يا فرحتا إذ صَرَفنا أوجه الإبلِ

يا فرحتا إذ صَرَفنا أوجه الإبلِ

نحو الأحبةِ بالازعاج والعجَلِ

نحو الأحبةِ بالازعاج والعجَلِ

Oh, what joy when we turned the camels' faces

O my joy when we turned the camels' faces

toward the loved ones, driving them on in haste!

Toward the loved ones, hurriedly and eagerly,

نَحثهن ولا يُونين من دَأبٍ

نَحثهن ولا يُونين من دَأبٍ

لكنَّ للشوق حَثاً ليس للإبلِ

لكنَّ للشوق حَثاً ليس للإبلِ

We urge them on, and they do not flag in their toil;

Urging them on, though they would not hasten from their pace,

but longing has an urgency the camels do not share.

Yet longing has a spur other than camels.

يا نائياً قربَتْ منه وسَاوِسهُ

يا نائياً قربَتْ منه وسَاوِسهُ

أمسَى قرينَ الهوى والشَوقِ والوجَلِ

أمسَى قرينَ الهوى والشَوقِ والوجَلِ

O faraway one, whose anxious thoughts have drawn close,

O you who were remote, he drew near you and his passions

now a companion of love, longing, and fear.

Spent the night close to love, yearning and disquiet.

إن طالَ عَهدُكَ بالأحبابِ مُغترِباً

إن طالَ عَهدُكَ بالأحبابِ مُغترِباً

فإنَّ عَهدَكَ بالتَسهيدِ لم يُطلِ

فإنَّ عَهدَكَ بالتَسهيدِ لم يُطلِ

If, far from home, it has been long since you saw your loved ones,

If your absence from the loved ones has grown long

then your acquaintance with sleeplessness is still fresh.

Your absence from receiving news has not grown long.

أمَا اشتَفى الدَّهرُ منَ حرّان مُختَبل

أمَا اشتَفى الدَّهرُ منَ حرّان مُختَبل

صبِّ الفُؤادِ إلى حَرانَ مُختبَلِ

صبِّ الفُؤادِ إلى حَرانَ مُختبَلِ

Has Time not had its fill of a fevered, deranged man,

Has not time quenched its thirst with the infatuated, crazed one,

lovesick at heart for Harran, his mind undone?

Whose heart pours towards the infatuated, crazed one?

عِش بالرَجاءِ وأملَ قُربَ دارِهم

عِش بالرَجاءِ وأملَ قُربَ دارِهم

لعل نَفسَك أن تبقى مع الأملِ

لعل نَفسَك أن تبقى مع الأملِ

Live on hope, and hope to be near their home;

Live in hope and expect the nearness of their abode,

perhaps your soul will endure with hope.

Perhaps your soul will remain with hope.

تَهوى العراقَ وما فيهِ لنا شَبحَنٌ

تَهوى العراقَ وما فيهِ لنا شَبحَنٌ

إلا التقرب من كتبٍ ومن رسلِ

إلا التقرب من كتبٍ ومن رسلِ

You yearn for Iraq, though not a soul of ours is there,

You yearn for Iraq and those in it; we have no likeness

save the closeness brought by letters and messengers.

Except drawing near to books and messengers.

وتستريحُ إلى ريح مؤدِّيَةٍ

وتستريحُ إلى ريح مؤدِّيَةٍ

ريا الأحبة تأتينا على مهلِ

ريا الأحبة تأتينا على مهلِ

And you find comfort in a wind that carries

And you find comfort in a blowing wind,

the loved ones' fragrance, reaching us at leisure.

Imagining the loved ones coming to us unhurriedly.

إذا جَرَت لم يَعقهَا أن تُبَلغنا

إذا جَرَت لم يَعقهَا أن تُبَلغنا

نسيمَهُم عرض رملٍ لا ولا جبلِ

نسيمَهُم عرض رملٍ لا ولا جبلِ

When it blows, nothing prevents it from bringing us

If it blows long, it will convey to us

their breeze—not an expanse of sand, nor a mountain.

Their breeze across a sandy plane, no hills or mountains.

ونرتجي دولةً للشملِ جامعةً

ونرتجي دولةً للشملِ جامعةً

بالرَّقتينِ فإن الدهرَ ذو دولِ

بالرَّقتينِ فإن الدهرَ ذو دولِ

And we hope for a turn of fortune that reunites us

And we hope for a state of gathered union,

at the two Raqqas, for Time has its turns.

With the two encampments - for time has its rounds.