وقالوا الا تبكي وتلك مطيهم

وقالوا الا تبكي وتلك مطيهم

على الشهب يحملن الأوانس كالدمى

على الشهب يحملن الأوانس كالدمى

They said, “Will you not weep, with their mounts yonder,

And they said, 'Will you not weep, when those are their mounts,

along the mountain pass, bearing the fair maidens like statues?”

above the shooting stars, bearing maidens like statues?'

أأن نفدت مني الدموع تغامزوا

أأن نفدت مني الدموع تغامزوا

وقالوا سلا أو لم يكن قبل مغرما

وقالوا سلا أو لم يكن قبل مغرما

Is it because my tears have run dry that they exchanged knowing glances

Was it because my tears ran dry that they winked at one another

and said, “He has recovered from love—or was he never enamored before?”

and said, 'He has ceased to love—or never was enamored before'?

فهلا أقاموا كالبكاء تنهدي

فهلا أقاموا كالبكاء تنهدي

اذ مما بكى القمري قالوا ترنما

اذ مما بكى القمري قالوا ترنما

Why, then, did they not reckon my sighing as weeping,

Why, then, did they not count my sighing as weeping,

since whenever the ringdove wept, they said it warbled?

since, when the turtledove wept, they said, 'It sang'?

نأوا بصموت الحجل عاطرة الشذا

نأوا بصموت الحجل عاطرة الشذا

بمبتلة الأعطاف معسولة اللمى

بمبتلة الأعطاف معسولة اللمى

They went far away with one of silent anklets, redolent of perfume,

They went far away with her, silent-ankleted and sweet-scented,

with a beauty finely formed in every contour, honey-sweet in her dusky lips.

with shapely flanks and honey-sweet, dusky lips.

الا نظرة منها فتنتفع غلة

الا نظرة منها فتنتفع غلة

على كبدي ما أشبه الشوق بالظما

على كبدي ما أشبه الشوق بالظما

If only one glance from her might bring relief to a burning thirst—

Oh, for a glance from her, that the burning thirst might find relief

there upon my liver! How closely longing resembles thirst!

upon my liver! How like thirst is longing!