ولا مُسِعدٌ الا مسامرةٌ سختْ

ولا مُسِعدٌ الا مسامرةٌ سختْ

بدمعٍ ولم تُفجع ببينٍ ولا هَجرِ

بدمعٍ ولم تُفجع ببينٍ ولا هَجرِ

No comforter but a companion through the night, who lavished—

And I have no consoler but a night companion who freely shed

tears, though neither parting nor desertion had bereaved her.

Tears, though neither parting nor estrangement had stricken her with grief.

اذا اقتربتْ للموتِ بادرتُ رأسها

اذا اقتربتْ للموتِ بادرتُ رأسها

بقطعٍ فتستحيي جديداً من العمرِ

بقطعٍ فتستحيي جديداً من العمرِ

When she draws close to death, I hasten to her head

When she draws near to death, I hasten to her head

with a cut; then she comes alive to a new lease of life.

To cut it, and she gains a fresh span of life.

حكتنَي في لونٍ وحُزنٍ وحُرقةٍ

حكتنَي في لونٍ وحُزنٍ وحُرقةٍ

وفي بَهرِ بَرْحٍ وفي مدمعٍ هَمرٍ

وفي بَهرِ بَرْحٍ وفي مدمعٍ هَمرٍ

She mirrored me in color, sorrow, and burning anguish,

She mirrored me in color, in sorrow, and in burning,

in the breathlessness of sore affliction, and in a streaming eye.

And in the breathlessness of anguish, and in streaming tears.