إِنَّ مَن تَهوى مَعَ الفَجرِ ظَعَن

إِنَّ مَن تَهوى مَعَ الفَجرِ ظَعَن

لَلهَوى وَالقَلبُ مِتباعُ الوَطَن

لَلهَوى وَالقَلبُ مِتباعُ الوَطَن

Indeed, the one you love departed with the dawn.

He who wanders at dawn with longing

Ah, love! The heart forever follows its homeland.

Is longing of the heart and homeland-bound

بانَتِ الشَمسُ وَكانَت كُلَّما

بانَتِ الشَمسُ وَكانَت كُلَّما

ذُكِرَت لِلقَلبِ عاوَدتُ دَدَن

ذُكِرَت لِلقَلبِ عاوَدتُ دَدَن

The sun departed, and whenever

The sun rose and whenever mentioned

she was recalled to the heart, I returned to dalliance.

My heart returned to its fervor

نَظَرَت عَيني إِلَيها نَظرَةً

نَظَرَت عَيني إِلَيها نَظرَةً

مِهبَطَ الحُجّاجِ مِن بَطنِ يَمَن

مِهبَطَ الحُجّاجِ مِن بَطنِ يَمَن

My eye cast a glance at her

My eyes looked upon it a look

at the pilgrims' descent from the valley of Yaman,

Of pilgrims’ descent from the womb of Yemen

مَوهِناً تَمشي بِها بَغلَتُها

مَوهِناً تَمشي بِها بَغلَتُها

في عَثانينَ مِنَ الحَجِّ ثُكَن

في عَثانينَ مِنَ الحَجِّ ثُكَن

late at night, her mule carrying her along

Walking feebly with her camel

amid densely gathered crowds of pilgrims.

Through pilgrimage throngs from Othman

فَرَآها القَلبُ لا شَكلَ لَها

فَرَآها القَلبُ لا شَكلَ لَها

رُبَّما يُعجَبُ بِالشَيءِ الحَسَن

رُبَّما يُعجَبُ بِالشَيءِ الحَسَن

The heart saw her: none was her equal;

The heart saw her without form

sometimes one is charmed by a beautiful thing.

It may admire a thing of beauty

قُلتُ قَد صَدَّت فَماذا عِندَكُم

قُلتُ قَد صَدَّت فَماذا عِندَكُم

أَحسَنُ الناسِ لِقَلبٍ مُرتَهَن

أَحسَنُ الناسِ لِقَلبٍ مُرتَهَن

I said: She has turned away; what have you,

I said she turned away, what have you

fairest of people, for a heart held in pledge?

Better for a heart held captive?

وَلَئِن أَمسَت نَواها غَربَةً

وَلَئِن أَمسَت نَواها غَربَةً

لا تُؤاتيني وَلَيسَت مِن وَطَن

لا تُؤاتيني وَلَيسَت مِن وَطَن

And though her destination has become exile,

If her vows strangerhood at night

she will not yield to me, nor is she from my homeland.

Neither comes she, nor is she native

فَلَقِدماً قَرَّبَتني نَظرَتي

فَلَقِدماً قَرَّبَتني نَظرَتي

لِعَناءٍ آخِرَ الدَهرِ مُعَن

لِعَناءٍ آخِرَ الدَهرِ مُعَن

For indeed, long ago my glance drew me

With but a glance she drew me near

to torment, afflicted until the end of time.

To hardship, last of days, how mean!

ثُمَّ قالَت بَل لِمَن أَبغُضُكُم

ثُمَّ قالَت بَل لِمَن أَبغُضُكُم

شِقوَةَ العَيشِ وَتَكليفَ الحَزَن

شِقوَةَ العَيشِ وَتَكليفَ الحَزَن

Then she said: No—may whoever hates you suffer

Then she said, “Nay! But whom you hate

the misery of life and the burden of sorrow.

Most, rigor of life and duty of grief”

بَل كَريمٌ عَلَّقَتهُ نَفسُهُ

بَل كَريمٌ عَلَّقَتهُ نَفسُهُ

بِكَريمٍ لَو يُرى أَو لَو يُدَن

بِكَريمٍ لَو يُرى أَو لَو يُدَن

Rather, a noble one whom his own soul has bound

Nay! A noble soul attached himself

to a noble one—if only seen or brought near.

To a noble, though seen or brought near

سَوفَ آتي زائِراً أَرضَكُمُ

سَوفَ آتي زائِراً أَرضَكُمُ

بِيَقينٍ فَاِعلَميهِ غَيرِ ظَن

بِيَقينٍ فَاِعلَميهِ غَيرِ ظَن

I shall come as a visitor to your land,

I will come visiting your land

with certainty—know it, without conjecture.

With certainty, let her know, no doubt

فَأَجابَت هَذِهِ أُمنِيَّةٌ

فَأَجابَت هَذِهِ أُمنِيَّةٌ

لَيتَ أَنّا نَشتَريها بِثَمَن

لَيتَ أَنّا نَشتَريها بِثَمَن

She replied: This is a wish;

She answered: “This is a wish

if only we could buy it for a price!

Would we could buy it with a price!”

وَهيَ إِن شِئتَ تَسيرُ نَحوَنا

وَهيَ إِن شِئتَ تَسيرُ نَحوَنا

لَو تُريدُ الوَصلَ أَو تُعقَلَ عَن

لَو تُريدُ الوَصلَ أَو تُعقَلَ عَن

And that wish means, if you will, journeying toward us,

“If you want union, understand

if you desire union, or are restrained from it.

It will come to us if you desire”

نَصَّكَ العيسُ إِلَينا أَربَعاً

نَصَّكَ العيسُ إِلَينا أَربَعاً

تَملِكُ العَينَ إِذا العاني وَهَن

تَملِكُ العَينَ إِذا العاني وَهَن

The pale camels would speed you to us in four nights;

Jesus has advised you four things

you master your eye when the captive grows weak.

With the loved the eyes grow tender