همُ حيَّروني حيثُ ساروا يمَّموا

همُ حيَّروني حيثُ ساروا يمَّموا

وحيثُ ثَوَوا بعدَ الفراقِ وخيَّموا

وحيثُ ثَوَوا بعدَ الفراقِ وخيَّموا

They left me bewildered as to where they traveled and headed,

They perplex me wherever they went and pitched their tents

and where they settled after parting and pitched camp.

After parting, they camped and settled

سروا بفُؤادي واستقلُّوا بناظِري

سروا بفُؤادي واستقلُّوا بناظِري

فنَوميَ ممنوعٌ وقَلبي مُسلِّمث

فنَوميَ ممنوعٌ وقَلبي مُسلِّمث

They journeyed by night with my heart and carried off my sight;

They captivated my heart and monopolized my sight

so sleep is denied me, and my heart has yielded.

So my sleep is forbidden and my heart is surrendered

إذا كانَ لي من حُسنِهم كُلَّ لحظةٍ

إذا كانَ لي من حُسنِهم كُلَّ لحظةٍ

رَبِيعٌ فنومي في هَواهمُ مُحرَّمث

رَبِيعٌ فنومي في هَواهمُ مُحرَّمث

If their beauty brings me, every moment,

If their beauty is like a spring to me every moment

a springtime, then sleep is forbidden to me for love of them.

Then my sleep in their love is forbidden

أُقبِّلُ منهم في الصبَّا كُلَّ نفحةس

أُقبِّلُ منهم في الصبَّا كُلَّ نفحةس

تَضوعُ برياهم وتصدرُ عنهمُ

تَضوعُ برياهم وتصدرُ عنهمُ

I kiss, in the east wind, every waft from them

I kiss from them every breeze at dawn

that carries their fragrance and comes from them.

That blows from their dwellings and comes from them

وإن لاحَ لي برقٌ على أبرقِ الحمَى

وإن لاحَ لي برقٌ على أبرقِ الحمَى

أقولُ أُهيلُ الُمنحنَى قد تَبسَّموا

أقولُ أُهيلُ الُمنحنَى قد تَبسَّموا

And if lightning flashes before me over the sanctuary's stony rise,

And if a flash of lightning smiles upon the bright crooked lightning

I say, “The dear folk of the bend have smiled.”

I say the bending full moon has smiled

وإن واجهتني نفحةٌ مندليةٌ

وإن واجهتني نفحةٌ مندليةٌ

لها أرجٌ تعتادُني قُلت مِنهمُ

لها أرجٌ تعتادُني قُلت مِنهمُ

And if a waft of Mandal aloeswood meets me,

And if a gentle breeze from them reaches me

fragrant as it visits me again, I say, “It is from them.”

With a fragrance that I know, I say it is from them

وَلَمَّا برزنا للَوَداعِ وأبرَزُوا

وَلَمَّا برزنا للَوَداعِ وأبرَزُوا

وُجُوهاً لنا منها بُدوُرُ وأَنجُمُ

وُجُوهاً لنا منها بُدوُرُ وأَنجُمُ

And when we came forth for farewell, and they revealed

And when we went forth to bid farewell and they unveiled

faces to us—among them full moons and stars—

Faces to us that are full moons and stars

غدا كُلُّ طرفٍ يستهلُّ بِدمعهِ

غدا كُلُّ طرفٍ يستهلُّ بِدمعهِ

وكلُّ لسانٍ عن هواهُم يُترجمُ

وكلُّ لسانٍ عن هواهُم يُترجمُ

every eye began to stream with tears,

Then every eyelid began flowing with its tears on the morrow

and every tongue gave voice to love for them.

And every tongue translating its passion for them

فَمن ناثِرٍ منهمُ حَديثَ جُمانهِ

فَمن ناثِرٍ منهمُ حَديثَ جُمانهِ

بَداً من سلوكِ الدَّمعِ وهوَ مُنظَّمُ

بَداً من سلوكِ الدَّمعِ وهوَ مُنظَّمُ

So one among them scattered his fresh pearls,

So one who scattered the pearls of his speech

emerging from strings of tears, though still strung;

Beginning to pour tears in quantity and adorned

ومن مَاسكٍ قَلباً تكادُ جُفونهُ

ومن مَاسكٍ قَلباً تكادُ جُفونهُ

تبوحُ بما في الحُبِّ يخفَى ويُكتَمُ

تبوحُ بما في الحُبِّ يخفَى ويُكتَمُ

and another held his heart fast, his eyelids almost

Another who held back a heart, almost revealing

revealing what, in love, is hidden and concealed.

What was hidden of love and concealed

فَوصلُهُمُ ما زالَ ليَ فيهِ جَنَّةٌ

فَوصلُهُمُ ما زالَ ليَ فيهِ جَنَّةٌ

وَهجرُهمُ لاَ كانَ يَوماً جهَنَّمُ

وَهجرُهمُ لاَ كانَ يَوماً جهَنَّمُ

For union with them has always held a paradise for me;

Their company is still for me a heaven

and separation from them—may it never come, even for a day—is Hell.

And parting from them has never been hell