راعى النجومَ فقَد كادَت تكلمهُ

راعى النجومَ فقَد كادَت تكلمهُ

وانهلَّ بعدَ دموعٍ يا لها دَمُهُ

وانهلَّ بعدَ دموعٍ يا لها دَمُهُ

He kept watch over the stars; indeed, they almost spoke to him.

He tended the stars when they almost spoke to him

And after tears—oh, those tears!—his blood streamed forth.

And wept copious tears - how bloodied they were!

أشفى على سقمٍ يُشفى الرقيبُ بهِ

أشفى على سقمٍ يُشفى الرقيبُ بهِ

لو كان أسقمَهُ من كان يَرحمُهُ

لو كان أسقمَهُ من كان يَرحمُهُ

He would have neared a sickness that would heal the watcher,

Healing for an ailment that could be cured by vigilance

had the one who made him ill been someone who pitied him.

Had his ailment been tended by one who pitied him

يا من تجاهلَ عمَّا كانَ يعلمُهُ

يا من تجاهلَ عمَّا كانَ يعلمُهُ

عَمداً وباحَ بِسّرٍ كانَ يكتمُهُ

عَمداً وباحَ بِسّرٍ كانَ يكتمُهُ

O you who feigned ignorance of what you knew,

O you who feigned ignorance of what you knew

deliberately, and divulged a secret you had kept hidden:

Deliberately, and divulged a secret you concealed

هذا خليلُكَ فِضواً لا حراكَ بهِ

هذا خليلُكَ فِضواً لا حراكَ بهِ

لم يبقَ من جسمهِ إلا توهمُّهُ

لم يبقَ من جسمهِ إلا توهمُّهُ

Here is your beloved, wasted away, without a stir.

This is your bosom friend, motionless

Nothing remains of his body but the thought of it.

Of his body remains only the illusion