هَلْ مِنْ فَتَى يَنْشُدُ قَلْبِي مَعِي

هَلْ مِنْ فَتَى يَنْشُدُ قَلْبِي مَعِي

بَيْنَ خُدُورِ الْعيْنِ بِالأَجْرَعِ

بَيْنَ خُدُورِ الْعيْنِ بِالأَجْرَعِ

Is there a young man to search for my heart with me

Is there a lad who sings with me

Among the curtained chambers of wide-eyed beauties at al-Ajraʿ?

Between the eyelids with the dark pupils?

كَانَ مَعِي ثُمَّ دَعَاهُ الْهَوَى

كَانَ مَعِي ثُمَّ دَعَاهُ الْهَوَى

فَمَرَّ بِالْحَيِّ وَلم يَرْجَعِ

فَمَرَّ بِالْحَيِّ وَلم يَرْجَعِ

It was with me; then passion called it,

He was with me but passion called him

So it passed through the encampment and did not return.

He passed by the neighborhood and did not return

فَهَلْ إِذَا نَادَيْتُهُ بِاسْمِهِ

فَهَلْ إِذَا نَادَيْتُهُ بِاسْمِهِ

يُفِيقُ مِنْ سَكْرَتِهِ أَوْ يَعِي

يُفِيقُ مِنْ سَكْرَتِهِ أَوْ يَعِي

Will it, then, if I call it by its name,

So if I call him by his name

Awaken from its drunkenness, or understand?

Would he awake from his drunkenness or become conscious?

هَيْهَاتَ يَلْقَى رَشَداً بَعْدَمَا

هَيْهَاتَ يَلْقَى رَشَداً بَعْدَمَا

أَغْوَاهُ لَحْظُ الرَّشَإِ الأَتْلَعِ

أَغْوَاهُ لَحْظُ الرَّشَإِ الأَتْلَعِ

How far it is from finding the right path, now that

Alas! He will not regain consciousness after

The long-necked young gazelle's glance has led it astray!

The glance of the fawn-eyed one misguided him

فَيَا دموعَ الْقَطْرِ سِيلِي دَماً

فَيَا دموعَ الْقَطْرِ سِيلِي دَماً

وَيَا بَنَاتِ الأَيْكِ نُوحِي مَعِي

وَيَا بَنَاتِ الأَيْكِ نُوحِي مَعِي

So, O tears of rain, flow as blood,

So flow, tears of dripping, blood

And O daughters of the grove, lament with me.

And O virgins of the thicket, lament with me

وَأَنْتِ يَا نَسْمَةَ وَادِي الْغَضَى

وَأَنْتِ يَا نَسْمَةَ وَادِي الْغَضَى

مُرِّي بِرَيَّاكِ عَلَى مَرْبَعِي

مُرِّي بِرَيَّاكِ عَلَى مَرْبَعِي

And you, O breeze of Wadi al-Ghada,

And O breeze of the valley of grief

Pass over my springtime dwelling, bearing your fragrance.

Pass your fragrance over my enclosure

وَأَنْتِ يَا عُصْفُورَةَ الْمُنْحَنَى

وَأَنْتِ يَا عُصْفُورَةَ الْمُنْحَنَى

بِاللَّهِ غَنِّي طَرَباً وَاسْجَعِي

بِاللَّهِ غَنِّي طَرَباً وَاسْجَعِي

And you, O sparrow of the bend,

And O little bird of the bending branches

For God's sake, sing in rapture and warble.

For God’s sake, sing joy and roost

وَأَنْتِ يَا عَيْنُ إِذَا لَمْ تَفِي

وَأَنْتِ يَا عَيْنُ إِذَا لَمْ تَفِي

بِذِمَّةِ الدَّمْعِ فَلا تَهْجَعِي

بِذِمَّةِ الدَّمْعِ فَلا تَهْجَعِي

And you, O eye, if you are not true

And O eye, if you cannot

To the pledge of tears, then do not sleep.

Fulfill the duty of tears, do not sleep

صَبَابَةٌ أَغْرَتْ عَلَيَّ الأَسَى

صَبَابَةٌ أَغْرَتْ عَلَيَّ الأَسَى

وَدَلَّتِ السُّهْدَ عَلَى مَضْجَعِي

وَدَلَّتِ السُّهْدَ عَلَى مَضْجَعِي

Longing has set sorrow upon me,

An enchanting girl brought sorrow over me

And shown sleeplessness the way to my bed.

And pointed out my resting place to insomnia

وَيْلاهُ مِنْ نارِ الْهَوَى إِنَّهَا

وَيْلاهُ مِنْ نارِ الْهَوَى إِنَّهَا

لَوْلا دُمُوعِي أَحْرَقَتْ أَضْلُعِي

لَوْلا دُمُوعِي أَحْرَقَتْ أَضْلُعِي

Woe is me for passion's fire! Indeed, it

Woe to him from the fire of passion

Would have burned my ribs, but for my tears.

Were it not for my tears, it would have burned my ribs

أَبِيتُ أَرْعَى النَّجْمَ فِي سُدْفَةٍ

أَبِيتُ أَرْعَى النَّجْمَ فِي سُدْفَةٍ

ضَلَّ بِهَا الصُّبْحُ فَلَمْ يَطْلُعِ

ضَلَّ بِهَا الصُّبْحُ فَلَمْ يَطْلُعِ

I spend the night watching the stars in darkness

I spend the night herding the stars in a shelter

Where dawn has lost its way and so has not risen.

Where the dawn got lost and did not rise

لا أَهْتَدِي فِيهَا إِلَى حِيلَةٍ

لا أَهْتَدِي فِيهَا إِلَى حِيلَةٍ

تَقِي حَيَاتِي مِنْ يَدَيْ مَصْرَعِي

تَقِي حَيَاتِي مِنْ يَدَيْ مَصْرَعِي

Within it I find no stratagem

I cannot find in it a trick

That shields my life from the hands of my doom.

To protect my life from the hands of my death

طَوْرَاً أُدَارِي لَوْعَتِي بِالْمُنَى

طَوْرَاً أُدَارِي لَوْعَتِي بِالْمُنَى

وَتَارَةً يَغْلِبُنِي مَدْمَعِي

وَتَارَةً يَغْلِبُنِي مَدْمَعِي

At times I soothe my burning anguish with hopes,

Sometimes I cope with my torment with wishes

And at others my weeping eye overpowers me.

And sometimes my tears overwhelm me

فَهَلْ إِلَى الأَشْوَاقِ مِنْ غَايَةٍ

فَهَلْ إِلَى الأَشْوَاقِ مِنْ غَايَةٍ

أَمْ هَلْ إِلَى الأَوْطَانِ مِنْ مَرْجَعِ

أَمْ هَلْ إِلَى الأَوْطَانِ مِنْ مَرْجَعِ

Is there, then, any end to these longings,

Is there an end to longing?

Or is there any return to native lands?

Or is there a way back home?

لا تَأْسَ يَا قَلْبُ عَلَى مَا مَضَى

لا تَأْسَ يَا قَلْبُ عَلَى مَا مَضَى

لا بُدَّ لِلْمِحْنَةِ مِنْ مَقْطَعِ

لا بُدَّ لِلْمِحْنَةِ مِنْ مَقْطَعِ

Do not grieve, O heart, over what has passed;

Do not despair, O heart, over what is past

The ordeal must come to an end.

Suffering must have a relief