ءأَظُنُّ وَما جَرَّبتُ مِثلَكِ أَنَّما

ءأَظُنُّ وَما جَرَّبتُ مِثلَكِ أَنَّما

قُلوبُ نِساءِ العالَمينَ صُخورُ

قُلوبُ نِساءِ العالَمينَ صُخورُ

Am I to think—though I have never known your like—that

Do I think, though I have not tried the likes of you,

the hearts of all the world's women are nothing but rocks?

That the hearts of the women of the world are rocks?

ذَريني أَنَم لَم أَنَل مِنكِ زَورَةً

ذَريني أَنَم لَم أَنَل مِنكِ زَورَةً

لَعَلَّ خَيالاً في المَنامِ يَزورُ

لَعَلَّ خَيالاً في المَنامِ يَزورُ

Let me sleep; I have had no visit from you.

Leave me be, though I gained no falsehood from you -

Perhaps a phantom will visit me in my sleep.

Perhaps a specter in a dream that visits.

بَكَيتُ إِلى سِربِ القَطا حينَ مَرَّ بي

بَكَيتُ إِلى سِربِ القَطا حينَ مَرَّ بي

فَقُلتُ وَمِثلي بِالبُكاءِ جَديرُ

فَقُلتُ وَمِثلي بِالبُكاءِ جَديرُ

I wept to a flock of sandgrouse as it passed me,

I wept to the flock of cats when they passed by me,

so I said—and one like me has cause to weep—

And I said: One like me deserves weeping!

أَسِربَ القَطا هَل مِن مُعيرٍ جَناحَهُ

أَسِربَ القَطا هَل مِن مُعيرٍ جَناحَهُ

لَعَلّي إِلى مَن قَد هَويتُ أَطيرُ

لَعَلّي إِلى مَن قَد هَويتُ أَطيرُ

O flock of sandgrouse, is there one who would lend his wing,

O flock of cats, is there one among you extending his wing?

that I might fly to the one I have come to love?

Perhaps to the one I love I may fly!

وَإِلّا فَمَن هذا يُؤَدّي تَحِيَّةً

وَإِلّا فَمَن هذا يُؤَدّي تَحِيَّةً

فَأَشكُرَهُ إِنَّ المُحِبَّ شَكورُ

فَأَشكُرَهُ إِنَّ المُحِبَّ شَكورُ

And if not, then who here will deliver a greeting,

And if not, then who is this conveying a greeting,

so I may thank him? A lover is indeed grateful.

That I may thank him - for the lover is grateful.

وَأَيُّ قَطاةٍ لَم تُساعِد أَخا هَوىً

وَأَيُّ قَطاةٍ لَم تُساعِد أَخا هَوىً

فَعاشَت بِضَيرٍ وَالجَناحُ كَسيرُ

فَعاشَت بِضَيرٍ وَالجَناحُ كَسيرُ

And any sandgrouse that does not help a man in love—

And which she-cat did not help a lovestruck brother -

then may it live in distress, with its wing broken!

So she lived in distress and the wing is broken.