حَيِّ الأُختَينِ قَد أَجَمَّ الفِراقُ

حَيِّ الأُختَينِ قَد أَجَمَّ الفِراقُ

وَدَنَت رِحلَةٌ لَنا وَاِنطِلاقُ

وَدَنَت رِحلَةٌ لَنا وَاِنطِلاقُ

Greet the two sisters: parting is now at hand,

Oh sisters, farewell has come close

and our journey and departure have drawn near.

And a journey is near for us and departure

مَجلِسٌ واحِدٌ نَرى العَيشَ فيهِ

مَجلِسٌ واحِدٌ نَرى العَيشَ فيهِ

حينَ نَخلو كَأَنَّنا سُرّاقُ

حينَ نَخلو كَأَنَّنا سُرّاقُ

A single meeting, in which we find life,

In one gathering we see life

when we are alone together, as though we were thieves.

When alone it's as if we are thieves

لا يَرانا مِنَ البَرِيَّةِ إِنسا

لا يَرانا مِنَ البَرِيَّةِ إِنسا

نٌ عَلَينا مِنَ الصَريمِ رِواقُ

نٌ عَلَينا مِنَ الصَريمِ رِواقُ

No human being among creation sees us;

No human sees us in the wilderness

a canopy of night lies over us.

Except curtains upon us from the sanctuary

لَكُمُ اللَهُ وَالأَمانَةُ لا نَك

لَكُمُ اللَهُ وَالأَمانَةُ لا نَك

ذِبُ فيما نَقولُ وَالميثاقُ

ذِبُ فيما نَقولُ وَالميثاقُ

God and good faith are your guarantee—we do not

For you is God and the covenant we do not

lie in what we say—and so is our covenant.

Lie in what we say and the pact

إِنَّما تَيَّمَت فُؤادِيَ أُختا

إِنَّما تَيَّمَت فُؤادِيَ أُختا

نِ مُلَوّىً عَلَيهِما الأَطواقُ

نِ مُلَوّىً عَلَيهِما الأَطواقُ

Only two sisters have enslaved my heart,

But my heart is afflicted, oh two sisters

with necklaces twined about them.

Wound upon it are the shackles

دُرَّتا غائِصٍ مِنَ الهِندِ مالُ ال

دُرَّتا غائِصٍ مِنَ الهِندِ مالُ ال

شَأمِ يُجبى إِلَيهِما وَالعِراقُ

شَأمِ يُجبى إِلَيهِما وَالعِراقُ

Two pearls of a diver from India; the wealth of

Two pearls from the depths of India, the wealth of

Syria and Iraq is brought to them as tribute.

Syria is collected to them and Iraq

مِنهُما الشَمسُ أَشرَقَت يَومَ دَجنٍ

مِنهُما الشَمسُ أَشرَقَت يَومَ دَجنٍ

فَأَضاءَت بِنورِها الآفاقُ

فَأَضاءَت بِنورِها الآفاقُ

One of them is the sun, which shone on a cloudy day,

From them the sun rose on a dark day

and lit the horizons with her light.

So it lit up the horizons with its light

وَفَتاةٌ كَالبَدرِ تَحنو إِلَيها

وَفَتاةٌ كَالبَدرِ تَحنو إِلَيها

حينَ تَبدو العُيونُ وَالأَعناقُ

حينَ تَبدو العُيونُ وَالأَعناقُ

And a maiden like the full moon, toward whom turn

And a girl like the full moon inclining toward her

eyes and necks when she appears.

When eyes and necks appear

يَعجِزُ المِطرَفُ السُباعِيُّ عَنها

يَعجِزُ المِطرَفُ السُباعِيُّ عَنها

وَالإِزارُ المُفَوَّفُ المِلفاقُ

وَالإِزارُ المُفَوَّفُ المِلفاقُ

The seven-cubit cloak is too small for her,

The kohl-lined eye is incapable of her

and so is the ample, striped waist-wrap.

And the pleated, wrapped skirt

فازَتا بِالجَمالِ وَالحُسنِ لَمّا

فازَتا بِالجَمالِ وَالحُسنِ لَمّا

أَكمَلَ الخَلقَ مِنهُما الخَلّاقُ

أَكمَلَ الخَلقَ مِنهُما الخَلّاقُ

Both gained beauty and loveliness when

They won beauty and charm when

the Creator perfected their forms.

The Creator perfected the creation of them

إِنَّ حُبّي إِيّاكُما لَكَثيرٌ

إِنَّ حُبّي إِيّاكُما لَكَثيرٌ

لَيسَ حُبَّيكُما القَليلُ الرِماقُ

لَيسَ حُبَّيكُما القَليلُ الرِماقُ

My love for you both is indeed great;

Indeed my love for you two is plenty

my love for you both is no scant, feeble thing.

My love for you is not little or scarce

عَمرَكَ اللَهُ يا بُدَيحُ أَما تَع

عَمرَكَ اللَهُ يا بُدَيحُ أَما تَع

لَمُ أَنّي إِلَيهِما مُشتاقُ

لَمُ أَنّي إِلَيهِما مُشتاقُ

God preserve your life, Budayh—do you not

May God extend your life oh Budayh, do you not

know that I long for them both?

Know that I long for them