إِذا اِشتَدَّ ما بي قلت قَولَ مُتَيَّمِ

إِذا اِشتَدَّ ما بي قلت قَولَ مُتَيَّمِ

لِيَوم النَوى في القَلبِ منه كلومُ

لِيَوم النَوى في القَلبِ منه كلومُ

When my anguish intensifies, I speak the words of one enslaved by love,

When grief within me swells, I recite the verse of Mutayyam,

whose heart bears wounds from the day of parting.

For the day of parting in my heart are wounds and scars.

فَإِن تَكُن الأَيّام فَرَّقن بَينَنا

فَإِن تَكُن الأَيّام فَرَّقن بَينَنا

فَمَن ذا الَّذي من ريبهنَّ سَليمُ

فَمَن ذا الَّذي من ريبهنَّ سَليمُ

For if the days have parted us,

If days have come between us and parted us,

then who is safe from their vicissitudes?

Who then is free from their harm and blame?

وَأَنشدت شِعراً قاله ذو صَبابَةٍ

وَأَنشدت شِعراً قاله ذو صَبابَةٍ

كَئيبِ شَجَتهُ أَربُعٌ وَرُسومُ

كَئيبِ شَجَتهُ أَربُعٌ وَرُسومُ

And I recited verse spoken by one full of longing,

And I recited a poem said by one of youthful vigor,

a sorrowful man whom dwelling sites and their traces grieved:

Whose sorrow was deep - four lines and prose.

سَقى بلداً كانَت سُلَيمى تَحُلُّهُ

سَقى بلداً كانَت سُلَيمى تَحُلُّهُ

من المُزنِ ما تَروي بِهِ وَتَشيمُ

من المُزنِ ما تَروي بِهِ وَتَشيمُ

May a land where Sulayma used to dwell be watered

"She dwelt in a land which Sulayma's rain used to water,

by rain clouds you water with and whose lightning you watch.

With showers that would satisfy it and render it fertile."