لظلك لو يعلم الجدول

لظلك لو يعلم الجدول

 على العذب من مائه منزل

على العذب من مائه منزل

For your shadow—if the stream only knew—

If the stream knew of your shadow,

Did the stream but know, for your shadow,

there is a dwelling on its sweet waters.

Settled on its sweet water,

There is a dwelling upon its sweet waters.

يمر به القلب مر الغريب

يمر به القلب مر الغريب

 و يهفو له الحب و المأمل

و يهفو له الحب و المأمل

The heart passes by it as a stranger passes,

The heart would pass by it like a stranger,

The heart passes by it as a stranger passes,

and love and hope yearn toward it.

And love and hope would yearn for it.

And love and hope yearn towards it.

بأفيائه تحلم الذكريات

بأفيائه تحلم الذكريات

 و يشدو الخيال و يسترسل

و يشدو الخيال و يسترسل

In its shade, memories dream,

With its waves memories dream,

In its shades, memories dream,

and imagination sings and flows freely.

And imagination sings and flows freely.

And imagination sings and flows freely.

وقفت حزينا لدى الضفتين

وقفت حزينا لدى الضفتين

 و حولي زهور المنى تذبل

و حولي زهور المنى تذبل

I stood sorrowful beside the two banks,

I stood sadly by the two banks,

I stood sorrowful by the two banks,

and around me the flowers of hope withered.

And around me the flowers of wishes wilt.

While around me the flowers of hope wither.

وقد رف ظلك فوق المياه

وقد رف ظلك فوق المياه

 وجالت بأعطافه الشمأل

وجالت بأعطافه الشمأل

Your shadow had fluttered above the waters,

Your shadow floated above the water,

Your shadow fluttered above the waters,

and the north wind roamed along its sides.

And the north wind played at its edges.

And the North Wind roamed through its folds.

ففي الموج مما رأى هزة

ففي الموج مما رأى هزة

 يحار لها الشاطيء الممحل

يحار لها الشاطيء الممحل

So the waves shudder at what they saw,

In the wave from what it saw a disturbance,

In the waves, from what they saw, is a tremor

and the parched shore is bewildered by it.

That the coast, ever shifting, is confused by.

That bewilders the barren shore.

و سرحت عيني في مقلتين

و سرحت عيني في مقلتين

 يسدد سهميها الجدول

يسدد سهميها الجدول

And I let my gaze wander in two eyes,

And my eyes roamed in two gazes,

And I let my gaze wander into two eyes,

whose two arrows the stream aims.

Your stream directs their arrows.

Whose arrows are aimed by the stream.

غرام فهل تنكرين الغرام

غرام فهل تنكرين الغرام

 وحب و هل منه لي موئل

وحب و هل منه لي موئل

Passion—do you then deny passion?

Love - can you deny love?

It is passion; do you deny passion?

And love—and have I any refuge from it?

And affection - is there any refuge for me?

And love; is there any refuge for me from it?

تمنيت لو كنت ريحا تمر

تمنيت لو كنت ريحا تمر

 على ظل و لهى فلا تعذل

على ظل و لهى فلا تعذل

I wished I were a wind that passes

I wish I were a wind passing,

I wished I were a passing wind

over a lovesick woman's shadow, unrebuked.

Over a shadow, not abandoning nor wronging.

Upon a lovesick shadow, so do not blame.

و يستأسر الموج إغراؤها

و يستأسر الموج إغراؤها

 و ترديدها النائح المرسل

و ترديدها النائح المرسل

And the waves are taken captive by its allure

And the wave takes its temptation captive,

Its allure captures the waves,

and its mournful, free-flowing refrain.

Mournfully repeating and sending forth.

Along with its wailing, drifting echoes.

فتمضي و يمضي به للسماء

فتمضي و يمضي به للسماء

 غماما بأرجائها يرفل

غماما بأرجائها يرفل

Then it passes on, and the waves bear it skyward,

Then it passes and takes it to the heavens,

Passing on, carrying it to the sky,

as clouds drifting grandly through its expanses.

A cloud in its spheres billowing.

As clouds trailing their skirts across the expanse.

فأخلو بظلك بين النجوم

فأخلو بظلك بين النجوم

 وقد جال فيها الدجى المسبل

وقد جال فيها الدجى المسبل

So I am alone with your shadow among the stars,

And I am alone with your shadow amongst the stars,

So I am alone with your shadow among the stars,

while veiling darkness has wandered among them.

As the darkness descends, covering all.

Where the descending darkness has roamed.

ففي كل تقبيلة نجمه

ففي كل تقبيلة نجمه

 تغور أو كوكب يذهل

تغور أو كوكب يذهل

For in every kiss, a star

In every kiss a star,

In every kiss there is a star

sinks away, or a planet grows dazed.

That sinks down or a planet that swoons.

That sets, or a planet struck with awe.

خيالك من أهلي الأقربين

خيالك من أهلي الأقربين

 أبر و إن كان لا يعقل

أبر و إن كان لا يعقل

Your image, compared with my nearest kin,

Your imagination is the closest of my family,

Your image is kin to my closest kin,

is kinder, though it cannot reason.

Kinder, even if it cannot think.

More kind, even if it possesses no mind.

أبي منه قد جردتني النساء

أبي منه قد جردتني النساء

 و أمي طواها الردى طواها الردى المعجل

و أمي طواها الردى طواها الردى المعجل

My father—women have already stripped me of him;

I am stripped of it by women,

My father, of whom women have stripped me,

and my mother—death enfolded her, swift death enfolded her.

And my mother - the destruction, the hasty destruction - covered her.

And my mother, whom death enfolded, enfolded by a hasty demise.

و ما لي من الدهر إلا رضاك

و ما لي من الدهر إلا رضاك

 فرحماك فالدهر لا يعدل

فرحماك فالدهر لا يعدل

And all I have from time is your favor;

And I have no pleasure from fate but your approval,

I have nothing from fate but your favor,

so grant me your mercy, for time is unjust.

So have mercy, for fate is not just.

So have mercy, for fate is never just.