أَلاَ يا حِمَى وادِى المِيَاهِ قَتلَتنى

أَلاَ يا حِمَى وادِى المِيَاهِ قَتلَتنى

أَتاحَكَ لي قَبلَ المَماتِ مُتيحُ

أَتاحَكَ لي قَبلَ المَماتِ مُتيحُ

Ah, protected pasture of Wadi al-Miyah, you have slain me!

Alas! O fountain in the valley of water, you have killed me

May a giver grant you to me before death.

Before death, you were accessible to me, an offerer

رَأَيتُكَ وَشميَّ الثَّرى ظاهرَ الرُّيا

رَأَيتُكَ وَشميَّ الثَّرى ظاهرَ الرُّيا

يحوطُكَ إنسانٌ عَلَىَّ شَحيحُ

يحوطُكَ إنسانٌ عَلَىَّ شَحيحُ

I saw you, your soil patterned with growth, your moisture plain to see,

I saw you while the earth covers me, the perfume diffusing

A man guards you, grudging me access.

A man environs you, to me miserly

هَلِ الحائمُ الحرّانُ مُسقىً بَشربَةٍ

هَلِ الحائمُ الحرّانُ مُسقىً بَشربَةٍ

مِنَ العّذبِ تَشفى ما بِهِ فتُريحُ

مِنَ العّذبِ تَشفى ما بِهِ فتُريحُ

Will the circling, parched one be given a draught

Is the guardsman singing, given a drink

Of sweet water to heal his affliction and bring relief?

Of fresh water to cure what in him is weary?

فَقالت لَعلَى لَو سَقَيتُ بِشَربَةٍ

فَقالت لَعلَى لَو سَقَيتُ بِشَربَةٍ

تُخَبِّرُ أَعدَائِي بِها فَتَبوحُ

تُخَبِّرُ أَعدَائِي بِها فَتَبوحُ

She said, 'Perhaps, if I gave you a draught,

She said to me, “If I gave you a drink

You would tell my enemies of it and divulge it.'

Would you inform my enemies, thus babbling?”

إِذن فأناخَتنى المَنايَا وَقادَني

إِذن فأناخَتنى المَنايَا وَقادَني

إِلى مَجزَرٍ عَضبُ السِّلاحِ مُشيحُ

إِلى مَجزَرٍ عَضبُ السِّلاحِ مُشيحُ

Then may the fates of death bring me low, and may I be led

Then the fates anchored me, and the anger of arms guided me

To a slaughter-place by a resolute man with keen weapons.

To a slaughter—the swordsman exacting

لَبِئسَ إِذَن مَلقى الكَرَاهَةِ سِرُّها

لَبِئسَ إِذَن مَلقى الكَرَاهَةِ سِرُّها

وإِنّى إِذن مِن حُبِّكُم لَصَحيحُ

وإِنّى إِذن مِن حُبِّكُم لَصَحيحُ

How wretched, then, for her secret to be met with hatred,

Wretched then was the encounter of her secret

And I would then indeed be cured of my love for you.

Yet truly I am of your love sincere

إِذَا ذُكِرَت عِندِى أَئِنُّ لذِكرِها

إِذَا ذُكِرَت عِندِى أَئِنُّ لذِكرِها

كما أَنَّ وَقعِ السِّلاحِ جَرِيحُ

كما أَنَّ وَقعِ السِّلاحِ جَرِيحُ

When she is mentioned in my presence, I groan at her mention,

When she is mentioned in my presence, do I moan

As a wounded man groans from a weapon's blow.

As if from the blow of a blade a wounded man?

وَلِي كَبِدٌ مَقرُوحَةٌ مَن يَبيعُني

وَلِي كَبِدٌ مَقرُوحَةٌ مَن يَبيعُني

بها كَبِداً لَيسَت بِذَاتِ قُروحِ

بها كَبِداً لَيسَت بِذَاتِ قُروحِ

I have an ulcerated liver—who will sell me

And I have a wounded liver—who will buy me

In exchange for it a liver that has no sores?

A liver not itself wounded?

أَبَى النَّاسُ وَيبَ النَّاسِ أَن يَشتَرُونَهَا

أَبَى النَّاسُ وَيبَ النَّاسِ أَن يَشتَرُونَهَا

وَمَن يَشتَرِى ذَا عِلَّة بِصَحيحِ

وَمَن يَشتَرِى ذَا عِلَّة بِصَحيحِ

People refused—woe to people!—to buy it,

The people refused and despaired to buy it

And who would buy an ailing one in exchange for a healthy one?

Who will buy something sick for what is healthy?

بَدا البَرقُ عُلوِياً فَلمّا تَصَوَّبَت

بَدا البَرقُ عُلوِياً فَلمّا تَصَوَّبَت

غَوارِبُهُ باتَت ذُرَاهُ تَلُوحُ

غَوارِبُهُ باتَت ذُرَاهُ تَلُوحُ

Lightning appeared aloft; then, when down sank

Lightning appeared on high; then when its

Its crests, its summits kept glimmering through the night.

Thunderbolts took aim, their sparks faded

أَلاَ يا غُرَابَ البَينِ مِمَّ تُليحُ لي

أَلاَ يا غُرَابَ البَينِ مِمَّ تُليحُ لي

كلامُكَ مَشنِىٌ وأَنتَ صَريحُ

كلامُكَ مَشنِىٌ وأَنتَ صَريحُ

Ah, raven of parting, what do you signal to me?

Alas! O raven of separation, why do you inspire me?

Your speech is hateful, and you are forthright.

Your words grieve me, yet you are frank

فإِلاّ تَشُقنَا ذَاتَ يَومٍ فإنّهُ

فإِلاّ تَشُقنَا ذَاتَ يَومٍ فإنّهُ

سَتُعقِبُ خَطبَاءُ السَّرَاةِ صَدُوحُ

سَتُعقِبُ خَطبَاءُ السَّرَاةِ صَدُوحُ

And if you do not stir our longing one day, then surely

Unless one day you rend us, then orators of misfortune

A mottled-backed, loud-voiced dove will take your place.

Will succeed in diverting calamities unleashed