أَلا يا غَزالَ الرَملِ مِن بَطنِ وَجرَةٍ

أَلا يا غَزالَ الرَملِ مِن بَطنِ وَجرَةٍ

إِلِلواجِدِ الظَمآنِ مِنكِ شُروعُ

إِلِلواجِدِ الظَمآنِ مِنكِ شُروعُ

Ah, gazelle of the sands from the valley of Wajrah,

O gazelle of the sandy expanse from the belly of a valley

Is there a way for the thirsty, lovesick one to drink from you?

For the thirsty, you are a welcome drink

خَلا لَكَ في الأَحشاءِ مَرعىً تَرودُهُ

خَلا لَكَ في الأَحشاءِ مَرعىً تَرودُهُ

وَصابَكَ مِن ماءِ الدُموعِ رَبيعُ

وَصابَكَ مِن ماءِ الدُموعِ رَبيعُ

A pasture lies open for you within my breast, where you may roam,

Grass grows for you in the dunes to graze

And spring rain has fallen upon you from the water of my tears.

And the tears' spring rains down upon you

أَلا هَل إِلى ظِلِّ الأَثيلِ تَخَلُّصٌ

أَلا هَل إِلى ظِلِّ الأَثيلِ تَخَلُّصٌ

وَهَل لِثَنَيّاتِ الغُوَيرِ طُلوعُ

وَهَل لِثَنَيّاتِ الغُوَيرِ طُلوعُ

Ah, is there escape to the shade of al-Athil,

Will you escape to the acacia tree's shade?

And a way up to the mountain passes of al-Ghuwayr?

Will the folds of the dunes reveal themselves?

وَهَل بَلِيَت خَيمٌ عَلى أَيمَنِ الحِمى

وَهَل بَلِيَت خَيمٌ عَلى أَيمَنِ الحِمى

وَزالَت لَنا بِالأَبرَقَينِ رُبوعُ

وَزالَت لَنا بِالأَبرَقَينِ رُبوعُ

And have the tents on the right of the protected pasture decayed,

Were tents pitched at the sanctuary's right side?

And our encampments at al-Abraqayn vanished?

Did the lightnings make the meadows disappear?

وَهَل لِلَيالينا الطِوالِ تَصَرُّمٌ

وَهَل لِلَيالينا الطِوالِ تَصَرُّمٌ

وَهَل لِلَيالينا القِصارِ رُجوعُ

وَهَل لِلَيالينا القِصارِ رُجوعُ

And is there an end to our long nights?

Can our long nights suffer more?

And will our short nights return?

Can our short nights return?

وَلَم أَنسَ يَومَ الجِزعِ حُسناً خَلَستُهُ

وَلَم أَنسَ يَومَ الجِزعِ حُسناً خَلَستُهُ

بِعَيني عَلى أَنَّ الزِيالَ سَريعُ

بِعَيني عَلى أَنَّ الزِيالَ سَريعُ

Nor have I forgotten the beauty I stole that day at al-Jizʿ,

I did not forget the beauty I secretly saw

With my eye, though parting was swift.

On the day of sorrow - with my eye that the departure was quick

وَلَمّا تَواقَفنا ذَهَلتُ وَلَم يَحِن

وَلَمّا تَواقَفنا ذَهَلتُ وَلَم يَحِن

لِطَيرِ قُلوبِ العاشِقينَ وُقوعُ

لِطَيرِ قُلوبِ العاشِقينَ وُقوعُ

And when we stood face to face, I was dazed; it was not yet time

And when we stopped, I swooned and the heart

For the birds of lovers’ hearts to alight.

Of lovers did not have a chance to alight

عَلى حينَ أَعدَتُّ حَيرَتي قَلبَ صاحِبي

عَلى حينَ أَعدَتُّ حَيرَتي قَلبَ صاحِبي

فَرُحنا وَسَوطَ العامِرِيِّ مُضيعُ

فَرُحنا وَسَوطَ العامِرِيِّ مُضيعُ

Just as my bewilderment infected my companion’s heart,

Just when I readied my confusion, my friend’s heart

So we departed, and the ʿAmiri’s whip was lost.

We were happy and the fertile land was gone

حَديثٌ يَضَلُّ القَلبُ عِندَ اِستِماعِهِ

حَديثٌ يَضَلُّ القَلبُ عِندَ اِستِماعِهِ

فَليسَ عَجيباً أَن يَضَلَّ قَطيعُ

فَليسَ عَجيباً أَن يَضَلَّ قَطيعُ

Speech at whose hearing the heart goes astray—

A talk that makes the heart stray when hearing it

So it is no wonder that a flock should stray.

So it's no wonder that a flock gets lost

عَشيَّةَ لي مِن رُقبَةِ الحَيِّ زاجِزٌ

عَشيَّةَ لي مِن رُقبَةِ الحَيِّ زاجِزٌ

عَنِ الدَمعِ إِلّا أَن تَشُذَّ دُموعُ

عَنِ الدَمعِ إِلّا أَن تَشُذَّ دُموعُ

That evening, the tribe’s watchers held me back

An evening for me with the living's neck preventing

From weeping, save for tears that might escape.

The tears, unless they profusely pour

وَقَد أَمَرَت عَيناكَ عَينَيَّ بِالبُكا

وَقَد أَمَرَت عَيناكَ عَينَيَّ بِالبُكا

فَقُل لِيَ أَيَّ الآمرَينِ أُطيعُ

فَقُل لِيَ أَيَّ الآمرَينِ أُطيعُ

And your eyes have commanded my eyes to weep;

And your eyes ordered mine to weep

So tell me: which of the two commanders should I obey?

So tell me which of the two commanders I should obey