وَرَأَيتُ فَوقَ النَّحرِ دِر

وَرَأَيتُ فَوقَ النَّحرِ دِر

عاً فَاقِعاً مِن زَعفَرانِ

عاً فَاقِعاً مِن زَعفَرانِ

And above the breast I saw a tunic,

I saw above the stream a flowerpot

bright yellow with saffron.

Filled with saffron, tilting over.

فَزَجرته لَوناً سَقا

فَزَجرته لَوناً سَقا

مي بِالنَّوى وَالزَّجرُ شاني

مي بِالنَّوى وَالزَّجرُ شاني

I took its color as an omen of my sickness

I scolded its color, intoxicated by tears -

from separation; reading omens is my wont.

Scolding avails me naught.

يا مَن نَأى عَنّي كَما

يا مَن نَأى عَنّي كَما

تَنأى العُيونَ الفرقدان

تَنأى العُيونَ الفرقدان

O you who have gone far from me, as

O you who shunned me as the eyes of the frog

the two Farqad stars are far from the eyes:

Shun the stars above,

فَأَرى بِعَيني الفرقَدي

فَأَرى بِعَيني الفرقَدي

نِ وَلا أَراهُ وَلا يَراني

نِ وَلا أَراهُ وَلا يَراني

yet with my eye I see the two Farqad stars,

So I look with my lovelorn eyes

but I do not see him, nor does he see me.

But cannot see you, nor you see me.

لا قدرت لَكَ أَوبةٌ

لا قدرت لَكَ أَوبةٌ

حَتَّى يؤوبَ القارظان

حَتَّى يؤوبَ القارظان

May no return be decreed for you

I cannot make you turn back

until the two Qariz men return.

Until the ostrich returns.

هَل ثمَّ إِلا المَوتُ فر

هَل ثمَّ إِلا المَوتُ فر

داً لا تَكونُ مَنيَّتانِ

داً لا تَكونُ مَنيَّتانِ

Is there anything but death, a single death?

Is there anything but death to free us -

There cannot be two deaths.

One death, not two deaths?