لَيتَif only ماwhat قَدalready شَرِبتُهُI drank it فيin جُمادىJumada
لَيتَ ما قَد شَرِبتُهُ في جُمادى
كُنتَyou had أَسقَيتَنيهِgiven it to me to drink فيin شَعبانِSha'ban
كُنتَ أَسقَيتَنيهِ في شَعبانِ
If only what I drank in Jumada
Would that what I drank in Jumada
you had given me to drink in Sha'ban!
You had let me drink in Sha'ban
لَمdid not أَزَلI cease آمُلُI hope for المَزيدَmore وَلاand not فَكbeginning of 'I thought'
لَم أَزَل آمُلُ المَزيدَ وَلا فَك
كَرتُcompletion of 'I thought' فيof ذاthis المِطالِdelay وَالحِرمانِand deprivation
كَرتُ في ذا المِطالِ وَالحِرمانِ
I kept hoping for more, and never thought
I have never ceased to hope for more, and will not
of this delay and deprivation.
Tire of this longing and deprivation
كُلَّevery يَومٍday أَمُدُّI stretch عَينيmy eye إِلىtoward الباbeginning of 'the door'
كُلَّ يَومٍ أَمُدُّ عَيني إِلى البا
بِcompletion of 'the door' رَجاءًin hope لِمِثلِfor the like of تِلكَthose القَنانيthe bottles
بِ رَجاءً لِمِثلِ تِلكَ القَناني
Every day I stretch my gaze toward the door,
Each day I stretch my eyes toward the door
hoping for bottles like those,
Hoping for a drink like that chalice
أَوor لِماfor what دونَهاless than them إِذاif ماnot سِوىother than ذاbeginning of 'that'
أَو لِما دونَها إِذا ما سِوى ذا
كَcompletion of 'that' وَقَدand perhaps تَجتَريdare عَلَيهِupon it الأَمانيhopes
كَ وَقَد تَجتَري عَلَيهِ الأَماني
or something less, if there is nothing besides that—
Or less than it, if that is not possible
and hopes may dare to reach for it.
As hopes can freely flow