شَطَّ بِسَلمى عاجِلُ البَينِ

شَطَّ بِسَلمى عاجِلُ البَينِ

وَجاوَرَت أُسدَ بَني القَينِ

وَجاوَرَت أُسدَ بَني القَينِ

Sudden parting carried Salma far away.

The lover hastily departed from Salma

And she dwelt beside the lions of Banu al-Qayn.

And dwelled near the lion's den of Qayn

وَرَنَّتِ النَفسُ لَها رَنَّةً

وَرَنَّتِ النَفسُ لَها رَنَّةً

كادَت لَها تَنشَقُّ نِصفَينِ

كادَت لَها تَنشَقُّ نِصفَينِ

And my soul let out a wailing cry for her;

My soul cried out longingly for her

It nearly split in two from that cry.

Nearly splitting itself in two

يا اِبنَةَ مَن لا أَشتَهي ذِكرَه

يا اِبنَةَ مَن لا أَشتَهي ذِكرَه

أَخشى عَلَيهِ عَلَقَ الشَينِ

أَخشى عَلَيهِ عَلَقَ الشَينِ

O daughter of one I do not wish to name,

O daughter of one I dread to mention

I fear disgrace might cling to him.

I fear the worst slander about him

وَاللَهِ لَو أَلقاكِ لا أَتَّقي

وَاللَهِ لَو أَلقاكِ لا أَتَّقي

عَيناً لَقَبَّلتُكِ أَلفَينِ

عَيناً لَقَبَّلتُكِ أَلفَينِ

By God, if I met you, fearing no

By God, if I met you I would not fear

watchful eye, I would surely kiss you two thousand times.

To kiss your eyes a thousand times

طالَبتُها دَيني فَراغَت بِهِ

طالَبتُها دَيني فَراغَت بِهِ

وَعَلَّقَت قَلبي مَع الدَينِ

وَعَلَّقَت قَلبي مَع الدَينِ

I demanded my due from her, but she slipped away with it,

I asked her for my debt and she paid it

And left my heart hanging along with the debt.

Suspending my heart with the debt

فَصِرتُ كَالعَيرِ غَدا طَالِباً

فَصِرتُ كَالعَيرِ غَدا طَالِباً

قِرناً فَلَم يَرجَع بِأُذنَينِ

قِرناً فَلَم يَرجَع بِأُذنَينِ

So I became like the donkey that set out seeking

So I became like a camel herd seeking

a horn, only to return without its two ears.

A stray, but it did not return with both ears