هاتيكَ دارُهُم رُوَيدُكَ بِالسُرا

هاتيكَ دارُهُم رُوَيدُكَ بِالسُرا

حَتّى أُعَفِّرَ وَجنَتي فَوقَ الثَرى

حَتّى أُعَفِّرَ وَجنَتي فَوقَ الثَرى

There is their dwelling; take your time on the night journey,

Slow down your camel at their abodes

until I rub my cheek upon the dusty earth.

Until I bid my soul farewell, atop the soil

يا حادِيَ الأَضعانِ وَيكَ أَما تَرى

يا حادِيَ الأَضعانِ وَيكَ أَما تَرى

كَتَبَت دُموعي فَوقَ خَدّي أَسطُرا

كَتَبَت دُموعي فَوقَ خَدّي أَسطُرا

O driver of the caravans—woe to you! Do you not see

O guide of camels, do you not see

my tears have written lines upon my cheek,

My tears have written lines atop my cheek

مِن بَعدِ ما أَجرَت نَجيعاً أَحمَرا

مِن بَعدِ ما أَجرَت نَجيعاً أَحمَرا

ما كانَ أَطيَبَ عَيشِنا بِالأَبرَقِ

ما كانَ أَطيَبَ عَيشِنا بِالأَبرَقِ

after they had made red blood flow?

After flowing copiously red

How sweet our life was at al-Abraq,

How good was our life at Al-Abraq

وَيَدُ الفِراقِ بِوَصلِنا لَم تَعلَقِ

وَيَدُ الفِراقِ بِوَصلِنا لَم تَعلَقِ

واحَرَّ قَلبي بَعدَهُم وَتَشَوُّقي

واحَرَّ قَلبي بَعدَهُم وَتَشَوُّقي

while separation's hand had not yet laid hold of our union!

The hand of separation did not touch our bond

Ah, the burning of my heart since they left, and my yearning!

After they left, my heart was inflamed and I yearned

أَفَما يُساعِدُني الزَمانُ وَتلتَقي

أَفَما يُساعِدُني الزَمانُ وَتلتَقي

عَيني بِهِم وَتَلَذُّ مِنهُم مَنظَرا

عَيني بِهِم وَتَلَذُّ مِنهُم مَنظَرا

Will time not aid me, and will there be a meeting

Why does time not help me be reunited

of my eye with them, and delight in their sight?

My eyes beholding them and delighting in the sight

وَاللَهِ ما حَدَّثتُ عَنهُم خاطِري

وَاللَهِ ما حَدَّثتُ عَنهُم خاطِري

بِلَيالِياً سَلَفَت لَنا في حاجِرِ

بِلَيالِياً سَلَفَت لَنا في حاجِرِ

By God, never have I spoken to my mind of them,

By Allah, my thoughts have not narrated

of nights that once passed for us at Hajir,

Of nights past that were intimate to us

إِلّا وَقَرَّحَتِ الدُموعُ مَحاجِري

إِلّا وَقَرَّحَتِ الدُموعُ مَحاجِري

وَإِذا صَرَفتُ إِلى سِواهُم ناظِري

وَإِذا صَرَفتُ إِلى سِواهُم ناظِري

without tears making my eye sockets raw.

Except that tears furrowed my eyelids

And whenever I turn my gaze toward others besides them,

And when I turned my vision to others

جَذَبَ الغَرامُ عَنانَ طَرفي مَزورا

جَذَبَ الغَرامُ عَنانَ طَرفي مَزورا

لَمّا وَقَفتُ عَلى عراصِ المَربَعِ

لَمّا وَقَفتُ عَلى عراصِ المَربَعِ

passion pulls the rein of my gaze aside.

Passion pulled the reigns of my gaze, deceitful

When I stood upon the open grounds of the spring encampment,

When I stood at the ruins of the encampment

أَبكي وَأَسأَلُ عَنهُم بِتَفَجُّعِ

أَبكي وَأَسأَلُ عَنهُم بِتَفَجُّعِ

نادَت حَميمَتُهُ بِقَلبٍ موجِعِ

نادَت حَميمَتُهُ بِقَلبٍ موجِعِ

weeping and asking after them in anguish,

I weep and ask about them in agony

its little dove called out with an aching heart:

An intimate called to me with an aching heart

رَحَلوا عَنِ الأَوطانِ بَعدَ تَجمّعُ

رَحَلوا عَنِ الأَوطانِ بَعدَ تَجمّعُ

عَنها وَأَضحى الرَبعُ مِنهُم مَقفِرا

عَنها وَأَضحى الرَبعُ مِنهُم مَقفِرا

They left their homes after gathering together,

They moved from the homelands after gathering

leaving them behind; the campsite became deserted, empty of them.

And left it empty of them, desolate