ألفتِyou have grown accustomed to الدمعَtears أيتهاO you الجفونُeyelids
ألفتِ الدمعَ أيتها الجفونُ
وسهدكِand kept you sleepless التذكرُremembrance والحنينُand longing
وسهدكِ التذكرُ والحنينُ
You have grown accustomed to tears, O eyelids,
Tears have become habitual for you, O eyelids,
And remembrance and longing have kept you sleepless.
And your sleeplessness is filled with memories and yearning.
فإنso if أسهِدتِyou are kept sleepless شَوقاًout of longing منfrom فؤادٍa heart
فإن أسهِدتِ شَوقاً من فؤادٍ
يُجيبُanswers دعاءَthe call زفرتهِof its sigh الأنينُmoaning
يُجيبُ دعاءَ زفرتهِ الأنينُ
So if you are kept sleepless by longing from a heart
For if you lose sleep, longing for a heart
Whose sigh's call is answered by moaning,
Whose sighing is answered by moans of sorrow,
أمنيهِI offer it hope of الافاقةrecovery كلevery يومٍday
أمنيهِ الافاقة كل يومٍ
وأعلمُand I know أنthat ذلكthis لاnot يَكونُwill be
وأعلمُ أن ذلك لا يَكونُ
I offer it hope of recovery every day,
I wish that every day you would regain consciousness,
And I know that this will not be.
Though I know that will never happen.
وأختلand I try to beguile ماwhat بهِails it عَنِّيaway from me فتأبَىbut they refuse
وأختل ما بهِ عَنِّي فتأبَى
سقامٌailing ones لاnot ترقُّfeel pity ولاnor تلينُrelent
سقامٌ لا ترقُّ ولا تلينُ
And I try to beguile its pain away from me, but they refuse—
A malady from which you will not recover
Ailing eyelids that neither pity nor relent.
Nor become gentle and relent.