يانسيماً قد هبَّ من نَجْدِ

يانسيماً قد هبَّ من نَجْدِ

وسَرى بالخِيامْ

وسَرى بالخِيامْ

O breeze that has blown from Najd

O breeze that blew from Najd

and drifted by night among the tents,

And passed by the tents

بحياةِ الهَوى على العَتْبِ

بحياةِ الهَوى على العَتْبِ

كيفَ بدرُ التَّمامْ

كيفَ بدرُ التَّمامْ

by the life of love, despite reproach,

With the life of passion at the threshold

how fares the full moon?

How is the full moon doing?

كيف بدرُ التَّمامِ حَدِّثني

كيف بدرُ التَّمامِ حَدِّثني

بالرِّضى يا نَسِيمْ

بالرِّضى يا نَسِيمْ

How fares the full moon? Tell me

Tell me, how is the full moon doing?

of his favor, O breeze.

Is he happy with being away from me

هلْ تَسلَّى بِنَأْيهِ عَنِّي

هلْ تَسلَّى بِنَأْيهِ عَنِّي

أمْ هَواهُ مقِيمْ

أمْ هَواهُ مقِيمْ

Has he found solace in his distance from me,

Or is his love lasting?

or does his love endure?

The All-Knowing of secrets, I do not

وعَليم الغُيوبِ لا أثْني

وعَليم الغُيوبِ لا أثْني

عَنْهُ وُدِّي الكَريمْ

عَنْهُ وُدِّي الكَريمْ

And by the Knower of the unseen, I will not turn

Complain about Him, my generous beloved

my noble love away from him,

What tears have rolled down

ما جَرَتْ فَوْقَ وَجْنَةِ الوَرْدِ

ما جَرَتْ فَوْقَ وَجْنَةِ الوَرْدِ

عَبَراتُ الغَمامْ

عَبَراتُ الغَمامْ

so long as there flow over the rose's cheek

Over the rose garden

the clouds' tears,

And the twigs have bent

وتَثَنَّتْ مَعاطِفُ القُضْبِ

وتَثَنَّتْ مَعاطِفُ القُضْبِ

لِغِناء الحَمامْ

لِغِناء الحَمامْ

and the boughs' supple limbs sway

To the cooing of doves

to the doves' singing.

To the cooing of doves in my heart

لِغناءِ الحَمامِ في قَلْبي

لِغناءِ الحَمامِ في قَلْبي

رِقَّةٌ وَنُحولْ

رِقَّةٌ وَنُحولْ

The doves' singing stirs in my heart

There is tenderness and weakness

tenderness and wasting.

It reminded me of the days of closeness

ذَكَّرَتْني مَعاهِدَ القُرْبِ

ذَكَّرَتْني مَعاهِدَ القُرْبِ

والزَّمانَ الوَصُولْ

والزَّمانَ الوَصُولْ

It reminded me of the haunts of closeness

And the time of arrival

and the time of union.

If you decide, O my wishes, to leave my love

إن تَحُلْ يا مُنايَ عَنْ حُبّي

إن تَحُلْ يا مُنايَ عَنْ حُبّي

إنَّني لا أحُولْ

إنَّني لا أحُولْ

If you turn, O my desire, from my love,

Then I cannot change

I shall not turn away.

How can he find solace from that pact

كيف يَسلُو عَنْ ذلكِ العَهْدِ

كيف يَسلُو عَنْ ذلكِ العَهْدِ

والِهٌ مُسْتَهامْ

والِهٌ مُسْتَهامْ

How could one forget that pledge—

With a passionate lover?

one distraught and lost in love?

God forbid, O my wishes, my heart

حاشَ للهِ يا مُنَى قَلْبي

حاشَ للهِ يا مُنَى قَلْبي

لَسْتُ أنْسى الذِّمامْ

لَسْتُ أنْسى الذِّمامْ

God forbid, O my heart's desire!

Will not forget the pact

I do not forget the bond of honor.

I will not forget the pact, for the free man

لَسْتُ أنْسى الذِّمام فالحُرُّ

لَسْتُ أنْسى الذِّمام فالحُرُّ

مَنْ يُراعي العُهودْ

مَنْ يُراعي العُهودْ

I do not forget the bond of honor, for the noble man

Is one who honors promises

is one who keeps the pledges.

There is no excuse for one who betrays in love

ما لِمَنْ خانَ في الهَوى عُذْرُ

ما لِمَنْ خانَ في الهَوى عُذْرُ

لو بَراهُ الصُّدودْ

لو بَراهُ الصُّدودْ

One who betrays in love has no excuse,

Even if difficulties prevent him

even if rejection wears him away.

If estrangement from his love befalls him

إن أتاهُ من حُبِّهِ هَجْرُ

إن أتاهُ من حُبِّهِ هَجْرُ

عَن قريب يَجُودْ

عَن قريب يَجُودْ

If estrangement comes to him from his beloved,

He will soon be affectionate again

he soon yields up his life.

The watering place of affection is only

إنَّما لَذَّ مَوْرِدُ الوُدِّ

إنَّما لَذَّ مَوْرِدُ الوُدِّ

بِقَليلِ الغَرامْ

بِقَليلِ الغَرامْ

Love's watering-place grew sweet only

With a little passion

with a little lovesickness,

And the intoxication of early love passes

وحَلَتْ عَنْهُ نشوةُ الصَّبِّ

وحَلَتْ عَنْهُ نشوةُ الصَّبِّ

بسَماعِ المَلامْ

بسَماعِ المَلامْ

and the lover's rapture from it grew sweet

When reproaches are heard

on hearing reproach.

When reproaches are heard, I have

بِسَماعِ المَلام قَدْ صَمّا

بِسَماعِ المَلام قَدْ صَمّا

مَسْمَعي يا عَذُولْ

مَسْمَعي يا عَذُولْ

Hearing reproach has deafened

Deafened my hearing, O fault finder!

my ear, O reproacher.

So stop blaming, I am deaf

فَدَعِ اللَّوْمَ إنَّني مُصْمَى

فَدَعِ اللَّوْمَ إنَّني مُصْمَى

لاأعِي ما تَقُولْ

لاأعِي ما تَقُولْ

So cease your blame: I am mortally wounded;

I do not hear what you say

I do not grasp what you say.

A gazelle has captured my reason and made me blind

صادَ عَقْلِي غُزَيِّلٌ ألمَى

صادَ عَقْلِي غُزَيِّلٌ ألمَى

صائِدٌ للعُقُولْ

صائِدٌ للعُقُولْ

A little dark-lipped gazelle has captured my mind,

A hunter of minds

a hunter of minds.

It shone like the full moon on a fortunate night

لاحَ كالبَدْرِ لَيْلَةَ السَّعْدِ

لاحَ كالبَدْرِ لَيْلَةَ السَّعْدِ

سافِراً عَنْ لِثامْ

سافِراً عَنْ لِثامْ

He shone like the full moon on the night of good fortune,

Traveling without a veil

unveiled, his face-veil drawn aside,

And it leaned away from a soft wet branch

وانْثنى عَنْ مُنَعَّمٍ رَطْبِ

وانْثنى عَنْ مُنَعَّمٍ رَطْبِ

فاسْتَفزَّ الأنامْ

فاسْتَفزَّ الأنامْ

and swayed, revealing a soft, supple form,

Inciting people

and set all people astir.