَرضاً بِنُوّارِ الأَقاحي صَقيلَةً

تَرَدَّدُ فيها شَمأَلٌ وَجَنوبُ

تَرَدَّدُ فيها شَمأَلٌ وَجَنوبُ

and land polished with daisy blossoms,

And a land with bright wild flowers,

where north and south winds come and go.

Where the north and south winds blow,

وَأَيُّ حَبيبٍ غَيَّبَ النَأيُ شَخصَهُ

وَأَيُّ حَبيبٍ غَيَّبَ النَأيُ شَخصَهُ

وَحالَ زَمانٌ دونَهُ وَخُطوبُ

وَحالَ زَمانٌ دونَهُ وَخُطوبُ

And what a beloved, whose form distance has hidden,

What lover did absence obscure his image

with time and tribulations barring the way to him!

And time passed between us with sorrows,

تَطاوَلَتِ الأَعلامُ بَيني وَبَينَهُ

تَطاوَلَتِ الأَعلامُ بَيني وَبَينَهُ

وَأَصبَحَ نائي الدارِ وَهُوَ قَريبُ

وَأَصبَحَ نائي الدارِ وَهُوَ قَريبُ

The mountains tower between me and him,

The banners stretched between me and him

and he now dwells far away, though he is near.

And my homecoming was near, and he was far,

لَكِ اللَهُ مِن مَطلولَةِ القَلبِ بِالهَوى

لَكِ اللَهُ مِن مَطلولَةِ القَلبِ بِالهَوى

قَتيلَةِ شَوقٍ وَالحَبيبُ غَريبُ

قَتيلَةِ شَوقٍ وَالحَبيبُ غَريبُ

God be with you, whose heart love has slain without redress,

May God grant you relief from a heart in love,

slain by longing, while the beloved is far from home.

Slain by passion while the lover is a stranger,

أُقِلُّ سَلامي إِن رَأَيتُكِ خيفَةً

أُقِلُّ سَلامي إِن رَأَيتُكِ خيفَةً

وَأُعرِضُ كَيما لا يُقالَ مُريبُ

وَأُعرِضُ كَيما لا يُقالَ مُريبُ

I greet you sparingly, if I see you, out of fear,

I give you my greetings in whispers

and turn away, lest I be called suspect.

And turn away lest anyone would doubt,

وَأُطرِقُ وَالعَينانِ يومِضُ لَحظُها

وَأُطرِقُ وَالعَينانِ يومِضُ لَحظُها

إِلَيكِ وَما بَينَ الضُلوعِ وَجيبُ

إِلَيكِ وَما بَينَ الضُلوعِ وَجيبُ

And I bow my head, while my eyes flash their glances

I bow my head while my eyes flash their glances

toward you, and what lies between my ribs throbs.

Toward you, though my heart beats within,

يَقولونَ مَشغوفُ الفُؤادِ مُرَوَّعٌ

يَقولونَ مَشغوفُ الفُؤادِ مُرَوَّعٌ

وَمَشغوفَةٌ تَدعو بِهِ فَيُجيبُ

وَمَشغوفَةٌ تَدعو بِهِ فَيُجيبُ

They say, 'He is love-stricken at heart and frightened,

They say the love-smitten one is distraught

and a love-stricken woman calls for him, so he answers.'

And the woman in love calls him, and he answers,

وَما عَلِموا أَنّا إِلى غَيرِ ريبَةٍ

وَما عَلِموا أَنّا إِلى غَيرِ ريبَةٍ

بَقاءَ اللَيالي نَغتَدي وَنَؤوبُ

بَقاءَ اللَيالي نَغتَدي وَنَؤوبُ

Yet they do not know that, with no cause for suspicion,

They know not that we in our doubt

we go forth each morning and return, as long as nights endure.

Spend the nights in joy and in sorrow,

عَفافِيَ مِن دونِ التَقِيَّةِ زاجِرٌ

عَفافِيَ مِن دونِ التَقِيَّةِ زاجِرٌ

وَصَونُكِ مِن دونِ الرَقيبِ رَقيبُ

وَصَونُكِ مِن دونِ الرَقيبِ رَقيبُ

My chastity restrains me without the need for caution,

My chastity without coquetry drives me away

and your modesty keeps watch without a watcher.

And your modesty without a guard is my guard

عَشِقتُ وَما لي يَعلَمُ اللَهُ حاجَةٌ

عَشِقتُ وَما لي يَعلَمُ اللَهُ حاجَةٌ

سِوى نَظَري وَالعاشِقونَ ضُروبُ

سِوى نَظَري وَالعاشِقونَ ضُروبُ

I fell in love, and—God knows—I have no desire

I loved though I have no need, God knows,

save to gaze, and lovers are of many kinds.

Except to see you while lovers have diverse passions,

وَما لِيَ يا لَمياءُ بِالشَعرِ طائِلٌ

وَما لِيَ يا لَمياءُ بِالشَعرِ طائِلٌ

سِوى أَنَّ أَشعاري عَلَيكِ نَسيبُ

سِوى أَنَّ أَشعاري عَلَيكِ نَسيبُ

And poetry yields me no gain, O Lamya,

And, oh radiant one, I have no use for poetry

except that my poems are love-verses about you.

Except that my poems are your relatives,

أُحِبُّكِ حُبّاً لَو جَزَيتِ بِبَعضِهِ

أُحِبُّكِ حُبّاً لَو جَزَيتِ بِبَعضِهِ

أَطاعَكِ مِنّي قائِدٌ وَجَنيبُ

أَطاعَكِ مِنّي قائِدٌ وَجَنيبُ

I love you with such love that, were you to return a little of it,

I love you with a love, if I repaid a part,

both leader and led steed in me would obey you.

A leader and neighbor would obey you,

وَفي القَلبِ داءٌ في يَديكِ دَواؤُهُ

وَفي القَلبِ داءٌ في يَديكِ دَواؤُهُ

أَلا رُبَّ داءٍ لا يَراهُ طَبيبُ

أَلا رُبَّ داءٍ لا يَراهُ طَبيبُ

And in the heart is an ailment whose cure lies in your hands.

In my heart is a sickness, and its cure is in your hand,

Ah, many an ailment goes unseen by any physician.

Oh, how many an illness no doctor sees!

سَرى لَكِ مِن أَوطانِهِ كُلُّ عارِضٍ

سَرى لَكِ مِن أَوطانِهِ كُلُّ عارِضٍ

تَضاحَكَ فيهِ البَرقُ وَهُوَ قَطوبُ

تَضاحَكَ فيهِ البَرقُ وَهُوَ قَطوبُ

May every raincloud journey to you by night from its native lands,

Every visitor traveled to you from his home,

where lightning laughs, though the cloud itself frowns.

While lightning smiled and the clouds poured down,

وَلا زالَ خَفّاقُ النَسيمِ مُرَقرِقاً

وَلا زالَ خَفّاقُ النَسيمِ مُرَقرِقاً

عَليكِ وَأَنواءُ الغَمامِ تَصوبُ

عَليكِ وَأَنواءُ الغَمامِ تَصوبُ

And may the fluttering breeze never cease to ripple

The fluttering breeze still flickers about you

over you, while the clouds' showers pour down.

While the showers of clouds aim toward you.