رَأَيتُ زِياداً صَدَّ عَنّي وَرَدَّني

رَأَيتُ زِياداً صَدَّ عَنّي وَرَدَّني

وَما كانَ خَيّاباً مِنَ القَومِ سائِلُه

وَما كانَ خَيّاباً مِنَ القَومِ سائِلُه

I saw Ziyad turn away from me and rebuff me,

I saw Ziyad turn away from me and reject me,

though none among the people who petitioned him had ever been disappointed.

though those among the people who asked him had never been disappointed.

يُنَفِّذُ حاجاتِ الرِجالِ وَحاجَتي

يُنَفِّذُ حاجاتِ الرِجالِ وَحاجَتي

كَداءِ الجَوى في جَوفِهِ لا يُزايلُه

كَداءِ الجَوى في جَوفِهِ لا يُزايلُه

He fulfills the needs of other men, while my need

He fulfills men's needs, while my need

is like love’s wasting sickness inside him, never leaving him.

is like the sickness of heartache within him, never leaving him.

فَلا أَنا ناسٍ ما نَسيتُ فَيائِسٌ

فَلا أَنا ناسٍ ما نَسيتُ فَيائِسٌ

وَلا أَنتَ راءٍ ما أُريكَ فَفاعِلُه

وَلا أَنتَ راءٍ ما أُريكَ فَفاعِلُه

So I shall not forget, so long as memory lasts—yet I despair;

So I am not one to forget what I have forgotten and thus despair,

nor are you one to see what I show you and then act upon it.

nor are you one to see what I show you and then act upon it.

وَفي اليأسِ حَزمٌ لِلقَويِّ وَراحَةٌ

وَفي اليأسِ حَزمٌ لِلقَويِّ وَراحَةٌ

مِنَ الأَمرِ لا يُنسى وَلا المَرءُ نائِلُه

مِنَ الأَمرِ لا يُنسى وَلا المَرءُ نائِلُه

In despair there is prudence for the strong, and relief

And in giving up hope lie prudence for the strong and relief

from a matter never forgotten, yet unattainable by man.

from a matter not forgotten, yet beyond a person's reach.