ايقظان ام هب الفُؤاد لَطائِف

ايقظان ام هب الفُؤاد لَطائِف

أَلَم فَحَيّا الركب وَالعَين نائِمَه

أَلَم فَحَيّا الركب وَالعَين نائِمَه

Awake—or did the heart stir at subtle pangs

Am I awake, or did my heart stir at a phantom

of pain, then hail the caravan while the eye lay sleeping?

That came and greeted the riders while the eye slept?

سَرى مِن بِلاد الغور حَتّى اهتَدى لَنا

سَرى مِن بِلاد الغور حَتّى اهتَدى لَنا

وَنَحنُ قَريب من عَمود سَوادِمه

وَنَحنُ قَريب من عَمود سَوادِمه

The caravan journeyed by night from the lands of al-Ghawr until it found its way to us,

It journeyed by night from the lands of al-Ghawr until it found its way to us,

while we were near the central column of their dark host

While we were near Amud Sawadimah,

بِنَجد وَما كانَت بِعَهدي رَجيلَة

بِنَجد وَما كانَت بِعَهدي رَجيلَة

وَلا ذات فِكر في سَرى اللَيلِ فاطِمَه

وَلا ذات فِكر في سَرى اللَيلِ فاطِمَه

in Najd; yet never, to my knowledge, had she been a traveler,

In Najd; when I knew her, she was no hardy walker,

nor was Fatima one to contemplate journeys through the night.

Nor was Fatimah one to contemplate traveling through the night.

وَوَاللَهُ ما مِن عادَة لَكَ في السَرى

وَوَاللَهُ ما مِن عادَة لَكَ في السَرى

سَرَيت وَلا اِن كُنت بِالاِرضِ عالمه

سَرَيت وَلا اِن كُنت بِالاِرضِ عالمه

By God, it was never your custom to travel by night;

And, by God, night travel was no habit of yours;

yet you journeyed, though you knew nothing of the land.

You journeyed by night, though you did not know the land.

وَلكِنَّما مُثِّلَتِ لَيلاً لِذي الهَوى

وَلكِنَّما مُثِّلَتِ لَيلاً لِذي الهَوى

فَبِتُّ عَلى خَير وَفارَقت سالمه

فَبِتُّ عَلى خَير وَفارَقت سالمه

But it was only your Layla who appeared before the love-possessed;

But you were only made to appear by night to one in love;

so you passed the night in peace and departed safe.

So I passed the night content, and you departed safe.

فَيا لَكَ ذا ودّ وَيا لَكَ لَيلَة

فَيا لَكَ ذا ودّ وَيا لَكَ لَيلَة

تجلَّت وَكانَت بردَة العَيش ناعِمه

تجلَّت وَكانَت بردَة العَيش ناعِمه

Ah, what devotion was yours—and ah, what a night!

How loving you were, and what a night—

It unveiled itself, and the mantle of life was soft.

It cleared away, while life's mantle was soft.

فَلَو دُمت لَم أَملَل وَلكِن تَرَكتَني

فَلَو دُمت لَم أَملَل وَلكِن تَرَكتَني

بِدائي وَما الدُنيا لحيّ بِدائِمه

بِدائي وَما الدُنيا لحيّ بِدائِمه

Had you endured, I would never have wearied; but you left me

Had you stayed, I would not have tired, but you left me

with my malady—and this world endures for no living soul.

With my malady; this world lasts for no living soul.

وَذكرتِنا أَيّامنا بِسويقةٍ

وَذكرتِنا أَيّامنا بِسويقةٍ

وَلَيلَتنا اِذ النَوى مُتَلائِمَه

وَلَيلَتنا اِذ النَوى مُتَلائِمَه

You recalled to us our days at Suwayqa,

And you reminded us of our days at Suwayqah,

and our night when our purposes were in accord.

And our night, when our homes lay close together.