وَقائِلَةٍ لَمّا اِستَمَرَّت بِها النَوى

وَقائِلَةٍ لَمّا اِستَمَرَّت بِها النَوى

وَمَحجِرُها فيهِ دَمٌ وَدُموعُ

وَمَحجِرُها فيهِ دَمٌ وَدُموعُ

And a woman spoke, when separation lingered on for her,

And a woman saying, when intentions persisted with her,

with blood and tears in her eye socket:

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 have endured

to return to a homeland before death?”

To return, before death, to a homeland?

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 restrain the first rushing tears,

So I said, though I could not restrain the precedent of tears

which spoke of what lay enclosed within my ribs:

That spoke what my ribs concealed:

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's people have been scattered,

It became clear how many a house whose family was scattered

and how many a scattered company has returned united.

And a scattered family returned and was together.

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 them, as you see,

for every people, a barren season and a spring.”

For every people a barren and verdant spring.