شَرّد نومي دنِفا

شَرّد نومي دنِفا

يرقّ عَلى الغور نَفا

يرقّ عَلى الغور نَفا

It drove my sleep away as I lay lovesick,

My lonely sleep has fled

shimmering faintly above al-Ghawr, rising aloft.

Fluttering over the gorge in dread

ذَكَّرَني وَميضه

ذَكَّرَني وَميضه

طيبَ لَيالٍ سَلَفا

طيبَ لَيالٍ سَلَفا

Its gleam reminded me

Its gleam reminding me

of the sweetness of nights gone by.

Of sweet nights once mine to see

وَا أَسفي عَلى الحِمى

وَا أَسفي عَلى الحِمى

وَأَهلِه وَا أَسَفا

وَأَهلِه وَا أَسَفا

Ah, my sorrow for the sanctuary

Alas for that camp, alas its folk

and its people—alas, what sorrow!

Oh how I grieve for the homeward road

يا لَيتَ حادي عيسِهِم

يا لَيتَ حادي عيسِهِم

لَمّا سَرى تَوقَّفا

لَمّا سَرى تَوقَّفا

Oh, if only the driver of their pale camels

Would that when my love took flight

had stopped when he traveled by night!

The rider had tarried that fateful night

هيَّجني لَمّا حَدا

هيَّجني لَمّا حَدا

وَمَرّ عَنّي معسفاً

وَمَرّ عَنّي معسفاً

He stirred me when he chanted to the camels,

When it drew rein, my grief awoke

and passed me by, taking a trackless way.

To see it pass wrapped in a cloak

وَالعِيسُ مِن أَشواقِها

وَالعِيسُ مِن أَشواقِها

قَد رَقَصَت تَلَطّفا

قَد رَقَصَت تَلَطّفا

And the pale camels, out of their longing,

While for yearning after its folk

had danced gently.

The campfire leaped in a dance light and quick