طَرِبَ الفؤادُ لِطَيفِ رَوضَةَ غَاشِي

طَرِبَ الفؤادُ لِطَيفِ رَوضَةَ غَاشِي

والقومُ بين أَباطِحٍ وعِشاشِ

والقومُ بين أَباطِحٍ وعِشاشِ

My heart was stirred by Rawda's visiting apparition,

My heart was stirred by the gentle meadow's breeze

While the people were among broad riverbeds and uplands.

While people dwelled between sand dunes and nests

أَنَّى اهتَدَيتِ ودُونَ أَرضكِ سَبسَبٌ

أَنَّى اهتَدَيتِ ودُونَ أَرضكِ سَبسَبٌ

قَفرٌ وَحَزنٌ في دُجىً ورِشَاشِ

قَفرٌ وَحَزنٌ في دُجىً ورِشَاشِ

“How did you find your way, with a vast plain between us and your land,

How did you find your way when your land is barren

A barren waste and rugged ground, amid darkness and drizzle?”

Desolate wilderness, gloom and fine rain

قَالَت تَكَالِيفُ المَحَبِّ كَلِفتُها

قَالَت تَكَالِيفُ المَحَبِّ كَلِفتُها

إِنَّ المحِبَّ إِذَا أُخيفَ لَمَاشِي

إِنَّ المحِبَّ إِذَا أُخيفَ لَمَاشِي

She said, “I undertook the burdens of love;

She said: the costs of love I have endured

Indeed, a lover, when frightened, surely walks on.”

For the lover when frightened continues on his way

أَدعُوكِ روضَةَ رَحبٍ واسمُكِ غَيرُه

أَدعُوكِ روضَةَ رَحبٍ واسمُكِ غَيرُه

شَفَقاً وأَخشَى أَن يَشِي بكِ واشِي

شَفَقاً وأَخشَى أَن يَشِي بكِ واشِي

I call you 'Rawda of Rahb,' though your name is another,

I call you a vast meadow yet your name is different

Out of concern, and I fear an informer may betray you.

Lest someone overhearing might make it known while talking

قالَت فَزُرنا قلتُ كيفَ أَزُورُكم

قالَت فَزُرنا قلتُ كيفَ أَزُورُكم

وأَنا امرُؤٌ لِخُرُوجِ سِرِّكِ خَاشي

وأَنا امرُؤٌ لِخُرُوجِ سِرِّكِ خَاشي

She said, “Then visit us.” I said, “How can I visit you,

She said: so visit us; I said: how can I visit

When I am a man afraid of your secret being revealed?”

When I am a man fearing your secret may be revealed

قَالَت فَكُن لِعُمومَتي سَلماَ مَعَاً

قَالَت فَكُن لِعُمومَتي سَلماَ مَعَاً

والطُف لإِخوَتِيَ الَّذِينَ تُمَاشِي

والطُف لإِخوَتِيَ الَّذِينَ تُمَاشِي

She said, “Then be friendly to all my paternal uncles,

She said: then show goodwill to all of my family

And be kind to my brothers, with whom you walk,

And kindness to my brothers you walk with

فَتَزورَنا مَعَهُم زِيارَةَ آمنٍ

فَتَزورَنا مَعَهُم زِيارَةَ آمنٍ

والسرُّ يا وَضَّاحُ لَيس بفَاشِي

والسرُّ يا وَضَّاحُ لَيس بفَاشِي

So you may visit us with them, as one unafraid,

So you may visit us together safely

And the secret, O Waddah, will not be divulged.”

And the secret, clear one, will not be laid bare

وَلَقِيتُها تَمشِي بأَبطَحَ مَرَّةً

وَلَقِيتُها تَمشِي بأَبطَحَ مَرَّةً

بِخَلاَخِلٍ وَبِحُلَّةٍ أَكبَاشِ

بِخَلاَخِلٍ وَبِحُلَّةٍ أَكبَاشِ

And once I met her walking in a broad riverbed,

And I saw her walking once on the sand dune

With anklets and a robe of Akbash cloth.

In anklets and robes of wool

فَظَلِلتُ مَعمُوداً وبِتُّ مُسَهَّداً

فَظَلِلتُ مَعمُوداً وبِتُّ مُسَهَّداً

وَدُموعُ عَيني في الرِّدَاءِ غَواشي

وَدُموعُ عَيني في الرِّدَاءِ غَواشي

So I spent the day stricken, and the night sleepless,

So I remained erect, spending the night sleepless

And tears from my eyes spread over my cloak.

With tears from my eyes soaking my cloak

يَارَوضُ حُبُّكِ سَلَّ جِسمي وانتَحى

يَارَوضُ حُبُّكِ سَلَّ جِسمي وانتَحى

في العَظمِ حتى قَد بَلَغتِ مُشَاشِي

في العَظمِ حتى قَد بَلَغتِ مُشَاشِي

O Rawd, your love has wasted my body and made its way

Oh meadow, your love has enfeebled my body and wasted away

Into the bone, until you reached the soft ends of my bones.

My bones until you have reached my innermost depths