هَل في الصَّبا من عُرِيبِ الُمنحنى نَفسُ

هَل في الصَّبا من عُرِيبِ الُمنحنى نَفسُ

أَم خَامَرَ البانَ مِن أَعطافِهِم مَيَسُ

أَم خَامَرَ البانَ مِن أَعطافِهِم مَيَسُ

Is there in the east wind a breath from the dear Arab folk at the bend?

Is there a gazelle at Saba bending down her neck in the thicket of tangled trees,

Or has the moringa been imbued with the sway of their forms?

While the morning dew dampens their twigs with the moisture of pearls?

أَكوكَبٌ في دُجى اللَّيلِ البَهيمِ بدا

أَكوكَبٌ في دُجى اللَّيلِ البَهيمِ بدا

أم لاحَ للعينِ في نيرانِهِم قَبَسُ

أم لاحَ للعينِ في نيرانِهِم قَبَسُ

Did a star appear in the darkness of the pitch-black night,

As if a planet of the night shone out during its gloom,

Or did a flame among their fires gleam into view?

Or the fireflies gleamed in the darkness of their thickets.

يا بَرقُ هاكَ فُؤادي ثُمَّ لاقِ بهِ

يا بَرقُ هاكَ فُؤادي ثُمَّ لاقِ بهِ

أُهَيل نَجدٍ فهذا منِكَ أَلتمِسُ

أُهَيل نَجدٍ فهذا منِكَ أَلتمِسُ

O lightning, take my heart, then go with it to meet

O lightning flash, craze my heart, then heal it,

The dear folk of Najd—for this is what I ask of you.

For it is the knights of Najd that I implore.

واحذر عَلَيهِ عُيونَ العِينِ إِذ سَفَرت

واحذر عَلَيهِ عُيونَ العِينِ إِذ سَفَرت

عَنها البراقعُ أَو جادَت بِها الكُنُسُ

عَنها البراقعُ أَو جادَت بِها الكُنُسُ

And guard it against the eyes of the wide-eyed beauties, when

Beware that the spying eyes do not observe him

Veils draw back from them, or gazelles' lairs yield them forth.

Whether the veils are removed or the convents appear.

وَخلِّهِ بَينَ بانِ الجِزعِ في دَعَةٍ

وَخلِّهِ بَينَ بانِ الجِزعِ في دَعَةٍ

حَيثُ الثُّغورُ الأَقاحِ الغُضُّ واللُّعُسُ

حَيثُ الثُّغورُ الأَقاحِ الغُضُّ واللُّعُسُ

And leave it among the moringas of the valley bend, at ease,

Place him amid the panic of the startled one,

Where mouths are fresh daisies, and beauties are dusky-lipped.

Where the borders abound with weakness, and misery.

وَقُل لِسُكَّانِهِ هذا مَريضُكُمُ

وَقُل لِسُكَّانِهِ هذا مَريضُكُمُ

من لاعِجِ الوَجدِ والأَشواقِ مُنتَكسُ

من لاعِجِ الوَجدِ والأَشواقِ مُنتَكسُ

And tell its dwellers: this is your ailing one,

And say to the people of the place that this is your sick one,

Relapsing from the searing heat of passion and longing.

Who languishes from the agony of love and desires.

لَو مَرَّ ذكرُ سِواكُم في سَريرتِهِ

لَو مَرَّ ذكرُ سِواكُم في سَريرتِهِ

وَهَمَّ بالنُّطقِ يَوماً نَالَهُ خَرَسُ

وَهَمَّ بالنُّطقِ يَوماً نَالَهُ خَرَسُ

Were the thought of anyone but you to cross his inmost heart,

Had he recalled your memory in his inner thoughts

And he ever meant to utter it, muteness would seize him.

And wished to speak one day, dumbness would seize him.

وَزورَةٍ في فُؤادِ اللَّيلِ جادَ بِها

وَزورَةٍ في فُؤادِ اللَّيلِ جادَ بِها

مُمَنَّعق بالحِمَى طابَت بِهِ الخُلَسُ

مُمَنَّعق بالحِمَى طابَت بِهِ الخُلَسُ

And many a visit in the heart of night was granted by

With a visitation in the heart of the night it came to him

A well-guarded beloved in the protected grounds; stolen moments with him were sweet.

Riding the fever, approved with its visions.

بِتنَا مِنَ اللَّيلِ في لُحفٍ مُحَبَّرةٍ

بِتنَا مِنَ اللَّيلِ في لُحفٍ مُحَبَّرةٍ

والرَّملُ فَرشٌ ومن شهبِ الدُّجَى حَرَسُ

والرَّملُ فَرشٌ ومن شهبِ الدُّجَى حَرَسُ

We spent part of the night beneath richly patterned coverlets,

We passed from the night in embroidered wraps,

And sand was our bed, and the night's shooting stars our guards.

While the sands were a carpet and meteors stood guard.

وَصلٌ أَلذُّ مِنَ الماءِ الزُّلالِ لَدى ال

وَصلٌ أَلذُّ مِنَ الماءِ الزُّلالِ لَدى ال

ظَّامي فلا رِيبَةٌ فيهِ وَلا دَنَسُ

ظَّامي فلا رِيبَةٌ فيهِ وَلا دَنَسُ

A union sweeter than limpid water to the

A more delightful night than cool water for the thirsty one in the dark,

Thirsty one—there is no suspicion in it, nor any stain.

No doubt in it and no impurity.