ألسيع صل ماله من راقى

ألسيع صل ماله من راقى

أَم مُبتَلى بتحمل الأَشواق

أَم مُبتَلى بتحمل الأَشواق

Is he bitten by a viper, with no healer,

Is he worn out, with no comforter?

Or afflicted by the burden of longing?

Or afflicted with enduring passions?

أَم لحظة سَبَقَت عليه فَأَمرَضَت

أَم لحظة سَبَقَت عليه فَأَمرَضَت

أَحشاءَه بِمَريضة الأَحداق

أَحشاءَه بِمَريضة الأَحداق

Or did a glance overtake him and sicken

Or did a moment outpace him and so sicken

His inmost heart because of a languid-eyed woman?

His innermost being with lovesickness of the eyelids?

شَغَلَته ذاتَ الخال وَهيَ خَلية

شَغَلَته ذاتَ الخال وَهيَ خَلية

فَمَتى تلاقى بعض ما هُوَ لاقى

فَمَتى تلاقى بعض ما هُوَ لاقى

The mole-marked woman engrossed him, while she is carefree;

The cheek’s mole preoccupied him while it is but

So when will she endure some of what he endures?

A beauty spot - so when might he meet some of what he has met?

لَولا بدور في الخد وَركوا نس

لَولا بدور في الخد وَركوا نس

ماهامَ ذو شجر بذات نطاق

ماهامَ ذو شجر بذات نطاق

Were it not for full moons secluded in their chambers,

Were it not for the full moons in his cheek and the soft down,

No troubled man would pine for a girdled woman.

No thicket-dweller would yearn for such a place.

تَجري الخطوب فَما أَمر عَلى الفَتى

تَجري الخطوب فَما أَمر عَلى الفَتى

من يوم بين بعد يوم تَلاقى

من يوم بين بعد يوم تَلاقى

Calamities unfold—what is more bitter for a young man

Cares pass by; but what befalls the youth

Than a day of parting after a day of meeting?

From one day to the next when they meet?

يا ساقي العشاق راح صبابة

يا ساقي العشاق راح صبابة

أَدر الصَبابة واسقنى يا ساقى

أَدر الصَبابة واسقنى يا ساقى

O cupbearer serving lovers the wine of yearning,

O cupbearer of lovers, go gently with the pouring;

Pass yearning round and give me drink, O cupbearer.

Pour gently and give me to drink, o cupbearer:

المَطى اذا مررت بذى اللقا

المَطى اذا مررت بذى اللقا

نَبكي الرسوم وَلَو بقدر فواق

نَبكي الرسوم وَلَو بقدر فواق

[With] the riding camels, when you pass by Dhū al-Liqā,

When I pass by the abode of she with whom I once mingled,

Let us weep over the traces, if only for a pause between milkings.

We weep, even if just a little.

ان كنت لَم تذق الغَرام فإِنَّني

ان كنت لَم تذق الغَرام فإِنَّني

ثمل بكأس لِلغَرام دهاق

ثمل بكأس لِلغَرام دهاق

If you have never tasted passion, I indeed

If you have not tasted love, well I

Am drunk on a brimming cup of passion.

Am drunk with a deep draft of love.

ما كنت أَعرف ما الصبابة وَالبكا

ما كنت أَعرف ما الصبابة وَالبكا

لَولا فراق خَريدة معتاق

لَولا فراق خَريدة معتاق

I would not have known what yearning and weeping were,

I knew naught of wine and weeping

But for parting from a secluded maiden [epithet unclear].

Save through parting from my beloved fellow wilderness-rover.