أَدَرت تِلكَ الدُمى أَيَّ دِما

أَدَرت تِلكَ الدُمى أَيَّ دِما

سفكتها باللِحاظ النُعَّسِ

سفكتها باللِحاظ النُعَّسِ

Did those doll-like beauties know what blood

That tear shed, what blood did it spill

they shed with their drowsy glances,

When it flowed from those sleepy eyes?

وأسالت مِن جفوني عَندما

وأسالت مِن جفوني عَندما

عِندَما سارَت بِتلكَ الأَنفسِ

عِندَما سارَت بِتلكَ الأَنفسِ

and what crimson dye they made flow from my eyelids

It made my tears flow as well

when they departed with those souls?

When it strode with those sighs.

أَلَّفت ما بين شملي والنَوى

أَلَّفت ما بين شملي والنَوى

وَسرَت وَالبيتُ للقلب أَسَر

وَسرَت وَالبيتُ للقلب أَسَر

They joined my togetherness to separation,

It united my determination and purpose

and journeyed by night, though home gave the heart more joy.

And went on while the house imprisoned my heart.

وَقضَت لي بتباريح الجوى

وَقضَت لي بتباريح الجوى

وأَحالَتني على حُكم القدر

وأَحالَتني على حُكم القدر

They decreed for me the agonies of love,

It sealed my fate with the blows of separation

and consigned me to the judgment of fate.

And left me to the judgment of destiny.

أَنجزت قَتلي جهاراً في الهَوى

أَنجزت قَتلي جهاراً في الهَوى

وغدت تسأَلُ عنّي ما الخَبَر

وغدت تسأَلُ عنّي ما الخَبَر

They openly carried out my killing in love,

It killed me openly in passion

and began to ask about me, 'What is the news?'

And now asks what my state is.

لَو أَرادت سَلمُ لي أَن أَسلما

لَو أَرادت سَلمُ لي أَن أَسلما

أَترعت قبلَ التنائي أكؤسي

أَترعت قبلَ التنائي أكؤسي

Had Salm wished that I be safe,

If it wanted me safe and sound

she would have filled my cups to the brim before our parting,

I would have sipped my drink before the separation.

وأَزالَت ما بِقَلبي من ظَما

وأَزالَت ما بِقَلبي من ظَما

وَسَقتني من لَماها الأَلعَسِ

وَسَقتني من لَماها الأَلعَسِ

and removed the thirst within my heart,

And it would have removed the pain in my heart

and given me drink from her dusky lips.

And quenched my thirst from its sweetest water.

ليتَها إِذ لَم تَجُد لي باللِقا

ليتَها إِذ لَم تَجُد لي باللِقا

وعدَتني وصلَها بالحُلُمِ

وعدَتني وصلَها بالحُلُمِ

Would that, since she granted me no meeting,

If only when it did not find me in reality

she had promised me union with her in a dream.

And had promised me its companionship in dreams,

كَيفَ يأتي الطيفُ صبّاً قَلِقا

كَيفَ يأتي الطيفُ صبّاً قَلِقا

أَيَزورُ الطيفُ من لم يَنَمِ

أَيَزورُ الطيفُ من لم يَنَمِ

How can the phantom visit a restless lover?

How does a restless apparition come at dawn?

Does the phantom visit one who has not slept?

Does a specter visit one who has not slept?

وَلَقَد بتُّ من الشوق لقى

وَلَقَد بتُّ من الشوق لقى

وَضجيعي طولَ لَيلي أَلَمي

وَضجيعي طولَ لَيلي أَلَمي

And indeed I lay all night, cast aside by longing,

I have spent the night sleepless from ardent longing

and my pain was my bedfellow throughout my night.

And my bedfellow was my own pain.

هَكَذا كلّ معنّىً بالدُمى

هَكَذا كلّ معنّىً بالدُمى

ليت شعري والجواري الكُنَّسِ

ليت شعري والجواري الكُنَّسِ

Is everyone tormented by doll-like beauties like this—

Thus every teardrop for me

would that I knew, by the coursing stars that hide—

As if I were distinguished among the neglected ones

أَم أَنا المخصوصُ منهنَّ بما

أَم أَنا المخصوصُ منهنَّ بما

قد برى نَفسي وأَورى نَفَسي

قد برى نَفسي وأَورى نَفَسي

or am I alone singled out by them for what

By what my soul exonerated

has worn away my soul and set my breath aflame?

And what my self concealed.