هل لقتيل الحب من وادي

هل لقتيل الحب من وادي

أم هل لعاني الحب من فادي

أم هل لعاني الحب من فادي

Is there anyone to pay the blood-price for one love has slain?

Is there anyone to pay blood money for one slain by love?

Or anyone to ransom love’s captive?

Or is there anyone to ransom love’s captive?

أم هل لدهري عودة نحوها

أم هل لدهري عودة نحوها

كمثل يوم مر في الوادي

كمثل يوم مر في الوادي

Or will my days ever return to her,

Or can my days return to her,

like a day that passed in the valley?

as on a day gone by in the valley?

ظللت فيه سابحاً صادياً

ظللت فيه سابحاً صادياً

يا عجباً للسابح الصادي

يا عجباً للسابح الصادي

There I remained, swimming yet parched with thirst—

I spent it swimming, yet thirsty;

what a wonder: a swimmer parched with thirst!

oh, how strange—a thirsty swimmer!

ضنيت يا مولاي وجداً فما

ضنيت يا مولاي وجداً فما

تبصرني الحاظ عؤادي

تبصرني الحاظ عؤادي

I have wasted away, my lord, from longing, so much that

I have wasted away with longing, my lord, so

the glances of my visitors can no longer discern me.

my visitors’ eyes cannot see me.

كيف اهتدى الوجد إلى غائبٍ

كيف اهتدى الوجد إلى غائبٍ

عن أعين الحاضر والبادي

عن أعين الحاضر والبادي

How did longing find its way to one unseen

How did longing find its way to one hidden

by the eyes of settled folk and Bedouin alike?

from the eyes of townsman and desert-dweller?

مل مداواتي طبيبي فقد

مل مداواتي طبيبي فقد

يرحمني للسقم حسّادي

يرحمني للسقم حسّادي

My physician has grown weary of treating me, for

My physician has grown weary of treating me; indeed,

even my enviers pity me for my illness.

my enviers pity me for my sickness.