أَلا يا غُرابَ البَينِ هَل أَنتَ مُخبِري

أَلا يا غُرابَ البَينِ هَل أَنتَ مُخبِري

بِخَيرٍ كَما خَبَّأتَ بِالنُؤيِ وَالشَرِّ

بِخَيرٍ كَما خَبَّأتَ بِالنُؤيِ وَالشَرِّ

Ah, raven of parting, will you tell me

O raven of separation, are you informing me

of good, as you concealed [something] with the tent-trench and evil?

Of good as you have concealed in omens and ill,

وَخَبَّرتَ أَن قَد جَدَّ بَينٌ وَقَرَّبوا

وَخَبَّرتَ أَن قَد جَدَّ بَينٌ وَقَرَّبوا

جِمالاً لِبَينٍ مُثقَلاتٍ مِنَ الغَدرِ

جِمالاً لِبَينٍ مُثقَلاتٍ مِنَ الغَدرِ

And you reported that parting had indeed come, and they brought forward

And told that separation has come between us and drawn near

camels for departure, heavily laden with treachery.

Beauty for separation, heavily laden with betrayal,

وَهِجتَ قَذى عَينٍ بِلُبنى مَريضَةٍ

وَهِجتَ قَذى عَينٍ بِلُبنى مَريضَةٍ

إِذا ذُكِرَت فاضَت مَدامِعُها تَجري

إِذا ذُكِرَت فاضَت مَدامِعُها تَجري

And you stirred the grit in an eye lovesick for Lubna;

And stirred a mote in a tearful doe's eye,

whenever she is mentioned, its tears overflow and stream.

Whose tears flow when she is remembered,

وَقُلتَ كَذاكَ الدَهرُ ما زالَ فاجِعاً

وَقُلتَ كَذاكَ الدَهرُ ما زالَ فاجِعاً

صَدَقتَ وَهَل شَيءٌ بِباقٍ عَلى الدَهرِ

صَدَقتَ وَهَل شَيءٌ بِباقٍ عَلى الدَهرِ

And you said, “Such is time: it has never ceased to bring grief.”

And you said thus is time, it does not cease to sadden,

You spoke truly—and does anything endure throughout time?

You spoke truly, and does aught remain with time?