يَقَرُّ بِعَيني أَن أَرى لَكِ مَنزِلاً

بِنَعمانَ يَزكو تُربُهُ وَيَطيبُ

My eyes delight to see a home for you

In Na'aman, where the soil is sweet and pure,

وَأَرضاً بِنُوّارِ الأَقاحي صَقيلَةً

تَرَدَّدُ فيها شَمأَلٌ وَجَنوبُ

And a land with bright wild flowers,

Where the north and south winds blow,

وَأَيُّ حَبيبٍ غَيَّبَ النَأيُ شَخصَهُ

وَحالَ زَمانٌ دونَهُ وَخُطوبُ

What lover did absence obscure his image

And time passed between us with sorrows,

تَطاوَلَتِ الأَعلامُ بَيني وَبَينَهُ

وَأَصبَحَ نائي الدارِ وَهُوَ قَريبُ

The banners stretched between me and him

And my homecoming was near, and he was far,

لَكِ اللَهُ مِن مَطلولَةِ القَلبِ بِالهَوى

قَتيلَةِ شَوقٍ وَالحَبيبُ غَريبُ

May God grant you relief from a heart in love,

Slain by passion while the lover is a stranger,

أُقِلُّ سَلامي إِن رَأَيتُكِ خيفَةً

وَأُعرِضُ كَيما لا يُقالَ مُريبُ

I give you my greetings in whispers

And turn away lest anyone would doubt,

وَأُطرِقُ وَالعَينانِ يومِضُ لَحظُها

إِلَيكِ وَما بَينَ الضُلوعِ وَجيبُ

I bow my head while my eyes flash their glances

Toward you, though my heart beats within,

يَقولونَ مَشغوفُ الفُؤادِ مُرَوَّعٌ

وَمَشغوفَةٌ تَدعو بِهِ فَيُجيبُ

They say the love-smitten one is distraught

And the woman in love calls him, and he answers,

وَما عَلِموا أَنّا إِلى غَيرِ ريبَةٍ

بَقاءَ اللَيالي نَغتَدي وَنَؤوبُ

They know not that we in our doubt

Spend the nights in joy and in sorrow,

عَفافِيَ مِن دونِ التَقِيَّةِ زاجِرٌ

وَصَونُكِ مِن دونِ الرَقيبِ رَقيبُ

My chastity without coquetry drives me away

And your modesty without a guard is my guard

عَشِقتُ وَما لي يَعلَمُ اللَهُ حاجَةٌ

سِوى نَظَري وَالعاشِقونَ ضُروبُ

I loved though I have no need, God knows,

Except to see you while lovers have diverse passions,

وَما لِيَ يا لَمياءُ بِالشَعرِ طائِلٌ

سِوى أَنَّ أَشعاري عَلَيكِ نَسيبُ

And, oh radiant one, I have no use for poetry

Except that my poems are your relatives,

أُحِبُّكِ حُبّاً لَو جَزَيتِ بِبَعضِهِ

أَطاعَكِ مِنّي قائِدٌ وَجَنيبُ

I love you with a love, if I repaid a part,

A leader and neighbor would obey you,

وَفي القَلبِ داءٌ في يَديكِ دَواؤُهُ

أَلا رُبَّ داءٍ لا يَراهُ طَبيبُ

In my heart is a sickness, and its cure is in your hand,

Oh, how many an illness no doctor sees!

سَرى لَكِ مِن أَوطانِهِ كُلُّ عارِضٍ

تَضاحَكَ فيهِ البَرقُ وَهُوَ قَطوبُ

Every visitor traveled to you from his home,

While lightning smiled and the clouds poured down,

وَلا زالَ خَفّاقُ النَسيمِ مُرَقرِقاً

عَليكِ وَأَنواءُ الغَمامِ تَصوبُ

The fluttering breeze still flickers about you

While the showers of clouds aim toward you.