رسالة واهاً لَها واها

رسالة واهاً لَها واها

شَرقت بِالدَمع لفحواها

شَرقت بِالدَمع لفحواها

A letter—ah, what a letter!

A message, alas for it, alas

I choked on tears at its contents,

It brought tears to my eyes with its yearning

مِن غادة عذبني نأيها

مِن غادة عذبني نأيها

ما ضَرَّ لَو كُنتُ وَإِيّاها

ما ضَرَّ لَو كُنتُ وَإِيّاها

From a graceful maiden whose distance tormented me.

Ghadah's sweetness pained me with her distance

What harm would there be if I were with her?

It would not have harmed if I was with her

أَضراسها تُؤلِمُها لَيتَني

أَضراسها تُؤلِمُها لَيتَني

أَشكو الَّذي سَبّب شَكواها

أَشكو الَّذي سَبّب شَكواها

Her molars hurt her; if only I

Her teeth hurt her, if only

Could suffer what caused her complaint!

I could complain of what caused her pain

تِلكَ ثَناياها الَّتي نَضدت

تِلكَ ثَناياها الَّتي نَضدت

عَقدين وَالمَكسور إحداها

عَقدين وَالمَكسور إحداها

Those are her front teeth, strung

Those are her lips that were adorned

As two necklaces; one of those teeth is broken.

With two dimples, one of them broken

آثارَها في شَفَتي لَم تَزَل

آثارَها في شَفَتي لَم تَزَل

يا ضلَّ مَن يَجهَل مَعناها

يا ضلَّ مَن يَجهَل مَعناها

Their marks still linger on my lip.

Traces of her on my lips have not ceased

Ah, astray is he who does not know their meaning!

Oh, the one who is ignorant of their meaning is lost

رَشفت مِنها سَلسلاً بارِداً

رَشفت مِنها سَلسلاً بارِداً

صادف نِيراني فَأَطفاها

صادف نِيراني فَأَطفاها

I sipped from her a cool, sweet draught,

I took from her a cold chain

Which met my fires and quenched them,

That met my fires and extinguished them

في لَيلة لَم أَدرِ ساعاتها

في لَيلة لَم أَدرِ ساعاتها

أَضَعت طولاها وَقُصراها

أَضَعت طولاها وَقُصراها

On a night whose hours I could not tell;

On a night whose hours I did not know

I lost track of the longest of them and the shortest,

It lost its length and brevity

حَتّى طَغى الصُبح بِأَنواره

حَتّى طَغى الصُبح بِأَنواره

عَلى نُجوم اللَيل يَغشاها

عَلى نُجوم اللَيل يَغشاها

Until dawn surged with its light

Until the dawn overflowed with its lights

Over the stars of night, veiling them.

Covering the stars of the night

وَرَجَّع الطَير أَغاريده

وَرَجَّع الطَير أَغاريده

شَجواً فَأَبكاني وَأَبكاها

شَجواً فَأَبكاني وَأَبكاها

And the birds trilled their songs

And the birds returned their chirping

Mournfully, making me weep and her as well.

Mournfully, making me and her weep

فَقُلت يا طَير كَذا عاجِلاً

فَقُلت يا طَير كَذا عاجِلاً

قُمت عَلى اللذات تَنعاها

قُمت عَلى اللذات تَنعاها

So I said, 'O birds, so soon

So I said: O birds, why so hastily

You have risen over pleasures to announce their death!'

Did you rise to spoil the pleasures?

وَقُلت يا طَير مَتى نَلتَقي

وَقُلت يا طَير مَتى نَلتَقي

يا طَير هَل أَحيى وَأَلقاها

يا طَير هَل أَحيى وَأَلقاها

And I said, 'O birds, when shall we meet?

And I said: O birds, when will we meet?

O birds, shall I live to meet her?'

O birds, will I live to see her again?

ثُم تَعنانَقنا فلله ما

ثُم تَعنانَقنا فلله ما

تذرف عَيناي وَعَيناها

تذرف عَيناي وَعَيناها

Then we embraced—by God, what tears

Then we embraced and by God

My eyes and hers shed!

My eyes and her eyes shed tears

قَبَلتها في فَمها قُبلة

قَبَلتها في فَمها قُبلة

ما كانَ أَزكاها وَأَحلاها

ما كانَ أَزكاها وَأَحلاها

I kissed her on the mouth—a kiss:

I kissed her mouth with a kiss

How fragrant and sweet it was!

That was the most virtuous and sweetest of them

وَقَبَلتني مِثلَها قُبلة

وَقَبَلتني مِثلَها قُبلة

ما زِلت اَستَنشق رَياها

ما زِلت اَستَنشق رَياها

And she kissed me with a kiss like it;

And she kissed me likewise with a kiss

I still breathe in its fragrance.

Whose scent I still breathe in

تِلكَ هِيَ الزاد غَداةَ النَوى

تِلكَ هِيَ الزاد غَداةَ النَوى

قَد يَهلك العاشق لَولاها

قَد يَهلك العاشق لَولاها

That is the sustenance for the morning of parting;

That is the provision at the time of parting

The lover might perish without it.

A lover may perish without it

حَبيبَتي عودي إِلى رَبوة

حَبيبَتي عودي إِلى رَبوة

أَضحى فُؤادي رَهن مَغناها

أَضحى فُؤادي رَهن مَغناها

My beloved, return to a hill

My love, return to the hillside

My heart has become a hostage to its abode.

For my heart has become hostage to your singing

يا مَنيتي عودي نُعِد لَيلة

يا مَنيتي عودي نُعِد لَيلة

ما زالَ قَلبي يَتَمناها

ما زالَ قَلبي يَتَمناها

O my heart's desire, return; let us relive a night

My wish, return and let us have a night

For which my heart still yearns.

My heart still longs for it

ذُقت بِها مِنكِ أَلَذ الهَوى

ذُقت بِها مِنكِ أَلَذ الهَوى

فَكَيفَ أَنساك وَأَنساها

فَكَيفَ أَنساك وَأَنساها

That night, from you, I tasted the sweetest love;

I tasted the sweetest love with you

So how could I forget you and forget that night?

So how can I forget you and forget it?