خَليلَيَّ عوجا بِالغُوَيرِ وَكُثبِهِ

خَليلَيَّ عوجا بِالغُوَيرِ وَكُثبِهِ

وَلا تَمنَعا المُشتاقَ مِن لَثمِ تُربِهِ

وَلا تَمنَعا المُشتاقَ مِن لَثمِ تُربِهِ

My two friends, turn aside at al-Ghuwayr and its dunes.

My two friends, turn away in Al-Ghuwair and its sand hills

And do not keep the yearning lover from kissing its dust.

Do not prevent the longing one from kissing its soil

هُوَ الصَبُّ يُصبيهِ الهَوى دونَ صَحبِهِ

هُوَ الصَبُّ يُصبيهِ الهَوى دونَ صَحبِهِ

خُذا مِن صَبا نَجدٍ اَماناً لِقَلبِهِ

خُذا مِن صَبا نَجدٍ اَماناً لِقَلبِهِ

He is the lovesick one whom passion enthralls, alone among his companions.

He is the youth in love without his companions

Take from Najd's east wind a pledge of safety for his heart.

Take from the youth of Najd security for his heart

فَقَد كادَ رَيّاها يَطيرُ بِلُبِّهِ

فَقَد كادَ رَيّاها يَطيرُ بِلُبِّهِ

أَلا بَلِّغا سَهلَ الحِجازِ وَحُزنَهُ

أَلا بَلِّغا سَهلَ الحِجازِ وَحُزنَهُ

For its fragrance has nearly carried away his reason.

For the sight of it almost made his mind fly with ecstasy

Ah, convey to the Hijaz's plains and rugged uplands

Deliver to Sahel Al-Hijaz my greetings and sorrow

تَحِيَّةَ صَبٍّ قَرَّحَ الدَمعُ جَفنَهُ

تَحِيَّةَ صَبٍّ قَرَّحَ الدَمعُ جَفنَهُ

تُخَفِّفُ مِن قَلبِ المُتَيَّمِ حُزنَهُ

تُخَفِّفُ مِن قَلبِ المُتَيَّمِ حُزنَهُ

the greeting of a lover whose eyelid tears have made sore,

The greetings of a youth whose tears have wounded his eyelids

to ease the sorrow in the love-enslaved man's heart.

It alleviates the sorrow of the bereaved heart

وَإِيّاكُما ذاكَ النَسيمُ فَإِنَّهُ

وَإِيّاكُما ذاكَ النَسيمُ فَإِنَّهُ

مَتى هَبَّ كانَ الوَجدُ أَيسَرَ خَطبِهِ

مَتى هَبَّ كانَ الوَجدُ أَيسَرَ خَطبِهِ

And beware, you two, of that breeze, for indeed,

And beware of that breeze for when it blows

whenever it blows, longing is the least of his afflictions.

Passion becomes easier in its predicament

لَقَد جُرتُما في الحُبِّ لَمّا عَذَلتُما

لَقَد جُرتُما في الحُبِّ لَمّا عَذَلتُما

مُحِبّاً بَراهُ حُبُّ ساكِنَةِ الحِما

مُحِبّاً بَراهُ حُبُّ ساكِنَةِ الحِما

You two were indeed unjust in love when you reproached

You both have become exposed to love since you were blamed

a lover worn away by love for the woman dwelling in the protected grounds.

A lover whom the love of she who dwells in protection saw

ذَراهُ فَما يَزدادُ إِلّا تَتَيُّما

ذَراهُ فَما يَزدادُ إِلّا تَتَيُّما

خَليلَيَّ لَو أَبصَرتُما لَعَذرتُما

خَليلَيَّ لَو أَبصَرتُما لَعَذرتُما

Leave him be, for he only grows more enslaved by love.

Leave him be and he only increases in bereavement

My two friends, had you seen it, you would have excused

My two friends, if you saw him you would excuse him

مَحَلَّ الهَوى مِن مَغرمِ الصَبِّ صَبّهِ

مَحَلَّ الهَوى مِن مَغرمِ الصَبِّ صَبّهِ

أَلا مَن لِصَبٍّ لا يفيقُ مِنَ الجَوى

أَلا مَن لِصَبٍّ لا يفيقُ مِنَ الجَوى

the lovesick lover's ardor for the beloved in whom love dwells.

The abode of passion of the enamored youth is his passion

Ah, who will help a lover who never recovers from love's burning grief?

Oh he who does not recover from passion and separation

حَليفُ ضَنىً شَطَّت بِهِ غربَةُ النَوى

حَليفُ ضَنىً شَطَّت بِهِ غربَةُ النَوى

إِذا لاحَ بَرقُ الحاجِرِيَّةِ بِاللِوى

إِذا لاحَ بَرقُ الحاجِرِيَّةِ بِاللِوى

Bound to wasting sickness, driven far by separation's exile.

A friend of grief carried away by the estrangement of familiarity

When the lightning of the woman of al-Hajir gleams at al-Liwa,

When the lightning of Al-Hajriyya flickers in the twisted valley

تَذَكَّر والذِكرى تَشوقُ وذو الهَوى

تَذَكَّر والذِكرى تَشوقُ وذو الهَوى

يَتوقُ وَمَن يَعلَق بِهِ الحُبُّ يُصبِهِ

يَتوقُ وَمَن يَعلَق بِهِ الحُبُّ يُصبِهِ

he remembers—and memories stir longing—and the lover

He remembers and remembrance yearns and the passionate yearns

yearns; love makes lovesick whoever it clings to.

And he who is afflicted by love is afflicted by it

بِروحِيَ مَن أَضحى لِروحِيَ فِتنَةً

بِروحِيَ مَن أَضحى لِروحِيَ فِتنَةً

أَرى حُبّهُ فَرضاً عَلَيَّ وَسُنَّةً

أَرى حُبّهُ فَرضاً عَلَيَّ وَسُنَّةً

My soul be ransom for the one who has become my soul's temptation.

By my soul, he who has become an affliction upon my soul

I deem loving him an obligation upon me and a sacred tradition.

I see his love as a duty and tradition upon me

بَديعُ التَثَنّي يُخجِلُ الوَردَ فِتنَةً

بَديعُ التَثَنّي يُخجِلُ الوَردَ فِتنَةً

أَغرُ إِذا آنَستُ في الحَيِّ أَنَّةً

أَغرُ إِذا آنَستُ في الحَيِّ أَنَّةً

Exquisite in his swaying, he puts the rose to shame in allure.

The beautiful repeatedly confuses the rose with his beauty

Radiant—whenever I hear a groan in the encampment,

I am fascinated when I detect liveliness in him

حَذاراً وَخَوفاً أَن يَكونَ لِحُبِّهِ

حَذاراً وَخَوفاً أَن يَكونَ لِحُبِّهِ

أَميرُ جَمالٍ جائِرٌ في قَضائِهِ

أَميرُ جَمالٍ جائِرٌ في قَضائِهِ

I am wary and fearful that it may be for love of him.

Be cautious and fearful that his love will be

A prince of beauty, tyrannical in his judgments;

A prince of beauty who is unjust in his decree

إِذا سارَ سارَ البَدرُ تَحتَ لِوائِهِ

إِذا سارَ سارَ البَدرُ تَحتَ لِوائِهِ

أَقولُ إِذا ما ماسَ تَحتَ قِبابِهِ

أَقولُ إِذا ما ماسَ تَحتَ قِبابِهِ

when he walks, the full moon walks beneath his banner.

When he walks, the full moon walks beneath his banner

I say, whenever he sways beneath his tent-domes:

I say when it touches beneath his abode

غَراماً عَلى يَأسِ الهَوى وَرَجائِهِ

غَراماً عَلى يَأسِ الهَوى وَرَجائِهِ

وَشَوقاً عَلى بُعدِ المَزارِ وَقُربِهِ

وَشَوقاً عَلى بُعدِ المَزارِ وَقُربِهِ

Passion, through love's despair and its hope,

Passionate despite the desperation of passion and its hopes

and longing, whether the beloved's abode is far or near!

And longing despite the distance of pilgrimage and its nearness

وَلَم آنسَها في الرَكبِ واهِيَةَ القُوى

وَلَم آنسَها في الرَكبِ واهِيَةَ القُوى

تَقولُ وَقَد جَدَّ الرَحيلُ مِنَ اللِوى

تَقولُ وَقَد جَدَّ الرَحيلُ مِنَ اللِوى

And I did not see her in the caravan, her strength failing,

I did not detect her among the traveling party, weak in determination

saying, as departure from al-Liwa grew urgent:

She says as traveling intensified from the valley

عَزيزٌ عَلَينا أَن يَشُطَّ بِنا النَوى

عَزيزٌ عَلَينا أَن يَشُطَّ بِنا النَوى

وَفي الرَكبِ مَطوِيُّ الضُلوعِ عَلى جَوى

وَفي الرَكبِ مَطوِيُّ الضُلوعِ عَلى جَوى

"It pains us that separation should bear us far away."

It is difficult for us that familiarity stirs us

And in the caravan is one whose ribs enfold love's burning grief;

And in the group is one with crumpled ribs from passion

مَتى يَدعُهُ داعي الغَرامِ يُلَبِّهِ

مَتى يَدعُهُ داعي الغَرامِ يُلَبِّهِ

أُحِبُّ الَّذي فيهِ مِنَ الظَبيِ لَمحَةٌ

أُحِبُّ الَّذي فيهِ مِنَ الظَبيِ لَمحَةٌ

whenever passion's caller calls him, he answers him.

When will he leave him when the caller of love beckons him

I love the one in whom there is a glimpse of the gazelle.

I love the one who has the gestures of a gazelle in him

يَحَلُّ سُرورٌ حيثُ حَلَّ وَفَرحَةٌ

يَحَلُّ سُرورٌ حيثُ حَلَّ وَفَرحَةٌ

جُفونُ المُعَنّى فيهِ بِالدَمعِ سَمحَةٌ

جُفونُ المُعَنّى فيهِ بِالدَمعِ سَمحَةٌ

Joy and gladness alight wherever he alights.

Serenity comes wherever he settles as well as joy

The tormented lover's eyelids are lavish with tears for him.

The eyelids of meaning in him are generous with tears

إِذا خَطَرَت مِن جانِبِ الحَيِّ نَفحَةٌ

إِذا خَطَرَت مِن جانِبِ الحَيِّ نَفحَةٌ

تَضَمَّنُ مِنها داءُهُ دونَ صَحبِهِ

تَضَمَّنُ مِنها داءُهُ دونَ صَحبِهِ

When a fragrant breath drifts from the side of the encampment,

When a breeze blows from the side of the neighborhood

he takes his sickness from it, alone among his companions.

Carrying an affliction from it besides his companions

حَبيبٌ لِقَلبي فِعلُهُ فِعلُ مُبغِض

حَبيبٌ لِقَلبي فِعلُهُ فِعلُ مُبغِض

لِناظِرِهِ المُسوَدِّ فَتكَةُ أَبيَضِ

لِناظِرِهِ المُسوَدِّ فَتكَةُ أَبيَضِ

Beloved of my heart, yet his deeds are those of one who hates.

A beloved to my heart whose actions are the actions of a hater

His black eye has the deadly stroke of a gleaming sword.

To his frowning onlooker the attack of a smiling face

جُعِلتُ فِداهُ مِن مُعِلٍّ وَمُمرِض

جُعِلتُ فِداهُ مِن مُعِلٍّ وَمُمرِض

وَمُحتَجِبٍ بَينَ الأَسِنَّةِ مُعرِضٍ

وَمُحتَجِبٍ بَينَ الأَسِنَّةِ مُعرِضٍ

May I be his ransom—a bringer of sickness and disease,

I sacrifice myself for him from a blamer and a sick one

and one veiled amid spearheads, turning away.

And one who is veiled amongst the gossipers, indifferent

وَفي القَلبِ مِن إِراضِهِ مِثل حَجبِهِ

وَفي القَلبِ مِن إِراضِهِ مِثل حَجبِهِ

And in the heart his aversion leaves a veil like his own.

And in the heart is the like of his disregard despite his veil