حَمائِمَdoves قَدalready حَنَّتcooed زُجاجاتُglass vessels أَدمُعيmy tears
حَمائِمَ قَد حَنَّت زُجاجاتُ أَدمُعي
فَماso not خِلتُI thought إِلّاexcept أَنَّهُنَّthat they حَوائِمُhovering
فَما خِلتُ إِلّا أَنَّهُنَّ حَوائِمُ
Like doves, the glass vessels of my tears have cooed;
My teardrops have wept out the wine glasses,
so I thought them nothing but hovering birds.
Yet I was blamed though the doves were the mourners.
وَماand not دَرَّجَrippled الكُثبانَthe dunes مَرُّthe passing نُسيمِهاher gentle breeze
وَما دَرَّجَ الكُثبانَ مَرُّ نُسيمِها
بَلىon the contrary دَرَّجَrippled الكُثبانَthe dunes ماwhat أَناI لاثِمُkissing
بَلى دَرَّجَ الكُثبانَ ما أَنا لاثِمُ
The passing of her gentle breeze did not ripple the dunes;
The breeze did not sweep up the sand dunes,
rather, what I am kissing rippled the dunes.
Nay, but my guilt exposed the sand dunes.
وَلَمّاand when مَرَرناwe passed بِالرُسومِby the dwelling-traces تَنَفَّذَتwere enforced
وَلَمّا مَرَرنا بِالرُسومِ تَنَفَّذَت
بِهاat them لِلهَوىof love فيupon العاشِقينَthe lovers المَراسِمُthe decrees
بِها لِلهَوى في العاشِقينَ المَراسِمُ
And when we passed the dwelling-traces, there were enforced
When we passed by the dwellings, desires
love's decrees upon the lovers.
Therein accessed the lovers' privacies.
بَكَيناwe wept فَغَطّىso covered الدَمعُthe tears أَنوارَthe lights أَعيُنٍeyes
بَكَينا فَغَطّى الدَمعُ أَنوارَ أَعيُنٍ
وَمِنand among عَجَبٍwonders أَنَّthat الدُموعَthe tears كَواتِمُconcealers
وَمِن عَجَبٍ أَنَّ الدُموعَ كَواتِمُ
We wept, and tears covered the lights of eyes;
We cried till tears veiled the eyes' lights,
and how strange it is that tears should conceal.
And wonder not that tears are suppressors.