نعم هذي الدِّيارُ فحيِّهُنَّه

نعم هذي الدِّيارُ فحيِّهُنَّه

تَحيَّةَ مُغَرمِ بِطُلولِهُنَّه

تَحيَّةَ مُغَرمِ بِطُلولِهُنَّه

Yes, these are the abodes: greet them,

Yes, these are the abodes, so greet them

With the greeting of one enamored of their ruins.

With the greeting of one enamored of their length

أَعِرني وَقفةً يا سَعدُ فيها

أَعِرني وَقفةً يا سَعدُ فيها

لِتُسعِدَني تكن لكَ أيُّ مِنَّه

لِتُسعِدَني تكن لكَ أيُّ مِنَّه

Lend me a pause, O Sa'd, among them,

Grant me a standing, O Saad, wherein

To comfort me—what a favor that would be from you!

You make me happy, be that one of them

ديارٌ حَقُّهنَّ عليَّ فرضٌ

ديارٌ حَقُّهنَّ عليَّ فرضٌ

وإن أَضحت على العُشَّاقِ سُنَّة

وإن أَضحت على العُشَّاقِ سُنَّة

Abodes whose due is a binding duty upon me,

Abodes whose right upon me is duty

Though for lovers it has become a voluntary observance.

Though upon lovers it’s become tradition

كَفاها الوَكفُ من دمَعي إذا ما

كَفاها الوَكفُ من دمَعي إذا ما

جَفَت سُحبُ الرَّبيعِ رُبوعَهُنَّه

جَفَت سُحبُ الرَّبيعِ رُبوعَهُنَّه

The dripping of my tears suffices them whenever

It suffices that my tear's halt when

Spring's clouds forsake their dwelling places.

The clouds of spring dry up their meadows

فلي أجفانُ دمعٍ ليسَ تألو

فلي أجفانُ دمعٍ ليسَ تألو

تَسُحُّ لها غُيوثٌ مُرجَحنَّه

تَسُحُّ لها غُيوثٌ مُرجَحنَّه

For I have tearful eyelids that never slacken;

I’ve eyelids with tears that do not cease

Heavy-laden rain clouds pour down for them.

Though comforts flow to them copiously

شَكونا جَوَّها ولَها قُلوبُ

شَكونا جَوَّها ولَها قُلوبُ

من البينِ الُمشَتتِ مُطمَئِنَّه

من البينِ الُمشَتتِ مُطمَئِنَّه

We complained of their air, yet they held hearts

We complained of their weather, and hearts

Untroubled by the separation that scatters.

From the distant scatter are tranquil

أما وظبائها العين اللَّواتي

أما وظبائها العين اللَّواتي

مضت بدمي ظُبا الحاظِهنَّه

مضت بدمي ظُبا الحاظِهنَّه

Indeed, by their wide-eyed gazelles, whose

As for their gazelles, the does whose eyes

Glance-blades have carried off my blood,

Passed, taking my blood their premier game

لقد ملكت بها رِقِّي جفونٌ

لقد ملكت بها رِقِّي جفونٌ

مُجرَّدةٌ عليَّ سُيوفُهنَّه

مُجرَّدةٌ عليَّ سُيوفُهنَّه

Eyelids there have indeed made me their slave,

With them my tenderness, eyelids gained

Their swords unsheathed against me.

Bared swords against me, honed their edges

كأنَّ قُدودَهُنَّ رِماحُ خطِّ

كأنَّ قُدودَهُنَّ رِماحُ خطِّ

عملنَ لهنَّ من حدقِ أسنَّه

عملنَ لهنَّ من حدقِ أسنَّه

Their figures seem like lances of Khatt,

As if their slender waists were lances’ points

For which they fashioned spearheads out of pupils.

Made for them from the keenest iron

إذا ما ملِنَ قلتُ غصونُ بانٍ

إذا ما ملِنَ قلتُ غصونُ بانٍ

وقد أثقلنَهُنَّ ثِمارَهُنَّه

وقد أثقلنَهُنَّ ثِمارَهُنَّه

Whenever they sway, I say: 'Branches of bān,

When the branches of the acacia bend

Their fruits weighing them down.'

Laden with their ripened fruits

أظُنُّ سوادَ فَودي حين ولَّى

أظُنُّ سوادَ فَودي حين ولَّى

وقد وَلَّينَ كانَ حَلِيفَهُنَّه

وقد وَلَّينَ كانَ حَلِيفَهُنَّه

I think the blackness of my temple hair, when it fled—

I think my cheek’s dusk when it turned away

They having already fled—had been their ally.

Was its companion as it turned from them