عَذيرُكَ مِن نَأيٍ غَداً وَبِعادِ

عَذيرُكَ مِن نَأيٍ غَداً وَبِعادِ

وَسَيرِ مُحِبٍّ لا يَسيرُ بِزادِ

وَسَيرِ مُحِبٍّ لا يَسيرُ بِزادِ

Your pardon for tomorrow's distance and separation,

Your excuse for being away tomorrow and far off,

And for a lover's journey with no provisions.

And a lover's journey with no provisions,

لِعَلوَةَ في هَذا الفُؤادِ مَحَلَّةٌ

لِعَلوَةَ في هَذا الفُؤادِ مَحَلَّةٌ

تَجانَفتُ عَن سَعدي بِها وَسُعادِ

تَجانَفتُ عَن سَعدي بِها وَسُعادِ

Alwa has a dwelling in this heart;

For I have in this heart a place,

For her I have turned from Sa'da and Su'ad.

I have turned away from happiness because of it.

أَتُحسِنُ إِصفادي فَأَشكُرَ نَيلَها

أَتُحسِنُ إِصفادي فَأَشكُرَ نَيلَها

وَإِن كانَ نَزراً أَو تَحُلُّ صِفادي

وَإِن كانَ نَزراً أَو تَحُلُّ صِفادي

Will she kindly favor me, that I may thank her bounty,

Shall I compose my fetters and be thankful I have attained them,

Even if scant, or will she loosen my fetters?

Whether a little or my shackles are undone?

وَكَيفَ رَحيلي وَالفُؤادُ مُخَلَّفٌ

وَكَيفَ رَحيلي وَالفُؤادُ مُخَلَّفٌ

أَسيرٌ لَدَيها لا يُفَكُّ بِفادِ

أَسيرٌ لَدَيها لا يُفَكُّ بِفادِ

And how can I leave, when my heart is left behind,

How can I depart when my heart remains

A captive with her, whom no ransomer can free?

A captive with her, unfreed by any ransom?

فَوَاللَهِ ما أَدري أَأَثني عَزيمَتي

فَوَاللَهِ ما أَدري أَأَثني عَزيمَتي

عَنِ الغَربِ أَم أَمضي بِغَيرِ فُؤادِ

عَنِ الغَربِ أَم أَمضي بِغَيرِ فُؤادِ

So, by God, I do not know: should I turn my resolve

By God, I know not if I should change my mind

Away from the west, or go on without a heart?

From traveling west, or go on without my heart.

وَلَيلَتَنا وَالراحُ عَجلى تَحُثُّها

وَلَيلَتَنا وَالراحُ عَجلى تَحُثُّها

فُنونُ غِناءٍ لِلزُجاجَةِ حادِ

فُنونُ غِناءٍ لِلزُجاجَةِ حادِ

And our night, when the wine hurried, urged on

Our night, and the gentle breeze hurrying it on

By varied songs—a singing drover for the wine-flask.

With songs of wine for the wine-jug now emptied.

تَدارَكَ غَيِّ نَشوَةً مِن لِقائِها

تَدارَكَ غَيِّ نَشوَةً مِن لِقائِها

ذَمَمتُ لَها حَتّى الصَباحِ رَشادي

ذَمَمتُ لَها حَتّى الصَباحِ رَشادي

My folly overtook the rapture of meeting her;

I tried to recover from the intoxication of seeing her,

For its sake I condemned my good sense until dawn.

I censured myself until morning came to guide me.

وَما بَلَغَ النَومُ المُسامِحُ لَذَّةً

وَما بَلَغَ النَومُ المُسامِحُ لَذَّةً

سِوى أَرَقي في حُبِّها وَسُهادي

سِوى أَرَقي في حُبِّها وَسُهادي

And indulgent sleep attained no pleasure

And sleep attained no pleasure,

Beyond my sleepless love for her and my wakefulness.

Save my wakefulness in love of her and vigilance.

عَلى بابِ قِنَّسرينَ وَاللَيلُ لاطِخٌ

عَلى بابِ قِنَّسرينَ وَاللَيلُ لاطِخٌ

جَوانِبَهُ مِن ظُلمَةٍ بِمِدادِ

جَوانِبَهُ مِن ظُلمَةٍ بِمِدادِ

At the gate of Qinnasrin, while night smeared

At the door of the tavern, and night is muddy,

Its sides with an ink of darkness,

Its edges darkened with ink's blackness.

كَأَنَّ القُصورَ البيضَ في جَنَباتِهِ

كَأَنَّ القُصورَ البيضَ في جَنَباتِهِ

خَضَبنَ مَشيباً نازِلاً بِسَوادِ

خَضَبنَ مَشيباً نازِلاً بِسَوادِ

As though the white palaces along its sides

As if the white palaces on its sides

Had dyed their encroaching gray hair black.

Were dyed gray with descending old age.

كَأَنَّ اِنخِراقَ الجَوِّ غَيَّرَ لَونَهُ

كَأَنَّ اِنخِراقَ الجَوِّ غَيَّرَ لَونَهُ

لَبوسُ حَديدٍ أَو لِباسُ حِدادِ

لَبوسُ حَديدٍ أَو لِباسُ حِدادِ

As though the open expanse of sky had its color changed

As if the sky's rupture changed its color

By a coat of iron, or a garment of mourning.

To worn iron or mourning clothes.

كَأَنَّ النُجومَ المُستَسِرّاتِ في الدُجى

كَأَنَّ النُجومَ المُستَسِرّاتِ في الدُجى

سِكاكُ دِلاصٍ أَو عُيونُ جَرادِ

سِكاكُ دِلاصٍ أَو عُيونُ جَرادِ

As though the stars concealed in darkness

As if the stars hiding in the shadows

Were studs of polished armor, or locusts' eyes.

Were lamps' wicks or locusts' eyes.

وَلا قَمَرٌ إِلّا حُشاشَةُ غائِرِ

وَلا قَمَرٌ إِلّا حُشاشَةُ غائِرِ

كَعَينِ طِماسٍ رَنَّقَت لِرُقادِ

كَعَينِ طِماسٍ رَنَّقَت لِرُقادِ

And no moon, save the last flicker of a setting one,

And no moon but the sinking

Like a dim-sighted person's eye drooping into sleep.

Of a drunkard's eyelid closed in slumber.

فَبِتنا وَباتَت تَمزُجُ الراحَ بَينَنا

فَبِتنا وَباتَت تَمزُجُ الراحَ بَينَنا

بِأَبيَضَ رَقراقِ الرُضابِ بُرادِ

بِأَبيَضَ رَقراقِ الرُضابِ بُرادِ

So we spent the night, and she spent it mixing wine between us

We spent the night, and the breeze mixed between us

With a white mouth, its saliva shimmering and cool.

With soft murmuring of the tambourine.

وَلَم نَفتَرِق حَتّى ثَنى الديكُ هاتِفاً

وَلَم نَفتَرِق حَتّى ثَنى الديكُ هاتِفاً

وَقامَ المُنادي بِالصَلاةِ يُنادي

وَقامَ المُنادي بِالصَلاةِ يُنادي

And we did not part until the cock repeated its cry,

We did not part until the cock crowed

And the caller rose to call to prayer.

And the caller to prayer called out.

أَبا مُسلِمٍ إِلقَ السَلامَ مُضاعَفاً

أَبا مُسلِمٍ إِلقَ السَلامَ مُضاعَفاً

وَرُح سالِمَ القُطرَينِ إِنِّيَ غادِ

وَرُح سالِمَ القُطرَينِ إِنِّيَ غادِ

Abu Muslim, receive my greetings doubled,

Abu Muslim, convey multiplied greetings

And go at evening, safe on both sides; I depart at dawn.

And go safely to both encampments, I am departing.

سَأَشكُرُ نُعماكَ المُرَفرِفَ ظِلُّها

سَأَشكُرُ نُعماكَ المُرَفرِفَ ظِلُّها

عَلَيَّ وَهَل أَنسى رَبيعَ بِلادي

عَلَيَّ وَهَل أَنسى رَبيعَ بِلادي

I shall thank your bounty, whose shade flutters

I will thank you for your overflowing kindness

Over me; can I forget the spring of my homeland,

Shading over me - how could I forget the springtime of my country?

وَفَيضَ عَطايا ما تَأَمَّلَ ناظِرٌ

وَفَيضَ عَطايا ما تَأَمَّلَ ناظِرٌ

إِلَيهِنَّ إِلّا قالَ فَيضُ غَوادِ

إِلَيهِنَّ إِلّا قالَ فَيضُ غَوادِ

And the flood of gifts? No beholder ever looked

And the outpouring of gifts no onlooker surveyed

Upon them without saying, 'A flood from morning rainclouds!'

Except to say: the outpouring of bounty!

وَكَم جاءَتِ الأَيامُ رَسلاً تَقودُني

وَكَم جاءَتِ الأَيامُ رَسلاً تَقودُني

إِلى نائِلٍ مِن راحَتَيكَ مُعادِ

إِلى نائِلٍ مِن راحَتَيكَ مُعادِ

And how often the days came gently, leading me

How many days came to me like messengers

To bounty renewed from your two palms.

Leading me to rest awhile in your shelter.

وَما تُنبِتُ البَطحاءُ مِن غَيرِ وابِلٍ

وَما تُنبِتُ البَطحاءُ مِن غَيرِ وابِلٍ

وَلا يَستَديمُ الشُكرَ غَيرُ جَوادِ

وَلا يَستَديمُ الشُكرَ غَيرُ جَوادِ

And no gravelly plain brings forth growth without a downpour,

The plain grows nothing without rain,

And none but a generous giver sustains gratitude.

And none sustain gratitude save the generous.