وَإِنّي لَأَسمو بِالوِصالِ إِلى الَّتي

وَإِنّي لَأَسمو بِالوِصالِ إِلى الَّتي

يَكونُ شِفاءً ذِكرُها وَاِزدِيارُها

يَكونُ شِفاءً ذِكرُها وَاِزدِيارُها

And indeed I aspire to union with the woman

Though I aspire to be united with her

whose remembrance and visits to her bring healing.

Whose mention is healing, and her sight exhilarating,

وَإِن خَفِيَت كانَت لِعَينَيكَ قُرَّةً

وَإِن خَفِيَت كانَت لِعَينَيكَ قُرَّةً

وَإِن تَبدُ يَوماً لَم يَعُمَّكَ عارُها

وَإِن تَبدُ يَوماً لَم يَعُمَّكَ عارُها

And if she stays hidden, she is a delight to your eyes,

Though she is hidden, to your eyes she would be solace,

and if she appears one day, no disgrace of hers will overwhelm you.

And if she appears one day, you will not be shamed by her.

مِنَ الخَفِراتِ البيضِ لَم تَرَ شَقوَةً

مِنَ الخَفِراتِ البيضِ لَم تَرَ شَقوَةً

وَفي الحَسَبِ المَحضِ الرَفيعِ نِجارُها

وَفي الحَسَبِ المَحضِ الرَفيعِ نِجارُها

Among the fair, modest women, she has known no hardship,

Of the whitest maids you have not seen one so witty,

and her lineage belongs to pure, exalted nobility.

Nor one of pure and noble lineage like her.

فَما رَوضَةٌ بِالحَزنِ طَيِّبَةَ الزَرع

فَما رَوضَةٌ بِالحَزنِ طَيِّبَةَ الزَرع

يَمُجُّ النَدى جَثجاثُها وَعَرارُها

يَمُجُّ النَدى جَثجاثُها وَعَرارُها

For no meadow on rugged ground, lush with growth,

No garden is fragrant in grief like her plants,

whose jathjath shrubs and ‘arār flowers spill out dew,

Her dew and flowers exude fragrance.

بِمُنخَرِقٍ مِن بَطنِ وادٍ كَأَنَّما

بِمُنخَرِقٍ مِن بَطنِ وادٍ كَأَنَّما

كَأَنَّما تَلاقَت بِهِ عَطّارَةٌ وَتِجارُها

كَأَنَّما تَلاقَت بِهِ عَطّارَةٌ وَتِجارُها

in an open stretch of a valley’s bed, as though—

As if aromatics and perfumes met in a cleft

as though perfumers and their merchants had gathered there,

Of a valley's interior, such is her essence.

أُفيدَ عَلَيها المِسكُ حَتّى كَأَنَّها

أُفيدَ عَلَيها المِسكُ حَتّى كَأَنَّها

لَطيمَةُ دارِيٍّ تَفَتَّقَ فارُها

لَطيمَةُ دارِيٍّ تَفَتَّقَ فارُها

with musk bestowed upon it until it resembles

Musk is lavished on her until she seems to be

a Darin merchant’s perfume caravan, its fragrance bursting forth,

A perfumed wrap whose scent fills the air.

بِأَطيَبَ مِن أَردانِ عَزَّةَ مَوهِناً

بِأَطيَبَ مِن أَردانِ عَزَّةَ مَوهِناً

وَقَد أوقِدَت بِالمَندَلِ الرَطبِ نارُها

وَقَد أوقِدَت بِالمَندَلِ الرَطبِ نارُها

is sweeter-scented than ‘Azza’s sleeves late at night,

With something sweeter than leaves of dignity humiliated,

when her fire has been kindled with moist sandalwood.

Kindling with moist wood the flames of her fire.

هِيَ العَيشُ ما لاقَتكَ يَوماً بِوُدِّها

هِيَ العَيشُ ما لاقَتكَ يَوماً بِوُدِّها

وَمَوتٌ إِذا لاقاكَ مِنها اِزورارُها

وَمَوتٌ إِذا لاقاكَ مِنها اِزورارُها

She is life on any day she meets you with her love,

She is life when she meets you with her love one day,

and death when her turning away is what meets you.

And death when you meet her barriers.

وَإِنّي وَإِن شَطَّت نَواها لِحافِظٌ

وَإِنّي وَإِن شَطَّت نَواها لِحافِظٌ

لَها حَيثُ حَلَّت وَاِستَقَرَّ قَرارُها

لَها حَيثُ حَلَّت وَاِستَقَرَّ قَرارُها

And I, though she is far away, am surely faithful

And though her determination waivered, I am one

to her, wherever she alights and establishes her dwelling.

To guard her wherever she settles and dwells.

فَأَقسَمتُ لا أَنساكِ ما عِشتُ لَيلَةً

فَأَقسَمتُ لا أَنساكِ ما عِشتُ لَيلَةً

وَإِن شَحَطَت دارٌ وَشَطَّ مَزارُها

وَإِن شَحَطَت دارٌ وَشَطَّ مَزارُها

So I have sworn: I will not forget you while I live, not for a single night,

I swear I shall never forget you as long as I live,

even if the dwelling is distant and the place to visit her far away;

Though homes be ravaged and dwellings destroyed.

وَما اِستنَّ رَقراقُ السَرابِ وَما جَرى

وَما اِستنَّ رَقراقُ السَرابِ وَما جَرى

بِبيضِ الرُبى وَحشِيُّها وَنَوارُها

بِبيضِ الرُبى وَحشِيُّها وَنَوارُها

and as long as the shimmering mirage races, and as long as there run

Nor the mirage's delusion, nor the deserted ruins

over the pale hills their wild beasts and skittish animals;

And desolation left by the caravans.

وَما هَبَّتِ الأَرواحُ تَجري وَما ثَوى

وَما هَبَّتِ الأَرواحُ تَجري وَما ثَوى

مُقيماً بِنَجدٍ عَوفُها وَتِعارُها

مُقيماً بِنَجدٍ عَوفُها وَتِعارُها

and as long as the winds blow, coursing, and as long as there remain

Nor the spirits blowing and roaming, nor the abandoned traces

standing in Najd, its ‘Awf and its Ti‘ār.

Remaining in Najd, its hospitality and dwellings.