قسمًا بِرَبِّي ما رأيتُ كهذه

قسمًا بِرَبِّي ما رأيتُ كهذه

حُسنًا على مَرِّ الزَّمانِ بما جرى

حُسنًا على مَرِّ الزَّمانِ بما جرى

I swear by my Lord, I have never seen one like her

I swear by my Lord I have not seen the like of her beauty

in beauty, through the passing years and all that has happened.

In the passage of time and all that has come to pass

برزَتْ لقلبي بعد طولِ قُنوطِه

برزَتْ لقلبي بعد طولِ قُنوطِه

فكأنَّها برقٌ تحايَلَ وانبرى

فكأنَّها برقٌ تحايَلَ وانبرى

She appeared to my heart after its long despair,

She appeared to my heart after its long despair

as though she were lightning, playing tricks and bursting forth.

As though she was lightning maneuvering and rising high

كيف السَّبيلُ ودون دَرْكِ مزارِها

كيف السَّبيلُ ودون دَرْكِ مزارِها

كمنازلِ الدَّمَّام مِن أمِّ القُرى

كمنازلِ الدَّمَّام مِن أمِّ القُرى

What way is there, when before I can reach her dwelling lie

How can I reach her sanctuary without knowing the way

stages like those from Umm al-Qura to Dammam?

Like the spots of blood from the Mother of Villages

ماذا أقولُ وقد تربَّعَ دُونَها

ماذا أقولُ وقد تربَّعَ دُونَها

باللَّيلِ طيفٌ يستثيرُ إذا سرى

باللَّيلِ طيفٌ يستثيرُ إذا سرى

What can I say, when in her stead there has settled

What can I say, and by night a specter has settled near her

by night a phantom that stirs me whenever it passes?

That stirs whenever it glides by

لو أنَّها تُصغي لقلبي بعدما

لو أنَّها تُصغي لقلبي بعدما

علمتْ بشوقٍ يستطيلُ بما اعترى

علمتْ بشوقٍ يستطيلُ بما اعترى

If she would listen to my heart, now that

If only she would listen to my heart after she had known

she has learned of a longing that grows with what has beset me,

Of a longing that grows with all that has transpired

لضربتُ ظَهر العِيسِ في فلَواتِها

لضربتُ ظَهر العِيسِ في فلَواتِها

حتى تبلِّغني مُنايَ كما أرى

حتى تبلِّغني مُنايَ كما أرى

I would strike the backs of pale camels across her deserts,

I would strike the back of the courser in her open plains

until they bring me to my heart's desire, as I envision it.

Until it takes me to the goal of my desire

للهِ أشكو ما لقيتُ من الجوى

للهِ أشكو ما لقيتُ من الجوى

في حبِّها ومن السُّهادِ وما بَرى

في حبِّها ومن السُّهادِ وما بَرى

To God I complain of the anguish I have suffered

To God I complain of what I have suffered from love's anguish

in loving her, and of sleeplessness and what has worn me down,

And wakefulness and all that I see

ومن الدُّموعِ زجرتُها في ليلةٍ

ومن الدُّموعِ زجرتُها في ليلةٍ

شدَّتْ متونَ النَّجمِ فيها فامترى

شدَّتْ متونَ النَّجمِ فيها فامترى

and of the tears I rebuked on a night

And from tears I have chided on a night that drew tight

when the stars' backs were bound within it, so they doubted.

The ropes of the stars and so came to flow

صدَّتْ وكانت قبل ذلك كلَّما

صدَّتْ وكانت قبل ذلك كلَّما

عاتبتُها ضحكتْ فأسلو ما جرى

عاتبتُها ضحكتْ فأسلو ما جرى

She turned away; yet before that, whenever

She was aloof though before she would laugh whenever

I reproached her, she laughed, and I would forget what had happened.

I reproached her, and so my misery subsided

فاليومَ دسَّتْ آيةَ البينِ التي

فاليومَ دسَّتْ آيةَ البينِ التي

قد كنتُ أحذَرُ أنْ تكدِّرَ ما نرى

قد كنتُ أحذَرُ أنْ تكدِّرَ ما نرى

So today she has slipped in the sign of parting that

But today she has set the sign of separation that

I had feared would cloud what we see.

I feared would poison what we once shared

سُوقوا إلى الحَضَـرِيِّ آيةَ وصلِها

سُوقوا إلى الحَضَـرِيِّ آيةَ وصلِها

فلقد رآه اللَّيلُ مغبونَ الكرى

فلقد رآه اللَّيلُ مغبونَ الكرى

Bring al-Hadari a sign of union with her,

Take the evidence of her connection to the guards

for the night has seen him cheated of sleep.

For the night has seen it, disappointed and distraught