أقبل اللّيل فقومي وانثري

أقبل اللّيل فقومي وانثري

فوق هذا الرّوض من وجهك نورا

فوق هذا الرّوض من وجهك نورا

Night has come: rise and scatter

The night has come, so rise and scatter

The night has arrived, so rise and scatter

over this garden light from your face.

From your face, light over this garden.

Upon this garden the light of your face;

واقطفي لي وردة قبّلها

واقطفي لي وردة قبّلها

لؤلؤ الصبح نظيما ونثيرا

لؤلؤ الصبح نظيما ونثيرا

And pluck for me a rose kissed by

And pluck for me a rose, kiss it,

And pick for me a rose, kissed by

the morning's pearls, strung and scattered.

Strung with the pearls of dawn as ornament and scatter.

The pearls of dawn, both strung and scattered.

واملأي كأسك لي من ريقة

واملأي كأسك لي من ريقة

تسكر الأرواح طيبا و عبيرا

تسكر الأرواح طيبا و عبيرا

And fill your cup for me with a little saliva

And fill your cup for me with saliva

And fill your cup for me with a nectar

that intoxicates souls with sweetness and fragrance.

That intoxicates the spirits with fragrance and incense.

That intoxicates souls with sweetness and perfume.

ورد خدّيك نضير مستح

ورد خدّيك نضير مستح

فدعيني ألثم الورد النّضيرا

فدعيني ألثم الورد النّضيرا

The roses of your cheeks are fresh and shy;

The rose of your cheek is the counterpart of a polished sword—

The roses of your cheeks are fresh and shy,

so let me kiss the fresh roses.

So let me kiss this counterpart rose.

So let me kiss the fresh roses.

طهّر الحبّ فؤادي فغدا

طهّر الحبّ فؤادي فغدا

كفؤاد الطفل يا ميّ طهورا

كفؤاد الطفل يا ميّ طهورا

Love purified my heart, and it became

Love has purified my heart so it became

Love has purified my heart, until it became

pure as a child's heart, Mayy.

Like a child’s heart—O pure water!

Like the heart of a child, O May, completely pure.

عمر النفس شعورا بالأسى

عمر النفس شعورا بالأسى

و الأسى يخلق في النفس الشعورا

و الأسى يخلق في النفس الشعورا

It filled the soul with a sense of sorrow,

The life of the soul is a feeling of sorrow,

It filled the soul with a feeling of sorrow,

and sorrow creates feeling in the soul.

And sorrow creates feeling in the soul.

And sorrow creates true feeling in the soul.

إملأي المصباح زيتا و اتركي

إملأي المصباح زيتا و اتركي

لعبيد الوهم نور الكهرباء

لعبيد الوهم نور الكهرباء

Fill the lamp with oil, and leave

Fill the lantern with oil and leave

Fill the lamp with oil, and leave

electric light to the slaves of illusion.

The slaves of illusion in electric light,

The electric light to the slaves of illusion.

وتغنّي بأناشيد الهوى

وتغنّي بأناشيد الهوى

تسكر الأرواح ألحان الغناء

تسكر الأرواح ألحان الغناء

And sing the songs of love:

And sing the songs of passion—

And sing the anthems of passion,

the melodies of song intoxicate souls.

May the tunes of song intoxicate the spirits.

For the melodies of song intoxicate the souls.

وارفعي للأفق عينيك تري

وارفعي للأفق عينيك تري

أيّ حسن و جلال في السماء

أيّ حسن و جلال في السماء

And lift your eyes to the horizon: you will see

And lift your eyes to the horizon to see

Raise your eyes to the horizon, and you shall see

what beauty and majesty dwell in the sky.

What beauty and majesty is in the sky.

What beauty and majesty reside in the sky.

كوخنا يا ميّ في هذي الربى

كوخنا يا ميّ في هذي الربى

 لا تساميه قصور الأمراء

لا تساميه قصور الأمراء

Our hut, Mayy, amid these hills,

Our cottage, O Mayya, in this land

Our hut, O May, in these hills,

cannot be matched by princes' palaces.

Cannot be compared to the palaces of princes.

Cannot be rivaled by the palaces of princes.

قد أمنّا قوّة الناس به

قد أمنّا قوّة الناس به

أيّ كسب عندنا للأقوياء

أيّ كسب عندنا للأقوياء

Within it we are safe from people's might;

We have secured the strength of people through it—

In it, we are safe from the power of men;

what gain can the powerful find with us?

What gain is there for the powerful among us?

What profit could the strong find in us?

صعفاء نحن يا ميّ و ذا

صعفاء نحن يا ميّ و ذا

كلّ ما نملك كفّ الضعفاء

كلّ ما نملك كفّ الضعفاء

We are weak, Mayy, and this

We are weak, O Mayya, and this

Weak we are, O May, and this

is all we possess: the hand of the weak.

Is all we own—the palm of the weak.

Is all we possess: the hands of the weak.

إسمعي أخبار جنّات الرّبى

إسمعي أخبار جنّات الرّبى

 ودعينا من أحاديث البشر

ودعينا من أحاديث البشر

Listen to the news of the hills' gardens,

Listen to the news of the gardens of the land

Listen to the tales of the hill gardens,

and spare us the tales of humankind.

And leave us from the talk of people.

And let us leave behind the chatter of mortals.

بلبلي اليوم حزين صامت

بلبلي اليوم حزين صامت

ليت شعري أيّ ألف قد ذكر

ليت شعري أيّ ألف قد ذكر

My nightingale is sad and silent today;

My nightingale today is sad and silent—

My nightingale today is sad and silent;

if only I knew which beloved companion it remembered.

I wonder which beloved he has remembered?

I wish I knew which mate it has remembered.

و الرّياحين زهت و ابتسمت

و الرّياحين زهت و ابتسمت

حينما غازلها جفن المطر

حينما غازلها جفن المطر

And the fragrant flowers grew radiant and smiled

The sweet basil bloomed and smiled

And the basil bloomed and smiled,

when the rain's eyelid wooed them.

When the eyelid of rain flirted with it.

When the eyelid of the rain flirted with it.

ذلك الدّوح الذي ظلّلنا

ذلك الدّوح الذي ظلّلنا

داعبته الريح ليلا فانتثر

داعبته الريح ليلا فانتثر

That spreading tree that shaded us—

That fig tree that shaded us—

That great tree which offered us its shade,

the wind caressed it at night, and its leaves scattered.

The wind toyed with it at night and it scattered.

The wind caressed it by night, and its leaves scattered.

أشرق الصبح على زهر الربى

أشرق الصبح على زهر الربى

ناثرا لؤلؤه فيما نثر

ناثرا لؤلؤه فيما نثر

Morning dawned upon the flowers of the hills,

Dawn shone on the garden’s flowers

The morning shone upon the flowers of the hills,

scattering its pearls among what it scattered.

Scattering its pearls on what was scattered.

Scattering its pearls among all it scattered.

فاقطفي ما شئت منها و ارفعي

فاقطفي ما شئت منها و ارفعي

فوق ذا المفرق تيجان الزّهر

فوق ذا المفرق تيجان الزّهر

So pluck as many as you wish, and raise

So pluck what you wish from it and lift

So pick whatever you wish of them, and raise

above this hair-parting crowns of flowers.

Crowns of flowers over this parting.

Crowns of flowers above this parted hair.

لا تقولي : قصّ أنباء الورى

لا تقولي : قصّ أنباء الورى

حسبنا أنباء هذي الزهرات

حسبنا أنباء هذي الزهرات

Do not say, 'Tell the news of humankind';

Do not say: Tell the news of people,

Do not say: "Tell the tidings of mankind."

the news of these flowers is enough for us.

The news of these flowers is enough for us.

Sufficient for us are the tidings of these blossoms.

و اربإي بالسّمع عن أخبارهم

و اربإي بالسّمع عن أخبارهم

 إنّها تدمي قلوب الفتيات

إنّها تدمي قلوب الفتيات

And keep your ears aloof from their news:

And deafen me to their news—

And spare your ears from hearing their news,

it makes young women's hearts bleed.

It wounds the hearts of young women.

For it makes the hearts of young women bleed:

أمّة تقتل ظلما أختها

أمّة تقتل ظلما أختها

و غنيّ مستبدّ بالعفاة

و غنيّ مستبدّ بالعفاة

A nation unjustly killing its sister,

A nation that unjustly kills its sister,

A nation unjustly killing its sister nation,

and a rich man tyrannizing over supplicants,

And a tyrant with the weak.

And a rich man tyrannizing the destitute.

ودماء خضبت وجه الثرى

ودماء خضبت وجه الثرى

ودموع كالغوادي جاريات

ودموع كالغوادي جاريات

and blood staining the face of the earth,

Blood dyed the face of the land,

And blood that has dyed the face of the earth,

and tears flowing like morning showers,

And tears flowing like valleys.

And tears flowing like the morning rainclouds.

و شعوب باكيات تشتكي

و شعوب باكيات تشتكي

عنت الأسر و أخرى ضاحكات

عنت الأسر و أخرى ضاحكات

and weeping peoples lamenting

And weeping nations complaining

And weeping peoples complaining

the torment of captivity, while others laugh,

Of the misery of captivity, and others laughing.

Of the hardship of captivity, while others laugh.

وحياة كلّ ما فيها أذى

وحياة كلّ ما فيها أذى

لا سقى عهد الحيا هذي الحياة

لا سقى عهد الحيا هذي الحياة

and a life in which everything is harm—

And a life whose entirety is harm—

And a life in which everything is harm;

may the season of rain never water this life.

This life has not watered the covenant of life.

May the rain never water the era of this life!

إسمعي : لن تسمعي في أرضهم

إسمعي : لن تسمعي في أرضهم

 غير أصوات عويل و بكاء

غير أصوات عويل و بكاء

Listen: in their land you will hear nothing

Listen: You will hear in their land

Listen: you will not hear in their land

but sounds of wailing and weeping.

Only voices of weeping and crying,

Anything but the sounds of wailing and crying:

والد يبكي ابنه أودت به

والد يبكي ابنه أودت به

في الوغى أطماع قوم أقوياء

في الوغى أطماع قوم أقوياء

A father weeps for his son, killed

A father crying for his son, whom

A father weeping for his son, destroyed

in battle by the ambitions of powerful men;

The greed of mighty people has claimed in turmoil,

In battle by the greed of powerful men.

ورؤوم فقدت واحدها

ورؤوم فقدت واحدها

فتعزّت فيه عن حسن العزاء

فتعزّت فيه عن حسن العزاء

and a tender mother has lost her only child,

And a compassionate woman who lost her only one

And a tender mother who lost her only child,

and in losing him, sought solace for the loss of true solace.

So she sought solace in mourning.

Refusing all fair comfort in her grief for him.

ضحكات الأقوياء ارتفعت

ضحكات الأقوياء ارتفعت

و علا بالنوح صوت الضعفاء

و علا بالنوح صوت الضعفاء

The laughter of the powerful rose,

The laughter of the mighty rose up

The laughter of the strong has risen,

and the voice of the weak rose in lamentation.

While the voice of the weak rose in lament.

While the voice of the weak rises in wailing.

أفسدوا الماء على شاربه

أفسدوا الماء على شاربه

 فغدا حسرة أكباد ظماء

فغدا حسرة أكباد ظماء

They spoiled the water for those who drink it,

They corrupted the water for its drinkers

They ruined the water for its drinker,

so it became a torment to parched livers.

So it became regret in the livers of the thirsty.

So it became the heartbreak of thirsty livers.

كيف يروي غلّة الصادي و قد

كيف يروي غلّة الصادي و قد

مزجوه بشابيب الدماء

مزجوه بشابيب الدماء

How can it slake the thirsty one's burning thirst, when

How can the crop of fields water

How can it quench the thirst of the parched, when

they have mingled it with showers of blood?

When they mixed it with torrents of blood?

They have mixed it with downpours of blood?

ميّ : عفوا ما لعينيك و هي

ميّ : عفوا ما لعينيك و هي

 فيهما سلك اللآلي فانفرط

فيهما سلك اللآلي فانفرط

Mayy, forgive me—what ails your eyes? There,

Mayya: Sorry, why do your eyes—

May: forgive me, what ails your eyes, in which

within them, the pearl-string has come apart.

In them, the threads of pearls have scattered?

The string of pearls has weakened and scattered?

أما أحزنتك يا ميّ فهل

أما أحزنتك يا ميّ فهل

 يغفر الرحمن لي هذا الشطط

يغفر الرحمن لي هذا الشطط

Have I not saddened you, Mayy? Will

Have I not saddened you, O Mayya? Will

Have I saddened you, O May? And will

the Merciful forgive me this excess?

The Merciful forgive me for this digression?

The Merciful forgive me this transgression?

إحسبيني كاذبا وابتسمي

إحسبيني كاذبا وابتسمي

ودعيني أرتشف هذي النقط

ودعيني أرتشف هذي النقط

Think me a liar, and smile,

Count me a liar, and smile,

Consider me a liar, and smile;

and let me sip these drops:

And let me sip these drops—

And let me sip these falling drops:

أدمع طاهرة ، ذوب الندى

أدمع طاهرة ، ذوب الندى

 فوق أكمام الأزاهير سقط

فوق أكمام الأزاهير سقط

pure tears, the liquid essence of dew

Pure tears dissolve the dew

Pure tears, melting dew,

fallen upon the flowers' calyxes.

That fell above the sleeves of flowers.

Falling upon the petals of blossoms.

لا رعى الله قويّا فاتحا

لا رعى الله قويّا فاتحا

المنايا ناشطات ما نشط

المنايا ناشطات ما نشط

May God never protect a mighty conqueror:

God does not shepherd a strong invader

May God not protect a conquering tyrant,

death is astir whenever he stirs.

With swords active and unsheathed.

By whose actions the fates of death are energized.

أنّت الثكلى فولّى ضاحكا

أنّت الثكلى فولّى ضاحكا

ورأى الأسياف تدمى فاغتبط

ورأى الأسياف تدمى فاغتبط

The bereaved mother groaned; he turned away laughing,

You are bereaved, yet he laughs

The bereaved mother moaned, yet he turned away laughing,

and saw the swords bleeding, and exulted.

And sees the blood-smeared swords and gloats.

And he saw the swords bleed, and so he rejoiced.

كفكفي دمعك يا ميّ فقد

كفكفي دمعك يا ميّ فقد

جرحت قلبي هذي الأدمع

جرحت قلبي هذي الأدمع

Wipe away your tears, Mayy, for

Stop your tears, O Mayya, for they have

Dry your tears, O May, for

these tears have wounded my heart.

Wounded my heart, these tears.

These tears have wounded my heart.

و تناسي عالم الشرّ فما

و تناسي عالم الشرّ فما

في هدى هذي البرايا مطمع

في هدى هذي البرايا مطمع

And forget the world of evil: there is no

And forget the world of evil—for there is no

And forget the world of evil, for there is

hope of these creatures finding guidance.

Covetousness in the guidance of these wilds.

No hope of guiding these creatures.

و اتركي القصر منيعا عاليا

و اتركي القصر منيعا عاليا

حسبنا هذا الفضاء البلقع

حسبنا هذا الفضاء البلقع

And leave the palace, fortified and lofty;

And leave the formidable, lofty palace—

And leave the palace, fortified and high;

this barren expanse is enough for us.

This open space is enough for us.

Sufficient for us is this vast, empty expanse.

و اقنعي : أشقى البرايا طامع

و اقنعي : أشقى البرايا طامع

سادر في غيّه لا يقنع

سادر في غيّه لا يقنع

And be content: the most wretched creature is a greedy man,

And be content: the most miserable of wilds is a covetous one,

And be content: the most wretched of creatures is the greedy,

heedless in his error, never content.

Wandering in his ignorance, never content.

Wandering recklessly in his delusion, never satisfied.

تحت أغصان الدوالي بالربى

تحت أغصان الدوالي بالربى

هيكل الحبّ الطّهور الأرفع

هيكل الحبّ الطّهور الأرفع

Beneath the grapevine branches on the hills

Under the branches of tufts in the wild

Beneath the branches of the grapevines in the hills,

stands the loftiest temple of pure love,

Is the most sublime temple of pure love,

Stands the temple of the purest, most sublime love.

هيكل الحبّ الذي أجثو به

هيكل الحبّ الذي أجثو به

خاشعا : ما حبّ من لا يخشع ؟

خاشعا : ما حبّ من لا يخشع ؟

the temple of love in which I kneel

The temple of love in which I kneel

The temple of love in which I kneel

reverently—what love has one who knows no reverence?

Reverently: For what love is without reverence?

Humbly: what is the love of one who shows no reverence?

ها هنا في الروض و الروض شذى

ها هنا في الروض و الروض شذى

 بيعة الله تضمّ المؤمنينا

بيعة الله تضمّ المؤمنينا

Here, in the garden—and the garden is fragrance—

Behold, here in the garden—and the garden is the scent—

Here in the garden, while the garden is full of fragrance,

God's church gathers the faithful.

Is the pledge of God that brings believers together.

God's sanctuary gathers the believers.

فالبسي الإكليل يا ميّ فقد

فالبسي الإكليل يا ميّ فقد

أشرق الصبح على الدنيا مبينا

أشرق الصبح على الدنيا مبينا

So don the wreath, Mayy, for

So wear the wreath, O Mayya, for dawn has

So wear the crown, O May, for

morning has dawned brightly upon the world.

Shone on the world, making clear.

The morning has shone clearly upon the world.

حفلة العرس و من زهر الربى

حفلة العرس و من زهر الربى

قد دعونا يا ابنة الخير مئينا

قد دعونا يا ابنة الخير مئينا

To the wedding feast—and from the flowers of the hills—

The wedding feast—and the garden’s flowers

It is the wedding feast, and from the flowers of the hills

we have invited hundreds, daughter of goodness.

Have invited us, O daughter of Goodness, in droves.

We have invited hundreds, O daughter of goodness.

و طيور الروض يا فاتنتي

و طيور الروض يا فاتنتي

قد أقمناها مقام المنشدينا

قد أقمناها مقام المنشدينا

And the garden's birds, my enchantress,

And the garden’s birds, O my beauty,

And the birds of the garden, O my enchantress,

we have installed in the singers' place.

We have appointed as singers.

We have set them in the place of the choir.

أقبل البلبل فاجثي و اخشعي

أقبل البلبل فاجثي و اخشعي

و اتركي الأزهار يلثمن الجبينا

و اتركي الأزهار يلثمن الجبينا

The nightingale has come: kneel and bow in reverence,

The nightingale comes—so kneel and bow down

The nightingale has arrived, so kneel and be humble,

and let the flowers kiss your brow.

And leave the flowers to kiss the forehead.

And let the flowers kiss your brow.

يا له من مؤمن يمنحنا

يا له من مؤمن يمنحنا

بركات الأتقياء الصالحينا

بركات الأتقياء الصالحينا

What a believer he is, granting us

O you who grant us the blessings

What a true believer he is, granting us

the blessings of the devout and righteous.

Of the devout and righteous.

The blessings of the pious and the righteous!