عَشياتِ وادي الُمنَحَنَى علَّ عَودَةً

عَشياتِ وادي الُمنَحَنَى علَّ عَودَةً

نُلاقي بِها فيكُنَّ أَهلَ الُمحَصَّبِ

نُلاقي بِها فيكُنَّ أَهلَ الُمحَصَّبِ

O evenings of Wadi al-Munhana, may we return,

The evenings of Wadi al-Munhanah, hoping for a return,

and thus meet the people of al-Muhassab in your midst.

We meet them, so you are the people of al-Muhassab.

وَنَستَنشِقُ الأَرواحَ مِن رَملٍ دارةٍ

وَنَستَنشِقُ الأَرواحَ مِن رَملٍ دارةٍ

سُحَيراً فباناتٍ على عُربِ غُرَّبِ

سُحَيراً فباناتٍ على عُربِ غُرَّبِ

And inhale the fragrant breezes from Darah’s sands,

And we breathe in spirits from the sands blown about,

at early dawn, then from ban trees beside Arabs far from home.

Dizzying, so clear skies over nomads wandering.

وَنَرتَاحُ إِن هَبَّت صَبَاً حاجِرِيَّةٌ

وَنَرتَاحُ إِن هَبَّت صَبَاً حاجِرِيَّةٌ

بِها للِهوىَ أَثارُ سِرِّ مُطَيَّبِ

بِها للِهوىَ أَثارُ سِرِّ مُطَيَّبِ

And rejoice if an east wind blows from Hajir,

And we rest if the northerly wind blows strongly,

bearing traces of love’s perfumed secret.

Bearing traces of passion’s secret scent.

وَتَحيا نُفوسٌ بَعدَكُنَّ أَماتَها

وَتَحيا نُفوسٌ بَعدَكُنَّ أَماتَها

بِعَادُ زَمانِ بَعدَ ذَاكَ التَّغَرُّبِ

بِعَادُ زَمانِ بَعدَ ذَاكَ التَّغَرُّبِ

And souls revive that, after you, were slain

And souls come alive after you had killed them,

by an age of separation, after that exile.

The times return after that estrangement.

فَكَم شَرقَت فِيكُنَّ شَمسٌ على الحِمَى

فَكَم شَرقَت فِيكُنَّ شَمسٌ على الحِمَى

تَراها عِشاءً بَينَ سِربِ وَرَبربِ

تَراها عِشاءً بَينَ سِربِ وَرَبربِ

How often a sun rose in your midst above the protected pasture,

So many suns have risen over the feverish sands,

which you see at nightfall amid gazelles and wild cattle.

You’d think it evening amidst the twittering flocks.

وَكَم مالَ غُصنٌ بالنَّسيمِ فَخلِتُهُ

وَكَم مالَ غُصنٌ بالنَّسيمِ فَخلِتُهُ

مَعاطِفَ قَدٍّ بالشَّمائِلِ مُعجَبِ

مَعاطِفَ قَدٍّ بالشَّمائِلِ مُعجَبِ

And how often a bough bent in the breeze, and I thought it

And many a branch sways in the breeze, so I imagined it

the curves of a figure enamored of its own graces.

Cloaks of leadership, fascinated by its charms.

وَرُحتُ كَأَنِّي قَد شَربِتُ مُدامَةً

وَرُحتُ كَأَنِّي قَد شَربِتُ مُدامَةً

تُرَنِّحُني سُكراً فَأَحمَدُ مَشرَبي

تُرَنِّحُني سُكراً فَأَحمَدُ مَشرَبي

And I went away as though I had drunk wine,

And I went as though I’d drunk wine,

which makes me reel with drunkenness—so I praise my drink.

That makes me tipsy with joy at my drink.