لَيْتَ شِعْرِي

لَيْتَ شِعْرِي

أَيُّ طَيْرْ

أَيُّ طَيْرْ

If only I knew:

If only I knew

If only I knew,

What bird

What bird

Which bird,

يَسْمَعُ الأَحْزانَ تَبْكي

يَسْمَعُ الأَحْزانَ تَبْكي

بَيْنَ أَعْماقِ القُلُوبْ

بَيْنَ أَعْماقِ القُلُوبْ

Hears sorrows weeping

Hears the sorrows weeping

Hearing the sorrows weeping

In the depths of hearts,

In the depths of hearts

Within the depths of hearts,

ثمَّ لا يَهْتِفُ في الفَجْرِ

ثمَّ لا يَهْتِفُ في الفَجْرِ

برَنَّاتِ النَّحِيبْ

برَنَّاتِ النَّحِيبْ

Then does not cry out at dawn

Then does not cry out at dawn

Does not then cry out at dawn

With the ringing tones of sobbing,

With the lamentation of grief

With the resonant tones of wailing,

بخُشُوعٍ واكتِئَابْ

بخُشُوعٍ واكتِئَابْ

لَسْتُ لأدري

لَسْتُ لأدري

With humility and dejection?

In humility and melancholy

In reverence and gloom.

I do not know

I do not know

I simply do not know

أَيُّ أَمْرْ

أَيُّ أَمْرْ

أَخْرَسَ العُصْفورُ عنِّي

أَخْرَسَ العُصْفورُ عنِّي

What thing

What has silenced

What cause

Has silenced the sparrow for me.

The sparrow from me

Has silenced the sparrow from answering me;

أَتُرى ماتَ الشُّعُورْ

أَتُرى ماتَ الشُّعُورْ

في جَميعِ الكَوْنِ حتَّى

في جَميعِ الكَوْنِ حتَّى

Could feeling have died

Could it be that feeling

Can it be that feeling has died

Throughout the whole universe, even

Has died throughout the universe

In the entire universe, even

في حُشَاشَاتِ الطُّيورْ

في حُشَاشَاتِ الطُّيورْ

أَمْ بَكَى خَلْفَ السَّحَابْ

أَمْ بَكَى خَلْفَ السَّحَابْ

In the innermost souls of birds?

Even in the birds' nests

In the very souls of birds?

Or has it wept behind the clouds

Or did it cry behind the clouds

Or has it wept behind the clouds,

في الدَّيَاجِي

في الدَّيَاجِي

كَمْ أُنَاجِي

كَمْ أُنَاجِي

In the darkness of night?

In the fog

In the depth of darkness,

How often I whisper to

As I confide

How often I whisper

مَسْمَعَ القَبْرِ بغَصَّاتِ

مَسْمَعَ القَبْرِ بغَصَّاتِ

نَحِيبي وشُجُوني

نَحِيبي وشُجُوني

The grave's ear, with the choking pangs

In the hearing of the grave with my sobs

To the ear of the grave, with the choking

Of my sobbing and my sorrows;

And my anguish

Of my wailing and my grief,

ثُمَّ أُصْغِي عَلَّنِي

ثُمَّ أُصْغِي عَلَّنِي

أُسمعُ ترديدَ أَنِيني

أُسمعُ ترديدَ أَنِيني

Then I listen, hoping I

Then I listen closely

Then I listen, hoping that I

May be made to hear the echo of my moaning,

To hear the echo of my moaning

Might hear the echo of my groaning,

فأَرَى صَوْتِي فَريدْ

فأَرَى صَوْتِي فَريدْ

فأُنَادي

فأُنَادي

Then I find my voice alone,

I see my voice alone

But I find my voice is alone.

So I call out:

So I call out

So I call out,

يا فُؤَادي

يا فُؤَادي

ماتَ مَنْ تَهْوَى وهذا

ماتَ مَنْ تَهْوَى وهذا

O my heart,

Oh my heart

O my heart,

The one you love has died, and this

The one you love has died

The one you love has died, and this

اللَّحْدُ قَدْ ضمَّ الحَبيبْ

اللَّحْدُ قَدْ ضمَّ الحَبيبْ

فَابْكِ يا قلبُ بما فيكَ

فَابْكِ يا قلبُ بما فيكَ

Grave has embraced the beloved.

And this grave has taken the beloved

Grave has embraced the beloved.

So weep, O heart, with what you hold

So cry, oh heart, with what is in you

So weep, O heart, with all that lies within you

مِنَ الحُزْنِ المُذِيبْ

مِنَ الحُزْنِ المُذِيبْ

إبكِ يا قَلْبُ وَحِيدْ

إبكِ يا قَلْبُ وَحِيدْ

Of grief that melts you away.

Of melting sorrow

Of melting sorrow,

Weep, O heart, alone.

Cry, oh lonely heart

Weep, O heart, alone.

ذُلَّ قَلْبي

ذُلَّ قَلْبي

مَاتَ حُبِّي

مَاتَ حُبِّي

My heart has been laid low;

My heart is humiliated

My heart is broken,

My love has died.

My love has died

My love has died;

فَاذْرُفي يا مُقْلَةَ اللَّيلِ

فَاذْرُفي يا مُقْلَةَ اللَّيلِ

الدَّراري عَبَرَاتْ

الدَّراري عَبَرَاتْ

So shed, O eye of night,

So shed, oh dewdrop of the night

So shed, O eye of the night,

The radiant stars as tears

The flowing tears

The stars as flowing tears

حَوْلَ حِبِّي فهوَ قدْ

حَوْلَ حِبِّي فهوَ قدْ

وَدَّعَ آفَاقَ الحَيَاة

وَدَّعَ آفَاقَ الحَيَاة

Around my beloved, for he has

Around my love, for he has

Around my love, for he has

Said farewell to the horizons of life

Bid farewell to the horizons of life

Bid farewell to the horizons of life

بَعْدَ أَنْ ذَاقَ اللَّهيبْ

بَعْدَ أَنْ ذَاقَ اللَّهيبْ

وَانْدُبيهْ

وَانْدُبيهْ

After tasting the blaze.

After tasting the flames

After having tasted the flame.

And lament him,

Mourn him

Mourn him,

وَاغْسِليهْ

وَاغْسِليهْ

بِدُمُوعِ الفَجْرِ مِنْ

بِدُمُوعِ الفَجْرِ مِنْ

And wash him

And wash him

And wash him,

With the tears of dawn, from

With the tears of dawn from

With the tears of dawn from

أَكوابِ زَهْرِ الزَّنْبَقِ

أَكوابِ زَهْرِ الزَّنْبَقِ

وَادْفُنِيهِ بجَلالٍ في

وَادْفُنِيهِ بجَلالٍ في

The cups of lily blossoms;

The cups of lily flowers

The cups of the lily flower,

And bury him with majesty on

And bury him with majesty on

And bury him with majesty upon

ضِفَافِ الشَّفَقِ

ضِفَافِ الشَّفَقِ

لِيَرى رُوحَ الحَبيبْ

لِيَرى رُوحَ الحَبيبْ

The shores of twilight,

The banks of sunset

The banks of twilight,

That he may see the beloved's spirit.

So that the soul of the beloved may see

That he may see the beloved's soul.