صَرَمتُ مِن أُنسِيَ حَبلَ الأَمَلْ

صَرَمتُ مِن أُنسِيَ حَبلَ الأَمَلْ

فسَله ما أصابَهُ أو لا تَسَلْ

فسَله ما أصابَهُ أو لا تَسَلْ

I severed the cord of hope from my solace.

I have lost the rope of hope from my intimate friend

So ask it what befell it—or do not ask.

Ask him what befell him or ask not at all

حالٌ مِن أُنسِي حَبل الأَمَل

حالٌ مِن أُنسِي حَبل الأَمَل

سَرَى بها الركبُ وَطَارَ المَثَلْ

سَرَى بها الركبُ وَطَارَ المَثَلْ

A state of my solace—the cord of hope—

A state from my intimate the rope of hope

With it the caravan journeyed by night, and the saying flew abroad.

The caravan flowed with it and the example flew

مَدَامِعٌ تَنحَلُّ أَسمَاطُهَا

مَدَامِعٌ تَنحَلُّ أَسمَاطُهَا

وَلَوعَةٌ عُقدَتُهَا لا تُحَل

وَلَوعَةٌ عُقدَتُهَا لا تُحَل

Tears whose beaded strands unravel,

Tears that melt their intertwined strands

And burning grief whose knot will not be untied,

And anguish whose knot cannot be undone

وَمُهجَةٌ مُستَطرَفٌ عَيشُهَا

وَمُهجَةٌ مُستَطرَفٌ عَيشُهَا

يَا لَيتَ شِعرِي أَينَ مِنهَا الأجَل

يَا لَيتَ شِعرِي أَينَ مِنهَا الأجَل

And a soul whose survival is a marvel—

And a grievance whose life is depleted

Oh, if only I knew how far death is from it!

Oh would that I know where is death from it

يَا لَيتَ شِعرِي وَالمُنَى جَمَّةٌ

يَا لَيتَ شِعرِي وَالمُنَى جَمَّةٌ

وَيُغبَطُ المَرءُ بِمَا لَم يَنَل

وَيُغبَطُ المَرءُ بِمَا لَم يَنَل

Oh, if only I knew—and wishes are many,

Oh would that I knew and death is heaped up

And a man is envied for what he has not gained—

And man is envied for what he did not attain

هَل يَرجِعُ الدَّهرُ كَعَهدِي بِهِ

هَل يَرجِعُ الدَّهرُ كَعَهدِي بِهِ

وَقَلَّمَا تَستَعطِفُ الدَّهرَ هَل

وَقَلَّمَا تَستَعطِفُ الدَّهرَ هَل

Will time return as I once knew it?

Will time return as my era with it

And seldom does 'will it?' move time to pity.

And rarely does time show clemency

جِيرَتنَا مَا لِي أَرى قُربَكُم

جِيرَتنَا مَا لِي أَرى قُربَكُم

مَالَ بِهِ البَينُ فَهَلا اعتَدَل

مَالَ بِهِ البَينُ فَهَلا اعتَدَل

Our neighbors, why do I see your nearness

My neighbors why do I see your nearness

Bent by separation—why does it not straighten?

Turned by separation, so why not be just

لَو كَانَ لِي أمرِي وَمَن لِي بِهِ

لَو كَانَ لِي أمرِي وَمَن لِي بِهِ

لمتُّ مِن بَعدِكُمُ لا أَقَل

لمتُّ مِن بَعدِكُمُ لا أَقَل

If my fate were mine to command—and who can grant me that?—

If my command and who do I have it

I would die in your absence—nothing less.

I would not stay after you at all

لَكِن يُقِرُّ العَينَ أَنَّ الجَوَى

لَكِن يُقِرُّ العَينَ أَنَّ الجَوَى

قَد جَلَّ حَتَّى دَقَّ فِيهِ الأَجَل

قَد جَلَّ حَتَّى دَقَّ فِيهِ الأَجَل

Yet it gladdens the eye that love's anguish

But it comforts the eye that intimacy

Has grown so vast that death is slight within it.

Has passed until death knocked in it

وَالقَلبُ إِلا مِن وَجِيبٍ عَرى

وَالقَلبُ إِلا مِن وَجِيبٍ عَرى

وَالعَينُ إِلا مِن دُمُوعٍ طَلَل

وَالعَينُ إِلا مِن دُمُوعٍ طَلَل

And the heart is bare, save for its throbbing,

Except a heart from a beloved laid bare

And the eye is a ruin, save for tears.

And an eye but from flowing tears

وَلامَنِي قَومٌ فَرُدُّوا بِما

وَلامَنِي قَومٌ فَرُدُّوا بِما

جَاءُوا وَمَلُّوا وَأَنا لا أَمَل

جَاءُوا وَمَلُّوا وَأَنا لا أَمَل

And some people reproached me, but were rebuffed with what

And people blamed me, so they returned with what

They brought; they grew weary, while I do not tire.

They came and filled up, and I have no hope

فَلَو رَأى ضَبَّةُ عِصيَانَهُم

فَلَو رَأى ضَبَّةُ عِصيَانَهُم

لَم يَنسُبِ السَّيفَ لِسَبقِ العَذَل

لَم يَنسُبِ السَّيفَ لِسَبقِ العَذَل

So had Dabba seen their defiance,

If the pack of their disobedience saw

He would not have credited the sword with outstripping reproach.

It would not attribute the sword to preceding harm