بَلِّغ سَلاَمِى إِذَا جِئتَ البَتُولَ لَهَا

بَلِّغ سَلاَمِى إِذَا جِئتَ البَتُولَ لَهَا

وقُل لَهَا إِنَّهَا أَغَرَت بي الوَلَهَا

وقُل لَهَا إِنَّهَا أَغَرَت بي الوَلَهَا

Convey my greeting to her when you reach al-Batul.

Convey my greetings when you come to the young beauty

And tell her that she has set love's frenzy upon me.

And tell her that she has seduced me into loving her madly

وأنني مُذ نَأتني مُغرَمٌ دَنِفٌ

وأنني مُذ نَأتني مُغرَمٌ دَنِفٌ

لَم أسلُ لَم ألهُ إِن غَيرِى سَلاَولَهَا

لَم أسلُ لَم ألهُ إِن غَيرِى سَلاَولَهَا

And that, since she drew away from me, I am enamored and wasted by love.

Since she left me yearning, forlorn

I have neither forgotten nor sought diversion, though others have forgotten and found diversion.

I cannot rest or settle, for she occupies all my thoughts

إني أُؤَمِّلُ منها أَن تُنَولني

إني أُؤَمِّلُ منها أَن تُنَولني

لأنَّ مُنيَةَ نَفسِى أَن تُنَوِّلَهَا

لأنَّ مُنيَةَ نَفسِى أَن تُنَوِّلَهَا

I hope that she will grant me what I desire,

I hope that she will return to me

For my soul's wish is that she grant it.

For I am destined to long for her as long as I live

يَا لَيتَ شِعرِى هَل لِىَ بَعدَمَا بَعُدَت

يَا لَيتَ شِعرِى هَل لِىَ بَعدَمَا بَعُدَت

وَصَرَمَت مِن حِبَالِ الوَصلِ أَحبُلَهَا

وَصَرَمَت مِن حِبَالِ الوَصلِ أَحبُلَهَا

Oh, would that I knew: might I, after she has gone far away,

Oh how I wish I knew, now that she is gone

And severed her cords from the bonds of union,

And has cut the ropes that bound us, if she misses me still

إِلمَامَةٌ بِنَوَاحِيهَا وجِيرَتِهَا

إِلمَامَةٌ بِنَوَاحِيهَا وجِيرَتِهَا

حَتَّى أُعَلِّلَ نَفسِى أن أُعَلِّلَهَا

حَتَّى أُعَلِّلَ نَفسِى أن أُعَلِّلَهَا

Pay a brief visit to her surroundings and her neighbors,

The deer remind me of her eyes when I see them

To console my soul with the hope of consoling it?

The sun, her radiant face at dusk

إِنَّ البَتُولَ لَهَا في القَلبِ مَنزِلَةً

إِنَّ البَتُولَ لَهَا في القَلبِ مَنزِلَةً

مَن حَلَّها قَبلَهَا مَا حَلَّ مَنزِلَهَا

مَن حَلَّها قَبلَهَا مَا حَلَّ مَنزِلَهَا

Indeed, al-Batul holds a station in my heart;

Wine, the sweetness of her lips; milk, the softness of her skin

Whoever occupied it before her never attained her station.

The stars, her gaze; the night, her tresses

فَالظبي يُذَكِّرني إِن يَرنُ مُقلَتَهَا

فَالظبي يُذَكِّرني إِن يَرنُ مُقلَتَهَا

والشَّمسُ أشنَبَهَا الألمَى وقَيهَلَها

والشَّمسُ أشنَبَهَا الألمَى وقَيهَلَها

So the gazelle, when it gazes, reminds me of her eye;

The one I love has shunned you, keeping her distance

And the sun, of her pearly-toothed, dusky-lipped mouth and her face;

And broken away, prolonging her disdain

والخَمرُ رِيقَتَها وألبَانُ مَيسَتَهَا

والخَمرُ رِيقَتَها وألبَانُ مَيسَتَهَا

والسِّحرُ نَظَرَتَها واللَّيلُ أَلَيلَهَا

والسِّحرُ نَظَرَتَها واللَّيلُ أَلَيلَهَا

And wine, of her saliva, and the bān tree, of her swaying gait;

Why do you still pine for her when she has poisoned you with love

And magic, of her glance, and night, of her jet-black hair.

Forcing your soul to surrender and kneel before her?

قَالَ العَذُولُ البَتُولُ عَنكَ نَأَت

قَالَ العَذُولُ البَتُولُ عَنكَ نَأَت

وصَرَمَت وأطَالَت فِيكَ عُذَّلَهَا

وصَرَمَت وأطَالَت فِيكَ عُذَّلَهَا

The reproacher said: "Al-Batul has gone far from you,

I said intentions bring people closer, yet when I approached with nothing to offer

And severed ties, and prolonged her reproachers' rebukes of you.

She saw me as a fool and turned away

هَلاَّ تَسَلَّيتَ عَنها إِذ سَقَتكَ هَوىً

هَلاَّ تَسَلَّيتَ عَنها إِذ سَقَتكَ هَوىً

قَد حَمَلَ النَّفسَ قَسراً أن تَذِلَّ لَهَا

قَد حَمَلَ النَّفسَ قَسراً أن تَذِلَّ لَهَا

Why have you not sought solace away from her, when she gave you love to drink,

If she distances herself from me, I am indifferent,

A love that forcibly compelled your soul to abase itself before her?"

Her rejection does not bother me, nor do I tire of her coyness

فَقُلتُ إِنَّ النِّوَى تُدني النَّوَى وأَنَا

فَقُلتُ إِنَّ النِّوَى تُدني النَّوَى وأَنَا

إِن جِئتُ بِيداً أرَتني البِيدُ مَجهَلَهَا

إِن جِئتُ بِيداً أرَتني البِيدُ مَجهَلَهَا

So I said: "Resolve brings the distant near, and I—

I persevere and continue to work hard to win her

If I enter deserts, the deserts show me her trackless land.

It is my burning desire to earn her love and make her mine

إن تَنأى مني فَإني غَيرُ مُكتَرِثٍ

إن تَنأى مني فَإني غَيرُ مُكتَرِثٍ

بالعَذلِ فِيهَا ولَم أسأم تَدَلُّلَهَا

بالعَذلِ فِيهَا ولَم أسأم تَدَلُّلَهَا

If she goes far from me, I am unconcerned

Until I can bring her close so my eyes can feast on her

With reproach about her, nor do I tire of her coquetry.

And look into her eyes and ask her directly

أنضِى وأعمِلُ فِيهَا نَصَّ يَعمُلَةٍ

أنضِى وأعمِلُ فِيهَا نَصَّ يَعمُلَةٍ

حَرٍ أن أنضُيَهَا فِيهَا وأُعمِلَهَا

حَرٍ أن أنضُيَهَا فِيهَا وأُعمِلَهَا

I wear out and drive a sturdy she-camel at full speed for her;

It is fitting that I wear it out and drive it for her,

حَتَّى أُقرِّبَها كَيما أُرَّ بِهَا

حَتَّى أُقرِّبَها كَيما أُرَّ بِهَا

عَيني وأنظُرَ عَينَيهَا وأَسأَلَهَا

عَيني وأنظُرَ عَينَيهَا وأَسأَلَهَا

Until I bring her near, so that through her I may gladden

My eye, gaze into her eyes, and ask her."