رَعى اللَهُ طَيراً عَلى بانَةٍ

رَعى اللَهُ طَيراً عَلى بانَةٍ

قَد اِفصَحَ لي عَن صَحيحِ الخَبَر

قَد اِفصَحَ لي عَن صَحيحِ الخَبَر

May God protect a bird upon a moringa tree,

God tended a bird on a lofty branch

That clearly told me the true news:

Who told me true news plainly;

بِأَنَّ الأَحِبَّةَ شَدّوا عَلى

بِأَنَّ الأَحِبَّةَ شَدّوا عَلى

رَواحِلِهِم ثُمَّ راحوا سَحَر

رَواحِلِهِم ثُمَّ راحوا سَحَر

That the loved ones had fastened saddles onto

That the loved ones had mounted their she-camels at dawn, then departed.

Their mounts, then departed before dawn.

So I set forth, while in my heart for their sake

فَسِرتُ وَفي القَلبِ مِن أَجلِهِم

فَسِرتُ وَفي القَلبِ مِن أَجلِهِم

جَحيمٌ لِبَينِهِمُ تَستَعِر

جَحيمٌ لِبَينِهِمُ تَستَعِر

So I set out, and in my heart, for their sake,

Raged a blazing fire.

An inferno blazes at their parting.

I race them through the dark night,

أُسابِقُهُم في ظَلامِ الدُجى

أُسابِقُهُم في ظَلامِ الدُجى

أُنادي بِهِم ثُمَّ أَقفو الأَثَر

أُنادي بِهِم ثُمَّ أَقفو الأَثَر

I race to overtake them in the darkness of night;

Calling to them, then following their tracks.

I call out to them, then follow the trail.

I have no guide to their traces

وَما لي دَليلٌ عَلى إِثرِهِم

وَما لي دَليلٌ عَلى إِثرِهِم

سِوى نَفَسٍ مِن هَواهُم عَطِر

سِوى نَفَسٍ مِن هَواهُم عَطِر

And I have no guide along their trail

Save a sweet breeze of their love.

Except a fragrant breath of love for them.

He lifted aside the tent-flap and lit up the dark,

رَفَعنَ السَجافَ أَضاءَ الدُجى

رَفَعنَ السَجافَ أَضاءَ الدُجى

فَسارَ الرِكابُ لِضَوءِ القَمَر

فَسارَ الرِكابُ لِضَوءِ القَمَر

They lifted the curtain; the night grew bright,

So the riders set forth in the moonlight.

So the riding camels traveled by the moon's light.

I sent my tears ahead of the riders,

فَأَرسَلتُ دَمعي أَمامَ الرِكابِ

فَأَرسَلتُ دَمعي أَمامَ الرِكابِ

فَقالوا مَتى سالَ هذا النَهَر

فَقالوا مَتى سالَ هذا النَهَر

So I sent my tears ahead of the riding camels;

And they asked, “When did this river flow?”

Then they said, “When did this river begin to flow?”

And they were unable to cross it.

وَلَم يَستَطيعو عُبوراً لَهُ

وَلَم يَستَطيعو عُبوراً لَهُ

فَقُلتُ دُموعي جَرَينَ دُرَر

فَقُلتُ دُموعي جَرَينَ دُرَر

And they could not cross it.

So I said, “My tears flowed as pearls.”

So I said, “My tears flowed as pearls.”

As if the lightning flashes for the thunder’s roar,

كَأَنَّ الرُعودَ لِلَمعِ البُروقِ

كَأَنَّ الرُعودَ لِلَمعِ البُروقِ

وَسَيرِ الغَمامِ لِصَوبِ المَطَر

وَسَيرِ الغَمامِ لِصَوبِ المَطَر

As though thunder at lightning's flashes,

And the clouds travel toward the rain,

And the clouds' movement for rain to pour down,

And the hearts quiver for the lightning flashes of the campsites,

وَجيبُ القُلوبِ لِبَرقِ الثُغورِ

وَجيبُ القُلوبِ لِبَرقِ الثُغورِ

وَسَكبُ الدُموعِ لِرَكبٍ نَفَر

وَسَكبُ الدُموعِ لِرَكبٍ نَفَر

Were hearts' throbbing at the gleam of teeth,

And tears pour for the caravan that departed.

And tears shed for a caravan that has departed.

O you who liken the bending branches

فَيا مَن يُشَبِّهُ لينَ القُدودِ

فَيا مَن يُشَبِّهُ لينَ القُدودِ

بِلينِ القَضيبِ الرَطيبِ النَضِر

بِلينِ القَضيبِ الرَطيبِ النَضِر

So, you who liken the suppleness of figures

To the soft, moist, tender twigs!

To the suppleness of a fresh, verdant branch:

If the matter were reversed, as you have done,

فَلَو عُكِسَ الأَمرُ مِثلَ الَّذي

فَلَو عُكِسَ الأَمرُ مِثلَ الَّذي

فَعَلتَ لَكانَ سَليمَ النَظَر

فَعَلتَ لَكانَ سَليمَ النَظَر

So, if the order were reversed in a comparison like the one

Your view would be sound.

You made, the judgment would be sound:

For the bending of boughs is like the bending of twigs,

فَلينُ الغُصونِ كَلينِ القُدودِ

فَلينُ الغُصونِ كَلينِ القُدودِ

وَوَردُ الرِياضَ كَوَردِ الحَفَر

وَوَردُ الرِياضَ كَوَردِ الحَفَر

For the suppleness of boughs is like the suppleness of figures,

And the roses of gardens like the roses of lowlands.

And the roses of gardens are like the roses of dimples.