الحُبُّ مَسٌّ خَاطفٌ مُتَملِّكُ

الحُبُّ مَسٌّ خَاطفٌ مُتَملِّكُ

يَغْزو تَلابيبَ القلوبِ ويُمْسِكُ

يَغْزو تَلابيبَ القلوبِ ويُمْسِكُ

Love is a sudden touch that takes possession;

Love is a sudden conquest that takes hold

It invades the collars of hearts and holds fast.

It invades the folds of hearts and grasps them

أرْنو إلى وَصْلِ الحَبيبِ مُناجِيًا

أرْنو إلى وَصْلِ الحَبيبِ مُناجِيًا

فالبْوحُ مِنْ نَفَحَاتِهِ يَتَبَرَّكُ

فالبْوحُ مِنْ نَفَحَاتِهِ يَتَبَرَّكُ

I gaze longingly toward union with the beloved, whispering intimately;

I yearn for the beloved's union, imploring

For the outpouring draws blessing from his fragrant breaths.

His exhalations are blessings that abound

وأطرِّزُ الشِّعْرَ النديَّ لِطَيْفِهِ

وأطرِّزُ الشِّعْرَ النديَّ لِطَيْفِهِ

إنْ لاحَ لي، في غارِهِ أتَنَسَّكُ

إنْ لاحَ لي، في غارِهِ أتَنَسَّكُ

And I embroider dew-fresh verse for his apparition;

And I embroider poetry, delicate for his apparition

If he appears to me, I practice ascetic devotion in his cave.

If he appears, in his cave I will seclude

انا إن عشِقتُ ركبتُ أحلام الرؤى

انا إن عشِقتُ ركبتُ أحلام الرؤى

لأهيمَ صبّا لا أعي، لا أدرِكُ

لأهيمَ صبّا لا أعي، لا أدرِكُ

If I fall in love, I ride the dreams of visions,

If I fall in love, I embark on dreams of visions

To wander lovesick, unaware, uncomprehending.

To wander ardently, unaware, oblivious

وإذا عُشِقْتُ ثملتُ مِنْ ثغْرِ الهَوى

وإذا عُشِقْتُ ثملتُ مِنْ ثغْرِ الهَوى

فالسُّكْرُ مِنْ ثغْرِ الهَوى لا يُتركُ

فالسُّكْرُ مِنْ ثغْرِ الهَوى لا يُتركُ

And when I am loved, I grow drunk on passion's lips;

And when I'm loved, I get drunk on the lips of passion

For drunkenness from passion's lips is not forsaken.

For the intoxication of passion cannot be relinquished

لكِنَّهُ ويل بليل قد همى

لكِنَّهُ ويل بليل قد همى

والِعشْقُ فيهِ جناية بل مَهْلكُ

والِعشْقُ فيهِ جناية بل مَهْلكُ

Yet it is woe that has poured down by night,

But woe to the night that conspired

And love within it is a crime—rather, destruction.

And love in it is a crime, nay a demise

هَمّي عَتيٌّ لا يُهدُّ بِمُنْيةٍ

هَمّي عَتيٌّ لا يُهدُّ بِمُنْيةٍ

صمصامُ نَصْلٍ في الحَنايا يَفْتِكُ

صمصامُ نَصْلٍ في الحَنايا يَفْتِكُ

My anguish is unyielding; no wish can break it;

My worries are unyielding, not appeased with death

A keen sword-blade wreaks havoc in my breast's recesses.

A relentless blade in sorrows that slaughters

العادياتُ سَنابتٌ كرارةٌ

العادياتُ سَنابتٌ كرارةٌ

كانت بحوماتِ الوغى لا تُدرَكُ

كانت بحوماتِ الوغى لا تُدرَكُ

The galloping steeds are swift and strong, charging again and again;

The principles were lofty palms

In the thick of battle, they could not be overtaken.

They could not be reached amidst the fray

واليوم َويحاهُ نَراها أدْبرَتْ

واليوم َويحاهُ نَراها أدْبرَتْ

وقد اجْتباها عتمُنا المُحلولكُ

وقد اجْتباها عتمُنا المُحلولكُ

And today—alas!—we see them in retreat;

But alas, today we see them reversed

And our pitch-black darkness has chosen them.

And our deep darkness has shrouded them

كنَّا الألى نحوَ العُلا هاماتُنا

كنَّا الألى نحوَ العُلا هاماتُنا

بتنا السُّدى مذْ تاهَ فينا المسلَكُ

بتنا السُّدى مذْ تاهَ فينا المسلَكُ

We were those whose heads reached toward the heights;

We were the highest aspirations

We have become aimless since the path went astray among us.

But now we wander aimlessly, our path concealed

يا حَسْرةً ضوءُ العُروبَةِ قد خبا

يا حَسْرةً ضوءُ العُروبَةِ قد خبا

والصبرُ من كربِ الرّزايا مُنْهكُ

والصبرُ من كربِ الرّزايا مُنْهكُ

Alas! The light of Arab identity has dimmed,

Alas, the light of Arabism has faded

And patience is exhausted by the anguish of calamities.

And patience from the adversity is exhausted

ساساتُ قَوْمي قَدْ "تَصهْينَ" جُلُّهُمْ

ساساتُ قَوْمي قَدْ "تَصهْينَ" جُلُّهُمْ

تَركوا العُروبَةَ ما اسْتحوا و "تأمْرَكوا"

تَركوا العُروبَةَ ما اسْتحوا و "تأمْرَكوا"

Most of my people's politicians have become Zionists;

The leaders of my people have been fully "Israelized"

They abandoned Arab identity, felt no shame, and became Americanized.

They abandoned Arabism, shameless, "Americanized"

عاثوا بِيَعْرُبَ جَفّفوا أعْوادَها

عاثوا بِيَعْرُبَ جَفّفوا أعْوادَها

فَتَناثَرَتْ بيد العِدا تَتَفَكَّكُ

فَتَناثَرَتْ بيد العِدا تَتَفَكَّكُ

They wrought havoc in Ya'rub, drying out her branches;

They wreaked havoc on the Arabs, drying up their trees

So she scattered in the hands of foes, falling apart.

So they fragmented and scattered by the hands of enemies

ويْ ويْ لنا بِتْنا مَطايا للخَنا

ويْ ويْ لنا بِتْنا مَطايا للخَنا

أعْراضُنا في السّاحِ تُسْبى تُهْتَكُ

أعْراضُنا في السّاحِ تُسْبى تُهْتَكُ

Woe, woe to us! We have become mounts for depravity;

Woe to us, we have become prey for derision

Our honor is taken captive and violated in the arena.

Our honor in the field is plundered and violated

تَرَفٌ مُغازَلةُ الظّباءِ صَبابَةً

تَرَفٌ مُغازَلةُ الظّباءِ صَبابَةً

وَدَمُ الحَرائِرِ في بِلادي يُسْفَكُ

وَدَمُ الحَرائِرِ في بِلادي يُسْفَكُ

Wooing gazelles with lovesick longing is a luxury,

Flirting with gazelles is now frivolity

While the blood of free women is shed in my land.

While the blood of free women in my country is shed