لَوْ كْنْتُ فِيهِ هَائِماً وَحْدِي

لَوْ كْنْتُ فِيهِ هَائِماً وَحْدِي

لَعَذَرْتُ عُذَّالِي عَلى وَجْدِي

لَعَذَرْتُ عُذَّالِي عَلى وَجْدِي

Had I alone been lost in love with him,

If I alone were madly in love with him,

I would forgive my censurers for blaming my passion.

I would excuse those who reproach me for my passion.

أَمَا وَكُلُّ الكَوْنِ يَعْشِقُهُ

أَمَا وَكُلُّ الكَوْنِ يَعْشِقُهُ

فَعَلاَمَ أُخْفِي فِيه مَا عِنْدِي

فَعَلاَمَ أُخْفِي فِيه مَا عِنْدِي

But when all creation is in love with him,

But since all creation is in love with him,

why should I hide what I feel for him?

Why, then, should I hide what I harbor for him?

هَامَ النَّسِيمُ بِلُطْفِهِ فَلِذَا

هَامَ النَّسِيمُ بِلُطْفِهِ فَلِذَا

ظَهَرَ اْعتِلاَلٌ فِي صَبَا نَجْدِ

ظَهَرَ اْعتِلاَلٌ فِي صَبَا نَجْدِ

The breeze fell in love with his gentleness, and so

The breeze fell in love with his gentleness, and so

a languor came over Najd’s east wind.

Languor appeared in the east wind of Najd.

وَلَهُ عُيُونُ الزَّهْرِ رَامِقَةُ

وَلَهُ عُيُونُ الزَّهْرِ رَامِقَةُ

بِنَوَاظِرٍ مُلِئَتْ مِنَ السُّهْدِ

بِنَوَاظِرٍ مُلِئَتْ مِنَ السُّهْدِ

The eyes of the flowers gaze upon him

And the eyes of flowers gaze at him

with pupils filled with sleeplessness.

With eyes filled with sleeplessness.

وَأَبِيكَ لَوْلاَ لِينُ قَامَتِهِ

وَأَبِيكَ لَوْلاَ لِينُ قَامَتِهِ

مَا اشْتَقْتُ لِينَ مَعَاطِفِ الرَّنْدِ

مَا اشْتَقْتُ لِينَ مَعَاطِفِ الرَّنْدِ

By your father, were it not for the suppleness of his form,

By your father, were it not for his supple stature,

I would never have longed for the swaying boughs of myrtle.

I would not long for the suppleness of laurel boughs.

يَا قَاتِلي وَجَوَانِحِي أَبَداً

يَا قَاتِلي وَجَوَانِحِي أَبَداً

تَشْتَاقُهُ فِي القُرْبِ والبُعْدِ

تَشْتَاقُهُ فِي القُرْبِ والبُعْدِ

O my slayer—my heart’s inmost folds forever

O my slayer, my heart forever

yearn for him, whether near or far.

Longs for him, in nearness and in distance.

لَكَ أَنْ تَجُورَ عَليَّ يَا أَمَلي

لَكَ أَنْ تَجُورَ عَليَّ يَا أَمَلي

وَعَلَيَّ أَنْ أَرْضَى بِمَا تُبْدِي

وَعَلَيَّ أَنْ أَرْضَى بِمَا تُبْدِي

You may deal unjustly with me, O my hope,

You may wrong me, O my hope,

and I must accept whatever you reveal.

And I must be content with what you reveal.

وَلَئِنْ أَرَاقَ دَمِي هَوَاكَ فَيَا

وَلَئِنْ أَرَاقَ دَمِي هَوَاكَ فَيَا

شَرَفِي وَيَا حَظِّي وَيَا سَعْدي

شَرَفِي وَيَا حَظِّي وَيَا سَعْدي

Even if love for you should spill my blood—oh,

And if love of you should spill my blood, then O

what honor, what fortune, what happiness are mine!

My honor, O my fortune, O my bliss!

أَخْفَيْتُ حُبْكَ إِذْ خَفِيتَ ضَناً

أَخْفَيْتُ حُبْكَ إِذْ خَفِيتَ ضَناً

فَكَأَنَّنَا كُنَّا عَلى وَعْدِ

فَكَأَنَّنَا كُنَّا عَلى وَعْدِ

I concealed my love for you when, wasted with longing, you vanished,

I jealously hid my love for you when you were hidden,

as though we had agreed upon it beforehand.

So it was as though we had made a pact.

لَكَ نَاظِرٌ أَبَداً لَحِاجِبِهِ

لَكَ نَاظِرٌ أَبَداً لَحِاجِبِهِ

يَشْكُو ظُلاَمَةَ عامِلِ الغَدِّ

يَشْكُو ظُلاَمَةَ عامِلِ الغَدِّ

You have an eye that forever complains to its eyebrow

Yours is an eye that ever to its brow

of the injustice of one who practices treachery.

Complains of the injustice of the cheek's agent (probable reading).

لَكَ عَارضٌ لَمَّا أَعْتَرَضْتُ رَأَي

لَكَ عَارضٌ لَمَّا أَعْتَرَضْتُ رَأَي

إِطْلاَقَ جَارِي الدَّمْعِ في نَقْدِي

إِطْلاَقَ جَارِي الدَّمْعِ في نَقْدِي

You have a cheek that, when I came before it, beheld

Yours is a cheek that, when I objected, decided

my flowing tears set loose as my ready tribute.

To release flowing tears as a cash payment to me.