قِفى يا أُمَيمَ القَلبِ نَقرَأ تَحِيَّةً

وَنَقضِ الهَوَى ثُمَّ افعَلِى ما بَدالَكِ

Stop, O dove of my heart, and let us exchange greetings

And break the passion, then do as you wish

فَلَو قُلتِ طَأ فِى النّارِ أَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ

هَوًى مِنكِ أَو مُدنٍ لَنا مِن وِصالِكِ

For if you said, "Step into fire", I know

It would be a passion from you or a guide to our union

لَقَدَّمتُ رِجلي نَحوَها فَوَطِئتُها

هُدَيَّاكِ لِي أَو هَفوَةً مِن ضَلالِكِ

I would step towards it and tread on it

As your gift to me or a slip due to your absence

سَلىِ البانضةَ العَليا مِنَ الأَبطَحِ الّذِى

بِهِ البانُ هَل حَيَّيتُ أَطلالَ دارِكِ

I passed by the high ruins in the plain where

The past dwellings are - did I greet your ruined abode?

وَهَل قُمتُ فِى أَظلالِهِنَّ عَشِيَّةً

مَقامَ أَخِى البأساءِ وَاختَرتُ ذلِكِ

And did I stand among their shadows one evening

In place of my departed brother, and I chose that

وَهَل سَفَحَت عَيناىَ فِى الدّارِ غُدوَةً

بِداراً كًسَحِّ اللُّؤلؤِ المُتَهالِكِ

And did my eyes overflow with tears in the house at dawn

For a house whose splendor dazzled like dissolving pearls

لِيَهنِكِ إِمسَاكِى بِكَفِّى عَلَى الحَشَا

وَرَقراقُ عَينِى خَشيَةً مِن زِيالِكِ

So you would pity my holding back my tears

And the flowing of my eyes, fearing your departure

فَإِنِّى لأَستَحفِيكِ يا بِنتَ مالِكِ

عَنَ الشَّىءِ ما بِى غَيرُ طِيبِ كَلامِكِ

For I seek your protection, O daughter of Malik

Against anything in me but good words for you

وإِنِّى لأَستَغشِى وَما بِيَ نَعسَةٌ

وَما ذاك إِلاّ أَن يُلِمَّ خَيالُكِ

And I become drowsy yet I am not sleepy

Except that your imagination overwhelms me

وَإِنِّى لأَستَسقِى السَّحابَ لأَرضِكُم

وَيُعجِبُنِى مَا أَحسَنَ اللهُ حالَكِ

And I seek rain from the clouds for your land

And I love what God has made good for you

أُحِبُّ الصَّبا إِن كُنتِ مِن قِبَلِ الصَّبا

وَنَجماً مُضِيَّاً طالِعَا مِن حِيالِكِ

I love the breeze if you are in the direction of the breeze

And a bright star rising in your direction

سَأَلتُكِ هَل يَأتِيكِ فِى كُلِّ مَضجَعِ

خَيالِى كَما يَسرِى إِلىَّ خَيالُكِ

I asked you, does my imagination come to you

In every bed as your imagination comes to me?

وَهَل سَفحَت عَينَاكِ مِن نَأىِ دَارِنا

كَما سَفَحَت عَيناىَ مِن نَأيِ دارِكِ

And have your eyes overflowed from the remoteness of our house

As my eyes overflowed from the remoteness of your house?

وَهَل شَفَّكُم يَومَ ارتَحلنا زِيالُنا

كَما شَفَّني يَومَ ارتَحَلتُم زِيالُكِ

And did our departure make you desolate

As your departure made me desolate that day?

فَواكَبِدِى مِن عِلمِ أَن لَم تُنَوِّلِى

وَمِن حُمُقِى لا أَنتَهِى عَن سُؤَالِكِ

So bear with me, knowing I cannot help

Asking you, and I cannot stop asking you

وَواكَبِدِى أَلا أَضُمَّكِ ضَمّةً

إِلىَّ وَقَد نامَت عُيُونُ رِجالِكِ

And bear with me, I cannot embrace you

While your people's eyes are closed in sleep

وَواكَبِدِى مِن لاعِجِ الحُبِّ وَالهَوَى

وَمِن نُشبَتِى لافَكَّ لِى مِن حِبالِكِد

And bear with me the agony of love and passion

And my addiction, I cannot free myself from your ropes

وَكُنَّا خُلَيطَى فِى الجِمالِ فَرَاعَنِى

جِمالِى تَوَلَّى نُزَّعاً مِن جِمالِكِ

And we were mixed in beauty, so my beauty

Withdrew out of shyness from your beauty

أَلَم تَعلَمِى أَنِّى أُسِرُّ عَلاقَةً

وَاَنِّىَ ذُو القُربَى وَأَنِّى ابنُ خالِكِ

Don't you know I keep ties secret

For I am a close relative and your cousin?

سَلِى هَل شَكا شاكٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ واحدٌ

كَشَكوَىَّ لا أُعطَى وَلا أَنَا تارِكُ

Ask whether anyone of all people has complained

As I complain, neither satisfied nor leaving

أَيابانَةَ الوادِى لَقَد أَشرَفَ العَدِى

عَلَينا يَفاعاً فاعلَمِى عِلمَ ذَلِكِ

O doe of the valley, the enemy has certainly

Come upon us aggressively; know that is so

ويابانَة الوادِى هَل أنتِ مُثِيبَةٌ

فُؤَادَ فَتىً أَعلَقتِهِ فى حِبَالِكِ

And O doe of the valley, will you gratify

The heart of a youth bound by your ropes?

فُؤَادَ فَتىً صَبٍّ تَضَرَّعَهُ الهَوَى

إِلَيكِ وَيُعطَى هَيئةً مِن جَلالِكِ

The heart of a melting youth who passion pleaded to you

And was given a majestic form by your majesty?

ويا بانَةَ الوادِى أَلَيسَ بَلِيَّةً

مِنَ الأَمرِ أَن يُحمَى عَلَىّ ظِلالُكِ

And O doe of the valley, is it not an affliction

That your shadows should be forbidden to me?