سَلُوا الرَكبَ عَن صَبٍّ بِأَعتابِكم مُلقَى

سَلُوا الرَكبَ عَن صَبٍّ بِأَعتابِكم مُلقَى

وَعَن مَدمَعٍ فيكُم مَدى الدَهر لا يَرقا

وَعَن مَدمَعٍ فيكُم مَدى الدَهر لا يَرقا

Ask the caravan about a lovesick man cast at your thresholds,

Ask the caravans at your thresholds about a lover thrown down in anguish,

And about tears for you that never cease as long as time endures.

And about tears shed throughout time that have never dried up.

وَلا تَسأَلوا غَيرَ المَطايا فَإِنَّها

وَلا تَسأَلوا غَيرَ المَطايا فَإِنَّها

تُخَبِّرُكم عَن شَرحِ حالي وَما أَلقى

تُخَبِّرُكم عَن شَرحِ حالي وَما أَلقى

And ask none but the mounts, for they

Do not ask anything but the mounts, for they

Will tell you fully of my state and what I endure.

Will inform you about my state and what I have endured.

أَلا فَاسأَلوا عَن مُغرَمٍ كَيفَ حالُهُ

أَلا فَاسأَلوا عَن مُغرَمٍ كَيفَ حالُهُ

حليقُ ضَنىً يَشكو الصَبابة وَالعِشقا

حليقُ ضَنىً يَشكو الصَبابة وَالعِشقا

Ah, then ask how one enthralled by love fares:

Oh, ask about a love-sick one, how he is faring,

Shorn by wasting sickness, he laments yearning and passion.

Smooth-cheeked with yearning, complaining of frailty and passion,

يَحِنُّ إِلَيكُم كُلَّما هَبَّتِ الصَبا

يَحِنُّ إِلَيكُم كُلَّما هَبَّتِ الصَبا

سُحَيراً وَيَصبُو كُلَّما صَدَحت وُرقا

سُحَيراً وَيَصبُو كُلَّما صَدَحت وُرقا

He longs for you whenever the east wind blows

He longs for you whenever the breeze blows lightly,

Before dawn, and yearns whenever a gray dove sings.

Pining, and flows whenever the leaves rustle.

وَيُطرِبُ مِن ذكرى حَبيبٍ وَمَنزِلٍ

وَيُطرِبُ مِن ذكرى حَبيبٍ وَمَنزِلٍ

وَعَيشٍ تَقضّى مَعكُم يانِعاً طَلقا

وَعَيشٍ تَقضّى مَعكُم يانِعاً طَلقا

And he thrills at the memory of a beloved and a home,

And he is thrilled by memories of a beloved and dwellings

And a life that passed with you, ripe and carefree.

And a life spent relaxed and carefree with you.

مُغَنّىً بِكُم لَو رامَ إِظهار بَعض ما

مُغَنّىً بِكُم لَو رامَ إِظهار بَعض ما

يُجِنُّ مِنَ الأَشواقِ لَم يَستَطِع نُطقا

يُجِنُّ مِنَ الأَشواقِ لَم يَستَطِع نُطقا

Serenaded with songs of you, were he to try to reveal some of what

He would be elated by you if he tried to express some of

He harbors of longing, he could not utter a word.

What he feels of passions, he could not articulate it.

إِذا ما جَرى وَالريحَ في حَلبَةِ الضَنى

إِذا ما جَرى وَالريحَ في حَلبَةِ الضَنى

لِفَرط نُحولٍ مَسَّهُ أَحرَزَ السَبقا

لِفَرط نُحولٍ مَسَّهُ أَحرَزَ السَبقا

Whenever he races the wind in the arena of wasting sickness,

Whenever he races with the wind in the arena of sorrow

The extreme gauntness that afflicts him wins him first place.

Due to extreme emaciation that befell him, he gains the lead.

يَذوبُ جَوىً حَتّى إِذا عَنَّ ذِكرُكُم

يَذوبُ جَوىً حَتّى إِذا عَنَّ ذِكرُكُم

جَرى دَمعُهُ في خَدِّهِ يُخجِلُ الوُرقا

جَرى دَمعُهُ في خَدِّهِ يُخجِلُ الوُرقا

He melts with anguish until, when the thought of you arises,

He melts with love until when you are recalled,

His tears stream down his cheek, shaming the gray dove.

His tears flow down his cheek, shaming the leaves.

أَيا نازِلي سَفح المُحَصَّب مِن مِنىً

أَيا نازِلي سَفح المُحَصَّب مِن مِنىً

وَيا زائِري البيت الحَرام أَلا رِفقا

وَيا زائِري البيت الحَرام أَلا رِفقا

O you encamped on the slope of al-Muhassab in Mina,

O you who descend the slopes of Muhassab from Mina,

And you who visit the Sacred House—oh, be gentle!

And you who visit the Sacred House, gently!

فَبي مِنكُم داءٌ بِقَلبي أجنُّهُ

فَبي مِنكُم داءٌ بِقَلبي أجنُّهُ

وَسورةُ أَشجانٍ مَعي أَبَداً تَبقى

وَسورةُ أَشجانٍ مَعي أَبَداً تَبقى

For I bear an illness from you that I hide within my heart,

Within me there is a sickness for you in my heart I anguish over,

And a surge of sorrows stays with me forever.

And verses of passions that will remain with me forever.

أَأحبابُنا إِن شَتَّتَتنا يَدُ النَوى

أَأحبابُنا إِن شَتَّتَتنا يَدُ النَوى

وَأَبدَت صُروفُ الدَهر فُرقَتنا حَقّا

وَأَبدَت صُروفُ الدَهر فُرقَتنا حَقّا

O our loved ones, if separation's hand has scattered us,

O our loved ones! If the days have dispersed us

And time's reversals have made our parting real,

And the turns of fate have shown our separation to be true,

فَإِنّي عَلى ما تَعهدونَ وَحَقِّكُم

فَإِنّي عَلى ما تَعهدونَ وَحَقِّكُم

وَلَم أَبغِ يَوماً مِن وَلائِكُم عِتقا

وَلَم أَبغِ يَوماً مِن وَلائِكُم عِتقا

Then, by your claim upon me, I remain as you have known me,

Then I am still loyal to the covenant between us and your rights,

And never have I sought release from devotion to you.

And I have never for a day sought freedom from your loyalty.

سَقى اللَهُ أَكنافَ الحِجاز وَأَهلَهُ

سَقى اللَهُ أَكنافَ الحِجاز وَأَهلَهُ

وَحَيّا الحَيا عَنّي سُويقةَ وَالفَلقا

وَحَيّا الحَيا عَنّي سُويقةَ وَالفَلقا

May God water the reaches of the Hijaz and its people,

May God water the environs of the Hejaz and its people,

And may life-giving rain greet Suwayqa and al-Falaq for me,

And convey my greetings to Suwayqah and al-Falq.

وَخَصَّ كِرام الناس في كُلِّ بَلدةٍ

وَخَصَّ كِرام الناس في كُلِّ بَلدةٍ

لَقد صرتُ في حُكم الغَرام لَهُم رِقّا

لَقد صرتُ في حُكم الغَرام لَهُم رِقّا

And favor the noble people in every town.

He especially favored the generous of every country -

Indeed, under love's rule I have become their slave.

For their love, I have truly become a slave.

إِلهَ الوَرى إِنّي دَعوتُكَ ضارِعاً

إِلهَ الوَرى إِنّي دَعوتُكَ ضارِعاً

بِخَيرِ الوَرى المُختارِ أفصَحُهُم نُطقا

بِخَيرِ الوَرى المُختارِ أفصَحُهُم نُطقا

O God of creation, I have called upon You, humbly pleading,

O God of creation! I call on You beseeching

Through the best of creation, the Chosen One, their most eloquent in speech,

By the best of creation, the most eloquent.

تُجَمِّعُنا عَمّا قَريبٍ فَإِنَّنا

تُجَمِّعُنا عَمّا قَريبٍ فَإِنَّنا

أَضَرَّ بِنا طولُ البعادِ وَما نَلقى

أَضَرَّ بِنا طولُ البعادِ وَما نَلقى

That You reunite us soon, for we

Gather us together soon, for separation

Are harmed by long separation and all we endure.

Has harmed us and we have endured what we face.

عَلَيكُم سَلامُ اللَهِ ما هامَ عاشِقٌ

عَلَيكُم سَلامُ اللَهِ ما هامَ عاشِقٌ

وَشام مُعنّى الخَوف مِن نَحوِكُم بَرقا

وَشام مُعنّى الخَوف مِن نَحوِكُم بَرقا

Upon you be God's peace as long as a lover wanders love-mad,

Peace from God be upon you so long as a lover remains distracted

And one tormented by fear spies lightning from your direction.

And the essence of fear comes toward you like lightning.