إِذا الريحُ هَبَّت مِن رُبى العَلَمَ السَعدي

إِذا الريحُ هَبَّت مِن رُبى العَلَمَ السَعدي

طَفا بَردُها حَرَّ الصَبابَةِ وَالوَجدِ

طَفا بَردُها حَرَّ الصَبابَةِ وَالوَجدِ

When the wind blows from the heights of al-ʿAlam al-Saʿdi,

When the wind blows from the flag of glory,

its coolness quenches the heat of longing and passion.

Its coolness relieves the heat of passion and fervor.

وَذَكَّرَني قَوماً حَفِظتُ عُهودَهُم

وَذَكَّرَني قَوماً حَفِظتُ عُهودَهُم

فَما عَرِفوا قَدري وَلا حَفِظوا عَهدي

فَما عَرِفوا قَدري وَلا حَفِظوا عَهدي

And it reminds me of a people whose pledges I kept,

It reminds me of people whose pacts I kept,

yet they neither knew my worth nor kept faith with me.

Yet they did not know my worth, nor kept their word to me.

وَلَولا فَتاةٌ في الخِيامِ مُقيمَةٌ

وَلَولا فَتاةٌ في الخِيامِ مُقيمَةٌ

لَما اِختَرتُ قُربَ الدارِ يَوماً عَلى البُعدِ

لَما اِختَرتُ قُربَ الدارِ يَوماً عَلى البُعدِ

And were it not for a maiden dwelling among the tents,

Were it not for a maiden dwelling in tents,

I would never have chosen nearness to the dwelling over distance.

I would not have chosen to live near, not far.

مُهَفهَفَةٌ وَالسِحرُ مِن لَحَظاتِها

مُهَفهَفَةٌ وَالسِحرُ مِن لَحَظاتِها

إِذا كَلَّمَت مَيتاً يَقومُ مِنَ اللَحدِ

إِذا كَلَّمَت مَيتاً يَقومُ مِنَ اللَحدِ

Slender-waisted is she, and magic springs from her glances;

Dazzlingly beautiful, she weaves magic with her glances,

if she spoke to a dead man, he would rise from the grave.

Bringing the dead to life with but a word.

أَشارَت إِلَيها الشَمسُ عِندَ غُروبِها

أَشارَت إِلَيها الشَمسُ عِندَ غُروبِها

تَقولُ إِذا اِسوَدَّ الدُجى فَاِطلِعي بَعدي

تَقولُ إِذا اِسوَدَّ الدُجى فَاِطلِعي بَعدي

The sun gestured to her at its setting,

The sun at its setting bids her, “Rise thou up

saying, "When night grows black, rise after me."

When darkness falls to shine in my stead.”

وَقالَ لَها البَدرُ المُنيرُ أَلا اِسفِري

وَقالَ لَها البَدرُ المُنيرُ أَلا اِسفِري

فَإِنَّكِ مِثلي في الكَمالِ وَفي السَعدِ

فَإِنَّكِ مِثلي في الكَمالِ وَفي السَعدِ

And the radiant full moon said to her, "Come, unveil yourself,

The radiant moon says, “Unveil thyself,

for you are like me in perfection and good fortune."

For thou’rt my peer in perfection and fortune.”

فَوَلَّت حَياءً ثُمَّ أَرخَت لِثامَها

فَوَلَّت حَياءً ثُمَّ أَرخَت لِثامَها

وَقَد نَثَرَت مِن خَدِّها رَطِبَ الوَردِ

وَقَد نَثَرَت مِن خَدِّها رَطِبَ الوَردِ

So she turned away in shyness, then lowered her veil,

Coyly she lets fall her veil,

having scattered fresh roses from her cheek.

Strewing dewy rose petals from her cheek.

وَسَلَّت حُساماً مِن سَواجي جُفونِها

وَسَلَّت حُساماً مِن سَواجي جُفونِها

كَسَيفِ أَبيها القاطِعِ المُرهَفِ الحَدِّ

كَسَيفِ أَبيها القاطِعِ المُرهَفِ الحَدِّ

And she drew a keen sword from her languid eyelids,

She unsheathes a sword from her languid eyelids

like her father's cleaving, keen-edged sword.

Like her father’s relentless, sharpened blade.

تُقاتِلُ عَيناها بِهِ وَهوَ مُغمَدٌ

تُقاتِلُ عَيناها بِهِ وَهوَ مُغمَدٌ

وَمِن عَجَبٍ أَن يَقطَعَ السيفُ في الغِمدِ

وَمِن عَجَبٍ أَن يَقطَعَ السيفُ في الغِمدِ

Her eyes fight with it while it remains sheathed;

With it she battles her eyes, though it remains sheathed,

and it is a wonder that the sword should cut within its sheath.

A wonder that a sword should cut while still in its scabbard!

مُرَنَّحَةُ الأَعطافِ مَهضومَةُ الحَشا

مُرَنَّحَةُ الأَعطافِ مَهضومَةُ الحَشا

مُنَعَّمَةُ الأَطرافِ مائِسَةُ القَدِّ

مُنَعَّمَةُ الأَطرافِ مائِسَةُ القَدِّ

Swaying in her flanks, slender at the waist,

Supple of form, delicate of limb,

delicate of limb, her graceful figure swaying.

Stately of stature, flowing of hair.

يَبيتُ فُتاتُ المِسكِ تَحتَ لِثامِها

يَبيتُ فُتاتُ المِسكِ تَحتَ لِثامِها

فَيَزدادُ مِن أَنفاسِها أَرَجُ النَدِّ

فَيَزدادُ مِن أَنفاسِها أَرَجُ النَدِّ

Crumbs of musk spend the night beneath her veil,

Musk exhales from beneath her veil,

and her breath heightens the fragrance of the incense.

Intensifying the fragrance of her breath.

وَيَطلَعُ ضَوءُ الصُبحِ تَحتَ جَبينِها

وَيَطلَعُ ضَوءُ الصُبحِ تَحتَ جَبينِها

فَيَغشاهُ لَيلٌ مِن دُجى شَعرِها الجَعدِ

فَيَغشاهُ لَيلٌ مِن دُجى شَعرِها الجَعدِ

And dawn's light rises beneath her brow,

The light of dawn rises beneath her brow,

then a night from her curly hair's darkness shrouds it.

Draped in the night of her wavy hair.

وَبَينَ ثَناياها إِذا ما تَبَسَّمَت

وَبَينَ ثَناياها إِذا ما تَبَسَّمَت

مُديرُ مُدامٍ يَمزُجُ الراحَ بِالشَهدِ

مُديرُ مُدامٍ يَمزُجُ الراحَ بِالشَهدِ

And between her front teeth, whenever she smiles,

When she smiles, wine flows between her lips,

a wine-pourer blends wine with honey.

Mingling joy with sweetness.

شَكا نَحرُها مِن عَقدِها مُتَظَلِّماً

شَكا نَحرُها مِن عَقدِها مُتَظَلِّماً

فَواحَرَبا مِن ذَلِكَ النَحرِ وَالعِقدِ

فَواحَرَبا مِن ذَلِكَ النَحرِ وَالعِقدِ

Her throat complained of her necklace, protesting injustice;

Her throat complains of her necklace’s burden,

alas, what anguish from that throat and necklace!

So both throat and necklace struggle.

فَهَل تَسمَحُ الأَيّامُ يا اِبنَةَ مالِكٍ

فَهَل تَسمَحُ الأَيّامُ يا اِبنَةَ مالِكٍ

بِوَصلٍ يُداوي القَلبَ مِن أَلَمِ الصَدِّ

بِوَصلٍ يُداوي القَلبَ مِن أَلَمِ الصَدِّ

So will the days, O daughter of Malik, grant

O daughter of Malik, will Time allow

a union that heals the heart of the pain of rejection?

A union to heal my heart of the pain of separation?

سَأَحلُمُ عَن قَومي وَلَو سَفَكوا دَمي

سَأَحلُمُ عَن قَومي وَلَو سَفَكوا دَمي

وَأَجرَعُ فيكِ الصَبرَ دونَ المَلا وَحدي

وَأَجرَعُ فيكِ الصَبرَ دونَ المَلا وَحدي

I shall be forbearing toward my people, even if they shed my blood,

Though my people shed my blood, I will dream of pardon,

and for your sake swallow bitter aloe alone, apart from the crowd.

And, without tribe or gold, show patience for your sake.

وَحَقِّكِ أَشجاني التَباعُدُ بَعدَكُم

وَحَقِّكِ أَشجاني التَباعُدُ بَعدَكُم

فَهَل أَنتُمُ أَشجاكُمُ البُعدُ مِن بَعدي

فَهَل أَنتُمُ أَشجاكُمُ البُعدُ مِن بَعدي

By your claim upon me, separation has grieved me since you left;

By your estrangement, my love, you have pained me,

so has distance grieved you, too, since my departure?

Does separation after me give you the same pain?

حَذِرتُ مِنَ البَينِ المُفَرِّقِ بَينَنا

حَذِرتُ مِنَ البَينِ المُفَرِّقِ بَينَنا

وَقَد كانَ ظَنّي لا أُفارِقُكُم جَهدي

وَقَد كانَ ظَنّي لا أُفارِقُكُم جَهدي

I dreaded the parting that divides us,

I feared the separative calamity between us,

and I had thought I would not part from you as long as I was able.

Though I never thought I would part from you.

فَإِن عايَنَت عَيني المَطايا وَرَكبُها

فَإِن عايَنَت عَيني المَطايا وَرَكبُها

فَرَشتُ لَدى أَخفافِها صَفحَةَ الخَدِّ

فَرَشتُ لَدى أَخفافِها صَفحَةَ الخَدِّ

So if my eye beholds the riding camels and their riders,

If my eyes behold the camels, and on them

I shall lay the flat of my cheek at their padded feet.

I lay my cheek, though they go far away.