أَنا وَالحَمام مَع الصَباح

أَنا وَالحَمام مَع الصَباح

فَرسا رِهان في النواح

فَرسا رِهان في النواح

The doves and I, in the forenoon,

The doves and I, at dawn,

are two racehorses evenly matched in lament.

Are two racehorses competing in lamentation.

حَتّى إِذا حانَ الغُرو

حَتّى إِذا حانَ الغُرو

ب صَحى وَقَلبي غَير صاحي

ب صَحى وَقَلبي غَير صاحي

Until sunset came,

Until, when sunset came,

I remained wakeful, though my heart was not awake.

They grew sober, while my heart did not.

هَيهات ما لِسوايَ

هَيهات ما لِسوايَ

وَجد مثل وَجدي وَالتِياحي

وَجد مثل وَجدي وَالتِياحي

Far from it—no one but I has

Far from it! No one else has

a passion like mine, or such burning anguish.

Such grief as mine, and such burning thirst.

قَد حارَ في دَنفي الطَبيب

قَد حارَ في دَنفي الطَبيب

وَحارَ في كَلفي اللَواحي

وَحارَ في كَلفي اللَواحي

The physician is baffled by my wasting sickness,

The physician is baffled by my wasting sickness,

and the reproachers by my consuming passion.

And the reproaching women by my infatuation.

وَأيست مِن بَرئي كَما

وَأيست مِن بَرئي كَما

يَئس الضَرير مِن الصَباح

يَئس الضَرير مِن الصَباح

I have despaired of being healed, just as

And I have despaired of recovery, as

a blind man despairs of morning.

The blind man has despaired of dawn.

تَشتاق نَفسي لِلمَنية

تَشتاق نَفسي لِلمَنية

كُلَما سالَت جِراحي

كُلَما سالَت جِراحي

My soul yearns for death

My soul longs for death

whenever my wounds bleed.

Whenever my wounds bleed.

ما لاحَ بَرقٌ مشئم

ما لاحَ بَرقٌ مشئم

لَيلاً فَهَيج لي اِرتِياحي

لَيلاً فَهَيج لي اِرتِياحي

Whenever lightning flashed in the north

No lightning from al-Sham ever flashed

at night and stirred my yearning,

At night, stirring my yearning,

إِلّا وَكِدتُ أَطير مِن

إِلّا وَكِدتُ أَطير مِن

شَوق الدِيار مَع الرِياح

شَوق الدِيار مَع الرِياح

I nearly took flight

Without my nearly taking flight out of

out of longing for the dwellings, with the winds.

Longing for home, along with the winds.

لَكِنَّها الأَيّام قَد

لَكِنَّها الأَيّام قَد

قَصَت حَوادثها جَناحي

قَصَت حَوادثها جَناحي

But the days—their vicissitudes

But these days have already

have clipped my wing.

Clipped my wing through their calamities.

اِشتاقَ أَحبابي وَما

اِشتاقَ أَحبابي وَما

لي عَن مَكاني مِن براح

لي عَن مَكاني مِن براح

I long for my loved ones, yet

I long for my loved ones, yet

I cannot stir from where I am.

I have no way to leave my place.

فَأَسيغ ماء مَدامِعي

فَأَسيغ ماء مَدامِعي

وَاغص بِالماءِ القراح

وَاغص بِالماءِ القراح

I swallow the water of my tears,

So I readily swallow the water of my tears,

yet choke upon clear water.

Yet choke on pure water.

قَد ضاقَ بي سجن الهمو

قَد ضاقَ بي سجن الهمو

م فَهَل لِأَسري مِن سِراج

م فَهَل لِأَسري مِن سِراج

The prison of cares has tightened around me—

The prison of sorrows has closed in on me;

is there any release from my captivity?

So is there any lamp for my captivity?

يا رَب ضقت بِغُربَتي

يا رَب ضقت بِغُربَتي

ذرعاً وَبِالكَرب المُتاح

ذرعاً وَبِالكَرب المُتاح

O Lord, I am oppressed by my exile,

O Lord, I can no longer bear being far from home,

past endurance, and by the anguish allotted me.

Nor the anguish allotted to me.

فَاِكشف كُروب النَفس أَو

فَاِكشف كُروب النَفس أَو

فَأَذن لِروحي بِالرواح

فَأَذن لِروحي بِالرواح

Dispel the soul’s afflictions—or

So dispel the soul's afflictions, or

grant my spirit leave to depart.

Then grant my spirit leave to depart.