وفي عُروَة العُذريِّ إِن مُتّ أُسوَةٌ

وفي عُروَة العُذريِّ إِن مُتّ أُسوَةٌ

وَعمرو بني عَجلانَ الَّذي فَتَنَت هِندُ

وَعمرو بني عَجلانَ الَّذي فَتَنَت هِندُ

In ʿUrwa al-ʿUdhri, should I die, there is a precedent;

And in ʿUrwa al-ʿUdhri, if I die, I have a precedent,

and in ʿAmr of the Banu ʿAjlan, whom Hind enthralled.

and in ʿAmr of Banu ʿAjlan, whom Hind bewitched.

وَبي مِثل ما ماتا بِهِ غَيرَ أَنَّني

وَبي مِثل ما ماتا بِهِ غَيرَ أَنَّني

إِلى أَجَلٍ لَم يَأتِني وَقتُهُ بَعدُ

إِلى أَجَلٍ لَم يَأتِني وَقتُهُ بَعدُ

I suffer the same thing of which they both died, except that I

And I suffer the same affliction they both died of, except that I

am bound to a term whose appointed hour has not yet come.

live on until an appointed term whose time has not yet come.

هَل الحُبُّ إِلّا زَفرَةٌ بَعدَ زَفرَةٍ

هَل الحُبُّ إِلّا زَفرَةٌ بَعدَ زَفرَةٍ

وَحرّ عَلى الأَحشاءِ لَيسَ لَهُ بَردُ

وَحرّ عَلى الأَحشاءِ لَيسَ لَهُ بَردُ

Is love anything but sigh upon sigh,

Is love anything but sigh after sigh,

and a fire in the entrails that knows no coolness,

and heat upon the entrails with no cooling,

وَفَيضُ دُموعِ العَينِ يا ميّ كلَّما

وَفَيضُ دُموعِ العَينِ يا ميّ كلَّما

بَدا عَلَمٌ مِن أَرضِكُم لَم يَكُن يَبدو

بَدا عَلَمٌ مِن أَرضِكُم لَم يَكُن يَبدو

and a flood of tears from the eyes, O Mayy, whenever

and a flood of tears from the eye, O Mayy, whenever

a landmark of your country appears that had not been visible before?

a landmark of your land comes into view that was not visible before?