ناحَت مُطَوَّفَةٌ فَحُنَّ حَزينُ

ناحَت مُطَوَّفَةٌ فَحُنَّ حَزينُ

وَشَجاهُ تَرجيعٌ لَها وَحَنينُ

وَشَجاهُ تَرجيعٌ لَها وَحَنينُ

A ringdove wailed, and a sorrowful one was stirred to longing;

The she-camel moaned sadly,

Her trilling and yearning cry grieved him.

And her longing cry echoed mournfully,

جَرَتِ الدُموعُ مِنَ العُيونِ تَفَجُّعاً

جَرَتِ الدُموعُ مِنَ العُيونِ تَفَجُّعاً

لِحَنينِها فَكَأَنَّهُنَّ عُيونُ

لِحَنينِها فَكَأَنَّهُنَّ عُيونُ

Tears streamed from the eyes in grief

Tears flowed copiously from her eyes,

At her yearning cry, so the eyes seemed like springs.

Like fountains, out of yearning,

طارَحتُها ثُكلاً بِفَقدِ وَحيدِها

طارَحتُها ثُكلاً بِفَقدِ وَحيدِها

وَالثُكلُ مِن فَقدِ الوَحيدِ يَكونُ

وَالثُكلُ مِن فَقدِ الوَحيدِ يَكونُ

I shared her bereavement at the loss of her only one,

Grieving over the loss of her only child,

And bereavement comes from losing the only one.

For a mother's grief at losing her only child is bitter,

طارَحتُها وَالشَجوُ يَمشي بَينَنا

طارَحتُها وَالشَجوُ يَمشي بَينَنا

ما إِن تَبينُ وَإِنَّني لَأَبينُ

ما إِن تَبينُ وَإِنَّني لَأَبينُ

I exchanged laments with her, while sorrow walked between us;

She collapsed in sorrow as I walked among us,

She does not speak plainly, whereas I surely do.

Made evident by my own profound grief,

بي لاعِجٌ مِن حُبِّ رَملَةِ عالِجٍ

بي لاعِجٌ مِن حُبِّ رَملَةِ عالِجٍ

حَيثُ الخِيامُ بِها وَحَيثُ العينُ

حَيثُ الخِيامُ بِها وَحَيثُ العينُ

I burn with love for the sands of ʿAlij,

I'm sick with love for the sands of Alaj,

Where the tents stand and the wide-eyed maidens dwell,

Where the tents and the spring are found,

مِن كُلِّ فاتِكَةِ الأَلحاظِ مَريضَةٍ

مِن كُلِّ فاتِكَةِ الأَلحاظِ مَريضَةٍ

أَجفانُها لِظُبى اللَحاظِ جُفونُ

أَجفانُها لِظُبى اللَحاظِ جُفونُ

Each one deadly of glance and languid-eyed;

Lovesick from every flirtatious glance,

Her eyelids are sheaths for the blades of her gaze.

Her eyelids closed from bashfulness,

ما زِلتُ أَجرَعُ دَمعَتي مِن غُلَّتي

ما زِلتُ أَجرَعُ دَمعَتي مِن غُلَّتي

أُخفي الهَوى عَن عاذِلي وَأَصونُ

أُخفي الهَوى عَن عاذِلي وَأَصونُ

I keep gulping down my tears in my burning thirst;

I've kept drinking my tears bitterly,

I hide love from my reproacher and guard it,

Hiding my love from the one who criticizes me, yet protecting it,

حَتّى إِذا صاحَ الغُرابُ بِبَينِهِم

حَتّى إِذا صاحَ الغُرابُ بِبَينِهِم

فَضَحَ الفِراقُ صَبابَةَ المَحزونِ

فَضَحَ الفِراقُ صَبابَةَ المَحزونِ

Until, when the raven cawed of their departure,

Until the raven crowed mournfully between them,

Separation exposed the sorrowful one's yearning.

Exposing the sorrowful pain of our separation,

وَصَلوا السَرى قَطَعوا البُرى فَلِعيسِهِم

وَصَلوا السَرى قَطَعوا البُرى فَلِعيسِهِم

تَحتَ المَحامِلِ رَنَّةٌ وَأَنينُ

تَحتَ المَحامِلِ رَنَّةٌ وَأَنينُ

They prolonged the night march and severed the nose-rings; their pale camels

They journeyed by night and cut across the land, so their camel driver

Give a plaintive cry and a moan beneath the litters.

Cried out and moaned under the howdah,

عايَنتُ أَسبابَ المَنِيَّةِ عِندَما

عايَنتُ أَسبابَ المَنِيَّةِ عِندَما

أَرخوا أَزِمَّتَها وَشُدَّ وَضينُ

أَرخوا أَزِمَّتَها وَشُدَّ وَضينُ

I beheld the causes of death when

I witnessed the causes of death when

They loosened their reins and a saddle-girth was tightened.

They loosened its ties and urged the camel on,

إِنَّ الفِراقَ مَعَ الغَرامِ لَقاتِلي

إِنَّ الفِراقَ مَعَ الغَرامِ لَقاتِلي

صَعبُ الغَرامِ مَعَ اللِقاءِ يَهونُ

صَعبُ الغَرامِ مَعَ اللِقاءِ يَهونُ

Separation, together with passion, will surely kill me;

Surely parting along with love is what kills me,

Love's hardship grows easy with meeting.

While love without meeting is easier to bear,

ما لي عَذولٌ في هَواها إِنَّها

ما لي عَذولٌ في هَواها إِنَّها

مَعشوقَةٌ حَسناءُ حَيثُ تَكونُ

مَعشوقَةٌ حَسناءُ حَيثُ تَكونُ

I have no reproacher for loving her, for she is

I'll show no remorse in my love for her, for

A beloved beauty, wherever she may be.

Wherever she may be, she's a beautiful beloved,