كَتَبتُ وَلَيلي بِالسُهادِ نَهارُ

كَتَبتُ وَلَيلي بِالسُهادِ نَهارُ

وَصَدري لِورّادَ الهُمومِ صِدارُ

وَصَدري لِورّادَ الهُمومِ صِدارُ

I wrote, while sleeplessness turned my night to day,

I wrote while my night was daybreak

And my breast was a vest for the sorrows that arrive.

And my chest for the visitors of worries, a visitor

وَلي أَدمُعٌ غُزرٌ تَفيضُ كَأَنَّها

وَلي أَدمُعٌ غُزرٌ تَفيضُ كَأَنَّها

سَحائِبُ فاضَت مِن يَدَيكَ غِزارُ

سَحائِبُ فاضَت مِن يَدَيكَ غِزارُ

And I have copious tears that overflow, as though they were

And I have plenty of tears pouring as if they were

Abundant clouds that poured forth from your hands.

Clouds that poured from your hands heavily

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَ الدَمعِ ماءً إِذا جَرى

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَ الدَمعِ ماءً إِذا جَرى

تَلَهَّبُ مِنهُ في الجَوانِحِ نارُ

تَلَهَّبُ مِنهُ في الجَوانِحِ نارُ

And I have never seen water like tears: when it flows,

And I have not seen water like tears when they flow

A fire blazes from it within the ribs.

Inflaming a fire inside the soul

رَحَلتُ وَزادي لَوعَةٌ وَمَطِيَّتي

رَحَلتُ وَزادي لَوعَةٌ وَمَطِيَّتي

جَوانِحُ مِن جَمرِ الفِراقِ حرارُ

جَوانِحُ مِن جَمرِ الفِراقِ حرارُ

I departed, my provision anguish, and my mount

I traveled and my provisions were anguish and my ride

Ribs burning hot from the embers of separation.

Was a soul inflamed by the embers of departure

مَسيرٌ دَعاهُ الناسَ سَيراً

مَسيرٌ دَعاهُ الناسَ سَيراً

تَوَسُّعاً وَمَعنى اِسمِهِ إِن حَقَّقوهُ أَسارُ

تَوَسُّعاً وَمَعنى اِسمِهِ إِن حَقَّقوهُ أَسارُ

A journey that people called travel

A journey people called travel

By loose usage; and its name, if closely examined, means captivity.

Spacious, but its real meaning if examined is captivity

وَهَذا كِتابي وَالجُفون كَأَنَّها

وَهَذا كِتابي وَالجُفون كَأَنَّها

تُحَكِّم لي أَشفارُهُنَّ شِفارُ

تُحَكِّم لي أَشفارُهُنَّ شِفارُ

And this is my letter, while the eyelids seem

And this is my writing while my eyelids

To appoint their rims—knife-blades—as my judges.

Judge for me, their lashes pass judgement