يا دارَ ميَّة باللِّوى فالأجرعِ

يا دارَ ميَّة باللِّوى فالأجرعِ

حَيّاكِ منهلُّ الحَيا من أَدمعي

حَيّاكِ منهلُّ الحَيا من أَدمعي

O dwelling of Mayya at al-Liwa and al-Ajraʿ,

O homeland of Meyya abundant with twisting valleys,

May the rain pouring from my tears greet you,

Greetings from the spring of life and my tears,

وَسرى نَسيمُ الرَوض يسحبُ ذيله

وَسرى نَسيمُ الرَوض يسحبُ ذيله

بمصيفِ أنسٍ في حماكِ ومَربَعِ

بمصيفِ أنسٍ في حماكِ ومَربَعِ

And may the garden breeze glide by night, trailing its hem,

The breeze of the meadow softly blows its tail

Through a summer retreat of companionship within your bounds, and a spring abode.

In the summer lodges of intimacy within your fences and squares,

لَو لَم تَبيتي من أَنيسكِ بلقعاً

لَو لَم تَبيتي من أَنيسكِ بلقعاً

ما بتُّ أَندبُ كلَّ دارٍ بلقعِ

ما بتُّ أَندبُ كلَّ دارٍ بلقعِ

Had you not lain desolate, bereft of your companion,

Had you not spent the night bereft of your companions

I would not have spent the night lamenting every desolate dwelling.

I would not have lamented every desolate abode,

لَم أَنسَ عهدَك والأَحبَّة جيرةٌ

لَم أَنسَ عهدَك والأَحبَّة جيرةٌ

وَالعَيشُ صفوٌ في ثَراكِ المُمرعِ

وَالعَيشُ صفوٌ في ثَراكِ المُمرعِ

I have not forgotten your days, when the beloved ones were neighbors,

I have not forgotten your era and the beloved neighbors

And life was unclouded upon your lush soil.

And life was pure in your fruitful plains,

أَيّامَ لا أصغي لِلَومة لائمٍ

أَيّامَ لا أصغي لِلَومة لائمٍ

سَمعاً وإِن ثُغر الصَبابة أَسمعِ

سَمعاً وإِن ثُغر الصَبابة أَسمعِ

Days when I would not lend a reprover's blame

Days when I do not heed the blame of any blamer

An ear, though I listened to the mouths of passionate love.

Even if the youths’ clamor is louder,

حيث الرُبى تَسري بريّاها الصبا

حيث الرُبى تَسري بريّاها الصبا

وَالرَوضُ زاهي النَور عذبُ المَشرعِ

وَالرَوضُ زاهي النَور عذبُ المَشرعِ

Where the east wind carries the hills' fragrance by night,

Where the gazelles roam with their young

And the garden is bright with blossoms, its watering place sweet.

And the meadow blooms bright and its riverbanks are sweet,

تَحنو عليَّ عواطِفاً أَفنانُه

تَحنو عليَّ عواطِفاً أَفنانُه

عندَ المبيت به حنوّ المُرضِعِ

عندَ المبيت به حنوّ المُرضِعِ

Its branches bend affectionately over me,

Your branches bend over me affectionately

When I spend the night there, with a nursing mother's tenderness.

When I stay under them bending as a wet nurse,

والوُرقُ في عَذبِ الغُصون سواجعٌ

والوُرقُ في عَذبِ الغُصون سواجعٌ

تشدُو بمرأىً من سُعادَ وَمَسمَعِ

تشدُو بمرأىً من سُعادَ وَمَسمَعِ

And gray doves coo among the lovely branches,

And the leaves amid the tender branches are compliant

Singing within Suʿad's sight and hearing.

Singing with a view of bliss and hearing,

كَم بتُّ فيه صَريعَ كأس مُدامةٍ

كَم بتُّ فيه صَريعَ كأس مُدامةٍ

حِلفَ البَطالة لا أفيقُ ولا أَعي

حِلفَ البَطالة لا أفيقُ ولا أَعي

How often I spent the night there, felled by a cup of wine,

How many times did I spend the night intoxicated

A companion of idleness, neither sobering nor aware.

I swore to inaction, neither awake nor aware,

أَصبو بِقَلبٍ لا يزال مُوَزَّعاً

أَصبو بِقَلبٍ لا يزال مُوَزَّعاً

في الحُبِّ بين معمَّمٍ ومقنَّعِ

في الحُبِّ بين معمَّمٍ ومقنَّعِ

I yearn with a heart that remains divided

My heart persists divided

In love between a turbaned one and a veiled one.

Between passion for a turban-wearer and one in a veil,

مُستَهتِراً طوعَ الصَبابة في هَوى

مُستَهتِراً طوعَ الصَبابة في هَوى

قمَري جمالٍ مُسفِرٍ ومُبرقَعِ

قمَري جمالٍ مُسفِرٍ ومُبرقَعِ

Besotted, obedient to passionate longing, in love with

Frivolously obeying the youths in love

Two moons of beauty, one unveiled and one face-veiled.

For my moonlike resplendent and sparkling beauty,

ما ساءَني أن كنتُ أَوَّل مُغرمٍ

ما ساءَني أن كنتُ أَوَّل مُغرمٍ

بجمال ربِّ رداً وَربَّة بُرقعِ

بجمال ربِّ رداً وَربَّة بُرقعِ

It did not trouble me that I was the first to be enamored

I am not saddened that I was the first lovesick one

Of the beauty of a man in a cloak and a woman in a face veil.

For the beauty of a fawn and a doe in a cloak,

يَقتادُني زهوُ الشَباب وعِفَّتي

يَقتادُني زهوُ الشَباب وعِفَّتي

فيه عَفافَ الناسكِ المتورَّعِ

فيه عَفافَ الناسكِ المتورَّعِ

Youth's exuberance leads me on, while my chastity

My prime and my chastity lead me

Within it is that of a scrupulous ascetic.

To the devout ascetic's chastity,

لِلَّه أَيّامي بمنعَرج اللِوى

لِلَّه أَيّامي بمنعَرج اللِوى

حيث الهَوى طَوعي ومن أَهوى مَعي

حيث الهَوى طَوعي ومن أَهوى مَعي

God be praised for my days at the bend of al-Liwa,

By the winding valleys where yearning has sway over me

Where love was at my command, and the one I loved was with me.

And the one I love accompanies me,

لَم أَنسَه وَالبينُ ينعِقُ بينَنا

لَم أَنسَه وَالبينُ ينعِقُ بينَنا

متصاعدَ الزَفرات وهو مُودِّعي

متصاعدَ الزَفرات وهو مُودِّعي

I have not forgotten him, as separation cawed between us,

I have not forgotten him though the separation neighs between us

With mounting sighs, as he bade me farewell.

With lamentations as he bids me farewell,

إِن شبَّ في قَلبي الغَضا بفراقِه

إِن شبَّ في قَلبي الغَضا بفراقِه

فَلَقَد ثَوى بالمُنحَنى من أَضلُعي

فَلَقَد ثَوى بالمُنحَنى من أَضلُعي

If ghada-wood blazed in my heart at parting from him,

If discontent has flared up in my heart over parting with him

For he has indeed dwelt within the curve of my ribs.

It is because he has nested in my ribs,

أَتجشَّم السُلوان عنه تكلُّفاً

أَتجشَّم السُلوان عنه تكلُّفاً

وَالطَبعُ يغلبُ شيمةَ المتطبِّعِ

وَالطَبعُ يغلبُ شيمةَ المتطبِّعِ

I struggle to forget him, forcing myself,

I unwillingly endure barrenness away from him

Yet innate nature overcomes the disposition one tries to assume.

And nature overcomes acquired behavior,