أَضاءَ بِذاتِ الأَضا بارِقٌ

أَضاءَ بِذاتِ الأَضا بارِقٌ

مِنَ النورِ في جَوِّها خافِقُ

مِنَ النورِ في جَوِّها خافِقُ

A lightning flash shone at Dhāt al-Aḍā,

A lightning bolt lit up the brightly lit sky

A gleam of light flickering in its sky.

With blazing light in its atmosphere flashing,

وَصَلصَلَ رَعدُ مُناجاتِهِ

وَصَلصَلَ رَعدُ مُناجاتِهِ

فَأَرسَلَ مِدرارَهُ الوادِقُ

فَأَرسَلَ مِدرارَهُ الوادِقُ

And the thunder of its intimate converse rang out;

And the rumble of its invocation crackled,

Then the raincloud sent forth its abundant rain.

So it let its pouring rain flow generously.

تَنادَوا أَنيخوا فَلَم يَسمَعوا

تَنادَوا أَنيخوا فَلَم يَسمَعوا

فَصِحتُ مِنَ الوَجدِ يا سائِقُ

فَصِحتُ مِنَ الوَجدِ يا سائِقُ

They called to one another, 'Make the camels kneel!' Yet they did not hear.

They called to each other, but did not hear,

So I cried out in longing: O camel-driver!

So I cried out in ecstasy, “O driver!

أَلا فَاِنزِلوا ها هُنا وَاِرتَعوا

أَلا فَاِنزِلوا ها هُنا وَاِرتَعوا

فَإِنّي بِمَن عِندَكُم وامِقُ

فَإِنّي بِمَن عِندَكُم وامِقُ

Listen—dismount right here and enjoy the pasture,

Oh, come down, here, here, and graze,

For I am in love with the one among you:

For I pine for those with you ardently.

بِهَيفاءَ غَيداءَ رُعبَوبَةٍ

بِهَيفاءَ غَيداءَ رُعبَوبَةٍ

فُؤادُ الشَجِيِّ لَها تائِقُ

فُؤادُ الشَجِيِّ لَها تائِقُ

A slender-waisted, graceful, tender maiden,

With the beautiful, curvy, tender

The grieving lover's heart yearns for her.

Heart of the passion-struck pining for her,

يَفوحُ النَدِيِّ لَدى ذِكرِها

يَفوحُ النَدِيِّ لَدى ذِكرِها

فَكُلُّ لِسانٍ بِها ناطِقُ

فَكُلُّ لِسانٍ بِها ناطِقُ

The gathering breathes fragrance at her mention,

The scent of wetness wafts when she’s recalled,

So every tongue speaks of her.

So every tongue speaks of her longingly.

فَلَو أَنَّ مَجلِسَها هَضمَةٌ

فَلَو أَنَّ مَجلِسَها هَضمَةٌ

وَمَقعَدَها جَبَلٌ حالِقُ

وَمَقعَدَها جَبَلٌ حالِقُ

For if her sitting-place were a hollow,

If her sitting place were but an abyss,

And her seat a soaring mountain,

And her seat a towering mountain high,

لَكانَ القَرارُ بِها حالِقاً

لَكانَ القَرارُ بِها حالِقاً

وَلَن يُدرِكَ الحالِقَ الرامِقُ

وَلَن يُدرِكَ الحالِقَ الرامِقُ

The low ground would, through her, tower high,

Still with her the seat would be destroyed,

And no gazer's glance could reach that height.

And the destroyer would not reach the climber.

فَكُلُّ خَرابٍ بِها عامرٌ

فَكُلُّ خَرابٍ بِها عامرٌ

وَكُلُّ سَرابٍ بِها غادِقُ

وَكُلُّ سَرابٍ بِها غادِقُ

For every ruin is inhabited through her;

So all ruins through her become inhabited,

And every mirage brims with water through her;

And all mirages through her become abundant,

وَكُلُّ رِياضٍ بِها زاهِرٌ

وَكُلُّ رِياضٍ بِها زاهِرٌ

وَكُلُّ شَرابٍ بها رائِقُ

وَكُلُّ شَرابٍ بها رائِقُ

And all gardens blossom through her;

And all gardens through her become flowering,

And every drink is clear through her.

And all drinks through her become delicious.

فَلَيلِيَ مِن وَجهِها مُشرِقٌ

فَلَيلِيَ مِن وَجهِها مُشرِقٌ

وَيَومِيَ مِن شَعرِها غاسِقُ

وَيَومِيَ مِن شَعرِها غاسِقُ

So my night is illumined by her face,

So my night from her face is radiant,

And my day is darkened by her hair.

And my day from her hair is gloomy.

لَقَد فَلَقَت حَبَّةَ القَلبِ إِذ

لَقَد فَلَقَت حَبَّةَ القَلبِ إِذ

رَماها بِأَسهُمِها الفالِقُ

رَماها بِأَسهُمِها الفالِقُ

The heart's kernel was indeed cleft—when

She split the pit of the heart when

The Cleaver shot it with their arrows—

She hit it with her splitting arrows.

عُيونٌ تَعَوَّدنَ رَشقَ الحَشا

عُيونٌ تَعَوَّدنَ رَشقَ الحَشا

فَلَيسَ يَطيشُ لَها راشِقُ

فَلَيسَ يَطيشُ لَها راشِقُ

By eyes accustomed to piercing the breast;

Eyes accustomed to gazing at beauty—

So no archer of theirs shoots astray.

No gazer can resist them.

فَما هامَةٌ في خَرابِ البِقاعِ

فَما هامَةٌ في خَرابِ البِقاعِ

وَلا ساقُ حُرٍّ وَلا ناعِقُ

وَلا ساقُ حُرٍّ وَلا ناعِقُ

So no owl amid the ruins of the lands,

So neither a wild cow in the ruin of a land,

Nor a turtledove, nor a cawing bird,

Nor a wild leg, nor a braying she-camel,

بِأَشأُمَ مِن باذِلٍ رَحَّلوا

بِأَشأُمَ مِن باذِلٍ رَحَّلوا

لِيُحمَلَ مَن حُسنُهُ فائِقُ

لِيُحمَلَ مَن حُسنُهُ فائِقُ

Is more ill-omened than a generous mount they saddled

Are with a generous one who traveled

So that one whose beauty excels might be borne,

So he who surpassed in beauty could be carried,

وَيُترَكَ صَبّاً بِذاتِ الأَضا

وَيُترَكَ صَبّاً بِذاتِ الأَضا

قَتيلاً وَفي حُبِّهِم صادِقُ

قَتيلاً وَفي حُبِّهِم صادِقُ

And a lovesick lover be left at Dhāt al-Aḍā,

And a love-struck youth be left at the brightly lit sky,

Slain, yet true in his love for them.

Slain, though in their love sincere.