أَيا كَبِدي طارَت صُدوعاً نَوافِذاً

أَيا كَبِدي طارَت صُدوعاً نَوافِذاً

وَيا حَسرَتي ماذا تَغَلغَلَ في القَلبِ

وَيا حَسرَتي ماذا تَغَلغَلَ في القَلبِ

O my liver, burst apart in fissures that pierce through!

O my heart, windows have become rent asunder

And O my anguish—what has burrowed into the heart!

And o my regret, what has seeped into my heart?

فَأُقسِمُ ما غُمشُ العُيونِ شَوارِفٌ

فَأُقسِمُ ما غُمشُ العُيونِ شَوارِفٌ

رَوائِمُ بَوٍّ جاثِماتٌ عَلى سَقبِ

رَوائِمُ بَوٍّ جاثِماتٌ عَلى سَقبِ

For I swear, no bleary-eyed, aged she-camels,

I swear the lids of my eyes are not awnings

fond of a calf-skin dummy, crouched over a male calf,

Swaying with the wind, crouching atop my dome

يُشَمِّمنَهُ لَو يَستَطِعنَ اِرتَشَفنَهُ

يُشَمِّمنَهُ لَو يَستَطِعنَ اِرتَشَفنَهُ

إِذا سُفنَهُ يَردُدنَ نَكباً عَلى نَكبِ

إِذا سُفنَهُ يَردُدنَ نَكباً عَلى نَكبِ

sniffing him—if they could, they would sip him up—

As if they'd sip it, if only they were able

swaying again and again whenever they scent him,

When its ships repeat their way back the same way

بِأَوجَدَ مِنّي يَومَ زالَت حُمولُهُم

بِأَوجَدَ مِنّي يَومَ زالَت حُمولُهُم

وَقَد طَلَعَت أولى الرِكابِ مِنَ النَقبِ

وَقَد طَلَعَت أولى الرِكابِ مِنَ النَقبِ

are more anguished than I the day their laden camels departed,

With more pain than the day when their burdens were lifted

when the first riding-camels had emerged from the mountain pass.

And the first of the riders emerged from the pass

كُلُّ مُلِمّاتِ الأُمورِ وَجَدتُّها

كُلُّ مُلِمّاتِ الأُمورِ وَجَدتُّها

سِوى فُرقَةِ الأَحبابِ هَيِّنَةَ الخَطبِ

سِوى فُرقَةِ الأَحبابِ هَيِّنَةَ الخَطبِ

All the calamities of life I have found—

I have found all affairs' endings

except parting from loved ones—easy to bear.

Except for parting from loved ones, dire in tribulations