رسالة واهاً لَها واها
شَرقت بِالدَمع لفحواها
A message, alas for it, alas
It brought tears to my eyes with its yearning
مِن غادة عذبني نأيها
ما ضَرَّ لَو كُنتُ وَإِيّاها
Ghadah's sweetness pained me with her distance
It would not have harmed if I was with her
أَضراسها تُؤلِمُها لَيتَني
أَشكو الَّذي سَبّب شَكواها
Her teeth hurt her, if only
I could complain of what caused her pain
تِلكَ ثَناياها الَّتي نَضدت
عَقدين وَالمَكسور إحداها
Those are her lips that were adorned
With two dimples, one of them broken
آثارَها في شَفَتي لَم تَزَل
يا ضلَّ مَن يَجهَل مَعناها
Traces of her on my lips have not ceased
Oh, the one who is ignorant of their meaning is lost
رَشفت مِنها سَلسلاً بارِداً
صادف نِيراني فَأَطفاها
I took from her a cold chain
That met my fires and extinguished them
في لَيلة لَم أَدرِ ساعاتها
أَضَعت طولاها وَقُصراها
On a night whose hours I did not know
It lost its length and brevity
حَتّى طَغى الصُبح بِأَنواره
عَلى نُجوم اللَيل يَغشاها
Until the dawn overflowed with its lights
Covering the stars of the night
وَرَجَّع الطَير أَغاريده
شَجواً فَأَبكاني وَأَبكاها
And the birds returned their chirping
Mournfully, making me and her weep
فَقُلت يا طَير كَذا عاجِلاً
قُمت عَلى اللذات تَنعاها
So I said: O birds, why so hastily
Did you rise to spoil the pleasures?
وَقُلت يا طَير مَتى نَلتَقي
يا طَير هَل أَحيى وَأَلقاها
And I said: O birds, when will we meet?
O birds, will I live to see her again?
ثُم تَعنانَقنا فلله ما
تذرف عَيناي وَعَيناها
Then we embraced and by God
My eyes and her eyes shed tears
قَبَلتها في فَمها قُبلة
ما كانَ أَزكاها وَأَحلاها
I kissed her mouth with a kiss
That was the most virtuous and sweetest of them
وَقَبَلتني مِثلَها قُبلة
ما زِلت اَستَنشق رَياها
And she kissed me likewise with a kiss
Whose scent I still breathe in
تِلكَ هِيَ الزاد غَداةَ النَوى
قَد يَهلك العاشق لَولاها
That is the provision at the time of parting
A lover may perish without it
حَبيبَتي عودي إِلى رَبوة
أَضحى فُؤادي رَهن مَغناها
My love, return to the hillside
For my heart has become hostage to your singing
يا مَنيتي عودي نُعِد لَيلة
ما زالَ قَلبي يَتَمناها
My wish, return and let us have a night
My heart still longs for it
ذُقت بِها مِنكِ أَلَذ الهَوى
فَكَيفَ أَنساك وَأَنساها
I tasted the sweetest love with you
So how can I forget you and forget it?
