أو قد البين بين جنبيّ نارا

أو قد البين بين جنبيّ نارا

ونحا القلب ركبهم فاستجارا

ونحا القلب ركبهم فاستجارا

Separation kindled a fire between my two sides,

Between my ribs burned a fire,

and my heart made for their caravan and sought refuge.

And my heart took its reins and begged for help.

أيها القلب إن أتيت ديارا

أيها القلب إن أتيت ديارا

لا حباي فابك عني الديارا

لا حباي فابك عني الديارا

O heart, if you reach the dwellings

O heart, if you come to dwellings

of my beloveds, weep for those dwellings on my behalf.

Where my loved ones are not, weep for the dwellings.

ليتهم يعلمون إذ خلَّفوني

ليتهم يعلمون إذ خلَّفوني

أبعث الدمع خلفهم مدرارا

أبعث الدمع خلفهم مدرارا

Would that they knew, when they left me behind,

If only they knew, when they left me behind,

that I send tears pouring after them.

I sent tears flowing copiously after them.

قد شربنا كاس الخمور عقارا

قد شربنا كاس الخمور عقارا

لو شربنا كاس الثغور عقارا

لو شربنا كاس الثغور عقارا

We have drunk heady wine from the cup of wines;

We drank the wine of the vineyards to the dregs;

if only we had drunk heady wine from the cup of lips!

If only we drank the wine of the battlefields to the dregs!

خمرة دنّها المراشف ظلنا

خمرة دنّها المراشف ظلنا

سعد منها معربدين سكارى

سعد منها معربدين سكارى

A wine whose cask is lips—we remained,

The wine whose jars the cushions shaded -

O Saʿd, riotous and drunk on it.

Happy were those made drunk on it, squirming about!

بي غزالا بالأجرعين أغنّاً

بي غزالا بالأجرعين أغنّاً

شادنا علَّم الغزال النفارا

شادنا علَّم الغزال النفارا

I would give myself for a sweet-voiced gazelle at al-Ajraʿayn,

With does at the water-holes it made me sing,

a fawn who taught the gazelle to flee.

And the does taught the wild goat to take fright.

كم رعينا من ثغره أقحوانا

كم رعينا من ثغره أقحوانا

وقطعنا من خدّه جلنارا

وقطعنا من خدّه جلنارا

How often we grazed on daisies from his mouth,

How many times did we pasture our mounts

and plucked pomegranate blossoms from his cheek.

And cut from their cheeks the haltars!

مرسلاً فوق متنه افعوانا

مرسلاً فوق متنه افعوانا

أرقما يقذف السمام شرارا

أرقما يقذف السمام شرارا

Letting loose a great serpent over his back,

Letting serpents glide on their backs,

a mottled one, spewing venom in sparks.

Bristling, shooting their darts here and there.

قد خلعنا به الوقار جميعا

قد خلعنا به الوقار جميعا

وحقيق لو قد خلعنا الوقارا

وحقيق لو قد خلعنا الوقارا

For his sake, we have all cast dignity aside;

With it we all cast dignity aside,

and rightly so, if indeed we have cast dignity aside.

And truly, if we cast dignity aside!