نَفس تَعلل بِالأَماني

نَفس تَعلل بِالأَماني

لا بِالقيان وَلا القَناني

لا بِالقيان وَلا القَناني

A soul comforts itself with hopes,

A soul excuses itself with wishes,

not with singing-girls, nor with bottles.

Not with wine or drinking cups,

وَمَدامع مَسفوحة

وَمَدامع مَسفوحة

بَينَ المَعاهد وَالمَغاني

بَينَ المَعاهد وَالمَغاني

And tears are poured out

And tears being shed

among the familiar haunts and dwellings.

Between covenants and songs,

وَأَبيت مَضموم اليَدي

وَأَبيت مَضموم اليَدي

ن عَلى التَرائب وَالجِنان

ن عَلى التَرائب وَالجِنان

And I spend the night, both hands clasped

And I refused, hands clasped,

upon my breast and heart.

To incline toward couches and gardens.

أَشكو الصَبابة لِلصَبا

أَشكو الصَبابة لِلصَبا

بة بِالمَدامع لا لِلسان

بة بِالمَدامع لا لِلسان

I complain of yearning to yearning itself,

I complain of youth to youth

with tears, not to the tongue.

With tears, not with the tongue,

وَأَقول إِذ هَتَفت بِنا

وَأَقول إِذ هَتَفت بِنا

وَرق شجاها ما شَجاني

وَرق شجاها ما شَجاني

And I say, when they call out to us—

And I say, as the leaves called out to me

doves grieved by what has grieved me—

And stirred, what stirred me:

يا وَرق ما هَذا النوا

يا وَرق ما هَذا النوا

ح فَبعض ما عِندي كَفاني

ح فَبعض ما عِندي كَفاني

O doves, what is this wailing?

"Oh leaves, what is this sighing?

For part of what I bear suffices me.

For some of what I have is enough for me."

غادَرت بَين الغوطي

غادَرت بَين الغوطي

ن بِمَنزِلي السامي المَكان

ن بِمَنزِلي السامي المَكان

I left behind, between the two Ghoutas,

I left between sands

in my dwelling, lofty in its station,

In my high, noble dwelling,

أَمّا لَها كَبد عَل

أَمّا لَها كَبد عَل

يَّ مذابهُ مِما تُعاني

يَّ مذابهُ مِما تُعاني

a mother whose liver, on my account,

As for it, a melting liver,

is melted by what she endures.

Melted from what it suffers.

تَستَحبر الركبان عَن

تَستَحبر الركبان عَن

حالي وَتَندب كُل آن

حالي وَتَندب كُل آن

She asks the riders for news about

It asks the caravans about

my condition, and laments every moment.

My state, and laments constantly,

فَعَسى الَّذي أَبلى يَعي

فَعَسى الَّذي أَبلى يَعي

ن وَيَلتَقي ناء بداني

ن وَيَلتَقي ناء بداني

So may the one who brought affliction grant aid,

So perhaps He who made me waste away

and may one far away meet one near.

Will come across the wailing of my body.