لَمِن حِلَّةٌ ما بَينَ بُصرى وَصَرخَدِ

لَمِن حِلَّةٌ ما بَينَ بُصرى وَصَرخَدِ

تَروحُ بِها خَيلُ الجُلاحِ وَتَغتَدي

تَروحُ بِها خَيلُ الجُلاحِ وَتَغتَدي

Whose encampment lies between Busra and Sarkhad,

For whom is an outfit between Basra and Sarakh?

where al-Julah's horses roam at evening and at dawn?

Over which the horses of warriors ride and lunch,

وَنارٌ بِقَلبي مِثلُها لِأُهَيلِها

وَنارٌ بِقَلبي مِثلُها لِأُهَيلِها

تُشَبُّ لِضَيفٍ مُتهِمٍ وَلِمُنجِدِ

تُشَبُّ لِضَيفٍ مُتهِمٍ وَلِمُنجِدِ

And in my heart is a fire like that of its dear folk,

While in my heart is a fire, lit for their reception,

kindled for a guest bound for Tihamah and for one bound for Najd.

Blazing for a guest of suspicion and a helper of distress.

وَمَمشوقَةٍ رَقَّت وَدَقَّت شَمائِلاً

وَمَمشوقَةٍ رَقَّت وَدَقَّت شَمائِلاً

إِلى أَن تَساوى جِلدُها وَتَجَلُّدي

إِلى أَن تَساوى جِلدُها وَتَجَلُّدي

And a slender woman, delicate and fine in disposition,

Of a delicate, tender creature, whose features

until her skin and my endurance were equally thin.

Have been refined until her skin equals her garment.

مِنَ الخَفَراتِ البيضِ تُغني لِحاظِها

مِنَ الخَفَراتِ البيضِ تُغني لِحاظِها

عَن المُرهَفاتِ البيضِ في كُلِّ مَشهَدِ

عَن المُرهَفاتِ البيضِ في كُلِّ مَشهَدِ

One of the modest, fair women, whose glances suffice

Her white slippers sing of her leggings

in place of bright, keen swords in every encounter.

More than the white leggings at every stage.

حِجازِيَةُ الأَجفانِ وَالخَصرِ وَالحَشا

حِجازِيَةُ الأَجفانِ وَالخَصرِ وَالحَشا

شَآمِيَّةُ الأَردافِ وَالنَهدِ وَاليَدِ

شَآمِيَّةُ الأَردافِ وَالنَهدِ وَاليَدِ

Of the Hijaz in her eyelids, waist, and midriff,

Hejazi in her eyelids, waist and voice,

of al-Sham in her hips, breast, and hand.

Shami in her buttocks, breast and hand.

إِذا اِبتَسَمَت فَالدُرُّ عِقدُ مُنَضَّدٌ

إِذا اِبتَسَمَت فَالدُرُّ عِقدُ مُنَضَّدٌ

وَإِن حَدَّثَت فَالدُرُّ غَيرُ مُنَضَّدِ

وَإِن حَدَّثَت فَالدُرُّ غَيرُ مُنَضَّدِ

When she smiles, the pearls are a neatly strung necklace;

When she smiles, pearls are a well-arranged necklace,

and when she speaks, the pearls are unstrung.

And when she speaks, pearls are no longer arranged.

وَأَلمى كَمِثلِ البَدرِ تَبدو جُيوبُهُ

وَأَلمى كَمِثلِ البَدرِ تَبدو جُيوبُهُ

عَلى مِثلِ خوطِ البانَةِ المَتَأَوِّدِ

عَلى مِثلِ خوطِ البانَةِ المَتَأَوِّدِ

And a dark-lipped one, like the full moon, his collar openings showing

She displays wrists like a full moon

on a form like a swaying shoot of the bān tree.

Over arms like the plaited cords of a tent.

لَهُ مُقلَةٌ سُكرى بِغَيرِ مُدامَةٍ

لَهُ مُقلَةٌ سُكرى بِغَيرِ مُدامَةٍ

وَلي مُقلَةٌ شُكرى بِدَمعِ مُوَرَّدِ

وَلي مُقلَةٌ شُكرى بِدَمعِ مُوَرَّدِ

He has an eye drunken without wine,

She has an intoxicated coquetry without wine,

and I have an eye brimming with rose-red tears.

While I have a sober flirtation with tears that flow.

رَعى اللَهَ يَوماً ظَلَّ في ظِلِّ أَيكَةٍ

رَعى اللَهَ يَوماً ظَلَّ في ظِلِّ أَيكَةٍ

نَديمي عَلى زَهرِ الرِياضِ وَمُنشِدي

نَديمي عَلى زَهرِ الرِياضِ وَمُنشِدي

May God bless a day when there lingered in a thicket's shade

May God one day favor when my companion in the shade of a canopy,

my drinking companion and singer, amid the garden flowers;

While I entertain him amidst the flowers of the meadow and chant,

وَكَأساً سَقانيها كَقِنديلِ بَيعَةٍ

وَكَأساً سَقانيها كَقِنديلِ بَيعَةٍ

بِها وَبِهِ في ظُلمَةِ اللَيلِ نَهتَدي

بِها وَبِهِ في ظُلمَةِ اللَيلِ نَهتَدي

and a cup he gave me to drink, like a church lamp,

A cup she passes as a lantern for allegiance,

by it and by him we find our way through the darkness of night.

With it and with its bearer we are guided in the darkness of night,

مُعتَقَةً مِن قَبلِ شَيثٍ وَآدَمِ

مُعتَقَةً مِن قَبلِ شَيثٍ وَآدَمِ

مُحَلَّلَةً مِن قَبلِ عيسى وَأَحمَدِ

مُحَلَّلَةً مِن قَبلِ عيسى وَأَحمَدِ

Aged since before Seth and Adam,

Emancipated by Eve and Adam aforetime,

made lawful since before Jesus and Ahmad.

Made lawful by Jesus and Ahmad aforetime.

صَفَت كَدُموعي حينَ صَدَّ مَديرُها

صَفَت كَدُموعي حينَ صَدَّ مَديرُها

وَرَقَّت كَديني حينَ أَوفى بِمَوعِدِ

وَرَقَّت كَديني حينَ أَوفى بِمَوعِدِ

It grew clear as my tears when its cupbearer turned away,

It flowed like my tears when its keeper turned away,

and thin as my faith when he kept his promise.

And softened like my religion when he kept his vow.

وَفي الشَيبِ لي عَن لاعَجِ الحُبِّ شاغِلٌ

وَفي الشَيبِ لي عَن لاعَجِ الحُبِّ شاغِلٌ

وَقَد كُنتُ لَولا الشَيبُ طَلّاعَ أَنجُدِ

وَقَد كُنتُ لَولا الشَيبُ طَلّاعَ أَنجُدِ

And gray hair gives me a distraction from love's burning anguish;

In my grey hair, my mind is busy with love’s folly,

and indeed, but for gray hair, I would have scaled many heights.

Though were it not for the grey hair, I would be most valiant.

رَمى شَعَري بَعدَ السَوادِ بِأَبيَضٍ

رَمى شَعَري بَعدَ السَوادِ بِأَبيَضٍ

وَحَظِيَ مِن بَعدِ البَياضِ بِأَسوَدِ

وَحَظِيَ مِن بَعدِ البَياضِ بِأَسوَدِ

It cast white upon my hair after blackness,

My hair was cast by blackness into whiteness,

and black upon my fortune after whiteness.

And my fortune was cast from whiteness into blackness.

فَلا وَجدَ إِلّا ما وَجَدتُ مِنَ الأَسى

فَلا وَجدَ إِلّا ما وَجَدتُ مِنَ الأَسى

وَلا حَمدَ إِلّا لِلأَميرِ مُحَمَّدِ

وَلا حَمدَ إِلّا لِلأَميرِ مُحَمَّدِ

So there is no heartache but the sorrow I have felt,

I have found nothing but sorrow,

and no praise but for Emir Muhammad.

And I praise no one but the Prince Muhammad.