لست من همي وَلا من كمدي

لست من همي وَلا من كمدي

بعد ما أسلمت جفناً للكرى

بعد ما أسلمت جفناً للكرى

I am not true to my sorrow or my anguish,

I am not of those who forget their sorrows,

after surrendering an eyelid to sleep.

Nor of those who forget their vows,

أُخِذَ العهدُ عَلى أعينِنا

أُخِذَ العهدُ عَلى أعينِنا

أَنْ تعاني دمعَها والسهرا

أَنْ تعاني دمعَها والسهرا

A pledge was laid upon our eyes

After I surrendered my eyelids to anguish -

to endure their tears and sleeplessness.

We pledged our eyes to enduring its tears and wakefulness.

أَنا ممن بايعوا الحزنَ عَلَى

أَنا ممن بايعوا الحزنَ عَلَى

أَنْ يريق الجفنُ دمعاً أَحمرا

أَنْ يريق الجفنُ دمعاً أَحمرا

I am among those who pledged allegiance to sorrow on condition

I am of those who pledged grief

that the eyelid should shed red tears.

That the eyelids would shed red tears.

إِنَّما النّارُ التي في أضلعي

إِنَّما النّارُ التي في أضلعي

تتلظّى للأَسى نار قرى

تتلظّى للأَسى نار قرى

The fire within my ribs is only

The fire blazing in my ribs

a fire of hospitality, blazing for sorrow.

Is stoked by the flames of sorrow from past vows.

تَرِبَتْ كفُّ امرئٍ ينفضها

تَرِبَتْ كفُّ امرئٍ ينفضها

من عهودٍ أحكمتْ منها العرى

من عهودٍ أحكمتْ منها العرى

May dust cover the hand of anyone who shakes it free

The palm withers of one who shakes it off -

of covenants whose bonds were firmly fastened.

Of covenants whose bonds had been tightened.

لست بالنّاقض ميثاقَ الأَسى

لست بالنّاقض ميثاقَ الأَسى

بفمِ الناقضِ يا سعد البرى

بفمِ الناقضِ يا سعد البرى

I am not one to break sorrow's covenant;

I am not one to break the pact of sorrow -

may dust fill the oath-breaker's mouth, O Sa'd!

With the mouth of one violating pacts, O Saad of the open country!

لا تلمْ عيني إذا جدَّ البكا

لا تلمْ عيني إذا جدَّ البكا

فلقدْ جدَّ بلمياءَ السُرى

فلقدْ جدَّ بلمياءَ السُرى

Do not blame my eye when the weeping grows intense;

Do not blame my eye if it weeps profusely -

for the night journey has indeed sped away with Lamya.

For great was the flowing of tears from ardent passion.

مدَّةُ العيشِ عناءٌ بعدها

مدَّةُ العيشِ عناءٌ بعدها

كيف أُقضيها وأَنىّ يا ترى

كيف أُقضيها وأَنىّ يا ترى

Life's span is suffering after her;

The duration of life is hardship, after which -

how shall I spend it—and how can I, I wonder?

How can I spend it, and where, I wonder?

أَنا لولا غايةٌ أَسعى لها

أَنا لولا غايةٌ أَسعى لها

ضمنَّني من بعد لمياءَ الثرى

ضمنَّني من بعد لمياءَ الثرى

As for me, were it not for a goal I strive toward,

If not for a purpose I strive toward -

the earth would have enfolded me after Lamya.

The earth would have buried me after the copious flowing tears.