أقولُ وقد ناحَتْ مُطوَّقةٌ وَرْقا

أقولُ وقد ناحَتْ مُطوَّقةٌ وَرْقا

على فَنَنٍ والصبحُ قد نَوَّر الشَّرْقا

على فَنَنٍ والصبحُ قد نَوَّر الشَّرْقا

I say, as a gray ring-necked dove laments,

I say, as a chained one wailed

Upon a bough, with dawn already lighting the east:

At arts, and dawn made the east glow,

بكَتْ وهْي لم تُبعِدْ بأُلاّفِها النّوى

بكَتْ وهْي لم تُبعِدْ بأُلاّفِها النّوى

كإلْفي ولم تَفْقِدْ قَرائنَها الوُرْقا

كإلْفي ولم تَفْقِدْ قَرائنَها الوُرْقا

She wept, though separation had not carried her companions far away,

Weeping, though not taking her friends far,

As it had my beloved, nor had she lost her gray companions.

Like my sandgrouse, nor losing her leafy mates -

كذا كنتُ أبكي ضلّةً في وِصالِهمْ

كذا كنتُ أبكي ضلّةً في وِصالِهمْ

إلى أن نأوْا عنّي فصار البُكا حَقّا

إلى أن نأوْا عنّي فصار البُكا حَقّا

So I once wept in folly while united with them,

So I would weep for wandering in their presence

Until they went far from me, and my weeping became justified.

Till they went far from me, and weeping became real.

فلا تَضْرِبي قال الفِراقُ مَجانةً

فلا تَضْرِبي قال الفِراقُ مَجانةً

فَتلقَيْ على فَقْدِ الأحبّةِ ما أَلْقى

فَتلقَيْ على فَقْدِ الأحبّةِ ما أَلْقى

So do not, in jest, cast an omen of parting,

So do not lightly part, said parting,

Lest, on losing loved ones, you suffer what I suffer.

Making me find, losing loved ones, what I find.

خُذي اليومَ في أنْسٍ بإلفِكِ وانْطِقي

خُذي اليومَ في أنْسٍ بإلفِكِ وانْطِقي

بشكْرِ زمانٍ ضَمَّ شَملَكما نُطْقا

بشكْرِ زمانٍ ضَمَّ شَملَكما نُطْقا

Enjoy your mate's company today, and utter

Take this day joyfully with your friends, and speak

Words of thanks for a time that brought you both together.

Thanking a time that joined you two, speaking.

وخَلّي البُكا ما دامَ إلفُكِ حاضراً

وخَلّي البُكا ما دامَ إلفُكِ حاضراً

يكنْ بين لُقياه وغَيبتِه فَرْقا

يكنْ بين لُقياه وغَيبتِه فَرْقا

And set aside weeping as long as your mate is present,

Let weeping go, while your friends are present,

So weeping may mark the difference between seeing him and his absence.

Being, between their greeting and leaving, difference.

وفي الدّهرِ ما يُبْكي فلا تَتعَجَّلي

وفي الدّهرِ ما يُبْكي فلا تَتعَجَّلي

ولا تَحسَبي شَيئاً على حالةٍ يَبْقى

ولا تَحسَبي شَيئاً على حالةٍ يَبْقى

And time holds what makes one weep, so do not be hasty;

In fate, what weeps - do not hurry,

Nor think that anything remains in the same state.

Nor think a thing stays in one state.