يا وادي البان روَّىَ بَانكَ المطرُ

يا وادي البان روَّىَ بَانكَ المطرُ

ولا عداكَ مُلِثٌ منه مُنحدِرَ

ولا عداكَ مُلِثٌ منه مُنحدِرَ

O Valley of Bān, may rain drench your moringa trees.

O valley of Pan, the rain has watered your slopes

And may no unceasing shower descending from it pass you by.

And no one but you flows with it cascading down

يا وادي البانِ خبّرنا بجيرتنا

يا وادي البانِ خبّرنا بجيرتنا

فقد يَبُلّ هُيامَ السامعَ الخبرُ

فقد يَبُلّ هُيامَ السامعَ الخبرُ

O Valley of Bān, tell us about our neighbors.

O valley of Pan, tell us of our neighbor

For news may slake the listener's thirst of longing.

For news may give joy to the listening heart

المعرضين لماذا أعْرضُوا وجفَوا

المعرضين لماذا أعْرضُوا وجفَوا

والهاجرين عقيب الوصلِ لَم هَجروا

والهاجرين عقيب الوصلِ لَم هَجروا

Those who turn away—why did they turn away and grow cold?

Why did those who turned away spurn me and act cold

And those who forsook us just after union—why did they forsake us?

And why, after intimacy, did the emigrants shun me

ذاك الشّويدن منهم كنت أعْهَدهُ

ذاك الشّويدن منهم كنت أعْهَدهُ

في جَفْنِه حَوَمٌ في طرفه حَورُ

في جَفْنِه حَوَمٌ في طرفه حَورُ

That little gazelle among them—I used to know him,

That Shweid was one I knew well

With dark eyelids and eyes of vivid black and white.

With intoxicated eyes and a flirtatious glance

ومَا صفي لي عيشُ من محبته

ومَا صفي لي عيشُ من محبته

ما أشْرق الوجه إلا أظلم الشعر

ما أشْرق الوجه إلا أظلم الشعر

And loving him has never brought me an untroubled life.

My life was not gladdened by his love

His face never shone without his hair growing dark.

When his face brightened, his hair darkened

ما زلت أعجبُ من تقويس حاجبه

ما زلت أعجبُ من تقويس حاجبه

حتّى رماني بقوس ما لها وَترُ

حتّى رماني بقوس ما لها وَترُ

I never ceased marveling at the arch of his eyebrow,

I still marvel at the arch of his brow

Until he shot me with a bow that had no string.

Until he shot me with a bow without a string

ومَرَّبي وهو منه العطفُ منعطِفٌ

ومَرَّبي وهو منه العطفُ منعطِفٌ

والرِّدف مُرْتدفٌ والخصْرُ مُنخْصِرُ

والرِّدف مُرْتدفٌ والخصْرُ مُنخْصِرُ

And he passed by me, his flank curved,

He brought me up, yet was fickle towards me

And his buttocks were full, and his waist slender.

With a retracting flank and hunched waist

يا معرضاً بالرنا عني ليهلكني

يا معرضاً بالرنا عني ليهلكني

أنظر إليَّ عسى أن ينفعَ النظرُ

أنظر إليَّ عسى أن ينفعَ النظرُ

O you who turn your lingering gaze from me to destroy me,

O you who turned away, rejecting me, leaving me to perish

Look at me; perhaps a glance will help.

Look at me, perhaps a look will help

عاوِدْ كما كنتَ لا تاَتْيك نائبةٌ

عاوِدْ كما كنتَ لا تاَتْيك نائبةٌ

والْطِفْ بعبدك لا غيّرنَك الغِيَرُ

والْطِفْ بعبدك لا غيّرنَك الغِيَرُ

Return as you once were; may no misfortune befall you.

Go back to how you were, do not let misfortune touch you

And be gentle with your slave; may life's changes never change you.

Be gentle with your servant, do not let others change you

وإن أسرت فأطلقْ أو طلبت فدى

وإن أسرت فأطلقْ أو طلبت فدى

فهاك فالرومُ قد يفدون من أسروا

فهاك فالرومُ قد يفدون من أسروا

And if you take me captive, set me free; or if you seek a ransom,

If I am captured, release me, if I am sought, pay my ransom

Then take it, for the Romans sometimes free those they capture for ransom.

For the Romans may be ransomed when captured