سَقَى اللهُ الدَّوَافِعَ مِن حَفِيرٍ

سَقَى اللهُ الدَّوَافِعَ مِن حَفِيرٍ

وَمَا يُغنِينَ مِنكَ وَإِن سُقِينَا

وَمَا يُغنِينَ مِنكَ وَإِن سُقِينَا

May God water the watercourses of Hafir.

God waters the motives from a well,

Yet what good are they to you, even if watered?

And what use are you to me, even if we're watered?

أَتَستَسقِى وَأَنتَ بِبَطنٍ قَوٍّ

أَتَستَسقِى وَأَنتَ بِبَطنٍ قَوٍّ

أَروبَةَ أَرضِ قَومٍ آخَرِينَا

أَروبَةَ أَرضِ قَومٍ آخَرِينَا

Do you ask for rain, while in the valley of Qaww,

Do you seek water while your belly is full

For Arubah, the land of other people?

Of the spaciousness of another people's land?

قَضَينا اليَومَ حاجاتٍ أَلمَّت

قَضَينا اليَومَ حاجاتٍ أَلمَّت

فَمَن لِغَدٍ وحاجاتٍ بَقِينَا

فَمَن لِغَدٍ وحاجاتٍ بَقِينَا

Today we fulfilled needs that arose;

We fulfilled today desires that pained,

So who will see to tomorrow and the needs that remain?

So who remains for tomorrow and the desires left?

وَحاجاتُ النُّفُوسِ تَكُونُ دَاءً

وَحاجاتُ النُّفُوسِ تَكُونُ دَاءً

وَيَبرَأُ داؤُهُنَّ إِذا قُضِينَا

وَيَبرَأُ داؤُهُنَّ إِذا قُضِينَا

And the needs of souls become a sickness,

The soul's desires become an illness

And their sickness heals when those needs are fulfilled.

Whose illness is cured when fulfilled.

فَنَقضِى حاجةً وَتُلِمُّ أُخرَى

فَنَقضِى حاجةً وَتُلِمُّ أُخرَى

وَلَولا كَرُّهُنَّ لقَد فَنِينَا

وَلَولا كَرُّهُنَّ لقَد فَنِينَا

So we fulfill one need, and another arises;

So we fulfill one desire and another hurts,

Were it not for their recurrence, we would surely have perished.

And were it not for their abhorrence we would perish.

أَما وَاللهِ ثُمَّ اللهِ حَقّا

أَما وَاللهِ ثُمَّ اللهِ حَقّا

يَمِيناً ثُمَّ أُتبِعُهَا يَمِينَا

يَمِيناً ثُمَّ أُتبِعُهَا يَمِينَا

Indeed, by God, then by God in truth—

By Allah, by Allah truly,

An oath, which I then follow with another oath:

A right, then followed by a right.

لَقَد نَزَلَت أُمَيمَةُ مِن فُؤَادِى

لَقَد نَزَلَت أُمَيمَةُ مِن فُؤَادِى

تِلاعاً ما أُبِحنَ وَما رُعِينَا

تِلاعاً ما أُبِحنَ وَما رُعِينَا

Umayma has indeed settled within my heart,

Umayma has certainly descended from my heart

In valleys never laid open nor grazed.

Roaming, not grazing or restrained.

وَلَكِنَّ الخَلِيلَ إِذا جَفانا

وَلَكِنَّ الخَلِيلَ إِذا جَفانا

وَآثَرَ بالمَوَدَّةِ آخَرِينَا

وَآثَرَ بالمَوَدَّةِ آخَرِينَا

But when a dear friend shuns us,

But the friend, if he spurns us

And favors others with affection,

And prefers others with affection.

صَدَدتُ تَكَرُّماً عَنهُ بِنَفسِى

صَدَدتُ تَكَرُّماً عَنهُ بِنَفسِى

وَإِن كانَ الفُؤَادُ بِهِ ضَنِينَا

وَإِن كانَ الفُؤَادُ بِهِ ضَنِينَا

I turn myself away from him out of self-respect,

I nobly prevent myself from him,

Even though my heart is loath to let him go.

Though my heart is affectionate to him.

أظَلُّ وَما أَبُثُّ النَّاسَ بَثِّى

أظَلُّ وَما أَبُثُّ النَّاسَ بَثِّى

وَلا يَخفَى الَّذِى بِى مُستَكِينَا

وَلا يَخفَى الَّذِى بِى مُستَكِينَا

I go on without sharing my grief with people,

I remain shaded and do not spread my woes,

Yet what I suffer is plain, bowed down as I am.

Nor is my complaint concealed.

أَذُودُ النَّفسَ عَن لَيلَى وَإِنِّى

أَذُودُ النَّفسَ عَن لَيلَى وَإِنِّى

لَتَعصِينِى شَوَاجِرُ قَد صَدِينَا

لَتَعصِينِى شَوَاجِرُ قَد صَدِينَا

I drive my soul away from Layla, yet truly I am

I hold myself back from Layla though

Defied by gaping camels already parched with thirst.

My burning passions disobey me.

يَرَينَ مَشَارِباً وَيُذَدنَ عَنها

يَرَينَ مَشَارِباً وَيُذَدنَ عَنها

ويُكثِرنَ الصُّدُورَ وما رَوِينَا

ويُكثِرنَ الصُّدُورَ وما رَوِينَا

They see watering places but are driven away from them,

It sees watering places and is held back,

And turn away time and again, their thirst unquenched.

And increases the breasts but is not sated.