وَقائِلَةٍ لَمّا اِستَمَرَّت بِها النَوى

وَقائِلَةٍ لَمّا اِستَمَرَّت بِها النَوى

وَمَحجِرُها فيهِ دَمٌ وَدُموعُ

وَمَحجِرُها فيهِ دَمٌ وَدُموعُ

And a woman said, when separation dragged on for her,

And a speaker when intentions persisted with her

with blood and tears in her eye:

And her eyelids on it blood and tears

أَلَم يَأنِ لِلسَفَرِ الَّذينَ تَحَمَّلوا

أَلَم يَأنِ لِلسَفَرِ الَّذينَ تَحَمَّلوا

إِلى وَطَنٍ قَبلَ المَماتِ رُجوعُ

إِلى وَطَنٍ قَبلَ المَماتِ رُجوعُ

Has the time not come for the travelers who departed

Has not the time come for the journey of those who endured

to return home before death?

To a homeland before death, return

فَقُلتُ وَلَم أَملِك سَوابِقَ عَبرَةٍ

فَقُلتُ وَلَم أَملِك سَوابِقَ عَبرَةٍ

نَطَقنَ بِما ضُمَّت عَلَيهِ ضُلوعُ

نَطَقنَ بِما ضُمَّت عَلَيهِ ضُلوعُ

So I said, unable to hold back the first rush of tears,

So I said while I did not possess self control over my flowing tears

which voiced what lay enclosed within my ribs:

That spoke what was suppressed in my ribs

تَبَيَّنَ فَكَم دارٍ تَفَرَّقَ شَملُها

تَبَيَّنَ فَكَم دارٍ تَفَرَّقَ شَملُها

وَشَملٍ شَتيتٍ عادَ وَهوَ جَميعُ

وَشَملٍ شَتيتٍ عادَ وَهوَ جَميعُ

Consider: how many a home has seen its people scattered,

It became clear so how many houses were separated

and many a scattered company has returned united.

And scattered groups returned while united

كَذاكَ اللَيالي صَرفُهُنَّ كَما تَرى

كَذاكَ اللَيالي صَرفُهُنَّ كَما تَرى

لِكُلِّ أُناسٍ جَدبَةٌ وَرَبيعُ

لِكُلِّ أُناسٍ جَدبَةٌ وَرَبيعُ

Such are the nights—their vicissitudes are as you see:

Thus the nights dispose of them as you see

for every people, a drought and a spring.

For each people barren and spring