تَهادَتِ العِيسُ ليلاً

تَهادَتِ العِيسُ ليلاً

بينَ العَقيقِ ورامَهْ

بينَ العَقيقِ ورامَهْ

The pale camels swayed along by night

The camels marched on through the night

Between al-Aqiq and Ramah.

Between al-Aqeeq and Rammah

وكلُّ شخصٍ تولَّى

وكلُّ شخصٍ تولَّى

لمَا أَرادَ ورامَهْ

لمَا أَرادَ ورامَهْ

And every person turned

And each person pursued

Toward what he desired and sought.

What he intended and desired

وفَوَّقَ الوجدُ منَّا

وفَوَّقَ الوجدُ منَّا

على القُلُوب سِهامَهْ

على القُلُوب سِهامَهْ

And longing readied, among us,

Passion overwhelmed us

Its arrows against the hearts.

Piercing our hearts with its arrows

تاهَ الدَّليلُ غَراماً

تاهَ الدَّليلُ غَراماً

يا من يُغيثُ غَرامَهْ

يا من يُغيثُ غَرامَهْ

The guide lost his way in passion;

The guide lost his way out of love

O you who ease his passion!

O he who relieves those in passion’s agony!

والرَّكبُ شتَّ وُلوعاً

والرَّكبُ شتَّ وُلوعاً

من لَعْلَعٍ لتِهَامَهْ

من لَعْلَعٍ لتِهَامَهْ

And the caravan scattered in ardent longing,

The caravan trembled, crazed with yearning

From La'la' to Tihamah.

At the gurgling of its leather waterskin,

كأنَّ قِيعانَ حِبِّي

كأنَّ قِيعانَ حِبِّي

يا للرِجالِ مُدامَهْ

يا للرِجالِ مُدامَهْ

As though my beloved's plains,

As if the slopes of my love

O men!—were wine.

Were a drinking spot for men!

يُنَهْنِهُ الطَّرْفُ منها

يُنَهْنِهُ الطَّرْفُ منها

جاماً ويملأُ جَامَهْ

جاماً ويملأُ جَامَهْ

The gaze holds back from it

My eyes glanced sidelong with languor

A goblet, and fills its own.

At a cup he filled to overflowing

ويلاهُ لمَّا افتَرَقْنا

ويلاهُ لمَّا افتَرَقْنا

كادَتْ تقومُ القِيامَهْ

كادَتْ تقومُ القِيامَهْ

Alas, when we parted,

Alas, when we parted

The Resurrection almost came to pass.

The Day of Judgment seemed nigh!

دمعٌ كنشْرِ الغَوادي

دمعٌ كنشْرِ الغَوادي

أَفاضَ فينا انْسِجامَهْ

أَفاضَ فينا انْسِجامَهْ

Tears, like the spreading of morning rainclouds,

Tears poured like the rain of al-Ghadaa

Poured forth their flow among us.

Commingling their flow within us

إِنَّ البُكاءَ لَعَمْري

إِنَّ البُكاءَ لَعَمْري

على المُحِبِّ عَلامَهْ

على المُحِبِّ عَلامَهْ

Indeed, weeping, by my life,

Weeping, by my life,

Is a mark upon the lover.

Is a sign of the lover’s passion

فلْيَبْكِ من شاءَ وجداً

فلْيَبْكِ من شاءَ وجداً

وما عليه ملامَهْ

وما عليه ملامَهْ

So let whoever wishes weep from longing,

So let him who will, weep from anguish

And no blame rests upon him.

No blame to him in that!

كم أَمطرَ الحُبُّ منَّا

كم أَمطرَ الحُبُّ منَّا

عيناً وأَخضَعَ هَامَهْ

عيناً وأَخضَعَ هَامَهْ

How often love has made, among us,

How often has love’s rain poured from me

An eye rain, and bowed a head!

Bowing my head to the ground

فالرَّكْبُ يطرُقُ خطفاً

فالرَّكْبُ يطرُقُ خطفاً

كالبرقِ ضمنَ غمَامَهْ

كالبرقِ ضمنَ غمَامَهْ

So the caravan comes by night in a flash,

The caravan moves furtively on

Like lightning within a cloud.

Like lightning through the clouds’ gloom

والكلُّ منَّا طَواهُ

والكلُّ منَّا طَواهُ

وجدٌ يَشُبُّ ضِرامَهْ

وجدٌ يَشُبُّ ضِرامَهْ

And each of us was enfolded

And we are all overwhelmed

By longing that kindles its blaze,

By a passion that kindles our breath

حتَّى إذا ما بلغْنا

حتَّى إذا ما بلغْنا

دارَ الرِّضا والكَرامَهْ

دارَ الرِّضا والكَرامَهْ

Until, when we reached

Until we come to abide

The abode of contentment and honor,

In the House of Joy and Honor

طلَّ الحَبيبُ عليْنا

طلَّ الحَبيبُ عليْنا

لمَّا رأَيْنا خِيامَهْ

لمَّا رأَيْنا خِيامَهْ

The beloved appeared to us

The beloved gazed upon us

When we saw his tents.

When he saw his tent close by

وبالقَبولِ وصَلْنا

وبالقَبولِ وصَلْنا

فهنِّؤنا السَّلامَهْ

فهنِّؤنا السَّلامَهْ

And with acceptance we arrived;

And in acceptance we reached

So congratulate us on our safe arrival!

Safety - greet us with peace!