أَتَعلمُ أَيَ بارِقَةٍ تَشيمُ

أَتَعلمُ أَيَ بارِقَةٍ تَشيمُ

وَأَيَّ حمى سَرى مِنهُ النَسيمُ

وَأَيَّ حمى سَرى مِنهُ النَسيمُ

Do you know which lightning-flash you watch,

Do you know which flash of lightning you watch,

and from which sanctuary the breeze has journeyed?

and from which protected pasture the breeze has traveled by night?

أَجَل ذاكَ اِستَطارَ مِن أَرضِ نَجدٍ

أَجَل ذاكَ اِستَطارَ مِن أَرضِ نَجدٍ

وَهَذا هَبَّ يَذكُرُ مَن يَهيمُ

وَهَذا هَبَّ يَذكُرُ مَن يَهيمُ

Yes—that flash blazed forth from the land of Najd,

Yes, that flashed forth from the land of Najd,

and this breeze rose, recalling those who pine with love.

and this breeze rose, recalling the one who pines.

تَأَلَّقَ مِن سَنا ثَغرٍ لِسَلمى

تَأَلَّقَ مِن سَنا ثَغرٍ لِسَلمى

فَنارَ بِهِ المَفاوِزُ وَالتُخومُ

فَنارَ بِهِ المَفاوِزُ وَالتُخومُ

It flashed from the radiance of Salma’s smiling teeth,

It glittered from the radiance of Salma's mouth,

and by it the deserts and borderlands shone.

so the deserts and borderlands shone by it.

وَأَكسَبَهُ شَذا مِسكٍ شَذاها

وَأَكسَبَهُ شَذا مِسكٍ شَذاها

فَها هُوَ ذا لَنا مِنهُ شَميمُ

فَها هُوَ ذا لَنا مِنهُ شَميمُ

Her fragrance lent it the perfume of musk,

And her fragrance lent it the scent of musk,

and here now a breath of it reaches us.

so here we have a fragrant whiff of it.

وَوافى مِن دِيارِهِمُ عَليلا

وَوافى مِن دِيارِهِمُ عَليلا

فَكُلٌّ مِن تنشقِهِ سَقيمُ

فَكُلٌّ مِن تنشقِهِ سَقيمُ

It came from their dwellings weak with love,

And it arrived from their dwellings, ailing,

so everyone who breathes it in becomes lovesick.

so everyone is sick from breathing it in.

أُناسٌ آثَروا سُكنى البَوادي

أُناسٌ آثَروا سُكنى البَوادي

وَمُنتَجعاً إِذا اِنهَلَّ الغُيُومُ

وَمُنتَجعاً إِذا اِنهَلَّ الغُيُومُ

A people who chose to dwell in the open country

A people who preferred dwelling in the deserts,

and seek fresh pasture whenever the clouds pour down.

and grazing grounds whenever the clouds poured rain.

هُم الحيُّ اللُقاحُ فَلَم يَدينُوا

هُم الحيُّ اللُقاحُ فَلَم يَدينُوا

لِملكٍ إِذ بَلاؤُهُمُ عَظيمُ

لِملكٍ إِذ بَلاؤُهُمُ عَظيمُ

They are the free, unconquered tribe, submitting

They are the independent tribe: they never bowed

to no king, for mighty is their valor.

to a king, for their valor is great.

يَجُرّونَ العَوالي للمَعالي

يَجُرّونَ العَوالي للمَعالي

وَيُجرون المَذاكي لا تخِيمُ

وَيُجرون المَذاكي لا تخِيمُ

They trail their tall lances in pursuit of glory,

They trail long spears in pursuit of high honors,

and race their thoroughbreds, which never falter.

and race full-grown steeds that never falter.

إِذا حادوا لحربٍ أَرَّثوها

إِذا حادوا لحربٍ أَرَّثوها

وَإِن جادوا بِفَضلٍ لَم يُليموا

وَإِن جادوا بِفَضلٍ لَم يُليموا

When they turn toward war, they kindle its flames;

When they turn to war, they kindle it,

and when they bestow bounty, they are beyond reproach.

and when they bestow bounty, they incur no blame.

وَإِن حلُّوا بِأَرضٍ أَرَّجُوها

وَإِن حلُّوا بِأَرضٍ أَرَّجُوها

فَتعبِقُ من أَريجهِم الرُسُومُ

فَتعبِقُ من أَريجهِم الرُسُومُ

Whenever they alight upon a land, they perfume it,

And when they camp in a land, they perfume it,

until its very ruins breathe their fragrance.

so the campsite traces breathe their fragrance.

وَفي أَحداجِهِم قَمرٌ تَبدّى

وَفي أَحداجِهِم قَمرٌ تَبدّى

فَقَد خَفِيت لِمطلعِهِ النُجومُ

فَقَد خَفِيت لِمطلعِهِ النُجومُ

And in their camel-litters a moon appeared,

And in their camel litters a moon appeared,

at whose rising the stars themselves grew dim.

and at its rising the stars disappeared.

أَضاءَت مِن سَناه لَنا الموامي

أَضاءَت مِن سَناه لَنا الموامي

وَنارَ بِهِ لَنا اللَيلُ البَهيمُ

وَنارَ بِهِ لَنا اللَيلُ البَهيمُ

Through his radiance the trackless wastes shone for us,

The trackless wastes shone for us in its radiance,

and through him our pitch-black night grew bright.

and through it the pitch-dark night shone for us.

تعلَّقَهُ فُؤادي مِن حَديثٍ

تعلَّقَهُ فُؤادي مِن حَديثٍ

فصارَ لَهُ بِهِ وَجدٌ قَديمُ

فصارَ لَهُ بِهِ وَجدٌ قَديمُ

My heart became attached to him merely by hearsay,

My heart fell in love with him only recently,

and thus conceived for him a love that felt ancient.

and came to harbor an age-old longing for him.

وَناجاهُ ليَسمَحَ بالتفاتٍ

وَناجاهُ ليَسمَحَ بالتفاتٍ

فَلَم يلفِت إِليه وَهوَ ريمُ

فَلَم يلفِت إِليه وَهوَ ريمُ

It whispered to him, begging him to grant a glance,

And it whispered to him, seeking the favor of a glance,

but he did not turn toward it—for he is a gazelle.

but he, a white gazelle, would not turn toward it.

وَرامَ القُربَ مِن ناءٍ بَعيدٍ

وَرامَ القُربَ مِن ناءٍ بَعيدٍ

فَعزَّ لَهُ الوصولُ لما يَرومُ

فَعزَّ لَهُ الوصولُ لما يَرومُ

It sought closeness to one remote and far away,

And it sought nearness to one remote and far away,

so reaching what it yearned for proved impossible.

so reaching what it desired proved hard for it.

وَمَن يَعلَق لَهُ قلبٌ بِرِيمٍ

وَمَن يَعلَق لَهُ قلبٌ بِرِيمٍ

نَفورٍ فَهوَ فَي حزنٍ مُقيمُ

نَفورٍ فَهوَ فَي حزنٍ مُقيمُ

Whoever gives his heart to a skittish gazelle

And anyone whose heart clings to a white gazelle

must dwell forever in sorrow.

that shies away will remain in sorrow.