أَلاAh! هَلis there لِعُلوِيٍّfor the upland ones الرِياحِthe winds هُبوبُa blowing
أَلا هَل لِعُلوِيٍّ الرِياحِ هُبوبُ
فَيُخبِرنَso they may tell هَلwhether عَهدُthe time of المزارِvisiting قَرِيبُnear
فَيُخبِرنَ هَل عَهدُ المزارِ قَرِيبُ
Ah, will the upland winds blow,
And tell me whether the time for visiting is near?
وَهَلand will أَطرُقُI visit by night الحَيّthe encampment الِّذيwhich كُنتُI used to be طارِقاًa nighttime visitor
وَهَل أَطرُقُ الحَيّ الِّذي كُنتُ طارِقاً
إِذwhen العَيشُlife محضٌunalloyed وَالزَمانُand the times خَصِيبُfertile
إِذ العَيشُ محضٌ وَالزَمانُ خَصِيبُ
And shall I visit by night the encampment I once frequented,
When life was unalloyed and the times were fertile?
عَزيزٌa cherished one يُباهيrivals in splendor الصُبحَthe dawn إِشراقُthe radiance of نَحرِهِhis throat
عَزيزٌ يُباهي الصُبحَ إِشراقُ نَحرِهِ
وَفيand in مَفرِقِthe hair-parting of الظَلماءِthe darkness مِنهُfrom him مَشِيبُgray hair
وَفي مَفرِقِ الظَلماءِ مِنهُ مَشِيبُ
A beloved whose throat's radiance rivals dawn,
And through whom darkness's parting is streaked with gray.
تَرِفُّflutters بِفِيهِin his mouth ضاحِكاًas he smiles أَقحُوانَةٌa daisy
تَرِفُّ بِفِيهِ ضاحِكاً أَقحُوانَةٌ
وَيَهتَزُّand sways فيwithin بُردَيهِhis two cloaks مِنهُof him قَضِيبُa slender bough
وَيَهتَزُّ في بُردَيهِ مِنهُ قَضِيبُ
A daisy flutters in his mouth as he smiles,
And within his two cloaks he sways—a slender bough.
سَقىmay water اللَهُGod ذاكَthat العَهدَtime عَهدَa shower of غَمامَةٍa raincloud
سَقى اللَهُ ذاكَ العَهدَ عَهدَ غَمامَةٍ
وَقَدwhile already جَنَّبتhas driven away مِنهُfrom it السَحابَthe clouds جَنُوبُa south wind
وَقَد جَنَّبت مِنهُ السَحابَ جَنُوبُ
May God water those days with a raincloud's shower,
While a south wind has driven the clouds away from them.
تَصُوبُpour down دُمُوعُthe tears of العَينِthe eye مِنهُbecause of it صَبابَةًin yearning
تَصُوبُ دُمُوعُ العَينِ مِنهُ صَبابَةً
وَيَهفوand sets aflutter بِقَلبِthe heart of البَرقِlightning مِنهُfrom that time حَبيبُa beloved
وَيَهفو بِقَلبِ البَرقِ مِنهُ حَبيبُ
For those days the eye's tears pour down in yearning,
And a beloved from them sets lightning's heart aflutter.