يا ليْتنِي ثانٍ لِحادٍ حَداكْ

يا ليْتنِي ثانٍ لِحادٍ حَداكْ

ورابعُ الكَهْفِ لِكَهْفٍ حَواكْ

ورابعُ الكَهْفِ لِكَهْفٍ حَواكْ

O, would that I were a second to the camel-driver who sang you onward,

Oh, if only I were a second to one who called you,

And the Cave's fourth companion, for a cave that sheltered you.

And a fourth to the cave for the cave that sheltered you,

وليت نَوْءَ الطَّرْفِ في رَوْضةٍ

وليت نَوْءَ الطَّرْفِ في رَوْضةٍ

أنتَ بها رَغْماً لِنَوْءِ السِّماكِ

أنتَ بها رَغْماً لِنَوْءِ السِّماكِ

And would that the eye's rain fell in a garden

And if only my tears in the garden flowed

Where you lie, in defiance of al-Simak's rain.

Where you lived, despite the tears of the clouds.

أسْقِي بها مَثْواكَ يا مُنْيتِي

أسْقِي بها مَثْواكَ يا مُنْيتِي

هل تُسْكَبُ العَبَراتُ إلا هُناكْ

هل تُسْكَبُ العَبَراتُ إلا هُناكْ

There I water your resting place, O my desire.

I would water your tomb, O my wish!

Are tears shed anywhere but there?

Are tears poured anywhere but there?

يا ابْنَ الذبِيحَيْن وقد فُدِّيَا

يا ابْنَ الذبِيحَيْن وقد فُدِّيَا

ليت جميعَ الخلْقِ كانوا فِدَاكْ

ليت جميعَ الخلْقِ كانوا فِدَاكْ

O son of the two marked for sacrifice, both ransomed,

O son of the two sacrifices, you were ransomed

Would that all creation had been a ransom for you.

If only all people were sacrificed for you

فما اسْتحقّ العَنْبَرُ الرّطبُ أن

فما اسْتحقّ العَنْبَرُ الرّطبُ أن

يُحرَق إلا حين حاكى ثَراكْ

يُحرَق إلا حين حاكى ثَراكْ

For moist ambergris did not deserve to

Amber would not deserve to be burnt

Be burned except when it imitated your earth.

Except when it resembled your soil

ليت وُجوهاً لأعادِيكَ لو

ليت وُجوهاً لأعادِيكَ لو

أمْسَتْ نِعالاً حَاجِباها شِرضاكْ

أمْسَتْ نِعالاً حَاجِباها شِرضاكْ

Would that the faces of your enemies could

If only my enemies' faces

Become sandals, their two brows your two sandal-straps.

Became shoes while their eyebrows were your ground

لم تَحْكِكَ السُّحْبُ ولا البَحْرُ في

لم تَحْكِكَ السُّحْبُ ولا البَحْرُ في

جُودٍ ولا فاز بما في لُهاكْ

جُودٍ ولا فاز بما في لُهاكْ

Neither the clouds nor the sea matched you in

Neither clouds nor sea ever told of your generosity

Generosity, nor attained what your gifts contain.

Or won what was in your possession

فالبَرْقُ لم يَلْمعْ ولكنَّه

فالبَرْقُ لم يَلْمعْ ولكنَّه

يضْحَكُ من وَابِلِ غَيْثٍ حَكاكْ

يضْحَكُ من وَابِلِ غَيْثٍ حَكاكْ

For lightning did not flash; rather, it

Lightning never flashed, but it

Laughs at a downpour of rain that mimicked you.

Laughs at the pouring rain that narrated you