عهدي بأيامي على النيْرَبيْنْ

عهدي بأيامي على النيْرَبيْنْ

تندى وعيشي في ألذّ اقتبالْ

تندى وعيشي في ألذّ اقتبالْ

I remember my days at al-Nayrabayn,

My pledge to my days is between the two rivers

glistening with dew, my life in its sweetest prime.

Refreshing and my life is in the sweetest anticipation

يا طيبَ ما غنّت على الواديْين

يا طيبَ ما غنّت على الواديْين

وِرْقُ الحمى ما بين تلك الظِلالْ

وِرْقُ الحمى ما بين تلك الظِلالْ

How sweet the singing over the two valleys

O goodness of what was sung over the two valleys

of the sanctuary’s gray doves amid those shades!

The verdure of passion between those shadows

بالله يا عيش الصبا هل تعودْ

بالله يا عيش الصبا هل تعودْ

لمُدنَفِ القلب حليفِ السُهادْ

لمُدنَفِ القلب حليفِ السُهادْ

By God, O life of youth, will you return

By Allah, O life of youth will you return

to one sick at heart, a companion of sleeplessness?

To the longing heart, ally of wakefulness

يا شدَّ ما طالت ليالي الصدود

يا شدَّ ما طالت ليالي الصدود

والشوق قد أورى بقلبي زنادْ

والشوق قد أورى بقلبي زنادْ

O, how terribly long the nights of rejection have grown!

O how long have been the nights of estrangement

And longing has struck sparks from flint in my heart.

And yearning has set fire in my heart

كم ينطقُ العودَ وتلك العهودْ

كم ينطقُ العودَ وتلك العهودْ

ولَّت بأَنْسِي مَعْ لذيدِ الرُّقادْ

ولَّت بأَنْسِي مَعْ لذيدِ الرُّقادْ

How often it makes the lute speak, while those days

How the lute speaks and those pledges

have gone, taking my joy and sweet slumber with them.

Have turned away my joy along with sweet slumber

يا للهوى من ساحر المقلتينْ

يا للهوى من ساحر المقلتينْ

أبقى بقلبي طيب تلك الليالْ

أبقى بقلبي طيب تلك الليالْ

Ah, the love inspired by one whose two eyes enchant,

O love, what a sorcerer of the two eyelids

who left the sweetness of those nights in my heart!

Left perfume so sweet those nights in my heart

لمَّا بدا يخطر في حلتينْ

لمَّا بدا يخطر في حلتينْ

ويلي على رقِة تلك الخلالْ

ويلي على رقِة تلك الخلالْ

When he appeared, walking gracefully in two robes,

When it started to stir in the two cheeks

woe to me at the delicacy of those graces!

Woe to me for the softness of that adornment

ما كان اهنا وصلنا لو يدومْ

ما كان اهنا وصلنا لو يدومْ

رقَّتْ حواشينا وطابَ الندامْ

رقَّتْ حواشينا وطابَ الندامْ

How blissful our union was—if only it would last!

If only we had reached and remained together

Our dispositions grew gentle, and the boon companions were delightful;

Our whispers were beautiful and regret was sweet

أو جمعتنا في المنام الحلوم

أو جمعتنا في المنام الحلوم

وما على العاشق أن لا ينام

وما على العاشق أن لا ينام

or dreams brought us together in sleep.

Or united us in beautiful dreams

And what blame rests on the lover for not sleeping?

It is not for the lover to sleep

قم سيدي نغتال من ذي الهموم

قم سيدي نغتال من ذي الهموم

ونعتلي في الحبِ خيلَ الغرامْ

ونعتلي في الحبِ خيلَ الغرامْ

Rise, my lord; let us slay some of these cares,

Arise my master, let us ambush worries

and mount, in love, the steeds of passion.

And frolic in love, steeds of passion

ونذَّكر آثارها بَعْدَ عَيْنْ

ونذَّكر آثارها بَعْدَ عَيْنْ

وإِنّما اللذاتُ مثلُ الخيالْ

وإِنّما اللذاتُ مثلُ الخيالْ

And recall their traces after their very presence has vanished;

And recall their traces after the eye

and pleasures are but like a phantom.

Pleasures are but like miracles

فما ترى نحظى من الراحتْينْ

فما ترى نحظى من الراحتْينْ

باليأس أو بالوصلِ من ذا الجمالْ

باليأس أو بالوصلِ من ذا الجمالْ

So which of the two comforts do you think we shall gain:

Do you see we luck either of the two

through giving up hope, or through union with this beauty?

With despair or with union from that beauty