ولقد ظمئتُ إلى الفرا

ولقد ظمئتُ إلى الفرا

تِ بكلَّ ذي كرمٍ ومجدِ

تِ بكلَّ ذي كرمٍ ومجدِ

And indeed I thirsted for the Euphrates,

I yearned for the shore with all the generous and glorious

with all who possess generosity and glory.

The sun at its setting

والشمس عند غروبها

والشمس عند غروبها

صفراءُ مذهبةُ الفرند

صفراءُ مذهبةُ الفرند

And the sun, at its setting,

Is yellow, gilding the bay

was yellow, its damascened pattern gilded.

The water, its banks are green

والماءُ حاشيتاه خض

والماءُ حاشيتاه خض

راونِ من آسٍ وَرَنْد

راونِ من آسٍ وَرَنْد

And the water—its two banks green

With myrtle and oleander

with myrtle and laurel—

The wind's hands caress it

تحبوه أيدي الريح إن

تحبوه أيدي الريح إن

ولَّتْ على قربٍ وبعد

ولَّتْ على قربٍ وبعد

the wind's hands endow it, whenever

When it turns upon near and far

they sweep past, near and far,

With silver embellishments

بطرائفٍ من فضةٍ

بطرائفٍ من فضةٍ

وطرائقٍ من لازورد

وطرائقٍ من لازورد

with rare treasures of silver

And methods of lapis lazuli

and streaks of lapis lazuli.

The ships like birds took off

والسُّفْنُ كالطير انبرت

والسُّفْنُ كالطير انبرت

في الجوّ من مثنى وفرد

في الجوّ من مثنى وفرد

And the ships, like birds, darted forth

In the air two by two and alone

into the air, in pairs and singly.

Until when the ebb of the shore passed

حتى إذا جَزْرُ الفرا

حتى إذا جَزْرُ الفرا

تِ مضى وأعقبه بمد

تِ مضى وأعقبه بمد

Until, when the Euphrates' ebb

And the flood followed after

had passed, and the river followed it with a rising tide,

I found it as if

ألفيته وكأنه

ألفيته وكأنه

ملقى عليه رداءُ ورد

ملقى عليه رداءُ ورد

I found it, and it was as though

Cast over it was a rose gown

a cloak of roses had been cast upon it,

Tossing like one inebriated

متململاً كالصبّ أُو

متململاً كالصبّ أُو

ذِنَ من أحبته يصد

ذِنَ من أحبته يصد

restlessly stirring, like a lovesick man told

From the wine of those he loves

of rejection from his loved ones.

As if his mind was filled

وكأنما بحشاه ما

وكأنما بحشاه ما

بحشاي من قلق ووجد

بحشاي من قلق ووجد

And as though its breast held what

With anxiety and passion

my breast holds of unrest and longing.