نَفَرنَ أَصيلاً كَسِربِ المَها

نَفَرنَ أَصيلاً كَسِربِ المَها

يُثِرنَ الهَوى وَيَهِجنَ الجَوى

يُثِرنَ الهَوى وَيَهِجنَ الجَوى

They fled in the late afternoon, like a herd of oryx,

They departed in droves like a flock of ostriches

stirring love and kindling heartache.

Stirring up passion and igniting fervor

أُعارِضُهُنَّ فَيَلوينَني

أُعارِضُهُنَّ فَيَلوينَني

وَيَمضينَ مُبتَدِراتِ الخُطى

وَيَمضينَ مُبتَدِراتِ الخُطى

I cross their path, and they turn me aside,

I confront them so they bend me

and go on, hastening their steps.

And depart hastily treading their path

أُناشِدُهُنَّ ذِمامَ الهَوى

أُناشِدُهُنَّ ذِمامَ الهَوى

وَلَو ذُقنَهُ لَشَفَينَ الصَدى

وَلَو ذُقنَهُ لَشَفَينَ الصَدى

I implore them by the bond of love;

I entreat them with the bridle of passion

and had they tasted it, they would have quenched my thirst.

If only they would taste it, echo would be quenched

تَوَزَّعنَ أَشطارَ هَذا الفُؤادِ

تَوَزَّعنَ أَشطارَ هَذا الفُؤادِ

فَشَطرٌ هُناكَ وَشَطرٌ هُنا

فَشَطرٌ هُناكَ وَشَطرٌ هُنا

They shared among themselves the pieces of this heart:

They divided the regions of this heart

one part there, and one part here.

One part is there, the other here

وَرُحنَ يُضاحِكُهُنَّ النَعيمُ

وَرُحنَ يُضاحِكُهُنَّ النَعيمُ

وَيَقتُلُني إِثرَهُنَّ البُكى

وَيَقتُلُني إِثرَهُنَّ البُكى

And they went away, with bliss laughing with them,

And they went away, bliss makes them laugh

while weeping kills me in their wake.

While their absence kills me with weeping

حَلَفتُ لَهُنَّ بِأُمِّ الكِتابِ

حَلَفتُ لَهُنَّ بِأُمِّ الكِتابِ

لَقَد بَلَغَ الوَجدُ أَقصى الحَشا

لَقَد بَلَغَ الوَجدُ أَقصى الحَشا

I swore to them by the Mother of the Book:

I swore to them by the Mother of the Book

indeed, longing has reached my innermost depths.

Indeed ardor has reached its utmost extremity

وَناشَدتُهُنَّ ذِمامَ الهِلالِ

وَناشَدتُهُنَّ ذِمامَ الهِلالِ

وَما فيهِ مِن رَحمَةٍ أَو هُدى

وَما فيهِ مِن رَحمَةٍ أَو هُدى

And I implored them by the crescent's sacred bond,

And I adjured them by the crescent's bridle

and the mercy or guidance it holds.

Which contains no mercy or guidance

فَأَقبَلنَ مِن جَنَباتِ الرِياضِ

فَأَقبَلنَ مِن جَنَباتِ الرِياضِ

رَياحينَ مُخضَلَّةً بِالنَدى

رَياحينَ مُخضَلَّةً بِالنَدى

Then they came from the gardens' edges,

Then they came from the gardens' sides

fragrant blossoms drenched in dew.

Breezes dripping with dew

فَصافَحنَني فَلَثَمتُ الأَكُفَّ

فَصافَحنَني فَلَثَمتُ الأَكُفَّ

فَلَمّا اِنطَلَقنَ لَثَمتُ الثَرى

فَلَمّا اِنطَلَقنَ لَثَمتُ الثَرى

Then they shook my hand, and I kissed their palms;

They greeted me so I kissed palms

and when they departed, I kissed the earth.

When they departed, I kissed the ground

ذَهَبنَ يَطُفنَ عَلى المُحسِنين

ذَهَبنَ يَطُفنَ عَلى المُحسِنين

فَحَرَّكنَ كُلَّ يَدٍ لِلنَدى

فَحَرَّكنَ كُلَّ يَدٍ لِلنَدى

They went about among the benefactors,

They went bestowing upon the virtuous

and stirred every hand to generosity.

Moving every hand to generosity

وَما كانَ ذَلِكَ مِن هَمِّهِنَّ

وَما كانَ ذَلِكَ مِن هَمِّهِنَّ

وَلا هُنَّ مِمَّن حُرِمنَ الغِنى

وَلا هُنَّ مِمَّن حُرِمنَ الغِنى

Yet this was not to meet their own needs,

That was not out of their concerns

nor were they among those denied wealth.

Nor were they among those deprived of riches

وَلَكِنَّهُنَّ مَدَدنَ الأَكُفَّ

وَلَكِنَّهُنَّ مَدَدنَ الأَكُفَّ

لِرَأبِ الثَأى وَلِكَشفِ الأَذى

لِرَأبِ الثَأى وَلِكَشفِ الأَذى

But they stretched out their palms

But they extended their palms

to mend the breach and relieve suffering.

To mend separation and relieve distress

رَثَينَ لِجَرحى كساها الحِفاظُ

رَثَينَ لِجَرحى كساها الحِفاظُ

سَوابِغَ مِن عَلَقٍ يُمتَرى

سَوابِغَ مِن عَلَقٍ يُمتَرى

They pitied the wounded, whom honor had clothed

They clothed the wounded their mantles enveloped

in ample coats of blood drawn forth.

Layers of fine gossamer

جَزى اللَهُ قَوماً دُعوا لِلنَوالِ

جَزى اللَهُ قَوماً دُعوا لِلنَوالِ

فَفاضَت أَكُفُّهُمو بِاللُهى

فَفاضَت أَكُفُّهُمو بِاللُهى

May God reward a people called upon to give,

May God reward a people called to bounty

whose palms then overflowed with gifts.

So their palms overflowed with blessings

ذَوائِبُ تَأسو كُلومَ الغُزاةِ

ذَوائِبُ تَأسو كُلومَ الغُزاةِ

وَتَشعَبُ مِنها صَديعَ القِوى

وَتَشعَبُ مِنها صَديعَ القِوى

Noble ones tend the warriors' wounds

Braids that humble the armor of warriors

and restore the strength those wounds have shattered.

And from which the sinews of might branch out

تَدافَعنَ في غَمَراتِ السَماحِ

تَدافَعنَ في غَمَراتِ السَماحِ

تَدافُعَهُم في غِمارِ الوَغى

تَدافُعَهُم في غِمارِ الوَغى

They pressed forward into generosity's depths,

Jostling in the billows of generosity

as the warriors pressed into the thick of battle.

As they jostle in the darkness of battle

جَزى اللَهُ كُلَّ فَتىً ماجِدٍ

جَزى اللَهُ كُلَّ فَتىً ماجِدٍ

يَصونُ الذِمارَ وَيَحمي الحِمى

يَصونُ الذِمارَ وَيَحمي الحِمى

May God reward every noble youth

May God reward every glorious hero

who safeguards his honor and defends his domain.

Who defends the household and protects sanctuary