لذع الأوام أزاهر الدفل

لذع الأوام أزاهر الدفل

 فذوت كما يذوي سنا المقل

فذوت كما يذوي سنا المقل

Thirst seared the oleander blossoms.

The flowers of the meadow withered

The burning thirst stung the oleander blooms,

So they withered as the radiance of eyes fades.

Like melting teeth of the sickle

So they withered as the light in eyes fades away.

كانت تعير النهر حمرتها

كانت تعير النهر حمرتها

 فيضيء فيه الموج كالشعل

فيضيء فيه الموج كالشعل

They used to lend the river their redness,

Their redness used to shame the river

She used to lend the river her crimson hue,

so the waves would shine in it like flames.

Making the waves shine like firebrands

Making the waves within glow like torches.

كانت تعير النهر حلتها

كانت تعير النهر حلتها

 فيسير في وشى من الحلل

فيسير في وشى من الحلل

They used to lend the river their robe,

Their garments used to shame the river

She used to lend the river her adorned attire,

so it would flow in embroidered robes.

Flowing in tumultuous waves

So it would flow clad in embroidered robes.

كم زينت بالأمس لبته

كم زينت بالأمس لبته

 بقلائد المرجان و القبل

بقلائد المرجان و القبل

How richly they adorned the hollow of its throat yesterday

How they adorned the hillside yesterday

How often yesterday she adorned his bosom,

with necklaces of coral and kisses!

With necklaces of coral and kisses

With necklaces of coral and of kisses.

و اليوم أطفىء نورها و خبا

و اليوم أطفىء نورها و خبا

 فكأنها لم تند أو تمل

فكأنها لم تند أو تمل

And today their light has been extinguished and has faded,

Today their light is extinguished and faded

But today her light is extinguished and dimmed,

so it is as though they had never been dewy or swayed.

As if they never bloomed or inclined

As if she never held dew nor swayed.

و اليوم أصبح عقدها بددا

و اليوم أصبح عقدها بددا

 فرأيت جيد النهر في عطل

فرأيت جيد النهر في عطل

And today their necklace lies scattered,

Today their necklace is scattered

And today her necklace lies scattered apart,

so I saw the river's neck bare of ornaments.

And I saw the riverbank paralyzed

So I saw the river's neck bereft of ornament.

و لكم مررت بزهرة ذبلت

و لكم مررت بزهرة ذبلت

 فبكيت حين بكيتها أملي

فبكيت حين بكيتها أملي

And how often I passed a flower that had withered,

Whenever I passed a withered flower

And how often I passed by a withered bloom,

so, when I wept for it, I wept for my hope.

I wept when I wept out of hope

And wept for my own hope when I wept for her.

و سقيتها بالراحتين كما

و سقيتها بالراحتين كما

 تسقي السحابة تربة الطلل

تسقي السحابة تربة الطلل

And I watered it with both palms, as

I watered it with both my hands

And I watered her with my cupped palms, just as

the cloud waters the soil of the ruins.

Like a cloud waters the ridges

The raincloud waters the soil of the ruins.

فتراعشت في غصنها و هوت

فتراعشت في غصنها و هوت

 و مضى النسيم بها على عجل

و مضى النسيم بها على عجل

Then it quivered on its branch and fell,

It fluttered on its branch and fell

She shivered upon her branch and fell,

and the breeze bore it away in haste.

The breeze carried it hurriedly away

And the breeze carried her away in haste.

يا عين أين أزاهر الدفل

يا عين أين أزاهر الدفل

 مري بجانب نهرها و سلى

مري بجانب نهرها و سلى

O eye, where are the oleander blossoms?

O eye where are the flowers of the meadow

O eye, where are the oleander blossoms?

Pass beside their river and ask.

Pass by its river and console yourself

Pass by the side of their river and ask.

لرجوت لو دامت غضارتها

لرجوت لو دامت غضارتها

 وصل التي وعدت فلم تصل

وصل التي وعدت فلم تصل

Had their freshness lasted, I would have hoped

I wish their lushness had lasted

I would have hoped, had her freshness endured,

for union with her who promised but did not come.

To meet the one who promised but did not arrive

To meet the one who promised, yet did not arrive.

قد كان وشك ذبولها أجلا

قد كان وشك ذبولها أجلا

 للملتقى ففجعت بالأرجل

للملتقى ففجعت بالأرجل

Their impending withering had been the appointed time

Their fading was soon enough

The verge of her withering was the appointed time,

for the meeting; then I was stricken by 'the legs' [unclear in the source].

For the meeting so it shocked the legs

But I was bereaved by the strides of fate.

و لكنت آمل أن أقبلها

و لكنت آمل أن أقبلها

 واعب خمرة حسنها الثمل

واعب خمرة حسنها الثمل

And I would have hoped to kiss her

I hoped to meet and kiss them

And I had hoped that I might kiss her,

and drink deep of the wine of her drunken beauty.

And drink the wine of their drunk beauty

And drink deep the wine of her intoxicating beauty.

أما و قد ذبلت فلا أمل

أما و قد ذبلت فلا أمل

 لي باللقاء فكيف بالقبل

لي باللقاء فكيف بالقبل

But now that they have withered, there is no hope

But now that they have withered, there is no hope

But now that she has withered, there is no hope

for me of a meeting—how, then, could I hope for kisses?

Of meeting, let alone kissing

For me of meeting, let alone of kisses.