فرّ من الحبِّ قلبُه فنجَا

فرّ من الحبِّ قلبُه فنجَا

من بعد ما خاضَ في الهوى لجُجاَ

من بعد ما خاضَ في الهوى لجُجاَ

His heart fled from love and escaped,

His heart fled from love, so he escaped

after plunging into passion's deep waters.

After plunging into passion's turbulent seas

فما سباه ملثَّم بضُحىً

فما سباه ملثَّم بضُحىً

ولا شجاه معمَّم بدُجَى

ولا شجاه معمَّم بدُجَى

So no veiled one captivated him at midmorning,

Neither did dawn's radiance adorn him

nor did a turbaned one make him pine in darkness.

Nor did night's darkness cloak him

من يبكِ حَولا يُعذِرْ فكيف بمن

من يبكِ حَولا يُعذِرْ فكيف بمن

بكَى على رسم دارهم حِجَجا

بكَى على رسم دارهم حِجَجا

Whoever weeps a year has an excuse; what, then, of one

He who weeps for an hour may be excused - but what of one

who wept for years over the traces of their dwelling?

Who wept at the ruins of their abode in distress?

هذا اللَّمّى ذلك الذي شغف ال

هذا اللَّمّى ذلك الذي شغف ال

قلبَ وخمرُ الثغور ما مُزِجا

قلبَ وخمرُ الثغور ما مُزِجا

This dusky hue of lips is what enthralled the

This agony - it was passion that ignited

heart, and the wine of mouths was unmixed.

His heart, and the wine of desire was not diluted

فكيف حالَ الغرامُ منه قِلىً

فكيف حالَ الغرامُ منه قِلىً

ونال من بعد شدَّةٍ فرَجا

ونال من بعد شدَّةٍ فرَجا

So how did his passion turn to aversion,

How then did his burning love become cooled

and how did he find relief after hardship?

And find relief after such torment?

لأ تأمنَنّى على مراجعةٍ

لأ تأمنَنّى على مراجعةٍ

مَن دبَّر الحبَّ قبلَنا بحِجَا

مَن دبَّر الحبَّ قبلَنا بحِجَا

Never trust me not to return,

Do not trust me to return

you who governed love with reason before us.

To one who schemed this love before us both

يا ناقةَ الظبيةِ التي ظعنَتْ

يا ناقةَ الظبيةِ التي ظعنَتْ

أهودجا ما حمَلتِ أم بُرُجا

أهودجا ما حمَلتِ أم بُرُجا

O she-camel of the gazelle who journeyed away,

O doe of the wilderness who was wounded

was what you carried a howdah or a tower?

By an arrow - did you carry a howdah or saddlebags?

زاد بكِ البدرُ في منازله

زاد بكِ البدرُ في منازله

منزِلبَيْها عُسْفَان أو أَمجَا

منزِلبَيْها عُسْفَان أو أَمجَا

Through you, the full moon added to its stations

The full moon in its phases

her two halting places—ʿUsfān or Amaj.

Passed by Bayha and 'Usfaan and 'Amjaa

قد أغربَ القينُ في سهامهمُ

قد أغربَ القينُ في سهامهمُ

راشَ بهُدبٍ ونصَّلَ الدَّعجَا

راشَ بهُدبٍ ونصَّلَ الدَّعجَا

The smith has worked wonders on their arrows:

The bow twanged as the arrows flew

he fletched them with eyelashes and made dark eyes their points.

Whistling, equipped with fine feathers

أليس هذا السلاحُ ويحكُم

أليس هذا السلاحُ ويحكُم

أحكَمَ داودُ الذي نَسجَا

أحكَمَ داودُ الذي نَسجَا

Is this not weaponry? Woe to you!

Is this not the same weapon, wrought

David perfected what he wove.

By David's hands, which he carefully crafted?

كانت دموعى ماءً فصرنَ دَماً

كانت دموعى ماءً فصرنَ دَماً

أأبدل السنُّ شأنَها ودَجَا

أأبدل السنُّ شأنَها ودَجَا

My tears were water, then became blood.

My tears were water, but turned into blood

Has age replaced their tear duct with a jugular vein?

Did old age change and renew their nature?

ونار قلبي هي التي طهرت

ونار قلبي هي التي طهرت

تُوقدُ في الليل مَفرقى سُرُجا

تُوقدُ في الليل مَفرقى سُرُجا

And my heart's fire is the one that grew pure,

And the fire in my heart that purifies

kindling lamps on my hair's parting in the night.

Kindled at night by lamps' dispersed flames

ليت الذي نظَّمَ اللالىءَ في

ليت الذي نظَّمَ اللالىءَ في

فرعِىَ خَلَّى مكانَها السَّبَجا

فرعِىَ خَلَّى مكانَها السَّبَجا

If only he who strung the pearls in

Would that he who strung pearls on

my hair had left jet-black beads in their place!

My branch had left the sabja in its place

يا مولجَ الليلِ في النهارِ أما

يا مولجَ الليلِ في النهارِ أما

آن لصبحٍ في الليل أن يَلِجا

آن لصبحٍ في الليل أن يَلِجا

O You who bring night into day, is it not

O turner of night into day, is it not

time for a dawn to enter the night?

Time for dawn to turn night to radiant day?