يَقولونَ لي كَم عَهدُ عينِكَ بِالكَرى

يَقولونَ لي كَم عَهدُ عينِكَ بِالكَرى

فَقُلتُ لَهم مُذ غابَ بدرُ دَجاها

فَقُلتُ لَهم مُذ غابَ بدرُ دَجاها

They ask me, “How long since your eye last knew sleep?”

They ask me how long have your eyes been shedding tears

So I said to them, “Since the full moon of its darkness vanished.”

I told them ever since the full moon set into darkness

وَلو تَلتَقي عَينٌ عَلى غَير دَمعَةٍ

وَلو تَلتَقي عَينٌ عَلى غَير دَمعَةٍ

لَصارَمتُها حَتّى يُقالُ نَفاها

لَصارَمتُها حَتّى يُقالُ نَفاها

And if an eye were to close upon anything but a tear,

If an eye met another with no tear to shed

I would sever ties with it until people said, “He banished it.”

I would make it weep until it is said to be tired