عَلَى الْعَقِيقِ اجْتَمَعْنَا

عَلَى الْعَقِيقِ اجْتَمَعْنَانَحْنُ وَسُودُ الْعُيُونِ

ʿalā al-ʿaqīqi jtamaʿnā, Naḥnu wasūdu al-ʿuyūni

At al-'Aqiq we gathered, we and the dark-eyed ones.

مَا ظَنَّ مَجْنُونُ لَيْلَىقَدْ جُنَّ بَعْضَ الْجُنُونِ

Mā ẓanna majnūnu laylā, Qad junna baʿḍa al-junūni

Do you suppose Layla's madman was mad with only a little madness?

فَيَا عُيُونِي عَيَوْنِيوَيَا جُفُونِي جَفَوْنِي

Fayā ʿuyūnī ʿayawnī, Wayā jufūnī jafawnī

O my eyes: they cast the eye on me! O my eyelids: they shunned me!

وَيَا قُلَيْبِي تَصَبَّرْعَلَى الَّذِي فَارَقُونِي

Wayā qulaybī taṣabbar, ʿalā al-ladhī fāraqūnī

And O my little heart, be patient with those who have left me.

فَارَقْتُهُمْ يَوْمَ الاثْنَيْنِصُبْحَ الثَّلَاثَا وَاحِشُونِي

Fāraqtuhum yawma al-āthnayni, Ṣubḥa ath-thalāthā wāḥishūnī

I parted from them on Monday; by Tuesday morning I missed them.

هُمْ سَادَةٌ خَلَّفُونِيأَبْكِي دَماً مِنْ عُيُونِي

Hum sādatun khallafūnī, Abkī daman min ʿuyūnī

They are masters who left me behind, weeping blood from my eyes.

بَكَيْتُ حَتَّى رَثَانِيالطَّيْرُ فَوْقَ الْغُصُونِ

Bakaytu ḥattā rathānī, Aṭ-ṭayru fawqa al-ghuṣūni

I wept until the birds on the branches lamented for me.

بِاللهِ إِنْ مُتُّ شَوْقاًبِأَدْمُعِي غَسِّلُونِي

Billāhi in muttu shawqan, Biʾadmuʿī ghassilūnī

By Allah, if I die of longing, wash me with my tears.

نُوحُوا عَلَيَّ وَقُولُواهَذَا قَتِيلُ العُيُونِ

Nūḥū ʿalayya waqūlū, Hadhā qatīlu al-ʿuyūni

Mourn over me and say: "This is one slain by eyes."

مَا زِلْتُ حَوْلَ الْمَطَايَاأَقُولُ بِاللهِ احْمِلُونِي

Mā ziltu ḥawla al-maṭāyā, Aqūlu billāhi ḥmilūnī

I kept circling the camels, saying: "By Allah, carry me

إِلَى مَنَازِلِ قَوْمِيسَارُوا وَمَا وَدَّعُونِي

Ilā manāzili qawmī, Sārū wamā waddaʿūnī

To the dwellings of my people, who set out without bidding me farewell."

رُوحْ يَا رَسُولِي إِلَيْهِمْسِرْعاً وَقَبِّلْ يَدَيْهِمْ

Rūḥ yā rasūlī ilayhim, Sirʿan waqabbil yadayhim

Go, my messenger, to them, swiftly, and kiss their hands,

وَاقْرَأْ سَلَامِي عَلَيْهِمْلَعَلَّهُمْ يَقْبَلُونِي

Waqraʾ salāmī ʿalayhim, Laʿallahum yaqbalūnī

And convey my greetings to them; perhaps they will accept me.

جَانِي الرَّسُول وَهُوَ يَضْحَكْوَقَالَ أَبْشِرْ بِصُلْحِكْ

Jānī ar-rasūl wahuwa yaḍḥak, Waqāla abshir biṣulḥik

The messenger came to me laughing, and said: "Rejoice at your reconciliation!

وَحَيَاةِ عَيْشِكَ وَمِلْحِكْهُمْ بِالوِصَالِ وَاعَدُونِي

Waḥayāti ʿayshika wamilḥik, Hum bi-al-wiṣāli wāʿadūnī

By your life and the bread and salt we share, they have promised me union for you."