سَلامٌ عَلى أَهلِ تِلكَ الخِيام

سَلامٌ عَلى أَهلِ تِلكَ الخِيام

فَهُم سُؤلُ سُؤلي وَأَقصى المَرام

فَهُم سُؤلُ سُؤلي وَأَقصى المَرام

Peace upon the people of those tents.

Peace be upon the people of those tents

For they are my deepest wish and my utmost aim.

They are the goal of my questions and my highest hopes

بِحَقِّ الهَوى يا نَسيمَ الحِزام

بِحَقِّ الهَوى يا نَسيمَ الحِزام

عَلى رَسمِ دارِهِم عَرِّجِ

عَلى رَسمِ دارِهِم عَرِّجِ

For love's sake, O breeze of al-Hizam,

By the right of passion, O breeze of the belt,

Turn aside at the traces of their dwelling,

Pass by their abode

وَحَيِّ لَنا رَبَّةَ الهَودَجِ

وَحَيِّ لَنا رَبَّةَ الهَودَجِ

أَلا يا حَمامَ اللِوى وَالعَقيق

أَلا يا حَمامَ اللِوى وَالعَقيق

And greet for us the lady of the howdah.

And give us news of the lady of the howdah

O doves of al-Liwa and al-Aqiq,

Oh dove of ardour and ruby,

إِلى كَم مِنَ النَوحِ ما تَستَفيق

إِلى كَم مِنَ النَوحِ ما تَستَفيق

أَظُنُّكَ مِثلي جَفاكَ الصَديق

أَظُنُّكَ مِثلي جَفاكَ الصَديق

How long will you fail to rouse yourself from lamentation?

How long will you lament

I think you are like me: your friend has forsaken you.

I think you are like me, abandoned by the friend

فَبِاللَهِ غَنّي بِصَوتٍ شَجي

فَبِاللَهِ غَنّي بِصَوتٍ شَجي

سُلَيمى رَجائي الَّذي اِرتَجى

سُلَيمى رَجائي الَّذي اِرتَجى

So, by God, sing in a plaintive voice:

So for God's sake, sing with a fervent voice

Sulayma is my hope, the one hoped for.

My hope, Suleima, that I aspired to

حُمَيمَةَ البانِ كَم هذا النَحيب

حُمَيمَةَ البانِ كَم هذا النَحيب

عَلى كُلِّ غُصنٍ وَفَرعٍ رَطيب

عَلى كُلِّ غُصنٍ وَفَرعٍ رَطيب

Little dove of the moringa tree, how long this sobbing

The love of the radiant moon, how much is this wailing

On every bough and tender branch?

On every fresh and fragrant branch

مَتى بانَ صَبٌّ بقَلبٍ كَئيب

مَتى بانَ صَبٌّ بقَلبٍ كَئيب

خَلِيٌّ مِنَ الأَلَمِ المُزعِجِ

خَلِيٌّ مِنَ الأَلَمِ المُزعِجِ

When has a lovesick man with a sorrowful heart appeared

When will the pouring of a sorrowful heart be revealed

Free of tormenting pain?

Empty of troubling pain

إِلى غَيرِ حُبِّكَ لا يَلتَجي

إِلى غَيرِ حُبِّكَ لا يَلتَجي

وَلَمّا أَتَت نَفَحاتُ العِراق

وَلَمّا أَتَت نَفَحاتُ العِراق

He seeks no refuge but in your love.

To other than your love he does not aspire

And when the breezes of Iraq arrived,

And when the breezes of Iraq came

تُخَبِّرُني عَنهُمُ بالتَلاق

تُخَبِّرُني عَنهُمُ بالتَلاق

فَنادَيتُ مِن لاعِجِ الإِشتِياق

فَنادَيتُ مِن لاعِجِ الإِشتِياق

Bringing me news of reunion with them,

Bringing news of their meeting

I cried out from the burning ache of longing:

I called out from intense yearning

أَيا نوقُ طابَ السُرى فَاِدلِجي

أَيا نوقُ طابَ السُرى فَاِدلِجي

بَلَغَت رَجايَ الَّذي أَرتَجي

بَلَغَت رَجايَ الَّذي أَرتَجي

O she-camels, night travel is pleasant—so journey by night!

Oh she-camels of blessed journey, march on

They have fulfilled my hope, the hope I long for.

You have attained my hopes that I aspire to

حَلَفتُ بِمَن حَجَّ ثُمَّ اِعتَمَر

حَلَفتُ بِمَن حَجَّ ثُمَّ اِعتَمَر

وَطافَ وَفازَ بِلَثمِ الحَجَر

وَطافَ وَفازَ بِلَثمِ الحَجَر

I swore by whoever performed the Hajj, then the Umrah,

I swore by the one who performed Hajj and Umrah

And circumambulated and succeeded in kissing the Stone,

And circumambulated and touched the Black Stone

وَمَن كانَ بِالبَيتِ يَتلو السُوَر

وَمَن كانَ بِالبَيتِ يَتلو السُوَر

لانَت رَجائي الَّذي أَرتَجي

لانَت رَجائي الَّذي أَرتَجي

And by whoever was at the House reciting the surahs:

And the one who recited the surahs in the House

You are indeed my hope, the hope I long for,

You have attained my hopes that I aspire to

وَبُغيَةَ قلبِ الكَئيبِ الشَجي

وَبُغيَةَ قلبِ الكَئيبِ الشَجي

And the desire of the sad, grieving one's heart.

And the aspirations of the sorrowful ardent heart