شاقَ الحمام فباح بالأَشجانِ

شاقَ الحمام فباح بالأَشجانِ

عِقدُ النَدى في جيد غُصن البانِ

عِقدُ النَدى في جيد غُصن البانِ

The dove was stirred to longing and gave voice to its sorrows

The dove cooed so the branches lamented,

By dew’s necklace on the neck of a bān-tree bough.

The dew beads formed on the brow of the supple bough.

وَتَأوُّدُ الغيدِ النَواعم شاقَني

وَتَأوُّدُ الغيدِ النَواعم شاقَني

فله ولي نَوحٌ على الأَغصان

فله ولي نَوحٌ على الأَغصان

And the swaying of graceful, tender maidens stirred my longing;

The gentle breeze softly stirred me;

So the dove and I lament upon the boughs.

So for it and for me there was lamentation over the branches.

لي بِالحُدوجِ وبِالغواني صَبابَةٌ

لي بِالحُدوجِ وبِالغواني صَبابَةٌ

ولي بوردِ الرَوض وَالرَيحان

ولي بوردِ الرَوض وَالرَيحان

I yearn for the camel litters and the beautiful women,

For me, there was pleasure in cheeks and in gazelles,

And I yearn for the garden’s roses and sweet basil.

For me, there were rose gardens and sweet basil.

وَلو انَّني واصَلتُ من أَحبَبتُه

وَلو انَّني واصَلتُ من أَحبَبتُه

يوماً لكان وَكنتُ في بُستان

يوماً لكان وَكنتُ في بُستان

And if I were united with the one I love

If only I had reached the one I loved,

For a day, he and I would be in a garden.

One day, I would have been, and she would have been, in an orchard.