سَقى مَنزِلَينا يا بُثَينَ بِحاجِرِ

سَقى مَنزِلَينا يا بُثَينَ بِحاجِرِ

عَلى الهَجرِ مِنّا صَيِّفٌ وَرَبيعُ

عَلى الهَجرِ مِنّا صَيِّفٌ وَرَبيعُ

May our two dwellings at Hajir, O Buthayn, be watered,

Our homes have been watered, O Buthaina, with light rain

Though we have deserted them, by summer and spring rains;

While we were away - a summer and spring -

وَدَورَكِ يا لَيلى وَإِن كُنَّ بَعدَنا

وَدَورَكِ يا لَيلى وَإِن كُنَّ بَعدَنا

بَلينَ بِلىً لَم تَبلَهُنَّ رُبوعُ

بَلينَ بِلىً لَم تَبلَهُنَّ رُبوعُ

And your dwellings, O Layla, though since our departure

And your abodes, O Layla, though far from us

They have decayed as no other dwellings have;

Were made soft, very soft, by the seasons

وَخَيماتِكِ اللاتي بِمُنعَرَجِ اللَوى

وَخَيماتِكِ اللاتي بِمُنعَرَجِ اللَوى

لَقُمرِيِّها بِالمُشرِقينَ سَجيعُ

لَقُمرِيِّها بِالمُشرِقينَ سَجيعُ

And your little tents at the bend of al-Liwa—

And your tents at the winding sands' crest

Their turtledove has a cooing song at al-Mushriqayn.

With their moons so bright in the east -

يُزَعزِعُ فيها الريحُ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ

يُزَعزِعُ فيها الريحُ كُلَّ عَشِيَّةٍ

هَزيمٌ بِسُلّافِ الرِياحِ رَجيعُ

هَزيمٌ بِسُلّافِ الرِياحِ رَجيعُ

The wind rattles through them every evening,

The wind shakes them every evening

With rumbling thunder echoing amid the winds’ first gusts.

A defeated rout before the winds' onslaught

وَإِنِّيَ أَن يَعلى بِكِ اللَومُ أَو تُرَي

وَإِنِّيَ أَن يَعلى بِكِ اللَومُ أَو تُرَي

بِدارِ أَذىً مِن شامِتٍ لَجُزوعُ

بِدارِ أَذىً مِن شامِتٍ لَجُزوعُ

And should blame rise against you, or you be seen

And I fear lest you be blamed, or seen

In a place of harm from a gloater, I am truly distraught.

In a house of woe by a gloating foe

وَإِنّي عَلى الشَيءِ الَّذي يُلتَوى بِهِ

وَإِنّي عَلى الشَيءِ الَّذي يُلتَوى بِهِ

وَإِن زَجَرَتني زَجرَةً لَوَريعُ

وَإِن زَجَرَتني زَجرَةً لَوَريعُ

And I, concerning anything approached evasively,

Yet I'll bear what I'm wrapped up in

Am truly wary, even if you rebuke me just once.

Though you chide me, for I am pliant

فَقَدتُكِ مِن نَفسٍ شَعاعٍ فَإِنَّني

فَقَدتُكِ مِن نَفسٍ شَعاعٍ فَإِنَّني

نَهَيتُكِ عَن هَذا وَأَنتِ جَميعُ

نَهَيتُكِ عَن هَذا وَأَنتِ جَميعُ

May I lose you, scattered soul! For I

I've lost a ray of light from my soul, for I

Warned you against this while you were still whole.

Forbade you this, while you were all to me

فَقَرَّبتِ لي غَيرَ القَريبِ وَأَشرَفَت

فَقَرَّبتِ لي غَيرَ القَريبِ وَأَشرَفَت

هُناكَ ثَنايا ما لَهُنَّ طُلوعُ

هُناكَ ثَنايا ما لَهُنَّ طُلوعُ

Yet you brought near to me what was not near, and up rose

So you drew near one far away, and climbed

Mountain passes there with no way to ascend them.

There, slopes never lit by the sun

يَقولونَ صَبٌّ بِالغَواني مُوَكَّلٌ

يَقولونَ صَبٌّ بِالغَواني مُوَكَّلٌ

وَهَل ذاكَ مِن فِعلِ الرِجالِ بَديعُ

وَهَل ذاكَ مِن فِعلِ الرِجالِ بَديعُ

They say, “A lovesick man, devoted to beautiful women!”

They say passion holds sway over the impassioned

And is that anything novel in what men do?

But is that what men of worth do?

وَقالوا رَعَيتَ اللَهوَ وَالمالُ ضائِعٌ

وَقالوا رَعَيتَ اللَهوَ وَالمالُ ضائِعٌ

فَكَالناسِ فيهُم صالِحٌ وَمُضيعُ

فَكَالناسِ فيهُم صالِحٌ وَمُضيعُ

And they said, “You tended pleasure while wealth went to waste.”

And they said, "You grazed freedom and wealth lies wasted"

So I am like other people: some are prudent, others wasteful.

Yet people are some righteous, some lost