ثار شَوقي إلى الحِمى

ثار شَوقي إلى الحِمى

وَهوى الخُرَّد الدُمى

وَهوى الخُرَّد الدُمى

My longing for the sanctuary stirred,

My longing for the beloved arose

And love for the bashful, doll-like maidens,

And the turtle dove fell in love with the sandgrouse

وتذكُري ما خَلا

وتذكُري ما خَلا

مِن نَعيمٍ تَصرّما

مِن نَعيمٍ تَصرّما

And my remembrance of what has passed

And I recalled what had passed

Of bliss that came to an end:

Of pleasures we both enjoyed

طيبَ عيش فَقدتُ مَعـ

طيبَ عيش فَقدتُ مَعـ

ـناهُ إلّا تَوهُّما

ـناهُ إلّا تَوهُّما

The sweetness of life—I have lost its

The good life I lost along with

Meaning, save in imagination.

Its pleasures, save what I imagined

فَهَفت مُهجتي جوىً

فَهَفت مُهجتي جوىً

وَبَكت مُقلَتي دَما

وَبَكت مُقلَتي دَما

So my heart fluttered with lovesick anguish,

So my core melted away in ardour

And my eye wept blood.

And my eyelid wept blood

آهِ من حُمرة الخُدو

آهِ من حُمرة الخُدو

دِ ومن حُوّةِ اللَمى

دِ ومن حُوّةِ اللَمى

Ah, for the redness of the

Oh! The redness of cheeks

Cheeks, and for the dusky hue of the lips;

And the plumpness of the cheeks

وَقِوامٍ تخالُه

وَقِوامٍ تخالُه

سَمهريّاً مُقَوَّما

سَمهريّاً مُقَوَّما

And a figure you would take

The upright figure I thought

For a straightened Samhari spear,

A firmly moulded cypress

ناعمٍ لم أزل به

ناعمٍ لم أزل به

في حياتي مُنَعَّما

في حياتي مُنَعَّما

Tender—through him I have always

The soft skin I have not ceased to

Lived my life in bliss;

Delight in all my life

وعذارٍ كأنَّما

وعذارٍ كأنَّما

مدَّ في الخَدِّ أرقَما

مدَّ في الخَدِّ أرقَما

And cheek-down, as though

And a freshness as though clematis

A speckled snake had been stretched upon the cheek.

Were imprinted on the cheek

أيُّها المُبتَلى به

أيُّها المُبتَلى به

عِش كئيباً مُتَيَّما

عِش كئيباً مُتَيَّما

O you afflicted by him,

O you who are afflicted with love for it

Live sorrowful, enslaved by love.

Live sadly shedding tears

والذي جاءَ لاحياً

والذي جاءَ لاحياً

فيه قد صار مُغرَما

فيه قد صار مُغرَما

And he who came to chide me

And the one who came cheerfully

About him has now fallen in love.

Is now enamoured and distressed

قُل له دَع سَليمَهُ

قُل له دَع سَليمَهُ

وَانج عنه مُسَلَّما

وَانج عنه مُسَلَّما

Tell him: leave his snake-bitten victim be,

Say to him, leave Salma alone

And escape from him unharmed.

And escape from her unharmed