أَلا حَيِّ لُبنى اليَومَ إِن كُنتَ غادِياً

أَلا حَيِّ لُبنى اليَومَ إِن كُنتَ غادِياً

وَأَلمِم بِها مِن قَبلِ أَن لا تَلاقِيا

وَأَلمِم بِها مِن قَبلِ أَن لا تَلاقِيا

Ah, greet Lubna today, if you are setting out in the morning,

Oh the living one! If you are going to Labuna today,

and call upon her before you can no longer meet her.

Send her my regards before you meet her,

وَأَهدي لَها مِنكَ النَصيحَةَ إِنَّها

وَأَهدي لَها مِنكَ النَصيحَةَ إِنَّها

قَليلٌ وَلا تَخشَ الوُشاةَ الأَدانِيا

قَليلٌ وَلا تَخشَ الوُشاةَ الأَدانِيا

And offer her your sincere counsel, for it is

And give her sincere advice from me though it be little,

but little; and do not fear the base tale-bearers.

Fear not the slanderers however mean they are.

وَقُل إِنَّني الراقِصاتِ إِلى مِناً

وَقُل إِنَّني الراقِصاتِ إِلى مِناً

بِأَجبُلِ جَمعٍ يَنتَظِرنَ المُنادِيا

بِأَجبُلِ جَمعٍ يَنتَظِرنَ المُنادِيا

And say: I—by the dancing camels bound for Mina,

Say: I yearn for the dancing maidens in the hills of Jemmah,

among the hills of Jamʿ, awaiting the caller—

Where they await the announcer's call.

أَصونُكِ عَن بَعضِ الأُمورِ مَضَنَّةً

أَصونُكِ عَن بَعضِ الأُمورِ مَضَنَّةً

وَأَخشى عَلَيكِ الكاشِحينَ الأَعادِيا

وَأَخشى عَلَيكِ الكاشِحينَ الأَعادِيا

guard you from certain things out of jealous care,

I keep you from some troublesome affairs,

and fear for you the spiteful foes.

And fear for you the hostile aggressors.

تَساقَطُ نَفسي حينَ أَلقاكِ أَنفُساً

تَساقَطُ نَفسي حينَ أَلقاكِ أَنفُساً

يَرِدنَ فَما يَصدُرنَ إِلّا صَوادِيا

يَرِدنَ فَما يَصدُرنَ إِلّا صَوادِيا

My soul falls apart into souls when I meet you,

My soul falls when I see you downcast,

that come to water, yet depart only parched.

Returning with only woeful tidings.

فَإِن أَحيَ أَو أَهلِك فَلَستُ بِزائِلٍ

فَإِن أَحيَ أَو أَهلِك فَلَستُ بِزائِلٍ

لَكَم حافِظاً ما بَلَّ ريقٌ لِسانِيا

لَكَم حافِظاً ما بَلَّ ريقٌ لِسانِيا

So whether I live or perish, I shall never cease

Whether I live or perish, I'll not cease to be,

to keep faith with you as long as saliva wets my tongue.

For long, your vigilant keeper though my tongue goes dry.

أَقولُ إِذا نَفسي مِنَ الوَجدِ أَصعَدَت

أَقولُ إِذا نَفسي مِنَ الوَجدِ أَصعَدَت

بِها زَفرَةٌ تَعتادُني هِيَ ما هِيا

بِها زَفرَةٌ تَعتادُني هِيَ ما هِيا

I say, when my soul, through longing, is borne aloft

When passion makes my soul ascend, I say

by a sigh that keeps returning to me—what a sigh it is—

A sigh besieges me, oh what is it!

وَبَينَ الحَشا وَالنَحرِ مِنّي حَرارَةٌ

وَبَينَ الحَشا وَالنَحرِ مِنّي حَرارَةٌ

وَلَوعَةُ وَجدٍ تَترُكُ القَلبَ ساهِيا

وَلَوعَةُ وَجدٍ تَترُكُ القَلبَ ساهِيا

and between my innards and my throat there is a heat,

Between my throat and bosom is a heat from me,

and a burning ache of longing that leaves my heart distracted:

And a burning desire leaving my heart distracted.

أَلا لَيتَ لُبنى لَم تَكُن لِيَ خُلَّةً

أَلا لَيتَ لُبنى لَم تَكُن لِيَ خُلَّةً

وَلَم تَرَني لُبنى وَلَم أَدرِ ما هِيا

وَلَم تَرَني لُبنى وَلَم أَدرِ ما هِيا

Ah, would that Lubna had never been my beloved,

Oh, would that Labuna were not my confidante!

nor Lubna seen me, nor I known who she was.

Would that Labuna had not seen me, nor knew what I was!

سَلي الناسَ هَل خَبَّرتُ سِرَّكِ مِنهُمُ

سَلي الناسَ هَل خَبَّرتُ سِرَّكِ مِنهُمُ

أَخا ثِقَةٍ أَو ظاهِرَ الغِشِّ بادِيا

أَخا ثِقَةٍ أَو ظاهِرَ الغِشِّ بادِيا

Ask the people: have I told your secret to any of them—

Ask the people: did I confide your secret to them?

a man of trust, or one whose deceit is plainly visible?

To a trusted brother or a treacherous foe?

وَأَخرُجُ مِن بَينِ البُيوتِ لَعَلَّني

وَأَخرُجُ مِن بَينِ البُيوتِ لَعَلَّني

أُحَدِّثُ عَنكِ النَفسَ في السِرِّ خالِيا

أُحَدِّثُ عَنكِ النَفسَ في السِرِّ خالِيا

And I go out from among the houses, hoping I may

I go from house to house, perhaps I may

speak to my soul of you in secret, alone.

Unburden my soul in secret when alone.

وَإِنّي لَأَستَغشي وَما بِيَ نَعسَةٌ

وَإِنّي لَأَستَغشي وَما بِيَ نَعسَةٌ

لَعَلَّ خَيالاً مِنكِ يَلقى خَيالِيا

لَعَلَّ خَيالاً مِنكِ يَلقى خَيالِيا

And I draw a covering over myself, though I feel no drowsiness,

Though I have no drowsiness, I cover my face,

hoping a phantom of you may meet my phantom.

Hoping your phantom comes to meet mine.

يَقولُ لِيَ الواشونَ لَمّا تَظاهَروا

يَقولُ لِيَ الواشونَ لَمّا تَظاهَروا

عَلَيكِ وَأَضحى الحَبلُ لِلبَينِ واهِيا

عَلَيكِ وَأَضحى الحَبلُ لِلبَينِ واهِيا

The tale-bearers say to me, when they have joined forces

Those who censured you when we broke apart said:

against you and the cord has grown frail through separation:

By my life! Today you bear what you see!

لَعَمري لَقَبلَ اليَومِ حُمِّلتَ ما تَرى

لَعَمري لَقَبلَ اليَومِ حُمِّلتَ ما تَرى

وَأُنذِرتَ مِن لُبنى الَّذي كُنتَ لاقِيا

وَأُنذِرتَ مِن لُبنى الَّذي كُنتَ لاقِيا

By my life, before today you were made to bear what you now see,

And you were warned of Labuna whom once you sought.

and warned of what you were to encounter from Lubna.