ما أَطْرَبَتْ فَوْقَ الغُصُونِ حَمامةٌ

ما أَطْرَبَتْ فَوْقَ الغُصُونِ حَمامةٌ

إِلا رَأَيْتَ دُمُوعَ عَيْني تُسْكَبُ

إِلا رَأَيْتَ دُمُوعَ عَيْني تُسْكَبُ

Whenever a dove sings sweetly above the branches,

How pleasantly a dove coos above the branches—

You see the tears of my eye being shed.

Unless my tears you see poured down in torrents.

وإِذا الرِّياحُ تَناوَحَتْ أَلْفَيْتَنِي

وإِذا الرِّياحُ تَناوَحَتْ أَلْفَيْتَنِي

بَيْنَ الصَّبَابَةِ والأَسَى أَتَقَلَّبُ

بَيْنَ الصَّبَابَةِ والأَسَى أَتَقَلَّبُ

And when the winds wail to one another, you find me

When winds contend in rivalry for mastery,

Tossing between yearning and sorrow.

I'm tossed between despair and youthful folly.

يا عاذِلى في الحُبِّ مَهْلاً بالأَذى

يا عاذِلى في الحُبِّ مَهْلاً بالأَذى

لَوْ كُنْتَ تَعْشَقُ ما ظَلَلْتَ تُؤَنِّبُ

لَوْ كُنْتَ تَعْشَقُ ما ظَلَلْتَ تُؤَنِّبُ

O you who reproach me for love, do not hurt me so;

Reproacher mine, go gently with your blame!

If you were in love, you would not keep reproaching me.

If you knew love, reproach you would not claim.

كم حاوَلَتْ نَفْسي السُّلُوَّ فطالَبَتْ

كم حاوَلَتْ نَفْسي السُّلُوَّ فطالَبَتْ

أَسْبَابَهُ جُهْداً فعَزَّ المَطْلَبُ

أَسْبَابَهُ جُهْداً فعَزَّ المَطْلَبُ

How often my soul has tried to forget, and sought

My soul has tried forgetting—all in vain.

The means to do so with great effort, yet the goal proved elusive.

To find it difficult is all I've gained.