بِاللهِby God بَلِّغْconvey سَلاَمِيmy greetings أَيُّهَاO الحَادِيcamel-driver
بِاللهِ بَلِّغْ سَلاَمِي أَيُّهَا الحَادِي
إِلىَto غَزَالِthe gazelle of الصَّرِيمِthe sandy tract الرَّائِحِgoing at dusk الغَادِيgoing at dawn
إِلىَ غَزَالِ الصَّرِيمِ الرَّائِحِ الغَادِي
By God, convey my greetings, O camel-driver,
to the gazelle of the sands, roaming at dusk and dawn.
وَقُلْand say لَهُto him لِيI have عَلىupon مَغْنَاكَyour dwelling حَقُّa claim of هَوَىًlove
وَقُلْ لَهُ لِي عَلى مَغْنَاكَ حَقُّ هَوَىً
لأَنَّbecause دَمْعِيَmy tears رَوَّىَwatered رَبْعَهُits camping ground الصَّادِيthirsty
لأَنَّ دَمْعِيَ رَوَّىَ رَبْعَهُ الصَّادِي
And tell him: “Love gives me a claim upon your dwelling,
for my tears have watered its thirsty ground.”
وَقَفْتُI stood مِمَّاbecause of what جَرَىbefell لِيto me فِيin مَعَاهِدِهِhis familiar haunts
وَقَفْتُ مِمَّا جَرَى لِي فِي مَعَاهِدِهِ
أَبْكِيI weep إِلىَuntil أَنْthat جَرَىَflowed مِنْfrom دَمْعِيَmy tears الوَادِيthe valley
أَبْكِي إِلىَ أَنْ جَرَىَ مِنْ دَمْعِيَ الوَادِي
Because of what befell me, I stood in his familiar haunts,
weeping until the valley flowed with my tears.
وَلَمْand did not أُنَادِI call out سِوَىexcept بِاسْمِby the name of التِيher who سَفَرَتْshe unveiled her face
وَلَمْ أُنَادِ سِوَى بِاسْمِ التِي سَفَرَتْ
لَيْلاًat night فَأَشْرَقَand so shone مِنْfrom أَنْوارِهَاher radiance النَّادِيthe gathering
لَيْلاً فَأَشْرَقَ مِنْ أَنْوارِهَا النَّادِي
And I called out only the name of her who unveiled her face
at night, and her radiance lit the gathering.
خُذْtake يَاO نَسِيُمbreeze بَقَايَاthe remains of المَيْتِthe dead man فَاسْرِthen travel by night بِهِwith him
خُذْ يَا نَسِيُم بَقَايَا المَيْتِ فَاسْرِ بِهِ
لِلْحِيِّto the encampment تَجْمَعُyou unite أَرْوَاحاًsouls بِأَجْسَادِwith bodies
لِلْحِيِّ تَجْمَعُ أَرْوَاحاً بِأَجْسَادِ
Take, O breeze, the dead man's remains, and bear him by night
to the encampment, uniting souls with bodies.
وَالثُمْand kiss ظُهُورَthe surfaces of الثَّرىَthe earth مِنْfrom حَيْثُwhere مَاever خَطَرَتْshe passed gracefully
وَالثُمْ ظُهُورَ الثَّرىَ مِنْ حَيْثُ مَا خَطَرَتْ
بِهِthrough it سُعَادُSuʿād إِذَاif حَاوَلْتَyou seek إِسْعَادِيto gladden me
بِهِ سُعَادُ إِذَا حَاوَلْتَ إِسْعَادِي
And kiss the earth's surface wherever she has passed—
Suʿād—if you seek to gladden me.
مَاnot أَعْشِقُI love passionately الغُصْنَthe bough مَيَّاساًswaying gracefully مَعَاطِفُهُits curves
مَا أَعْشِقُ الغُصْنَ مَيَّاساً مَعَاطِفُهُ
إِلاَّexcept لِقَادمَةِfor the coming of قَدٍّa stature مِنْهُof his مَيَّادِswaying
إِلاَّ لِقَادمَةِ قَدٍّ مِنْهُ مَيَّادِ
I do not love the bough with its swaying curves,
save for the coming of his swaying form.
وَلاَnor أَرَىI deem البَرْقَlightning أَهْلاًworthy أَنْthat أُلاحِظُهُI gaze at it
وَلاَ أَرَى البَرْقَ أَهْلاً أَنْ أُلاحِظُهُ
إِلاَّexcept لِمَاbecause of what مِنْهُin it يَحْكِيmirrors ثَغْرَهُhis mouth البَادِيrevealed
إِلاَّ لِمَا مِنْهُ يَحْكِي ثَغْرَهُ البَادِي
Nor do I deem lightning worthy of my gaze,
save for what in it mirrors his revealed mouth.