مَا لِقَلْبِي إِذاَ هَفَا الْبْرقُ حَنَّا

مَا لِقَلْبِي إِذاَ هَفَا الْبْرقُ حَنَّا

وَصَبَا لِلنَّسِيمِ فِي أَرْضِ لُبْنَى

وَصَبَا لِلنَّسِيمِ فِي أَرْضِ لُبْنَى

What ails my heart, that when lightning flashes it yearns,

What is wrong with my heart when lightning flashes,

And pines for the breeze in the land of Lubna?

And the breeze blows in the land of Lebanon?

وإِذَا مَا الظَّلاَمُ حَلَّ عَرَاهُ

وإِذَا مَا الظَّلاَمُ حَلَّ عَرَاهُ

عَائِدُ الشَّوْقِ وَالْغَرَامِ فَجُنَّا

عَائِدُ الشَّوْقِ وَالْغَرَامِ فَجُنَّا

And when darkness falls, it is seized

When darkness falls draping the hills,

By returning longing and passion, and goes mad.

I yearn and pine.

خَبَّرُوهَا أنَّي سَلَوْتُ فَقَالَتْ

خَبَّرُوهَا أنَّي سَلَوْتُ فَقَالَتْ

أَنْ يَشِيبَ الْغُرَابُ عِندِيَ أَدْنَى

أَنْ يَشِيبَ الْغُرَابُ عِندِيَ أَدْنَى

They told her I had forgotten her, and she said,

Tell her I have languished, and she says,

“A crow turning gray seems likelier to me.”

It's best a raven turns gray next to me!

ثِقَةً بِالْوَفَاءِ فِي عَهْدِ خِلٍّ

ثِقَةً بِالْوَفَاءِ فِي عَهْدِ خِلٍّ

أَصْبَحَ الْعَهْدُ عِنْدَهُ مُطْمَئِنا

أَصْبَحَ الْعَهْدُ عِنْدَهُ مُطْمَئِنا

Out of trust in faithfulness to a beloved's pledge,

Trusting loyalty in the covenant of a smooth-faced lad,

A pledge that had come to rest secure in his keeping.

The covenant became reassuring to him in the morning.

يَا ابْنَةَ الْحَيِّ إنْ سَلوْتِ سَلَوْنَا

يَا ابْنَةَ الْحَيِّ إنْ سَلوْتِ سَلَوْنَا

كِ وَإِنْ حُلْتِ عَنْ عُهُودِكِ حُلْنَا

كِ وَإِنْ حُلْتِ عَنْ عُهُودِكِ حُلْنَا

O daughter of the tribe, if you forget, we shall forget

O daughter of the quarter, if you reject, we reject;

You; and if you forsake your pledges, we shall forsake ours.

And if you release us from your pledges, we release.

مَا الَّذِي تُنْكِرِينَهُ مِنْ مُعَنَّا

مَا الَّذِي تُنْكِرِينَهُ مِنْ مُعَنَّا

كِ أَبُخْلاً أَمْ كَبْرَةً أَمْ جُبْنَا

كِ أَبُخْلاً أَمْ كَبْرَةً أَمْ جُبْنَا

What do you find fault with in the man tormented by

What is it that you deny of our love -

You—stinginess, old age, or cowardice?

Stinginess, arrogance, or cowardice?

لِمَّةٌ وَدَّهَا الْخِضَابُ وَغُصْنٌ

لِمَّةٌ وَدَّهَا الْخِضَابُ وَغُصْنٌ

هَزَّ مِنْهُ الشَّبَابُ غَضّاً لَدْنَا

هَزَّ مِنْهُ الشَّبَابُ غَضّاً لَدْنَا

A head of hair that dye has loved, and a bough

A soft-skinned gazelle beloved of henna,

That youth has set swaying in him, tender and supple.

A branch shaken of youthful vigor.

وَنَدَى يُؤْثُر الضُّيُوفَ عَلَى الأَهْ

وَنَدَى يُؤْثُر الضُّيُوفَ عَلَى الأَهْ

لِ إِذَا مَا نَوْءُ السَّمَوَاتِ ضَنّا

لِ إِذَا مَا نَوْءُ السَّمَوَاتِ ضَنّا

And bounty that favors guests over his own

A caller whose hospitality takes precedence over family

Family, when the heavens' rain grows miserly.

When the heavens pour heavy rain.

وَاسْأَلِي الْقَوْمَ هَلْ ثَنَيْتُ عِنَانَاً

وَاسْأَلِي الْقَوْمَ هَلْ ثَنَيْتُ عِنَانَاً

عَنْ قَنَاةٍ أَوْ صَعْدَةٍ تَثَنَّى

عَنْ قَنَاةٍ أَوْ صَعْدَةٍ تَثَنَّى

And ask the men whether I ever turned a rein

Ask the people, did I ever rein in

Away from a spear or a swaying lance.

My steed from a raid or a mountain path?

طَالَمَا بِتِّ فِي َّ تَحْسِدُكِ التِّرْ

طَالَمَا بِتِّ فِي َّ تَحْسِدُكِ التِّرْ

بُ وَتُصْغِي لِمَا تُنَاجِيهِ أُذْنَا

بُ وَتُصْغِي لِمَا تُنَاجِيهِ أُذْنَا

How often you passed the night, envied on my account by your

Many a night you enviously spy on me

Peer, who lent an ear to what you whispered to him.

And eavesdrop on my whispers.

وَهِيَ الْبَدْرُ غَيْرَ أَنَّ عَفَافِي

وَهِيَ الْبَدْرُ غَيْرَ أَنَّ عَفَافِي

طَابَ خُبْراً وَطَالَ فَضْلاً وًرُدْنَا

طَابَ خُبْراً وَطَالَ فَضْلاً وًرُدْنَا

And she is the full moon, yet my chastity

Yet she is the full moon, though my chastity

Proved pure when tested, and excelled in virtue and length of sleeve.

Is of good repute, and my nobility is long.