ألا حيّ المنازلَ بالعقيق

ألا حيّ المنازلَ بالعقيق

تحيةَ عاشقٍ صبّ شفيقِ

تحيةَ عاشقٍ صبّ شفيقِ

Ah, greet the dwellings at al-ʿAqīq

O dwellings of 'Uqayq, may you be greeted

Behold, greet the dwellings at Al-Aqiq,

With the greeting of a lovesick, tender lover.

With the affection of a yearning, passionate lover

With the salutation of a lover, yearning and tender.

وقفتُ بها أبكيها طويلا

وقفتُ بها أبكيها طويلا

فما رحمت بكايَ ولا شهيقي

فما رحمت بكايَ ولا شهيقي

I stood there long, weeping for them,

I stood by them weeping for so long

I stood there long, weeping over them,

But they pitied neither my weeping nor my sobs.

Yet my crying brought no mercy, nor my sobbing

Yet they showed no mercy to my tears nor my sobs.

منازلَ لا يزال يهيجُ شوقي

منازلَ لا يزال يهيجُ شوقي

اليها اللامعاتُ من البروقِ

اليها اللامعاتُ من البروقِ

Dwellings—my longing is ever stirred

Dwellings that still stir my ardour

Abodes where my longing is constantly stirred,

For them by the gleaming flashes of lightning.

With the flashes of lightning striking them

Drawn there by the flashing gleam of lightning.

وأحسنُ من وقوفي في المغاني

وأحسنُ من وقوفي في المغاني

وقوفُ مشوقةٍ لفتى مشوقِ

وقوفُ مشوقةٍ لفتى مشوقِ

And fairer than my standing amid the dwelling-places

And better than my standing is singing songs

And fairer than my standing in the ruined camps,

Is a yearning woman's waiting for a yearning youth.

Is the standing of a lovely one by a lovely youth

Is the standing of a yearning girl before a yearning youth.

وأنزَهُ منظراً في رسمِ دارٍ

وأنزَهُ منظراً في رسمِ دارٍ

منازلُ في ذرى قصرٍ أنيق

منازلُ في ذرى قصرٍ أنيق

And more delightful to behold amid a house's traces

And a scene more splendid in a house's image

And a sight more joyous than a crumbled trace,

Are lodgings high in an elegant palace.

Are dwellings amidst the sand of a graceful palace

Are dwellings high within an elegant palace.

وأطربُ من مطارحةٍ بنجوى

وأطربُ من مطارحةٍ بنجوى

مطارقةُ الجواري للطروقِ

مطارقةُ الجواري للطروقِ

And more enchanting than an exchange of whispered confidences

And more enchanting than whispering endearments

And I find more music in the exchange of whispers,

Is the slave-girls' beating time to tunes.

Is the drumming of slave girls on leather skins

When maidens strike the instruments to play.

واشهى من معانقةٍ لقَرنٍ

واشهى من معانقةٍ لقَرنٍ

معانقةُ الصديقةِ للصديق

معانقةُ الصديقةِ للصديق

And more enticing than grappling with an opponent

And more delicious than embracing a companion

And sweeter to desire than grappling with a foe,

Is a sweetheart's embrace of her lover.

Is the embracing of a lover by her beloved

Is the embrace of a mistress to her lover.

وأيسر من مباكرةِ الأعادي

وأيسر من مباكرةِ الأعادي

مباكرةُ الحبيبِ لدى الشروقِ

مباكرةُ الحبيبِ لدى الشروقِ

And easier than meeting enemies at dawn

And easier than accosting enemies at dawn

And easier than confronting enemies at dawn,

Is meeting the beloved at sunrise.

Is the accosting of the lover at daybreak

Is a morning visit to the beloved at sunrise.

وأهونُ خطّةٍ من رتقِ فتقٍ

وأهونُ خطّةٍ من رتقِ فتقٍ

صبوحُ الكأسِ من بعد الغبوقِ

صبوحُ الكأسِ من بعد الغبوقِ

And a simpler course than mending a breach

And lighter than a camel litter's creaking

And a lighter burden than mending a breach in state,

Is a morning cup after the evening draught.

Is the morning cup after the night clouds' breaking

Is the morning wine-cup following the evening draft.

وأشجى نغمةٍ من صوتٍ طبل

وأشجى نغمةٍ من صوتٍ طبل

حنينُ الزيرِ مع وترٍ نطوقِ

حنينُ الزيرِ مع وترٍ نطوقِ

And a more poignant melody than a drum's sound

And more poignant than drum's exquisite tune

And a melody more touching than the war-drum’s boom,

Is the treble lute-string's plaintive ring beside a singing string.

Is the yearning of strings with a melodious croon

Is the high string's sigh paired with a speaking chord.

وأروحُ من طرادِ الخيل ركضاً

وأروحُ من طرادِ الخيل ركضاً

طرادُكَ كل مياسٍ لبيقِ

طرادُكَ كل مياسٍ لبيقِ

And more restful than pursuit on horses at a gallop

And more soothing than horses chased at a run

And more refreshing than the galloping chase of steeds,

Is your pursuit of every swaying, charming beauty.

Is your chasing away every screaming one

Is your pursuit of every swaying, graceful beauty.

وأطيبُ من مُنازلةٍ لحربٍ

وأطيبُ من مُنازلةٍ لحربٍ

منازلةُ الدنان من الرحيقِ

منازلةُ الدنان من الرحيقِ

And sweeter than doing battle in war

And sweeter than taking turns in battle

And better than engaging in the clash of war,

Is doing battle with jars of pure wine.

Is taking turns sipping from the wine ladle

Is engaging with wine-jars filled with nectar.

فخفقٌ بالطبولِ من الملاهي

فخفقٌ بالطبولِ من الملاهي

أحبُّ إليّ من عَلَمٍ خَفوق

أحبُّ إليّ من عَلَمٍ خَفوق

So the beating of drums for merriment

So drums' beating in revelry's clamour

For the beating of drums in halls of revelry,

Is dearer to me than a fluttering banner.

Please me more than a swaying standard

Is dearer to me than a fluttering battle-flag.

ورميُ الحورِ بالتفاح نحوي

ورميُ الحورِ بالتفاح نحوي

سوى رمي العدى بالمنجنيقِ

سوى رمي العدى بالمنجنيقِ

And the dark-eyed beauties' tossing of apples toward me

And huri's apple-throwing toward me

And the casting of apples by maidens towards me,

Is unlike the enemies' hurling by catapult.

Beats foe's pelting me with the mangonel

Is unlike the enemy casting stones with catapults.

ومجلسُ لذّةٍ بسماع لهوٍ

ومجلسُ لذّةٍ بسماع لهوٍ

ألذُّ من الجلوس على الطريق

ألذُّ من الجلوس على الطريق

And a pleasure gathering with merry music

And a pleasure gathering's listening to jokes

And a gathering of pleasure, listening to mirth,

Is sweeter than sitting by the road.

Is nicer than sitting on the highway

Is more delightful than a vigil by the roadside.

ومشيُ وصيفةٍ تسعى بكأس

ومشيُ وصيفةٍ تسعى بكأس

مضمّخة السوالفِ بالخلوق

مضمّخة السوالفِ بالخلوق

And the walk of a serving-girl hastening with a cup,

And cupbearer's gait in her sky-blue dress

And the gait of a handmaiden hastening with a cup,

The sides of her neck richly anointed with saffron perfume,

With wine spilling on her smooth elbows

Her tresses perfumed with the scent of saffron,

ألذُّ من التجالدِ بالعوالي

ألذُّ من التجالدِ بالعوالي

ومن مشي الفريق إلى الفريق

ومن مشي الفريق إلى الفريق

Is sweeter than trading blows with long spears,

Is nicer than attacking with lofty poems

Is more delightful than the fencing with long spears,

And than one army marching toward another.

And moving from one group to another

And the marching of one army against another.

فهذا الرأيُ لا رأيٌ سواهُ

فهذا الرأيُ لا رأيٌ سواهُ

فشدّ يديكَ بالرأي الوثيقِ

فشدّ يديكَ بالرأي الوثيقِ

So this is the counsel; there is no counsel besides it.

So this view, and no other view,

This is the true view—there is no view but this,

So hold fast with both hands to this sure counsel.

Grasp it tightly, keep this creed true

So hold fast with your hands to this firm opinion.