أَيُّwhat عيدٍa recurring visitation مِنَof الهَوىlove عادَrevisited قَلبيmy heart
أَيُّ عيدٍ مِنَ الهَوى عادَ قَلبي
بَعدَماafter جَعجَعَforced to halt الدُجىthe darkness بِالرَكبِwith the caravan
بَعدَما جَعجَعَ الدُجى بِالرَكبِ
What visitation of love has revisited my heart,
What feast of passion did my heart regain
after the darkness had forced the caravan to halt?
After the night clouds thundered with the rain
لَوif دَعانيsummoned me مِنfrom غَيرِother than أَرضِكَyour land داعٍa caller
لَو دَعاني مِن غَيرِ أَرضِكَ داعٍ
لِغَرامٍto passionate love لَكُنتُI would have been غَيرَnot مُلَبّيanswering the call
لِغَرامٍ لَكُنتُ غَيرَ مُلَبّي
Had a caller summoned me from a land other than yours
If one had called me from a land not yours
to passionate love, I would not have answered.
For love, I would not have obeyed the call
أَينَwhere ظَبيٌa gazelle بِذيat Dhū النَقاal-Naqā يوقِدُkindles الناthe fire (first part)
أَينَ ظَبيٌ بِذي النَقا يوقِدُ النا
رَcompletion of 'fire' عِشاءًat nightfall بِالمَندَلِيِّwith Mandalī aloeswood الرَطبِmoist
رَ عِشاءً بِالمَندَلِيِّ الرَطبِ
Where is the gazelle at Dhū al-Naqā, kindling the
Where is the gazelle with the soft white throat
fire at nightfall with moist Mandalī aloeswood?
Who lights the embers with the moist sweet fruit
كُلَّماwhenever أُخمِدَتit was quenched زَهاهاhe brightened it بِضَوءِwith the light of الthe
كُلَّما أُخمِدَت زَهاها بِضَوءِ ال
حُسنِbeauty مِنfrom جيدِهِhis neck وَضَوءِand the light of القَلبِthe heart
حُسنِ مِن جيدِهِ وَضَوءِ القَلبِ
Whenever it is quenched, he brightens it with the light of
Whenever its brightness is quenched by the light
beauty from his neck, and the heart’s light.
Of beauty from its neck and heart’s delight
سَكَنَdwelt in الهَضبَthe rocky upland مِنof قَباQabā فَوَجَدناand so we found
سَكَنَ الهَضبَ مِن قَبا فَوَجَدنا
أَثَراًa trace لِلهَوىof love بِذاكَin that الهَضبِthe rocky upland
أَثَراً لِلهَوى بِذاكَ الهَضبِ
He dwelt in the rocky upland of Qabā, and we found
It settled in the meadow long ago
a trace of love in that rocky upland.
And there we found the vestige of its glow
لَيتَwould that أَحبابَناour beloved ones وَقَدthough already أَشرَقوناthey made us choke
لَيتَ أَحبابَنا وَقَد أَشرَقونا
سَوَّغوناthey let us drink بَردَcoolness الزَلالِclear water العَذبِsweet
سَوَّغونا بَردَ الزَلالِ العَذبِ
Would that our beloved ones, though they have made us choke,
Would that our loved ones, radiant and fair
would let us drink the coolness of clear, sweet water!
Had let us taste the cool sweet water there
ياO! لَهاfor it نَظرَةًa glance عَلىtoward الشَعبِthe tribe دَلَّتguided
يا لَها نَظرَةً عَلى الشَعبِ دَلَّت
نيme غُروراًdeceptively عَلىto غَزالِthe gazelle الشِعبِthe mountain pass
ني غُروراً عَلى غَزالِ الشِعبِ
Ah, what a glance toward the tribe! It guided
Ah, that one glance upon the hillside where
me, deceptively, to the gazelle of the mountain pass.
It led me, raptured, to the hillside deer
قَسَمواthey divided السوءَsuffering بَينَbetween عَينيmy eye وَقَلبيand my heart
قَسَموا السوءَ بَينَ عَيني وَقَلبي
لِمwhy جَنىtransgressed ناظِريmy gaze فَعَذَّبَand so tormented قَلبيmy heart
لِم جَنى ناظِري فَعَذَّبَ قَلبي
They divided suffering between my eye and my heart:
Evil they apportioned 'twixt mine eye and heart
why did my gaze transgress and so torment my heart?
Why should my lover suffer for their art?