إنْ لَم تُطِيقَا يومَ رَامَه

إنْ لَم تُطِيقَا يومَ رَامَه

أن تُسعِدَا فَذَرَا المَلامَهْ

أن تُسعِدَا فَذَرَا المَلامَهْ

If you two cannot, on the day he sought it,

If, on the day at Rāmah, you two could not

lend me your aid, then leave off your blame.

share my sorrow, then cease your blame.

عَنّفْتُمَانِي أنْ مَررْ

عَنّفْتُمَانِي أنْ مَررْ

تُ بِمنْزلٍ أقْضِي ذِمَامَهْ

تُ بِمنْزلٍ أقْضِي ذِمَامَهْ

You both reproached me because I passed by

You two rebuked me for having passed

a dwelling, to discharge the bond I owe it.

by a dwelling, fulfilling my duty to it.

هو منزلُ الأحبابِ لم

هو منزلُ الأحبابِ لم

يدعَ البِلَى إلاّ رِمَامَهْ

يدعَ البِلَى إلاّ رِمَامَهْ

It is the beloveds’ dwelling; decay has

It is the dwelling of loved ones; nothing

left nothing but its crumbling remains.

is left by decay but its crumbling remains.

وعليَّ حقٌّ أن تُصا

وعليَّ حقٌّ أن تُصا

فِحُ سُحبُ أجْفانِي رَغَامَهْ

فِحُ سُحبُ أجْفانِي رَغَامَهْ

I owe it this right: the clouds of my eyelids must shake—

And I owe it this: that

hands with its dust.

the clouds of my eyelids should clasp its dust.

وأبِيكُما لأُرَوِّيَنْ

وأبِيكُما لأُرَوِّيَنْ

نَ ولَو بِسَحِّ دَمٍ أُوَامَهْ

نَ ولَو بِسَحِّ دَمٍ أُوَامَهْ

By your father, I shall surely quench

By your father, I shall surely quench

its thirst, even by pouring out my own blood before it.

its burning thirst, even with a torrent of blood.

ما الدّمعُ للأطْلاَلِ لَ

ما الدّمعُ للأطْلاَلِ لَ

كِنْ أهلُها أجرَوْا سِجَامَهْ

كِنْ أهلُها أجرَوْا سِجَامَهْ

Tears are not for the ruins; rather,

The tears are not for the ruins, but

their people are the ones who set them streaming.

their inhabitants have set this torrent flowing.

فإلاَمَ لومُكُما أفي

فإلاَمَ لومُكُما أفي

رَعْيِ العُهُودِ عليّ آمَهْ

رَعْيِ العُهُودِ عليّ آمَهْ

How long, then, will you two reproach me? Is there,

So how long will you two blame me? Is

in keeping covenants, any fault upon me?

keeping faith with pledges a fault in me?

واهاً لقلبٍ لا يفَو

واهاً لقلبٍ لا يفَو

زُ بسَلْوةٍ تَشفي هُيَامَهْ

زُ بسَلْوةٍ تَشفي هُيَامَهْ

Ah, for a heart that never recovers

Alas for a heart that never finds

through solace that might heal its lovesick passion—

solace to cure its love-madness,

غَرَضاً لبَينٍ لا يَزا

غَرَضاً لبَينٍ لا يَزا

لُ مُقَرْطِساً فِيه سِهَامَهْ

لُ مُقَرْطِساً فِيه سِهَامَهْ

a target for separation, whose arrows never cease

a target for parting, which never ceases

to strike true within it.

to strike it unerringly with its arrows.

أبداً يدُ الأيامِ تق

أبداً يدُ الأيامِ تق

رفُ كلما اندمَلَتِ كِلاَمَهْ

رفُ كلما اندمَلَتِ كِلاَمَهْ

Forever, the hand of days tears open

Forever, the hand of the days reopens

its wounds whenever they knit closed.

its wounds whenever they have healed.