لما حَدَا بالركب حاديهمُ

لما حَدَا بالركب حاديهمُ

وأسمع الداني والقاصي

وأسمع الداني والقاصي

When their camel-driver sang to the caravan

When their guide urged on the caravan,

And made those near and far hear,

And made the near and far hear,

أطاعني دمعٌ جرى نهرُه

أطاعني دمعٌ جرى نهرُه

فمدمعي الطائع كالعاصي

فمدمعي الطائع كالعاصي

Tears obeyed me, their river flowing;

An obedient tear flowed like a river,

So my obedient tear-stream is like al-ʿĀṣī—the 'disobedient' Orontes.

So my obedient tear was like the disobedient one.