وما جاءت تعاتبني ولكن

وما جاءت تعاتبني ولكن

أتت تذكي المحبة بالتجني

أتت تذكي المحبة بالتجني

And she did not come to reproach me, but

She did not come to reproach me, but

came to kindle love through unjust accusations,

She came to rekindle love with tenderness

مشاكسة كعادتها إذاما

مشاكسة كعادتها إذاما

بدا عصفور ذاكرتي يغني

بدا عصفور ذاكرتي يغني

mischievous, as is her habit, whenever

Playfully as was her habit whenever

the sparrow of my memory appeared singing,

The bird of my memory began to sing

بعيدا عن جُنينتها قريبا

بعيدا عن جُنينتها قريبا

من الأشجان مشغوفا كأني

من الأشجان مشغوفا كأني

far from her little garden, close

Far from her nest, close

to sorrows, besotted, as though I

To the branches, passionately as if I were

عميد يرسم اللقياويرجو

عميد يرسم اللقياويرجو

تجاوُزَ ما يمنّيه التمني

تجاوُزَ ما يمنّيه التمني

were a lovesick man, sketching a meeting and hoping

A dean who diagrams desires and hopes

to surpass what wishful thinking promises him.

To exceed what wishing wishes

وأرجع خاليا إلا شرودا

وأرجع خاليا إلا شرودا

يهدهد سرحتى فوق التأني

يهدهد سرحتى فوق التأني

And I return empty, save for a reverie

And I return empty except for straying

that gently rocks my tree above deliberation.

Thoughts that rock my reverie above composure

وأذكر أنها دنيا وكم كم

وأذكر أنها دنيا وكم كم

ستقلب للفتى ظهر المجنِّ

ستقلب للفتى ظهر المجنِّ

And I remember that she is the world—and how often, how often

And I remember it's a world that will

she will turn the back of her shield toward the young man.

Turn its back many times on the young man