هَلْ لِسَلامِ الْعَلِيلِ رَدُّ

هَلْ لِسَلامِ الْعَلِيلِ رَدُّ

أَمْ لِصَبَاحِ اللِّقَاءِ وَعْدُ

أَمْ لِصَبَاحِ اللِّقَاءِ وَعْدُ

Will the ailing lover’s greeting receive a reply?

Is there a reply to the ailing one's greeting?

Or is there a promise of the dawn of reunion?

Or a promise for the morning of reunion?

أَبِيتُ أَرْعَى الدُّجَى بِعَيْنٍ

أَبِيتُ أَرْعَى الدُّجَى بِعَيْنٍ

غِذَاؤُهَا مَدْمَعٌ وَسُهْدُ

غِذَاؤُهَا مَدْمَعٌ وَسُهْدُ

I pass the night watching the darkness with an eye

I spend the night watching the darkness with an eye

Whose nourishment is flowing tears and sleeplessness.

Whose sustenance is tears and sleeplessness.

لا صَاحِبٌ إِنْ شَكَوْتُ حَالِي

لا صَاحِبٌ إِنْ شَكَوْتُ حَالِي

يَرْثِي وَلا سَامِعٌ يَرُدُّ

يَرْثِي وَلا سَامِعٌ يَرُدُّ

No companion, when I lament my plight,

No friend, if I complain of my plight,

Pities me, nor does any listener answer.

Takes pity, and no listener replies.

بَيْنَ قِنَانٍ عَلَى ثَرَاها

بَيْنَ قِنَانٍ عَلَى ثَرَاها

مِنْ سُتُراتِ الْغَمَامِ بُرْدُ

مِنْ سُتُراتِ الْغَمَامِ بُرْدُ

Amid mountain peaks, upon whose earth

Among peaks, upon whose soil

A cloak of cloud-veils lies spread,

Lies a mantle of the clouds' veils,

أَظَلُّ فِيها أَنُوحُ فَرْدَاً

أَظَلُّ فِيها أَنُوحُ فَرْدَاً

وَكُلُّ نَائِي الدِّيَارِ فَرْدُ

وَكُلُّ نَائِي الدِّيَارِ فَرْدُ

There I remain, wailing alone—

I spend the day there lamenting alone,

And everyone far from home is alone.

And everyone far from home is alone.

فَمَنْ لِقَلْبِي بِظَبْيِ وَادٍ

فَمَنْ لِقَلْبِي بِظَبْيِ وَادٍ

بَيْنَ وَشِيجِ الرِّمَاحِ يَعْدُو

بَيْنَ وَشِيجِ الرِّمَاحِ يَعْدُو

Who will aid my heart against a valley gazelle

Who, then, will bring my heart a valley gazelle,

Bounding amid a thicket of spear-shafts?

Running amid a thicket of spears?

صَارَ بِحُكْمِ الْهَوَى مَلِيكِي

صَارَ بِحُكْمِ الْهَوَى مَلِيكِي

وَمَا لِحُكْمِ الْهَوَى مَرَدُّ

وَمَا لِحُكْمِ الْهَوَى مَرَدُّ

By passion’s decree he became my sovereign,

The gazelle became my sovereign by love's decree,

And passion’s decree admits no appeal.

And love's decree cannot be overturned.

يَا سَعْدُ قُلْ لِي فَأَنْتَ أَدْرَى

يَا سَعْدُ قُلْ لِي فَأَنْتَ أَدْرَى

مَتَى رِعَانُ الْعَقِيقِ تَبْدُو

مَتَى رِعَانُ الْعَقِيقِ تَبْدُو

O Sa‘d, tell me—for you know better—

O Sa'd, tell me, for you know better:

When will the ridges of al-‘Aqiq appear?

When will the mountain spurs of al-'Aqiq appear?

أَشْتَاقُ نَجْدَاً وَسَاكِنيهِ

أَشْتَاقُ نَجْدَاً وَسَاكِنيهِ

وَأَيْنَ مِنِّي الْغَدَاةَ نَجْدُ

وَأَيْنَ مِنِّي الْغَدَاةَ نَجْدُ

I yearn for Najd and those who dwell there;

I long for Najd and its inhabitants,

Yet how far from me this morning is Najd!

And how far from me is Najd this morning!

ذَابَ فُؤَادِي بِحُبِّ لَيْلَى

ذَابَ فُؤَادِي بِحُبِّ لَيْلَى

يَا لِفُؤَادٍ بَرَاهُ وَجْدُ

يَا لِفُؤَادٍ بَرَاهُ وَجْدُ

My heart has melted for love of Layla—

My heart melted with love for Layla.

Alas for a heart that longing has wasted away!

Alas for a heart worn away by longing!

فَكَيْفَ أُمْسِي بِغَيْرِ قَلْبٍ

فَكَيْفَ أُمْسِي بِغَيْرِ قَلْبٍ

يَا نُورَ عَيْنِي وَكَيْفَ أَغْدُو

يَا نُورَ عَيْنِي وَكَيْفَ أَغْدُو

How, then, can I reach evening without a heart,

How, then, can I reach evening without a heart,

O light of my eyes—and how can I reach morning?

O light of my eye, and how can I reach morning?

لِكُلِّ شَيءٍ وَإِنْ تَمَادَى

لِكُلِّ شَيءٍ وَإِنْ تَمَادَى

حَدٌّ وَمَا لِلْغَرَامِ حَدُّ

حَدٌّ وَمَا لِلْغَرَامِ حَدُّ

Everything, however long it may endure,

For everything, however far it extends,

Has a limit; but ardent love has none.

There is a limit; but passion has no limit.

فَلَيْسَ قَبْلَ الْغَرَامِ قَبْلٌ

فَلَيْسَ قَبْلَ الْغَرَامِ قَبْلٌ

وَلَيْسَ بَعْدَ الْغَرَامِ بَعْدُ

وَلَيْسَ بَعْدَ الْغَرَامِ بَعْدُ

Before love there is no “before,”

So before passion there is no 'before',

And after love there is no “after.”

And after passion there is no 'after'.

فَهَلْ لِنَيْلِ الْوِصَالِ يَوْماً

فَهَلْ لِنَيْلِ الْوِصَالِ يَوْماً

بَعْدَ مَدِيدِ الصُّدُودِ عَهْدُ

بَعْدَ مَدِيدِ الصُّدُودِ عَهْدُ

Is there, then, some day for attaining union,

Is there, then, for attaining union one day,

After long estrangement, a promise?

After prolonged rejection, a promise?

وَهَلْ أَرَانِي رَفِيقَ حَادٍ

وَهَلْ أَرَانِي رَفِيقَ حَادٍ

بِمَدْحِ خَيْرِ الأَنَامِ يَحْدُو

بِمَدْحِ خَيْرِ الأَنَامِ يَحْدُو

And shall I see myself beside a camel-driver

And shall I see myself as a camel-driver's companion,

Chanting praise of the Best of Creation?

Who chants in praise of the best of all creation?

عَسَى إِلَهِي يَفُكُّ أَسْرِي

عَسَى إِلَهِي يَفُكُّ أَسْرِي

فَهْوَ فَعُولٌ لِمَا يَوَدُّ

فَهْوَ فَعُولٌ لِمَا يَوَدُّ

May my God release me from captivity,

May my God release me from captivity,

For He unfailingly does whatever He wills.

For He accomplishes whatever He wishes.