قِف بالكَثيب

قِف بالكَثيب

وقل لمن طال عتبه

وقل لمن طال عتبه

Stop at the sand dune,

Stand by the sand dune

And say to him whose reproach has grown long,

And say to those with lingering regrets

عذب الشَنيب

عذب الشَنيب

خدن الرَشا وتِربه

خدن الرَشا وتِربه

Whose cool mouth is sweet,

With sweet yearning

The young gazelle's companion and age-mate:

Cheeks red as myrrh berries

صل يا رَبيب

صل يا رَبيب

صبّاً ملكتَ قَلبَه

صبّاً ملكتَ قَلبَه

Grant union, O cherished one,

Pray, my beloved

To a lovesick lover whose heart you own;

Whose heart you have conquered

واِسمع عجيب

واِسمع عجيب

مقال من زاد كربَه

مقال من زاد كربَه

And hear the wondrous

And hear the wondrous

Words of one whose anguish has grown:

Words of one burdened by sorrow

ما أَحلى الحبيب

ما أَحلى الحبيب

إذا تلافى صبَّه

إذا تلافى صبَّه

How sweet the beloved is

How sweet is my love

When he comes to his lovesick lover's aid!

When his passion is reconciled

كَم ذا الجَفا

كَم ذا الجَفا

والهجر يا مفدّى

والهجر يا مفدّى

How long this coldness,

Such coldness

And desertion, O you I would ransom?

And estrangement, my redeemer

أَما كَفى

أَما كَفى

ما هدَّ جسمي هدّا

ما هدَّ جسمي هدّا

Has it not been enough—

Has it not been enough

What has utterly shattered my body?

That wasted my body so

إِنَّ الوفا

إِنَّ الوفا

بالمستهام أَجدى

بالمستهام أَجدى

Indeed, faithfulness

Surely faithfulness

To the love-stricken does more good.

With the submissive is best

فاِسمح بطبيب

فاِسمح بطبيب

وصلك ولا تبخل به

وصلك ولا تبخل به

So be generous with the physician—

So allow your healer

Union with you—and do not withhold it.

To reunite you and do not begrudge him

ما أَحلى الحبيب

ما أَحلى الحبيب

إذا تلافى صبَّه

إذا تلافى صبَّه

How sweet the beloved is

How sweet is my love

When he comes to his lovesick lover's aid!

When his passion is reconciled

نومي غِرار

نومي غِرار

من يوم ذقت صدَّك

من يوم ذقت صدَّك

My sleep is scant

My sleep is deceptive

Since the day I tasted your rejection,

Since the day I tasted your rejection

والدَمعُ جار

والدَمعُ جار

على الخدود بعدك

على الخدود بعدك

And tears flow

And tears flow

Over my cheeks in your absence.

Down my cheeks after you

فأدن المزار

فأدن المزار

لا ذقت مُرَّ فقدك

لا ذقت مُرَّ فقدك

So bring the meeting place nearer;

So come closer to me

May I never taste the bitterness of losing you!

Lest I taste the bitter sting of your loss

إنَّ الكئيب

إنَّ الكئيب

قد كادَ يقضي نحبَه

قد كادَ يقضي نحبَه

Indeed, the sorrowful one

For the gloomy one

Has nearly reached his life's end.

Is near to being done with his sorrows

ما أَحلى الحبيب

ما أَحلى الحبيب

إذا تلافى صبَّه

إذا تلافى صبَّه

How sweet the beloved is

How sweet is my love

When he comes to his lovesick lover's aid!

When his passion is reconciled

أَنتَ المنى

أَنتَ المنى

وأَنتَ غايةُ قصدي

وأَنتَ غايةُ قصدي

You are my every wish,

You are my purpose

And you are the goal of my quest.

And my intended destination

ما المنحنى

ما المنحنى

وما منازِلُ نجدِ

وما منازِلُ نجدِ

What is the bend to me,

What curve or bend

And what are the dwellings of Najd?

In the roads of al-Najd?

فاِشفِ الضَنى

فاِشفِ الضَنى

وداوِ سقمَ وجدي

وداوِ سقمَ وجدي

So cure my wasting illness,

So heal my agony

And treat the sickness of my yearning.

And cure my lovesick heart

وصلك طَبيب

وصلك طَبيب

دائي وأنتَ طبَّه

دائي وأنتَ طبَّه

Union with you is the physician

And allow your healer

For my illness, and you are its cure.

To remedy me for you are the cure

ما أَحلى الحبيب

ما أَحلى الحبيب

إذا تلافى صبَّه

إذا تلافى صبَّه

How sweet the beloved is

How sweet is my love

When he comes to his lovesick lover's aid!

When his passion is reconciled