عادت لطائرها الذي غَنّاهَا

عادت لطائرها الذي غَنّاهَا

وشَدَا فهاج حَنينها وشَجاهَا

وشَدَا فهاج حَنينها وشَجاهَا

She returned to her bird, who had serenaded her

Her bird has returned to her, the one whose songs enchanted her

and warbled, stirring her longing and sorrow.

And kindled the burning longing within her and consumed her

أيُّ الحظوظ أعادها لوَفيِّها

أيُّ الحظوظ أعادها لوَفيِّها

ونجيّ وحدتها وإلف صباهَا

ونجيّ وحدتها وإلف صباهَا

What fortune brought her back to her faithful one,

What stroke of fortune brought it back to its faithful companion?

the confidant of her solitude and companion of her youth?

And saved her from loneliness and reunited her with her youth

مشبوبة التحنان تكتم نارها

مشبوبة التحنان تكتم نارها

عبثاً وتأبَى أن يبين لظاهَا

عبثاً وتأبَى أن يبين لظاهَا

Aflame with yearning, she conceals her fire,

Overwhelmed with tenderness she conceals her fire

in vain, and refuses to let its blaze be seen.

In vain, refusing to make visible its flames

يا إلفيَ المعبود سِرّك ذائع

يا إلفيَ المعبود سِرّك ذائع

نار الحنين دفينها أفشاهَا

نار الحنين دفينها أفشاهَا

O my adored companion, your secret is widely known:

O beloved of the adored one, your secret is exposed

Longing's fire has been revealed by what lay hidden within it.

The fire of longing she harbored has revealed it

ماذا لقينا من لقاءٍ خاطفٍ

ماذا لقينا من لقاءٍ خاطفٍ

وعشية كالبرق حان ضحاهَا

وعشية كالبرق حان ضحاهَا

What did we experience in a fleeting encounter,

What did we get from that fleeting meeting?

and an evening whose daylight came like lightning?

And an evening swift as lightning, its morning came

يا ويح هاتيك الثواني لَم تقف

يا ويح هاتيك الثواني لَم تقف

حتَّى نسيغ هناءةً ذقناها

حتَّى نسيغ هناءةً ذقناها

Alas for those seconds—they did not pause

Alas! Those moments did not pause

long enough for us to savor the bliss we had tasted,

Before we could savor the delight we tasted

حتى يمتع باليقين مكذب

حتى يمتع باليقين مكذب

عينيه في رؤيا يضلّ سناهَا

عينيه في رؤيا يضلّ سناهَا

so that a doubter might, with certainty, feast

Before disbelief is convinced by certainty

his eyes on a vision whose radiance leads astray.

His eyes in a dream that leads his slumber astray

تمضي لها الأبصار مُشعلة الهوى

تمضي لها الأبصار مُشعلة الهوى

وتحول عنها ما تُطيق لقاهَا

وتحول عنها ما تُطيق لقاهَا

Eyes move toward it, ablaze with desire,

Eyes blaze with passion for her

and turn away, unable to bear its sight.

And turn away from her, unable to endure the sight

تخبو العواطف في الصدور وتنتَهي

تخبو العواطف في الصدور وتنتَهي

ويَجف في زهر القلوب نداهَا

ويَجف في زهر القلوب نداهَا

Passions fade within the breasts and cease,

Feelings fade in hearts and come to an end

and their dew dries in the blossoms of hearts.

And their echo withers in the blossoms of hearts

وأنا أحسّ اليومَ بدء علاقة

وأنا أحسّ اليومَ بدء علاقة

وعنيف ثورتها وحزّ مُدَاهَا

وعنيف ثورتها وحزّ مُدَاهَا

Yet today I feel the beginning of a love,

And I feel today the beginning of a relationship

and its fierce tumult, and the slash of its knives.

And the violent stirring of its passion and extent of its fever

لم تَرو منكِ نواظري وخواطري

لم تَرو منكِ نواظري وخواطري

ورجعت أذكي مهجةً وشفاهَا

ورجعت أذكي مهجةً وشفاهَا

My eyes and thoughts have not drunk their fill of you,

My eyes and thoughts have not seen you

and I returned, kindling a heart and lips.

And I returned to rekindle an ardour and lips

مدَّ الخريف على الرياض رواقه

مدَّ الخريف على الرياض رواقه

ومضى الربيع الطلق ما يغشاها

ومضى الربيع الطلق ما يغشاها

Autumn spread its canopy over the gardens,

Autumn has extended its portico over the gardens

and smiling spring has gone, no longer visiting them.

And free-flowing spring has departed, shrouding it

ما بالرياض كآبةٌ في أرضها

ما بالرياض كآبةٌ في أرضها

وسحابة تغشى أديمَ سماهَا

وسحابة تغشى أديمَ سماهَا

What ails the gardens? Gloom lies in their earth,

The gardens are gloomy in their soil

and a cloud veils the face of their sky.

And a cloud covers the horizon of its sky

جمدت حمائم أيكها وأنا الذي

جمدت حمائم أيكها وأنا الذي

شاكيتها فاغرورقت عيناهَا

شاكيتها فاغرورقت عيناهَا

The doves of their grove grew still, and I am the one

The doves of its arbors have frozen, and I who

who shared my grief with them, and their eyes brimmed with tears.

Complained of them, so their eyes brimmed with tears

كيف السبيلُ إلى شفاء صبابة

كيف السبيلُ إلى شفاء صبابة

الدهر أجمع ما يبلُّ صداهَا

الدهر أجمع ما يبلُّ صداهَا

How can I find a way to cure a longing

How is the way to curing the youthfulness

whose thirst all of time cannot quench,

Of fate, who gathers all that tarnishes its echo?

وإلى نسائم جنة سحرية

وإلى نسائم جنة سحرية

قرّحت أجفاني على مغناهَا

قرّحت أجفاني على مغناهَا

and to the breezes of a magical paradise

And to the gentle breezes of an enchanted paradise

over whose dwelling I have worn my eyelids raw?

That wounded my eyelids with its melodies

قضَّيتُ أيامي أضمّ خيالها

قضَّيتُ أيامي أضمّ خيالها

وأضعت أيامي أقول عساهَا

وأضعت أيامي أقول عساهَا

I spent my days embracing her image,

I spent my days clasping her image

and wasted my days saying, 'Perhaps she will...'

And wasted my days saying, perhaps it will be hers