صاحِ إِن جزتَ بذي الأثل فَحي

صاحِ إِن جزتَ بذي الأثل فَحي

ساكني تلكَ الرُبى حيّاً فحَي

ساكني تلكَ الرُبى حيّاً فحَي

O friend, if you pass through Dhu al-Athl, greet

O friend, if you pass by the beloved's abode, give greetings

the dwellers of those hills, clan after clan.

To the dwellers of that hill, greet them well.

وقِفِ الركبَ بشرقيّ الحِمى

وقِفِ الركبَ بشرقيّ الحِمى

بين حُزوى وَثنيّاتِ اللِوي

بين حُزوى وَثنيّاتِ اللِوي

And halt the caravan east of the sanctuary,

Stop the caravan at the east of the sanctuary,

between Huzwa and the passes of al-Liwayy.

Between Huza and the meadows of Liwa.

وإذا اِستَسقَيتَ فاِستَسقِ له

وإذا اِستَسقَيتَ فاِستَسقِ له

بدل السُحب الغوادي مُقلتَي

بدل السُحب الغوادي مُقلتَي

And if you pray for rain, ask that it be watered

And if you seek rain, then seek it for him,

by my two eyes rather than the morning clouds.

Instead of clouds, tears from my eyelids.

يا رعى اللَه بسفحِ المنحنى

يا رعى اللَه بسفحِ المنحنى

رشأً تحميه آسادُ لؤي

رشأً تحميه آسادُ لؤي

Ah, may God guard, at the foot of the bend,

O Allah's pasture on the slopes of the valley,

a young gazelle whom the lions of Lu’ayy protect.

Young grass guarded by noble lions.

كَم معنّىً بهواه لم يَزَل

كَم معنّىً بهواه لم يَزَل

سائراً يَطوي إِليهِ البيدَ طَي

سائراً يَطوي إِليهِ البيدَ طَي

How many a lover, tormented by love for him, has kept

Many meanings in his love never ceased

journeying, folding up the deserts on his way to him!

Roaming to it, the distance folds to him.

إنَّ غيّي في هواه رشدٌ

إنَّ غيّي في هواه رشدٌ

وَرَشادي في سلوّي عنه غَي

وَرَشادي في سلوّي عنه غَي

Indeed, my straying in love for him is guidance,

My error in his love is guidance,

and my guidance in forgetting him is straying.

And my guidance in turning away from him is error.

لا تَلُمني إِن أَمت وجداً به

لا تَلُمني إِن أَمت وجداً به

كُلُّ ميتٍ هو في الأَحباب حَي

كُلُّ ميتٍ هو في الأَحباب حَي

Do not blame me if I die of longing for him;

Blame me not if I die in love for him,

every dead one is alive among the beloved.

Every dead soul by the loved ones is alive.

وَبِنَفسي غادَةٌ مقصورةٌ

وَبِنَفسي غادَةٌ مقصورةٌ

باللوى تَلوي ديونَ الصَبِّ لي

باللوى تَلوي ديونَ الصَبِّ لي

And may my soul be ransom for a secluded maiden

My soul confined and restricted

in al-Liwa, who keeps deferring the lovesick lover’s dues.

Is twisted by passion, in debts of youth.

إِن تُشِر للشَمس والبَدر تقُل

إِن تُشِر للشَمس والبَدر تقُل

هذه أُختي وذيّاك أخي

هذه أُختي وذيّاك أخي

If she points to the sun and the full moon, she says:

If you point the sun and moon you say

“This is my sister, and that little one is my little brother.”

This is my sister and that your brother.

إِن بذلتُ الروحَ في حبّي لها

إِن بذلتُ الروحَ في حبّي لها

فَلَها المنَّةُ في البذل عَلي

فَلَها المنَّةُ في البذل عَلي

If I give my soul in my love for her,

If I gave my soul in love for her

then in that giving, she is the one who does me a favor.

Then for her is grace in giving upon me.

كُلُّ صَبٍّ في الهَوى ما لَم يكن

كُلُّ صَبٍّ في الهَوى ما لَم يكن

سَمِحاً بالروح لم يَسمَح بشَي

سَمِحاً بالروح لم يَسمَح بشَي

Every lover consumed by passion, unless he is

Every youth in love unless he be

generous with his soul, has been generous with nothing.

Generous with his soul, is not generous at all.

وإِليه يَنتَهي البخلُ ولو

وإِليه يَنتَهي البخلُ ولو

أَنَّه في جوده حاتِمُ طَي

أَنَّه في جوده حاتِمُ طَي

And in him miserliness reaches its limit, even if

To him stinginess leads though he be

he were, in his generosity, Hatim of Tayy.

The most generous, like Hatem Al-Tai.

ساقَني الحُبُّ كما قادَني

ساقَني الحُبُّ كما قادَني

فَهو من خَلفي ومن بين يدَي

فَهو من خَلفي ومن بين يدَي

Love has driven me just as it has led me,

Love led me just as it steered me,

so it is behind me and before me.

It is behind me and before me.

يا نَدامايَ بجمعٍ ومنىً

يا نَدامايَ بجمعٍ ومنىً

هَل لِعَهدي بهما عَودٌ إِلي

هَل لِعَهدي بهما عَودٌ إِلي

O my boon companions at Jam‘ and Mina,

O my two abodes of gathering and wishes,

will my days in those two places return to me?

Is there for my pact with you two a return to you?

حَيث عَيشي بالتَداني رَغدٌ

حَيث عَيشي بالتَداني رَغدٌ

وَالهَوى طوعي ومن أَهوى لَدي

وَالهَوى طوعي ومن أَهوى لَدي

Where I lived in ease through closeness,

Where my life in your nearness is blissful,

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

And the one I love, love is ready for me.

لا أَغبَّ المزنُ مَن أَمِّ القرى

لا أَغبَّ المزنُ مَن أَمِّ القرى

منزلاً كانَ لأَسماءَ ومَي

منزلاً كانَ لأَسماءَ ومَي

May the rain clouds never neglect, in Umm al-Qura,

Time does not make me forget who took abode,

a dwelling that once belonged to Asma’ and Mayy.

In a house that was for Asma and May.

لَو دَعاني الدَهرُ يَوماً دعوةً

لَو دَعاني الدَهرُ يَوماً دعوةً

نحوه أَو قالَت الأَقدارُ هَي

نحوه أَو قالَت الأَقدارُ هَي

If Time one day summoned me

If fate called me one day with a call

toward it, or the Fates said, “Come!”

Towards it or destiny said come.

جئتُه أَسعى علىالرأَس وَلَم

جئتُه أَسعى علىالرأَس وَلَم

أَرضَ للسَعي إِليه قدمي

أَرضَ للسَعي إِليه قدمي

I would come to it, hastening on my head, and would not

I would come hastening on my head and have not

be content to use my feet to hasten to it.

Lowered my feet to hasten to it.

يا حُداةَ العيس أَقصى أَملي

يا حُداةَ العيس أَقصى أَملي

وَقفَةٌ بين كَداءٍ وكُدي

وَقفَةٌ بين كَداءٍ وكُدي

O drivers of the pale camels, my utmost hope is

O young camel riders! My utmost hope

a halt between Kada’ and Kudayy.

Is a stance between struggle and exhaustion.

وقفةٌ يَروى بها من زَمزَم

وقفةٌ يَروى بها من زَمزَم

قَلبيَ الظمآن لا من ثغر رَي

قَلبيَ الظمآن لا من ثغر رَي

A halt at which, from Zamzam, is quenched

A stance where my thirsty heart is quenched

my thirsty heart—not from a moist mouth.

Not from a mouth's water but from Zamzam.