تَحِيَّةُ مُشتاقٍ بَعيدٍ مزارُهُ

تَحِيَّةُ مُشتاقٍ بَعيدٍ مزارُهُ

أَبى شَوقُهُ أَن يَستَقِرَّ قَرارُهُ

أَبى شَوقُهُ أَن يَستَقِرَّ قَرارُهُ

A greeting from one who yearns, whose dwelling is far away;

The greeting of a distant, longing lover

His longing refuses to let him find repose.

Whose longing refused to settle and abide

إِذا نَفحَةٌ مَرَّت بِهِ قاهِرِيَّةٌ

إِذا نَفحَةٌ مَرَّت بِهِ قاهِرِيَّةٌ

ذَكَت في الحَشا بَينَ الجَوانِحِ نارُهُ

ذَكَت في الحَشا بَينَ الجَوانِحِ نارُهُ

Whenever a breeze from Cairo passes him,

Whenever a conquering breeze passed by him

His fire flares in his heart, between his ribs.

It ignited a fire in his mind and heart

وَما شامَ مِن أَعلا المُقَطَّمِ جفنُهُ

وَما شامَ مِن أَعلا المُقَطَّمِ جفنُهُ

سَنا بارِقٍ إِلّا تَوالَت قُطارُهُ

سَنا بارِقٍ إِلّا تَوالَت قُطارُهُ

And his eye never glimpses, from al-Muqattam’s summit,

His eyelids never closed upon the highest summits

The gleam of lightning without his teardrops falling in succession.

Except that a convoy of lightning followed continuously

حَديثُ صِقالِ الخَدِّ لَم يَذوِ وَردُهُ

حَديثُ صِقالِ الخَدِّ لَم يَذوِ وَردُهُ

وَلا دبَّ كَالريحانِ فيهِ عِذارُهُ

وَلا دبَّ كَالريحانِ فيهِ عِذارُهُ

His cheek is freshly polished; its rose has not withered,

The talk of his polished cheek did not fade

Nor has his cheek-down crept over it like sweet basil.

Nor did its fragrance waft gently like basil

إِذا زادَهُ جَنياً وَشَماً مُتَيَّمٌ

إِذا زادَهُ جَنياً وَشَماً مُتَيَّمٌ

ذَكا وَردُ خَدَّيهِ وَزادَ اِحمِرارُهُ

ذَكا وَردُ خَدَّيهِ وَزادَ اِحمِرارُهُ

Whenever a lovesick lover plucks and smells him all the more,

When a nearby garden and promenade intoxicated him

The rose of his cheeks grows more fragrant, and its redness deepens.

The rose of his cheeks grew darker red

ضَمانٌ على عَينَيهِ إِن طاشَ سَهمُهُ

ضَمانٌ على عَينَيهِ إِن طاشَ سَهمُهُ

إِذا ما رَمى أَن لا يَطيشَ اِحوِرارُهُ

إِذا ما رَمى أَن لا يَطيشَ اِحوِرارُهُ

His eyes stand surety: if his arrow misses

A surety over his eyes, should his arrow go astray

When he shoots, his dark-eyed beauty will not miss.

That the reddening of his lids would not stray

خَليلَيَّ لا وَاللَهِ ما القَومُ قَومُهُ

خَليلَيَّ لا وَاللَهِ ما القَومُ قَومُهُ

إِذا غابَ مَن يَهوى وَلا الدارُ دارُهُ

إِذا غابَ مَن يَهوى وَلا الدارُ دارُهُ

My two friends—no, by God, the people are not his people

By Allah, my friends, they are not his people

When the one he loves is absent, nor is the home his home.

When the one he loves is absent, nor is it his home

فَإِن أَنتُما لَم تُسعِداني عَلى الهَوى

فَإِن أَنتُما لَم تُسعِداني عَلى الهَوى

ذَراني وَشَوقي عَزَّهُ لي وَعارُهُ

ذَراني وَشَوقي عَزَّهُ لي وَعارُهُ

So if you two will not aid me in love,

So if you two will not make me successful in love

Leave me with my longing—its glory and its shame are mine.

Leave me be, for its difficulty gives me pride

أَحِنُّ إِلى مِصرٍ وَيا لَيتَ أَنَّ لي

أَحِنُّ إِلى مِصرٍ وَيا لَيتَ أَنَّ لي

إِذا ذُكِرَت مِصرٌ جَناحاً أُعارُهُ

إِذا ذُكِرَت مِصرٌ جَناحاً أُعارُهُ

I yearn for Egypt—and oh, if only I had,

I yearn for Egypt, oh how I wish for myself

Whenever Egypt is mentioned, a wing lent to me,

That whenever Egypt is mentioned, I could lend it my wings

فَآوي إِلى ظِلٍّ ظَليلٍ وَنائِلٍ

فَآوي إِلى ظِلٍّ ظَليلٍ وَنائِلٍ

جَزيلٍ وَملكٍ حالفَ العِزَّ جارُهُ

جَزيلٍ وَملكٍ حالفَ العِزَّ جارُهُ

So I might shelter in deep shade, and in bounty

So I take refuge in an immense, fruitful shade

Abundant, and with a king whose neighbor has made a pact with glory.

With a generous king, whose neighbor is glory