لَعَلّ أناساً بالعقيق اَقاموا

لَعَلّ أناساً بالعقيق اَقاموا

لهم خبرٌ أني سهرتُ وناموا

لهم خبرٌ أني سهرتُ وناموا

Perhaps some people who settled at al-ʿAqīq

Perhaps people settled in al-Aqiq

have heard that I lay awake while they slept.

They knew I stayed up while they slept

تقرُّ لعيني أن تلوحَ لحيهم

تقرُّ لعيني أن تلوحَ لحيهم

على عذبات الأبرقين خِيَام

على عذبات الأبرقين خِيَام

My eye delights when there appear for their clan

My eyes find solace should their beards appear

tents on the heights of al-Abraqayn.

On the sweet, white tents

وأفرحُ أنْ يَسقي الغمامُ بلاَدهم

وأفرحُ أنْ يَسقي الغمامُ بلاَدهم

فيورق شِيْحٌ عندهم وبشَام

فيورق شِيْحٌ عندهم وبشَام

And I rejoice when the clouds water their lands,

And I rejoice should the clouds water their lands

so wormwood and balsam put forth leaves among them.

So a young plant sprouts near them and Basmah

وقائلةٍ ما للحَمامِ إذا شدى

وقائلةٍ ما للحَمامِ إذا شدى

شجاك لتغريد الحمامِ حمام

شجاك لتغريد الحمامِ حمام

And a woman asked, “Why do doves, when they sing,

And a critic, why does the pigeon moan

sadden you? Is there death in the cooing of doves?”

When your love's longing hurts you

فقلت لهم أن الجروح ببعضها

فقلت لهم أن الجروح ببعضها

لتنكأ وقد يُدلى الغرام غرام

لتنكأ وقد يُدلى الغرام غرام

So I told them that wounds, by other wounds,

So I told them some wounds

are indeed reopened, and longing may be drawn forth by longing.

Can be reopened and passion reiterated

يقولون خَلِّ الظاعنين وَلَوْدَرَوا

يقولون خَلِّ الظاعنين وَلَوْدَرَوا

لَمَا عَنَّفوا في الظاعنين ولاموا

لَمَا عَنَّفوا في الظاعنين ولاموا

They say, “Leave those departing”; if only they knew,

They say, leave the critics be and if only they knew

they would not rebuke and blame me over those departing.

They wouldn't have condemned the critics nor blamed

سألتُك أن جِئتِ الخدورَ بعالجٍ

سألتُك أن جِئتِ الخدورَ بعالجٍ

ومِنْ تحتها الأقمارُ وهي تمام

ومِنْ تحتها الأقمارُ وهي تمام

I ask you: should you reach the curtained chambers at ʿĀlij,

I asked you, did you come to the tents with a cure

with moons beneath them, all full,

While the moons are under it, complete

فحي الجُفاةَ المَعْرضين وقل لهم

فحي الجُفاةَ المَعْرضين وقل لهم

سَلامٌ وهل يُدْني البعيدَ سلامُ

سَلامٌ وهل يُدْني البعيدَ سلامُ

then greet the aloof who turn away, and say to them:

Greet the aloof, indifferent ones and tell them

“Peace!” Yet can a greeting bring the distant near?

Peace, does peace bring the distant near?

الا ليتَ أهلَ الغَور داري دارُهم

الا ليتَ أهلَ الغَور داري دارُهم

وليتَ زمَانَ الغورِ دامَ وداموا

وليتَ زمَانَ الغورِ دامَ وداموا

Ah, would that my home were the home of the people of al-Ghawr,

If only the people of the valley, their homes were my homes

and would that the days of al-Ghawr had lasted, and they had remained.

If only the time of the valley lasted and they lasted

فأمّا تروني لا أفيق من الهوى

فأمّا تروني لا أفيق من الهوى

فَلَحْظُ العيونِ القاتِلاتِ مُدام

فَلَحْظُ العيونِ القاتِلاتِ مُدام

So if you see me never sobering from love,

As for you seeing me not awaken from passion

it is because the gaze of those deadly eyes is aged wine.

The looks of the deadly eyes are my wine