يا عَندَليب الأَراك غَنِّ

يا عَندَليب الأَراك غَنِّ

وَاِروِ حَديث الغَرام عَنّي

وَاِروِ حَديث الغَرام عَنّي

O nightingale of the arak trees, sing!

O you nightingale of the meadows, sing

And tell the tale of love on my behalf.

And tell the tale of love about me

عَنّي رَوى كُل ذي غَرام

عَنّي رَوى كُل ذي غَرام

وَذي شُجون وَذي هيامِ

وَذي شُجون وَذي هيامِ

Every lover has told of me,

Let everyone in love speak of me

And every sorrowful soul, and every soul mad with love,

And those who pine, and those in passion lost

كَما رَوى الخصر عَن سقامي

كَما رَوى الخصر عَن سقامي

وَالكُلّ بالإذن فازَ منّي

وَالكُلّ بالإذن فازَ منّي

Just as the waist has told of my wasting,

As did my waist tell of my sickness

And all have won permission from me.

With my permission, so they all excelled

أَفدي مَهاة مِن الكَواعب

أَفدي مَهاة مِن الكَواعب

فاقَت عَلى السَبعة الكَواكب

فاقَت عَلى السَبعة الكَواكب

I would give my life for an oryx among the full-breasted maidens,

I would ransom the graceful gazelle

She outshone the seven planets.

Who surpassed the seven planets

ماسَت فَأَبدَت لَنا عَجائب

ماسَت فَأَبدَت لَنا عَجائب

فَأَزرَت الغُصن بِالتَثنّي

فَأَزرَت الغُصن بِالتَثنّي

She swayed and revealed wonders to us,

She walked, displaying marvels to us

And put the bough to shame with her swaying.

So the branch bent with her gentle sway

شَمس تَوارَت خَلف الحِجاب

شَمس تَوارَت خَلف الحِجاب

وَالصَبّ يَلتاع بِالتَصابي

وَالصَبّ يَلتاع بِالتَصابي

A sun that hid behind the veil,

A sun set behind the veil

And the lovesick lover is tormented by youthful dalliance.

And the youth sported in play

يا لَيتَ بِالعاذِلين ما بي

يا لَيتَ بِالعاذِلين ما بي

مِن لَوعة الصَدِّ وَالتَجنّي

مِن لَوعة الصَدِّ وَالتَجنّي

Oh, if only my reproachers bore what I bear

Would that I felt not the agony

Of the anguish of rejection and unjust cruelty!

Of rejection and estrangement's pain

مَهلاً فَدتكَ النُفوس مَهلا

مَهلاً فَدتكَ النُفوس مَهلا

فَلَستُ لِلهَجر مِنكَ أَهلا

فَلَستُ لِلهَجر مِنكَ أَهلا

Be gentle—may souls be your ransom—be gentle!

Gently, your soul ransom I gently

For I do not deserve to be forsaken by you.

For estrangement I'm not inclined

أَما وَرَشف الرضاب نَهلا

أَما وَرَشف الرضاب نَهلا

إِنّي لَأَرجو رضاك عَنّي

إِنّي لَأَرجو رضاك عَنّي

Indeed, by the first sip of the lips' nectar,

But the draft of acceptance I've sipped

I do indeed hope you will be pleased with me.

Indeed, your pleasure I wish to gain

لَمّا تَجَلَّت ذات الجَمال

لَمّا تَجَلَّت ذات الجَمال

تَختال بِالتيهِ وَالدَلالِ

تَختال بِالتيهِ وَالدَلالِ

When the beautiful one revealed herself,

When the beauty of her visage shone

Strutting with haughtiness and coquetry,

Swaying coquettishly, beguiling

بَذَلت روحي لَها وَمالي

بَذَلت روحي لَها وَمالي

وَالوَصل بِالبَذل لا التَمَنّي

وَالوَصل بِالبَذل لا التَمَنّي

I gave her my soul and my wealth;

I gave my soul and wealth to her

And union comes through giving, not wishing.

Union by giving, not longing gained

أَقسَمت بِالجيد وَالجَبين

أَقسَمت بِالجيد وَالجَبين

وَالقدّ وَالنهد وَالعُيون

وَالقدّ وَالنهد وَالعُيون

I swore by the neck and the brow,

I swore by the neck and the brow

And the figure, the breast, and the eyes,

By the stature, breasts and eyes

وَوَجهها الباهر المَصون

وَوَجهها الباهر المَصون

أنَّ الهَوى صنعتي وَفَنّي

أنَّ الهَوى صنعتي وَفَنّي

And her dazzling, well-guarded face,

And her radiant guarded face

That love is my craft and my art.

That passion fashioned me by its hand

أَذكى صَلاتي مَع التَحايا

أَذكى صَلاتي مَع التَحايا

تهدى إِلى أَكرَم البَرايا

تهدى إِلى أَكرَم البَرايا

My most fragrant blessings, together with salutations,

My prayers with greetings I offer

Are offered to the noblest of created beings,

Bestowed on the best of all mankind

وَآله أَبحر العَطايا

وَآله أَبحر العَطايا

وَمَن بِهم دامَ حُسن ظَنّي

وَمَن بِهم دامَ حُسن ظَنّي

And his family, seas of bounty,

And his family, an ocean of gifts

And those in whom my trust has endured.

May my good thoughts of them remain