أَحِبَّة قَلبي وَالمُنى طوع أَمركم

أَحِبَّة قَلبي وَالمُنى طوع أَمركم

صلوني فَلَيلي طال مِن طول هَجركم

صلوني فَلَيلي طال مِن طول هَجركم

O beloved ones, my heart and hopes are at your command.

O beloveds of my heart, my wish is at your command

Grant me union, for my night has lengthened with your long estrangement.

Pray for me, for my night has grown long in your absence

أَما وَعُهودٍ أَلزَمَتني بِشُكرِكُم

أَما وَعُهودٍ أَلزَمَتني بِشُكرِكُم

إِذا جَنَّ لَيلي هامَ قَلبي بِذكركم

إِذا جَنَّ لَيلي هامَ قَلبي بِذكركم

Indeed, by pledges that bound me to gratitude toward you,

Yet pacts you made oblige me to thank you

When my night grows dark, my heart wanders in longing at the thought of you;

When night descends, my heart is consumed with thoughts of you

أَنوح كَما ناحَ الحَمام المُطَوَّقُ

أَنوح كَما ناحَ الحَمام المُطَوَّقُ

أعلّل آمالي إِذا اللَيل عَسعَسا

أعلّل آمالي إِذا اللَيل عَسعَسا

I lament as the ring-necked doves lament.

I mourn like a caged dove that cries

I soothe my hopes when night closes in,

I nourish my hopes when night falls heavily

عَسى أَن أَرى صُبحَ التَلاقي تَنَفَّسا

عَسى أَن أَرى صُبحَ التَلاقي تَنَفَّسا

فَهَل يَشتَفي دائي وَقَد أعجز الإِسا

فَهَل يَشتَفي دائي وَقَد أعجز الإِسا

Perhaps I shall see the dawn of reunion breathe.

Maybe I'll see the dawn of our reunion breathe

Can my illness be cured, when it has defeated the healers?

Can medicine cure me when even doctors fail?

وَفَوقي سَحاب يُمطر الهَمّ وَالأَسى

وَفَوقي سَحاب يُمطر الهَمّ وَالأَسى

وَتَحتي بحار بِالجَوى تَتَدفّقُ

وَتَحتي بحار بِالجَوى تَتَدفّقُ

And above me clouds rain worry and sorrow,

Above me, clouds rain sorrow and pain

And beneath me seas surge with heartache.

Below me, seas surge with yearning

أَلا يا سُراةً في فؤادي مَسيرُها

أَلا يا سُراةً في فؤادي مَسيرُها

إِلى غاية مِن بعدها أَستَجيرُها

إِلى غاية مِن بعدها أَستَجيرُها

Ah, O night travelers, whose journey runs through my heart,

Oh you who journey through my heart, your path

Toward a goal whose protection I seek against its remoteness.

Leads to a destination I seek refuge in

بِعَيشكُمُ إِن يدنُ مِنكُم سَريرُها

بِعَيشكُمُ إِن يدنُ مِنكُم سَريرُها

سَلوا أُمّ عَمرو كَيف بات أَسيرُها

سَلوا أُمّ عَمرو كَيف بات أَسيرُها

By your lives, if her couch draws near you,

To live with you, if only your bed came near mine

Ask Umm Amr how her captive spent the night:

Ask Umm 'Amr how her captive spent the night

تَفكُّ الأسارى دونَه وَهوَ موثقُ

تَفكُّ الأسارى دونَه وَهوَ موثقُ

فِدى أَهلِها أَهلي وَفيَّ سَماحَةٌ

فِدى أَهلِها أَهلي وَفيَّ سَماحَةٌ

She frees the other captives, while he remains bound.

Freeing prisoners but himself bound

May my kin be ransom for hers; I am generous

To free his folk, mine are graciousness and purity

بِنَفسي وَفيهم عِزَّةٌ وَملاحة

بِنَفسي وَفيهم عِزَّةٌ وَملاحة

هُم أَسروا قَلبي وَفيهِ جراحَةٌ

هُم أَسروا قَلبي وَفيهِ جراحَةٌ

With my own life, while they possess pride and beauty.

My soul is theirs, in them glory and excellence

They took my heart captive, and it bears a wound.

They captured my heart and in it are wounds

فَلا هُوَ مَقتول وَفي القَتل راحَة

فَلا هُوَ مَقتول وَفي القَتل راحَة

وَلا هُوَ مَمنون عَلَيهِ فَيُطلَقُ

وَلا هُوَ مَمنون عَلَيهِ فَيُطلَقُ

So it is neither slain—though being slain would bring relief—

Not slain so death brings relief

Nor shown mercy and thus set free.

Nor held hostage and then released