أَلَيسَ عَظِيماً أَن نَكُونَ بِبَلدَةٍ

أَلَيسَ عَظِيماً أَن نَكُونَ بِبَلدَةٍ

كِلاَنا بِها ثاوٍ وَلا نَتَكَلَّمُ

كِلاَنا بِها ثاوٍ وَلا نَتَكَلَّمُ

Is it not grievous that we should be in one town,

Is it not great that we are in a town

both of us dwelling there, yet we do not speak?

Where we both live, yet do not speak?

أَمِنّا أُناساً فِى المَوَدَّةِ بَينَنا

أَمِنّا أُناساً فِى المَوَدَّةِ بَينَنا

فَزادُوا عَلَينا فِى الحَدِيثِ وَأَوهَمُوا

فَزادُوا عَلَينا فِى الحَدِيثِ وَأَوهَمُوا

We trusted people with the love between us;

Did people come between our friendship

so they embellished the talk about us and gave false impressions.

And added to our talk, and made us believe

وَقالُوا لَنا ما لَم يُقَل ثُمَّ أَكثَرُوا

وَقالُوا لَنا ما لَم يُقَل ثُمَّ أَكثَرُوا

عَلَينا وَباحُوا بالّذِى كُنتُ أَكتُمُ

عَلَينا وَباحُوا بالّذِى كُنتُ أَكتُمُ

And they told us what had never been said, then spoke still more

Things never said, and spoke too much

against us, and revealed what I had kept hidden.

About me, revealing what I hid?

وَقَد مُنِحَت عَينِى القَذَى لِفِرَاقِكُم

وَقَد مُنِحَت عَينِى القَذَى لِفِرَاقِكُم

وَعادَ لَها تَهتانُها فَهىَ تَسجُم

وَعادَ لَها تَهتانُها فَهىَ تَسجُم

And my eye has been given grit through parting from you;

My eyes were pained by your leaving -

and its downpour has returned, so it streams with tears.

Now dimmed, they fill with tears.

مُنَعَّمَةٌ لَودَبَّ ذَرٌّ بِجِلدِها

مُنَعَّمَةٌ لَودَبَّ ذَرٌّ بِجِلدِها

لَكادَ دَبِيبُ النَّملِ بِالجِلدِ يَكلُمُ

لَكادَ دَبِيبُ النَّملِ بِالجِلدِ يَكلُمُ

Delicately nurtured—were tiny ants to creep upon her skin,

My body thrived, sleek and plump -

the ants’ creeping on her skin would almost wound it.

An ant's crawl on my skin would speak.