بَكَت أَن رأت إِلفَين ضَمهُما وَكرُ

بَكَت أَن رأت إِلفَين ضَمهُما وَكرُ

مَساءً وَقَد أَخنى عَلى إِلفها الدَهرُ

مَساءً وَقَد أَخنى عَلى إِلفها الدَهرُ

She wept to see two mates sheltered together in a nest,

She wept when she saw two thousand of them gathered

at evening, when time had already laid her mate low.

One evening, after time had been harsh to her thousand

بَكَت لَم تُرِق دَمعاً وَأَسبلتُ عَبرَةً

بَكَت لَم تُرِق دَمعاً وَأَسبلتُ عَبرَةً

يُقصّرُ عَنها القطر مَهما هَما القطرُ

يُقصّرُ عَنها القطر مَهما هَما القطرُ

She wept but shed no tears; I shed a tear

She wept without shedding a tear as I poured out sorrow

that rain cannot rival, however much the rain pours.

However much the drops try, they fall short

وَناحَت فَباحَت وَاِستَراحَت بِسرّها

وَناحَت فَباحَت وَاِستَراحَت بِسرّها

وَما نَطقَت حَرفاً يَبوحُ بِهِ سِرُّ

وَما نَطقَت حَرفاً يَبوحُ بِهِ سِرُّ

And she wailed, revealing her secret and finding relief,

And she moaned, so she found relief and eased her secret

yet uttered no syllable through which a secret could be told.

Yet she spoke not a letter that would betray her secret

فَماليَ لا أَبكي أَمِ القَلبُ صَخرَةٌ

فَماليَ لا أَبكي أَمِ القَلبُ صَخرَةٌ

وَكَم صَخرَةٍ في الأَرضِ يَجري بِها نَهرُ

وَكَم صَخرَةٍ في الأَرضِ يَجري بِها نَهرُ

Why, then, do I not weep—or is my heart a rock?

So why do I not weep? Is my heart made of rock?

And how many a rock on earth has a river flowing through it!

And how many rocks on earth have rivers flowing through them?

بَكَت واحِداً لَم يُشجِها غَيرُ فَقدِهِ

بَكَت واحِداً لَم يُشجِها غَيرُ فَقدِهِ

وَأَبكِي لألّافٍ عديدهُمُ كُثرُ

وَأَبكِي لألّافٍ عديدهُمُ كُثرُ

She wept for one, grieving for nothing but his loss,

She wept for one whose loss alone distressed her

while I weep for dear companions, many in number:

While I weep for thousands upon thousands

بُنيٌّ صَغيرٌ أَو خَليلٌ مُوافِقٌ

بُنيٌّ صَغيرٌ أَو خَليلٌ مُوافِقٌ

يُمزّقُ ذا قَفرٌ وَيُغرِقُ ذا بَحرُ

يُمزّقُ ذا قَفرٌ وَيُغرِقُ ذا بَحرُ

a little son, or a like-minded friend—

A little boy or an agreeing friend

a desert tears one apart, and a sea drowns another.

One ripped apart there, another drowned at sea

وَنجمان زَينٌ لِلزَمان اِحتواهما

وَنجمان زَينٌ لِلزَمان اِحتواهما

بِقُرطبةَ النكداء أَو رُندَةَ القَبرُ

بِقُرطبةَ النكداء أَو رُندَةَ القَبرُ

And two stars, an adornment to the age, were enfolded

And two stars that adorned the times, contained

by the grave in ill-fated Cordoba or Ronda.

In wretched Cordoba or the grave of Ronda

عُذرتُ إِذاً إِن ضَنَّ جِفني بِقَطرَةٍ

عُذرتُ إِذاً إِن ضَنَّ جِفني بِقَطرَةٍ

وَإِن لؤُمَت نَفسي فَصاحِبُها الصَبرُ

وَإِن لؤُمَت نَفسي فَصاحِبُها الصَبرُ

I am excused, then, if my eyelid withholds a drop,

So I am excused if my eyelids scarce let fall a tear

and if my soul is miserly, then patience is its companion.

And if I blamed my soul, patience would answer it

فَقل لِلنُجومِ الزهرِ تبكيهِما معي

فَقل لِلنُجومِ الزهرِ تبكيهِما معي

لِمِثلِهِما فلتَحزَنِ الأَنجُمُ الزهرُ

لِمِثلِهِما فلتَحزَنِ الأَنجُمُ الزهرُ

So tell the bright stars to weep for them both with me;

Say to the starry flowers they should weep with me

for the likes of those two, let the bright stars grieve.

For the like of them, let the starry flowers grieve