وَاِحرَبا مِن كَبِدي وَاِحرَبا

وَاِحرَبا مِن كَبِدي وَاِحرَبا

وَاِطرَبا مِن خَلَدي وَاِطرَبا

وَاِطرَبا مِن خَلَدي وَاِطرَبا

Ah, the anguish of my liver! Ah, the anguish!

Oh my tormented liver tormenting me,

Ah, the rapture of my heart! Ah, the rapture!

Oh my troubled heart troubling me,

في كَبِدي نارُ جَوىً مُحرِقَةٌ

في كَبِدي نارُ جَوىً مُحرِقَةٌ

في خَلَدي بَدرُ دُجىً قَد غَرَبا

في خَلَدي بَدرُ دُجىً قَد غَرَبا

In my liver is a scorching fire of longing.

In my liver there burns a blazing fire,

In my heart, a full moon of the dark night has set.

In my heart there is a moon that has set in darkness,

يا مِسكُ يا بَدرُ وَيا غُصنَ نَقاً

يا مِسكُ يا بَدرُ وَيا غُصنَ نَقاً

ما أَورَقا ما أَنوَرا ما أَطيَبا

ما أَورَقا ما أَنوَرا ما أَطيَبا

O musk, O full moon, and O bough of a sand dune!

Oh musk, oh moon, oh soft branch,

How leafy, how radiant, how fragrant!

That did not leaf, illuminate, or emit fragrance,

يا مَبسِماً أَحبَبتُ مِنهُ الحَبَبا

يا مَبسِماً أَحبَبتُ مِنهُ الحَبَبا

وَيا رُضاباً ذُقتُ مِنهُ الضَرَبا

وَيا رُضاباً ذُقتُ مِنهُ الضَرَبا

O smiling mouth, whose pearly teeth I loved!

Oh smiling one that I loved for smiling,

And O saliva, whose white honey I tasted!

Oh frowning one that I endured frowning,

يا قَمَراً في شَفَقٍ مِن خَفَرٍ

يا قَمَراً في شَفَقٍ مِن خَفَرٍ

في خَدِّهِ لاحَ لَنا مُنتَقِبا

في خَدِّهِ لاحَ لَنا مُنتَقِبا

O moon in a twilight blush of modesty,

Oh moon in the dusk of the guard,

On his cheek, he shone before us, veiled.

On his cheek shone unveiled for us,

لَو أَنَّهُ يُسفِرُ عَن بُرقُعِهِ

لَو أَنَّهُ يُسفِرُ عَن بُرقُعِهِ

كانَ عَذاباً فَلِهذا اِحتَجَبا

كانَ عَذاباً فَلِهذا اِحتَجَبا

Were he to lift his face-veil,

If he would unveil from his veil,

It would be torment; that is why he veiled himself.

It would be agony, so for this he is veiled,

شَمسُ ضُحىً في فَلَكٍ طالِعَةٌ

شَمسُ ضُحىً في فَلَكٍ طالِعَةٌ

غُصنُ نَقاً في رَوضَةٍ قَد نُصِبا

غُصنُ نَقاً في رَوضَةٍ قَد نُصِبا

A morning sun, rising in a celestial sphere,

A morning sun in a rising orbit,

A bough of a sand dune, planted in a garden.

A soft branch erected in a garden,

ظَلتُ لَها مِن حَذَرٍ مُرتَعِبا

ظَلتُ لَها مِن حَذَرٍ مُرتَعِبا

وَالغُصنُ أَسقيهِ سَماءً صَيِّبا

وَالغُصنُ أَسقيهِ سَماءً صَيِّبا

I remained trembling in fear of her,

I remained wary and apprehensive of it,

And the bough—I water it with pouring rain.

While I water the branch with pouring rain,

إِن طَلَعَت كانَت لِعَيني عَجَبا

إِن طَلَعَت كانَت لِعَيني عَجَبا

أَو غَرَبَت كانَت لِحَيني سَبَبا

أَو غَرَبَت كانَت لِحَيني سَبَبا

If she rises, she is a marvel to my eye;

When it rises it delights my eye,

Or if she sets, she is a cause of my death.

When it sets it saddens my soul,

مُذ عَقَدَ الحُسنُ عَلى مَفرِقِها

مُذ عَقَدَ الحُسنُ عَلى مَفرِقِها

تاجاً مِن التَبرِ عَشِقتُ الذَهَبا

تاجاً مِن التَبرِ عَشِقتُ الذَهَبا

Since Beauty fastened upon the parting of her hair

Since beauty knotted its crown,

A crown of unwrought gold, I have loved gold.

Of pure gold, upon its temple, I loved gold,

لَو أَنَّ إِبليسَ رَأى مِن آدَمٍ

لَو أَنَّ إِبليسَ رَأى مِن آدَمٍ

نرَ مُحَيّاها عَلَيهِ ما أَبى

نرَ مُحَيّاها عَلَيهِ ما أَبى

Had Iblis seen in Adam

If Iblis had seen the glowing embers,

[The light of] her countenance upon him, he would not have refused.

Of her cheeks, he would not have refused,

لَو أَنَّ إِدريسَ رَأى ما رَقَم ال

لَو أَنَّ إِدريسَ رَأى ما رَقَم ال

حُسنُ بِخَدَّيها إِذاً ما كَتَبا

حُسنُ بِخَدَّيها إِذاً ما كَتَبا

Had Idris seen what was inscribed by

If Idris had seen the moles,

Beauty upon her cheeks, he would not have written.

That beauty lined on her cheeks, he would not have ascended,

لَو أَنَّ بِلقيسَ رَأَت رَفرَفَها

لَو أَنَّ بِلقيسَ رَأَت رَفرَفَها

ما خَطَرَ العَرشُ وَلا الصَرحُ بِبا

ما خَطَرَ العَرشُ وَلا الصَرحُ بِبا

Had Bilqis seen her coverlet,

If Bilqis had seen her fluttering,

Neither throne nor palace would have crossed her [mind].

Neither throne nor palace would have tempted her,

يا سَرحَةَ الوادي وَيا بانَ الغَضا

يا سَرحَةَ الوادي وَيا بانَ الغَضا

أَهدوا لَنا مِن نَشرِكُم مَعَ الصَبا

أَهدوا لَنا مِن نَشرِكُم مَعَ الصَبا

O spreading tree of the valley, and O ban-trees of al-Ghada,

Oh meadows of the valley, oh essence of verdure,

Give us some of your fragrance with the east wind,

Bring to us with the morning breeze,

مُمَسَّكاً يَفوحُ رَيّاهُ لَنا

مُمَسَّكاً يَفوحُ رَيّاهُ لَنا

مِن زَهرِ أَهضامِكَ أَو زَهرِ الرُبى

مِن زَهرِ أَهضامِكَ أَو زَهرِ الرُبى

Musk-scented, its perfume wafting to us,

A fragrance diffusing its scent to us,

From the blossoms of your hollows or the blossoms of the hills.

Of your wildflowers or the basil's scent,

يا بانَةَ الوادي أَرينا فَنَناً

يا بانَةَ الوادي أَرينا فَنَناً

في لينِ أَعطافٍ لَها أَو قُضُبا

في لينِ أَعطافٍ لَها أَو قُضُبا

O ban-tree of the valley, show us a branch

Oh essence of the valley show us some does,

With the suppleness of her limbs—or slender shoots.

With soft sides or fawns for us,

ريحُ صَباً يُخبِرُ عَن عَصرِ صِباً

ريحُ صَباً يُخبِرُ عَن عَصرِ صِباً

بِحاجِرٍ أَو بِمِنىً أَو بِقَبا

بِحاجِرٍ أَو بِمِنىً أَو بِقَبا

An east wind tells of a time of youth

The morning breeze tells of youths,

At Hajir, or at Mina, or at Qaba,

With lively talk, wishes or trysts,

أَو بِالنَقا فَالمُنحَنى عِندَ الحِمى

أَو بِالنَقا فَالمُنحَنى عِندَ الحِمى

أَو لَعلَعٍ حَيثُ مَراتِعُ الظِبا

أَو لَعلَعٍ حَيثُ مَراتِعُ الظِبا

Or at an-Naqa, then al-Munhana beside al-Hima,

Or the softened branches near ardour,

Or at La'la', where the gazelles graze.

Or to grazing gazelles where wild oxen roam,

لا عَجَبٌ لا عَجَبٌ لا عَجَبا

لا عَجَبٌ لا عَجَبٌ لا عَجَبا

مِن عَرَبِيٍّ يَتَهاوى العَرَبا

مِن عَرَبِيٍّ يَتَهاوى العَرَبا

No wonder, no wonder, no wonder,

No wonder, no wonder, no wonder,

That an Arab should passionately love the Arabs;

That an Arab perishes for the Arabs,

يَفنى إِذا ما صَدَحَت قُمَرِيَّةٌ

يَفنى إِذا ما صَدَحَت قُمَرِيَّةٌ

بِذِكرِ مَن يَهواهُ فيهِ طَرَبا

بِذِكرِ مَن يَهواهُ فيهِ طَرَبا

He fades away whenever a ringdove sings

He fades when a moonlike beauty,

In remembrance of the one he loves, in rapture over him.

Sings of her beloved, in it is his rapture.