هاجت عليَّ بلابل الاشواق

هاجت عليَّ بلابل الاشواق

فجرى دماً دمعي من الآماق

فجرى دماً دمعي من الآماق

The tumults of longing surged upon me,

The doves of longing stormed me,

so my tears flowed as blood from my eyes' inner corners.

So my tears flowed from the depths.

غنَّى الحمام على الاراك مهيجاً

غنَّى الحمام على الاراك مهيجاً

صبوات قلب الوالد المشتاقِ

صبوات قلب الوالد المشتاقِ

The doves sang upon the arak trees, stirring

The pigeons cooed on the shrubs, arousing

the passions of the yearning father's heart.

The yearnings of the loving father's heart.

هل شاقك ابن الطوق يوم تحملو ال

هل شاقك ابن الطوق يوم تحملو ال

حي الحلال به ابنة الاطواقِ

حي الحلال به ابنة الاطواقِ

Did the son of the neck-ring stir your longing when they departed—the

Did the collar chafe you, my son, the day they put it on,

tribe dwelling there, O daughter of the neck-rings?

That ring of pearls around your neck?

حيَّت غوادي السحب حيّا منهم

حيَّت غوادي السحب حيّا منهم

بأجش منهمر الحيا دفَّاقِ

بأجش منهمر الحيا دفَّاقِ

The morning clouds greeted a camp of theirs

I greeted the passing clouds - greetings to them -

with a hoarse-voiced cloud, its rain pouring in torrents.

With the pouring rain's rushing flow.

اخلصتهم محض الوداد وأن يكن

اخلصتهم محض الوداد وأن يكن

نقضوا غداة وداعهم ميثاقي

نقضوا غداة وداعهم ميثاقي

I gave them unalloyed affection, even though

I gave them my true affection though

they broke my covenant on the morning of their farewell.

They broke their pact of friendship when they left.

قد عرّضوا يوم النوى بفراقهم

قد عرّضوا يوم النوى بفراقهم

يا ليتهم لا عرّضوا بفراقي

يا ليتهم لا عرّضوا بفراقي

They indeed hinted at their parting on the day of separation;

When they decided to part they exposed me

ah, if only they had not hinted at parting from me!

If only they hadn't exposed me by leaving!

من لي بأهيف بارزٍ بشمائل

من لي بأهيف بارزٍ بشمائل

نجدية والطرز طرزعراق

نجدية والطرز طرزعراق

Who will bring me a slender-waisted one, distinguished by manners

Who will I find with a noble gaze,

of Najd, and a style that is the style of Iraq?

Najdi in appearance and bearing Iraqi elegance,

ومخصر نطق الوشاح بخصره

ومخصر نطق الوشاح بخصره

واخرسَّ خلخالٌ له في الساق

واخرسَّ خلخالٌ له في الساق

And a slim-waisted one: the sash spoke at his waist,

Whose cheek is graced by his headscarf's knot

and an anklet on his leg fell silent.

And a silent anklet adorns his leg?

فاذا نفى عنه النطاق حسبته

فاذا نفى عنه النطاق حسبته

من ضمره متمنطقاً بنطاق

من ضمره متمنطقاً بنطاق

So when he cast off the girdle, I thought him,

When his cloak denies him I imagine

because of his slenderness, girded with a girdle.

Him self-cloaked within by his cloak.

يقوى عليَّ بقادرٍ من لحظه

يقوى عليَّ بقادرٍ من لحظه

يا من يحلُّ من القدير وثاقي

يا من يحلُّ من القدير وثاقي

He overpowers me with a potent glance of his;

With his compelling glance he overcomes me -

oh, who will loose my bonds and free me from the mighty one?

O He who unties what the Almighty has tied!

باهت به القمر البهي رفاقُهُ

باهت به القمر البهي رفاقُهُ

لا غرو لو باهيت فيه رفاقي

لا غرو لو باهيت فيه رفاقي

His companions vied with the radiant moon through him;

The bright moon pales next to his companions -

no wonder if I boast of him before my companions.

No wonder, if amidst them my companions paled.

اقطعته القلب العلوق توّصلا

اقطعته القلب العلوق توّصلا

وهو التطوع بوصلة الاعلاق

وهو التطوع بوصلة الاعلاق

I granted him my devoted heart, seeking closeness,

My clingy heart has severed him in yearning

and that is a freely offered gift of precious things.

Though he volunteered the bond of clinging.

هي دُميةُ المحراب في تمثالها

هي دُميةُ المحراب في تمثالها

التمثيل به هي قبلة العشَّاق

التمثيل به هي قبلة العشَّاق

In her form, she is the sanctuary's statue;

She is the sanctuary's idol in her image -

the portrayal is through him; she is the lovers' qibla.

Figuration through her is lovers' pilgrimage site.

يرنو على شوَسٍ اليَّ بمقلة

يرنو على شوَسٍ اليَّ بمقلة

صنعت صنيع السيف في الاعناق

صنعت صنيع السيف في الاعناق

He gazes at me haughtily, with an eye

He aims his glances at a fawn whose eyelash

that did the sword's work upon necks.

Did the sword's work in slaughtering necks.

تنبو الصوارمُ في الوغى لكنَّما

تنبو الصوارمُ في الوغى لكنَّما

هيهات ينبو صارم الاحداق

هيهات ينبو صارم الاحداق

Keen blades may glance off in battle, but

Swords sing in battle, but never would

never will the keen blade of the eyes glance off.

The sword of glances sing.

لِلّه احور من سقام جفونه

لِلّه احور من سقام جفونه

سقمي وريق شفاهه درياقي

سقمي وريق شفاهه درياقي

God be praised for a dark-eyed beauty—from his eyelids' languor

God, his languid eyelids are more sickly

comes my sickness, and his lips' saliva is my antidote.

Than my sickness, and his lip's pallor my remedy.

ظمأي الى ذاك الغدير معسَّلا

ظمأي الى ذاك الغدير معسَّلا

يجري خلال اللؤلؤ البرّاق

يجري خلال اللؤلؤ البرّاق

My thirst is for that honeyed pool,

I thirst for that sweet stream

flowing among the gleaming pearls.

Flowing amidst glistening pearls.

يا حبذا بالسفح سالف ليلة

يا حبذا بالسفح سالف ليلة

قضَّيتها بترّشف وعناق

قضَّيتها بترّشف وعناق

Ah, how lovely that bygone night at the mountain's foot,

Oh, blessed was that eve I spent

which I spent sipping and embracing!

Sipping and embracing on the hillside!