يا قَضيباً إِذا اِنثَنى

يا قَضيباً إِذا اِنثَنى

وَهِلالاً إِذا أَضا

وَهِلالاً إِذا أَضا

O bough when you bend,

O spear when bent,

and crescent moon when you shine!

O crescent when full,

لَكَ طَرفٌ تَعَلَّمَ ال

لَكَ طَرفٌ تَعَلَّمَ ال

سَيفُ مِن لَحظِهِ المَضا

سَيفُ مِن لَحظِهِ المَضا

You have an eye, from whose glance

Your glance learned from the sword its sharpness.

the sword has learned its keenness.

Each day it hangs a shadow over us and stalks off.

كُلَّ يَومٍ يُسَلُّ ظُل

كُلَّ يَومٍ يُسَلُّ ظُل

ماً عَلينا وَيُنتَضى

ماً عَلينا وَيُنتَضى

Each day it is drawn

O you standing firm on the heights, do you not know contentment?

unjustly against us, and unsheathed.

Shall I ever see in your love a day of union shine bright?

يا مُقيماً عَلى الصُدو

يا مُقيماً عَلى الصُدو

دِ أَما تَعرِفُ الرِضا

دِ أَما تَعرِفُ الرِضا

O you who persist in turning away,

By my father, angry and aloof is he who wakes and sleeps.

do you not know how to be pleased?

My stumbling therein is beyond words, and my debt beyond payment.

هَل أَرى في هَواكَ يَو

هَل أَرى في هَواكَ يَو

ماً مِنَ الوَصلِ أَبيَضا

ماً مِنَ الوَصلِ أَبيَضا

Shall I see, in my love for you,

O my friend, when you pass by the thickets of Layla,

a bright day of union?

Weep for me so long that their brushwood is soaked.

بِأَبي مَن يُمسي وَيُص

بِأَبي مَن يُمسي وَيُص

بِحُ غَضبانَ مُعرِضا

بِحُ غَضبانَ مُعرِضا

May my father be ransom for him who, evening

And imagine for me a tear, for I've been lending tears.

and morning, is angry and aloof.

Tell the censurers: "The lover dwelling in Tayma is no more."

عَثرَتي فيهِ ما تُقا

عَثرَتي فيهِ ما تُقا

لُ وَدَيني ما يُقتَضى

لُ وَدَيني ما يُقتَضى

My lapse with him is not

They left him sick with longing, diseased with hopes.

forgiven, nor is my due repaid.

Ah, the lightning on the right flank of Al-Ghawr, flashing

يا خَليلي إِذا مَرَر

يا خَليلي إِذا مَرَر

تَ عَلى بانَةِ الغَضا

تَ عَلى بانَةِ الغَضا

O my friend, if you pass

Reminding me—I've not forgotten—of nights with Layla.

the bān-tree at al-Ghaḍā,

O days, sweetest of all was my life with you, and yet you passed.

فَاِبكِ عَنّي حَتّى يَعو

فَاِبكِ عَنّي حَتّى يَعو

دَ ثَراهُ مُرَوَّضا

دَ ثَراهُ مُرَوَّضا

then weep for me until

Time forgot us for a spell and turned away.

its soil becomes a meadow.

We haven't fulfilled the wish of the soul until it passed.

وَاِفتَرِض لي دَمعاً فَما

وَاِفتَرِض لي دَمعاً فَما

زِلتُ لِلدَمعِ مُقرِضا

زِلتُ لِلدَمعِ مُقرِضا

And allot me some tears, for

Return, for in the heart remains the ember of grief over your distance.

I have always been a lender of tears.

وَقُلِ المَدنِفُ المُقي

وَقُلِ المَدنِفُ المُقي

مُ بِتَيماءَ قَد قَضى

مُ بِتَيماءَ قَد قَضى

And say: “The lovesick man dwelling

in Taymāʾ has died.”

خَلَّفوهُ مُعَلَّلاً

خَلَّفوهُ مُعَلَّلاً

بِالأَماني مُمَرَّضا

بِالأَماني مُمَرَّضا

They left him consoled

with hopes, lying ill.

آهَ مِن بارِقٍ عَلى

آهَ مِن بارِقٍ عَلى

أَيمَنِ الغورِ وَاِمِضا

أَيمَنِ الغورِ وَاِمِضا

Ah, for a flash of lightning,

gleaming on the right side of al-Ghawr,

مُذكِرٍ لي وَما نَسي

مُذكِرٍ لي وَما نَسي

تُ لَيالِيَّ بِالأَضا

تُ لَيالِيَّ بِالأَضا

reminding me—and I have not forgotten—

of my nights at al-Aḍā.

يا زَماناً أَلَذُّ ما

يا زَماناً أَلَذُّ ما

كانَ عَيشي بِهِ اِنقَضى

كانَ عَيشي بِهِ اِنقَضى

O time, when my life

was sweetest in you—you are gone!

غَفِلَ الدَهرُ بُرهَةً

غَفِلَ الدَهرُ بُرهَةً

فيهِ عَنّا وَأَعرَضا

فيهِ عَنّا وَأَعرَضا

Time overlooked us for a while,

in those days, and turned away.

ما قَضَينا لُبانَةَ ال

ما قَضَينا لُبانَةَ ال

نَفسِ مِنهُ حَتّى قَضى

نَفسِ مِنهُ حَتّى قَضى

We had not fulfilled the longing

of the soul for it before it ended.

عُد فَفي القَلبِ مِن بِعا

عُد فَفي القَلبِ مِن بِعا

دِكَ عَنّا جَمرُ الغَضا

دِكَ عَنّا جَمرُ الغَضا

Return! For in my heart, since you parted

from us, lie embers of ghaḍā wood.