من بعد سيرك ما الديار ديارُ

من بعد سيرك ما الديار ديارُ

كلاَّ ولا آثارها آثارُ

كلاَّ ولا آثارها آثارُ

After your departure, the dwellings are dwellings no more.

After your departure, the home is no longer a home

No, nor are their traces traces any more.

No, nor are its traces, traces

سيرٌ سرت معهُ النفوس وحبذا

سيرٌ سرت معهُ النفوس وحبذا

لو سار معهُ السمع والأبصارُ

لو سار معهُ السمع والأبصارُ

A departure the souls accompanied—how lovely it would be

A journey you took, with it souls traveled, and if only

If hearing and sight had accompanied it too!

With it hearing and sights had journeyed

عجباً لنار في الحشا لا تنطفي

عجباً لنار في الحشا لا تنطفي

بسوابق العبرات وهي غزارُ

بسوابق العبرات وهي غزارُ

How strange, a fire in the breast that is not quenched

Strange is a fire in the wilderness that does not die out

By rushing tears, copious though they are!

With copious tears, though they abundant flow

فأتوق للبرق الصناعي علهُ

فأتوق للبرق الصناعي علهُ

في سلكه تتواصل الأخبارُ

في سلكه تتواصل الأخبارُ

So I yearn for artificial lightning, hoping

So I long for lightning forged by hand, perhaps

That news may flow along its wire.

Through its wire news would continue to flow

فأبث أشواقي إليك تلهفاً

فأبث أشواقي إليك تلهفاً

علَّ الجواب تخف فيهِ سيَّارُ

علَّ الجواب تخف فيهِ سيَّارُ

So I may pour out my longings to you in yearning,

Thus I send my longing for you, fervently

Hoping the reply’s couriers will hasten along it.

Hoping the reply would lighten the caravans

فعسى مع الدوران تأتي ساعةٌ

فعسى مع الدوران تأتي ساعةٌ

فيها نراه وتنجلي الأقدار

فيها نراه وتنجلي الأقدار

So perhaps, as time turns, an hour will come

Maybe with time an hour will come

When we see him, and fate’s decrees become clear.

When we meet again and fates unravel