ألا يا عِقاب الوَكر وَكر ضَرِيّة

ألا يا عِقاب الوَكر وَكر ضَرِيّة

سَقيت الغَوادي من عِقاب وَمن وَكر

سَقيت الغَوادي من عِقاب وَمن وَكر

Ah, eagle of the eyrie, the eyrie of Dariyya,

O eagle in your lair, lair on a rugged hill,

may the morning rains water you, eagle and eyrie alike.

You've watered the valleys from eagle and from lair,

رَأَيتُكَ في طَير تَرفين فَوقِها

رَأَيتُكَ في طَير تَرفين فَوقِها

بِمَنقعةٍ بَينَ العَرائِس وَالنَشر

بِمَنقعةٍ بَينَ العَرائِس وَالنَشر

I saw you among birds, fluttering above them,

I saw you among birds flying above,

at a pool between al-Ara'is and al-Nashr.

With a beak amid maidens and dispersal,

تَمر اللَيالي وَالشُهور وَلا أَرى

تَمر اللَيالي وَالشُهور وَلا أَرى

مُرور اللَيالي منسيّاني ابنة الغمر

مُرور اللَيالي منسيّاني ابنة الغمر

The nights and months pass, yet I do not see

Nights and months pass and I do not see,

the passing nights making me forget the daughter of al-Ghamr.

Passing of nights makes me forget, daughter of vine,

تَقولُ صَلينا وَاِهجُرنا وَقَد تَرى

تَقولُ صَلينا وَاِهجُرنا وَقَد تَرى

إِذا هَجَرتَ الا وِصال مع الهَجر

إِذا هَجَرتَ الا وِصال مع الهَجر

She says, 'Join us and forsake us,' though you see,

You say "We prayed and estranged," and you can see,

when you forsake us, that union cannot coexist with estrangement.

If you estrange, only union comes with estrangement,

فَلَم ارضَ ما قالَت وَلم ابد سخطة

فَلَم ارضَ ما قالَت وَلم ابد سخطة

وَضاقَ بِما جَمجَمَت من حبها صَدري

وَضاقَ بِما جَمجَمَت من حبها صَدري

I was displeased with what she said, but showed no anger,

So I did not accept what she said or showed anger,

and my breast grew tight with the love for her I kept unspoken.

My chest tightened with what she mumbled of her love,

ظَلَلتُ بِدي وَدّانِ انشد بكرَتي

ظَلَلتُ بِدي وَدّانِ انشد بكرَتي

وَمالي عَلَيها من قَلوص وَلا بكر

وَمالي عَلَيها من قَلوص وَلا بكر

I spent the day at Dhi Waddan, seeking my young she-camel,

I lingered with my love, reciting my virginity,

though I had there neither a young she-camel nor a young he-camel.

And I have over her no trickery or virginity,

وَما انشَد الرعيان الا تعلة

وَما انشَد الرعيان الا تعلة

لِواضِحَة الاِنيابِ طيبة النَشر

لِواضِحَة الاِنيابِ طيبة النَشر

I questioned the shepherds only as a pretext

The shepherds recite only a pretext,

for a woman with gleaming canine teeth and a sweet fragrance.

For the wide-fanged, sweet dispersal,

فَقالَ لي الرعيان لَم تَلتَبِس بِنا

فَقالَ لي الرعيان لَم تَلتَبِس بِنا

فَقُلتُ بَلى قَد كُنت مِنها عَلى ذكر

فَقُلتُ بَلى قَد كُنت مِنها عَلى ذكر

The shepherds said to me, 'She has not mingled with us.'

The shepherds said, "Why do you mix with us?"

I said, 'Yes, she has; I had heard tell of her.'

I said "Yes, I was thinking of her,"

وَقَد ذَكَرنَ لي بِالكَثيبِ مُؤالِف

وَقَد ذَكَرنَ لي بِالكَثيبِ مُؤالِف

قِلاص عدى او قِلاص بَني وَبرِ

قِلاص عدى او قِلاص بَني وَبرِ

They had told me she was at the dune, keeping company with

They reminded me of the hill, reconciling,

Adi's young she-camels or the young she-camels of Banu Wabr.

A cousin transgressed, or a cousin of sons and innocence,

فَقالَ فَريق القَوم لما نَشَدتهم

فَقالَ فَريق القَوم لما نَشَدتهم

نِعم وَفَريق ليمن اللَهُ لا نَدري

نِعم وَفَريق ليمن اللَهُ لا نَدري

When I questioned them, one group of the people said,

So a group of people when I recited to them,

'Yes'; another said, 'By God, we do not know.'

Said "Good!" and a group, "God forbid, we don't know,"

اما وَالَّذي حج الملبون بيتَه

اما وَالَّذي حج الملبون بيتَه

وَعَلَم أَيّام الذَبائِح وَالنَحر

وَعَلَم أَيّام الذَبائِح وَالنَحر

Now, by Him whose House the chanting pilgrims visit,

But by Him who circumambulated the filled house,

and who marked out the days of sacrifice and slaughter—

And knew the days of sacrifice and immolation,

لَقَد زادَني لِلغَمرِ حُبّا وَاهلِهِ

لَقَد زادَني لِلغَمرِ حُبّا وَاهلِهِ

لَيال اِقامَتهُن لَيلى عَلى الغَمر

لَيال اِقامَتهُن لَيلى عَلى الغَمر

my love for al-Ghamr and its people was surely increased

She increased my love for the vine and her family,

by the nights Layla spent at al-Ghamr.

Nights she spent at the vine,

وَداعَ دَعا اِذن نحنُ بِالخيف من مُنى

وَداعَ دَعا اِذن نحنُ بِالخيف من مُنى

فَهيجَ لَوعات الفُؤادِ وَما يَدري

فَهيجَ لَوعات الفُؤادِ وَما يَدري

A caller called out while we were at al-Khayf in Mina,

He called farewell when we were in fear from Mina,

stirring the heart's burning pangs, all unaware.

So it stirred the agonies of my heart, though it did not know,

دَعا بِاِسم لَيلى غَيرها فَكَأَنَّما

دَعا بِاِسم لَيلى غَيرها فَكَأَنَّما

اطار بِلَيلى طائِراً كانَ في صَدري

اطار بِلَيلى طائِراً كانَ في صَدري

He called another woman by Layla's name, and it was as though

He called another's name instead of Layla, so it was as if,

he had, with 'Layla,' sent flying a bird that was in my breast.

A bird that was in my chest took flight,

فَهَل يا ثُمَنّي اللَهُ في اِن ذَكَرتَها

فَهَل يا ثُمَنّي اللَهُ في اِن ذَكَرتَها

وَعَلَلت اِصحابي بِها لَيلَة النَفر

وَعَلَلت اِصحابي بِها لَيلَة النَفر

Will God then hold me sinful if I speak of her,

So what do you think, my friend, if you mention her,

and entertain my companions with talk of her on the night of departure,

And make my companions restless for her on the night of departure,

وَسَكَّنت ما بي مِن ملال وَمن كَرى

وَسَكَّنت ما بي مِن ملال وَمن كَرى

وَما بِالمَطايا من جُنوح وَلا فثر

وَما بِالمَطايا من جُنوح وَلا فثر

and soothe the boredom and drowsiness within me,

And calm the boredom and hatred in me,

while the mounts neither swerve nor flag?

And the leaning and scattering of the camels,