أَلا ساجِل دُموعي ياغَمامُ

أَلا ساجِل دُموعي ياغَمامُ

وَطارِحني بِشَجوِكَ ياحَمامُ

وَطارِحني بِشَجوِكَ ياحَمامُ

Come, vie with my tears, O cloud,

O clouds, record my tears

And share your lament with me, O dove.

And soothe me with your mourning, O doves

فَقَد وَفَّيتُها سِتّينَ حَولاً

فَقَد وَفَّيتُها سِتّينَ حَولاً

وَنادَتني وَرائي هَل أَمامُ

وَنادَتني وَرائي هَل أَمامُ

For I have completed sixty years of life,

For sixty years I have been faithful

And what lies behind me called to me: 'Is there anything ahead?'

And she called me, is there still time ahead?

وَكُنتُ وَمِن لُباناتي لُبَيني

وَكُنتُ وَمِن لُباناتي لُبَيني

هُناكَ وَمِن مَراضِعِيَ المُدامُ

هُناكَ وَمِن مَراضِعِيَ المُدامُ

And I was—with Lubayna among my desires—

There I was, still nursing from her breast milk

There, with wine among my wet nurses.

As the morning reveals us in the belly of grief

يُطالِعُنا الصَباحُ بِبَطنِ حَزوى

يُطالِعُنا الصَباحُ بِبَطنِ حَزوى

فَيُنكِرُنا وَيَعرِفُنا الظَلامُ

فَيُنكِرُنا وَيَعرِفُنا الظَلامُ

Morning looks upon us in the hollow of Hazwa,

It denies us at first then recognizes us in the darkness

Then fails to recognize us, while darkness knows us.

Joyful company once gathered here

وَكانَ بِها البَشامُ مَراحَ أُنسٍ

وَكانَ بِها البَشامُ مَراحَ أُنسٍ

فَماذا بَعدَنا فَعَلَ البَشامُ

فَماذا بَعدَنا فَعَلَ البَشامُ

And there the balsam trees were a haunt of fellowship;

What has become of them since we left?

So what have the balsam trees done since we left?

O crack of youth farewell

فَيا شَرخَ الشَبابِ أَلا لِقاءٌ

فَيا شَرخَ الشَبابِ أَلا لِقاءٌ

يُبَلُّ بِهِ عَلى يَأسٍ أُوامُ

يُبَلُّ بِهِ عَلى يَأسٍ أُوامُ

So, O prime of youth, is there no reunion

A meeting that would heal despair

That might, despite despair, slake a burning thirst?

O shadow of youth, you once covered

وَيا ظِلَّ الشَبابِ وَكُنتَ تَندى

وَيا ظِلَّ الشَبابِ وَكُنتَ تَندى

عَلى أَفياءِ سَرحَتِكَ السَلامُ

عَلى أَفياءِ سَرحَتِكَ السَلامُ

And O shade of youth—you were once moist with dew—

The tops of the hills in your wanderings, peace

Peace be upon the shadows of your spreading tree.