أَما في صُروفِ الدَهرِ أَن تَرجعَ النَوى

أَما في صُروفِ الدَهرِ أَن تَرجعَ النَوى

بِهِم وَيُدالَ القُربُ يَوماً مِنَ البُعدِ

بِهِم وَيُدالَ القُربُ يَوماً مِنَ البُعدِ

Might not separation, amid time's turns, bring

Is it not in the turns of fate that wishes may return

them back, and nearness one day gain the upper hand over distance?

To be with them, and nearness replace distance someday?

بَلى في صُروفِ الدَهرِ كُلُّ الَّذي أَرى

بَلى في صُروفِ الدَهرِ كُلُّ الَّذي أَرى

وَلَكِنَّما أَغفَلنَ حَظّي عَلى عَمدِ

وَلَكِنَّما أَغفَلنَ حَظّي عَلى عَمدِ

Yes, the turns of time hold all that I envision,

Yes, in the turns of fate all that I see may happen

but they have deliberately overlooked my share.

But my luck has intentionally ignored me.

فَوَاللَهِ ما أَدري بِأَيِّ سِهامِها

فَوَاللَهِ ما أَدري بِأَيِّ سِهامِها

رَمَتني وَكُلٌّ عِندَنا لَيسَ بِالمُكدي

رَمَتني وَكُلٌّ عِندَنا لَيسَ بِالمُكدي

So, by God, I do not know with which of her arrows

By God, I know not by which of its arrows

she shot me—and none, in our judgment, misses its mark.

It shot me, though with us none is shirk of duty.

أَبِا لَجيدِ أَم مَجرى الوِشاحِ وَإِنَّني

أَبِا لَجيدِ أَم مَجرى الوِشاحِ وَإِنَّني

لَأُتهِمُ عَينَيها مَعَ الفاحِمِ الجَعدِ

لَأُتهِمُ عَينَيها مَعَ الفاحِمِ الجَعدِ

Was it with her neck, or the course of her sash? And indeed I

Whether of La jid’s flank or the course of the headband,

surely suspect her eyes, along with her coal-black curls.

I blame her eyes along with the curly dark one.