وما كنتُ لولا صبوتي يوم ودّعوا

وما كنتُ لولا صبوتي يوم ودّعوا

وأجفانهم تلك الضعيفةُ تفتكُ

وأجفانهم تلك الضعيفةُ تفتكُ

And I would not, but for my infatuation on the day they bade farewell,

Had it not been for my youth the day they bid farewell,

while those frail eyelids of theirs deal death,

And their feeble eyelids began to flutter,

ليسهرني من بينهم طرفُ راقدٍ

ليسهرني من بينهم طرفُ راقدٍ

خليٍ ويبكيني الخليُّ ويضحكُ

خليٍ ويبكيني الخليُّ ويضحكُ

be kept awake by the gaze of a sleeper among them—

No sleeping glance of theirs would’ve kept me awake,

carefree; yet the carefree one makes me weep and laughs.

Empty of them, yet a glance makes me laugh and weep.