أَما يَفنى حَديثُكَ عَن جِنانِ

أَما يَفنى حَديثُكَ عَن جِنانِ

وَلا تُبقي عَلى هَذا اللِسانِ

وَلا تُبقي عَلى هَذا اللِسانِ

Will your talk of Jinan never end?

Does your talk of Paradise ever cease,

Will your talk of Jinan never come to an end?

And will you not spare this tongue?

Or spare this tongue of mine no peace?

And will you not spare this weary tongue?

أَكُلَّ الدَهرِ قُلتُ لَها وَقالَت

أَكُلَّ الدَهرِ قُلتُ لَها وَقالَت

فَكَم هَذا أَما هَذا بِفانِ

فَكَم هَذا أَما هَذا بِفانِ

Must it always be 'I said to her, and she said'?

"For all time," I complained; but softly she

Is it for all eternity: "I said to her, and she said"?

So how long will this go on? Will it never end?

Replied, "Nay; this too passes, presently."

How much of this? Will this story never cease?

جَعَلتَ الناسَ كُلُّهُمُ سَواءٌ

جَعَلتَ الناسَ كُلُّهُمُ سَواءٌ

إِذا حَدَّثتَ عَنهُم في البَيانِ

إِذا حَدَّثتَ عَنهُم في البَيانِ

You have made all people alike

You made all folk seem equal in your eyes

You have made all people appear the same,

Whenever you speak of them in your account.

When you described them in your poesies.

Whenever you describe them in your speech.

عَدُوُّكَ كَالصَديقِ وَذا كَهَذا

عَدُوُّكَ كَالصَديقِ وَذا كَهَذا

سَواءٌ وَالأَباعِدُ كَالأَداني

سَواءٌ وَالأَباعِدُ كَالأَداني

Your enemy is like a friend, and this one like that one—

Foe was as friend when you declaimed of one;

Your enemy is like your friend, this one matches that,

Alike, and the distant are like the near.

The far and near were all the same to you.

All equal—the distant ones just like the near.

إِذا حَدَّثتَ عَن شَيءٍ فَوَلَّت

إِذا حَدَّثتَ عَن شَيءٍ فَوَلَّت

عَجائِبُهُ أَتَيتَهُم بِثانِ

عَجائِبُهُ أَتَيتَهُم بِثانِ

When you speak of something, and away go

When you told tales of anything, its strangeness

If you speak of a thing and its wonders fade,

Its wonders, you bring them another.

Was such, you brought us wonders great and new.

You bring them a second one to take its place.

فَلَو عَمَّيتَ عَنها بِاِسمِ أُخرى

فَلَو عَمَّيتَ عَنها بِاِسمِ أُخرى

عَلِمنا كُلَّنا مَن أَنتَ عانِ

عَلِمنا كُلَّنا مَن أَنتَ عانِ

So even if you hid her under another woman's name,

Had you but masked its name and said instead

So even if you veiled her with another name,

We would all know whom you mean.

'Twas something else, we all had known the clue.

We all would know exactly whom you mean.