قِف خَليلي نَسأَل لِشُرَّةَ دارا

قِف خَليلي نَسأَل لِشُرَّةَ دارا

أَو مَحَلّاً مِنها خَلاءً قَفارا

أَو مَحَلّاً مِنها خَلاءً قَفارا

Stop, my friend; let us question a dwelling of Shurra's,

Stand my friend, let's ask for a small house

or a dwelling-place of hers, empty and desolate.

Or an empty, desolate place from it

أَلبَستَني سُقماً أَقامَ وَسارَت

أَلبَستَني سُقماً أَقامَ وَسارَت

وَاِستَجابَت قَلبي إِلَيها فَطارا

وَاِستَجابَت قَلبي إِلَيها فَطارا

She clothed me in sickness that stayed while she departed,

You made me sick, it stayed and walked away

and summoned my heart to her, so it flew.

And my heart fluttered to it, flying

لي حَبيبٌ مُكَذِّبٌ بِالأَماني

لي حَبيبٌ مُكَذِّبٌ بِالأَماني

جَعَلَ الدَهرَ مَوعِداً وَاِنتِظارا

جَعَلَ الدَهرَ مَوعِداً وَاِنتِظارا

I have a beloved who gives the lie to hopes,

I have a lover who denies wishes

who has turned time into promised meetings and waiting.

He made time an appointment and waiting

عَيَّروني بِما يَضَنُّ بِهِ عَن

عَيَّروني بِما يَضَنُّ بِهِ عَن

ني فَيا لَيتَهُ يُحَقِّقُ عارا

ني فَيا لَيتَهُ يُحَقِّقُ عارا

They taunted me with what he withholds from

They reproach me for what he is stingy with me about

me—if only he would make that disgrace real!

If only he would make it a disgrace

قَد شَغَلتِ الهَوى بِطولِ التَجَنّي

قَد شَغَلتِ الهَوى بِطولِ التَجَنّي

كُلَّ يَومٍ يَؤُمُّ قَلبي اِعتِذارا

كُلَّ يَومٍ يَؤُمُّ قَلبي اِعتِذارا

You have kept love busy with prolonged false accusations;

Preoccupation with love distracted me for long

each day my heart seeks to offer an apology.

Each day my heart makes excuses

ضاعَ شَوقٌ إِلَيكِ لَو تَعلَمينَ

ضاعَ شَوقٌ إِلَيكِ لَو تَعلَمينَ

باتَ بَينَ الأَحشاءِ يوقِدُ نارا

باتَ بَينَ الأَحشاءِ يوقِدُ نارا

Longing for you has gone to waste—if only you knew—

A longing for you was lost, if only you knew

it spent the night among my entrails, kindling a fire,

It stays among my guts, kindling a fire

وَيُناجي بَناتِ نَعشٍ بِذِكرا

وَيُناجي بَناتِ نَعشٍ بِذِكرا

كِ إِذا اللَيلُ أَلبَسَ الأَرضَ قارا

كِ إِذا اللَيلُ أَلبَسَ الأَرضَ قارا

and whispers to the Daughters of the Bier in remembrance of

And converses with the daughters of grief with remembrance

you, when night clothes the earth in pitch;

Of you when the night dresses the land with stillness

وَسُؤالي عَن بَلدَةٍ أَنتِ فيها

وَسُؤالي عَن بَلدَةٍ أَنتِ فيها

أَتَلَقّى مِن نَحوِكَ الأَخبارا

أَتَلَقّى مِن نَحوِكَ الأَخبارا

and my inquiries about a town where you dwell,

And my asking about a town you are in

as I receive tidings from your direction;

I receive news from your direction

وَجِهادي عَواذِلاً فيكِ لا يَب

وَجِهادي عَواذِلاً فيكِ لا يَب

رَحنَ بِاللَومِ غُدوَةً وَاِبتِكارا

رَحنَ بِاللَومِ غُدوَةً وَاِبتِكارا

and my struggle with reproaching women over you, who never

And my striving against the slanderers in you does not

cease their blame, at dawn and early morning.

Reproach in the morning and invention

رُبَّ صادٍ إِلى حَديثِكِ خَلّا

رُبَّ صادٍ إِلى حَديثِكِ خَلّا

بٍ وَقَد طافَ حَولَ سَرّي وَدارا

بٍ وَقَد طافَ حَولَ سَرّي وَدارا

Many a deceitful man thirsting for news of you

How often a repeller turned away

has wandered around my secret and circled it.

From your talk, and roamed around my secret and house

لَو رَأى مَطلَعاً مِنَ الأَرضِ سَهلاً

لَو رَأى مَطلَعاً مِنَ الأَرضِ سَهلاً

دَبَّ في الناسِ يَنفُثُ الأَسرارا

دَبَّ في الناسِ يَنفُثُ الأَسرارا

If he saw an easy way up from the ground,

If he saw a horizon on earth, easy

he would creep among the people, breathing out secrets.

He would roam among people, breathing secrets

ما رَأَينا شَبهاً لِشُرَّةَ في النا

ما رَأَينا شَبهاً لِشُرَّةَ في النا

سِ فَسَقياً لِشُرَّةَ الأَمطارا

سِ فَسَقياً لِشُرَّةَ الأَمطارا

We have seen none like Shurra among people;

We have not seen anything resembling Shirra among people

so may the rains water Shurra!

A raincloud watering the rain of Shirra

أَيُّها الرَكبُ بَلِّغوها سَلامي

أَيُّها الرَكبُ بَلِّغوها سَلامي

وَاِتَّقوا أَخذَ طَرفِها السَحّارا

وَاِتَّقوا أَخذَ طَرفِها السَحّارا

O riders, convey my greeting to her,

O caravan, convey my greetings

and beware the spellbinding hold of her gaze.

And beware of her captivating glance