أَلَيسَ عَظيماً أَن أَرى كُلَّ وارِدٍ

أَلَيسَ عَظيماً أَن أَرى كُلَّ وارِدٍ

حِياضَكَ يَوماً صادِراً بِالنَوافِلِ

حِياضَكَ يَوماً صادِراً بِالنَوافِلِ

Is it not grievous that I see everyone who comes

Is it not great that I see each newcomer

to your pools depart one day bearing gifts,

To your meadows one day leaving with handfuls

وَأَرجِعَ مَجذوذَ الرَجاءِ مُصَرَّداً

وَأَرجِعَ مَجذوذَ الرَجاءِ مُصَرَّداً

بِتَحلِئَةٍ عَن وِردِ تِلكَ المَناهِلِ

بِتَحلِئَةٍ عَن وِردِ تِلكَ المَناهِلِ

while I return, my hope cut off, denied my fill,

And I return dejected of hope, turned away

driven away from drinking at those watering places?

With only a greeting from the water of those streams

فَأَويَستُ مِمّا كُنتُ آمَلُ فيكُمُ

فَأَويَستُ مِمّا كُنتُ آمَلُ فيكُمُ

وَلَيسَ يُلاقي ما رَجا كُلُّ آمِلِ

وَلَيسَ يُلاقي ما رَجا كُلُّ آمِلِ

So I despaired of what I had hoped for from you;

So I despair of what I had hoped from you all

and not everyone who hopes finds what he hoped for.

And no hopeful finds what he hoped for

كَذي قَبضَةٍ يَوماً عَلى عُرضِ هَبوَةٍ

كَذي قَبضَةٍ يَوماً عَلى عُرضِ هَبوَةٍ

يَشُدُّ عَلَيها كَفِّهُ بِالأَنامِلِ

يَشُدُّ عَلَيها كَفِّهُ بِالأَنامِلِ

Like one who one day clutches at the midst of a dust cloud,

Like a fist one day on transient clouds

closing his palm upon it with his fingertips.

Grasping at them with outstretched fingers