خَليليَّ في قلبي من الوَجْد جَذْوَةٌ

خَليليَّ في قلبي من الوَجْد جَذْوَةٌ

تأجَّجُ في شَوقٍ شديدٍ إليكما

تأجَّجُ في شَوقٍ شديدٍ إليكما

My two friends, within my heart a live coal of passion burns,

My two friends, in my heart is an ember of passion;

My friends, in my heart there is an ember of passion

Blazing with an intense longing for you both.

it blazes with fierce longing for you both.

That burns with intense longing for you both

يعاني فؤادي ما يعاني من الجوى

يعاني فؤادي ما يعاني من الجوى

وما هو إلاَّ منكما وعليكما

وما هو إلاَّ منكما وعليكما

My heart endures all that it endures of love’s torment,

My heart suffers what it suffers of love's anguish,

My heart suffers what it suffers from fervor

And it is only from you both, and for your sake.

and it comes only from you both, and is for you both.

And it is only because of you two and for you both

وقد كادَ هذا القلب يضرم ناره

وقد كادَ هذا القلب يضرم ناره

ويوشك قَلْبُ الصّبّ أنْ يتضرَّما

ويوشك قَلْبُ الصّبّ أنْ يتضرَّما

This heart has nearly set its own fire raging,

And this heart has almost kindled its fire,

This heart has almost ignited its fire

And the lover’s heart is on the verge of bursting into flame.

and the lovesick lover's heart is about to burst into flame.

And the heart of the youth is about to blaze

ولي أعينٌ غرقى ولكنْ بمائها

ولي أعينٌ غرقى ولكنْ بمائها

تساقط منها الدَّمع فذًّا وتوأما

تساقط منها الدَّمع فذًّا وتوأما

I have eyes drowned—but in their own waters;

And I have eyes drowned—but in their own waters;

I have eyes flooded, but with their water

From them tears fall, singly and in pairs.

tears have fallen from them, singly and in pairs.

Tears pour abundantly and in pairs

وأعذِرُ أجفاني على فيض أدمعي

وأعذِرُ أجفاني على فيض أدمعي

ولو أنَّها فاضَتْ لفقدكما دما

ولو أنَّها فاضَتْ لفقدكما دما

I forgive my eyelids for the flood of my tears,

And I excuse my eyelids for the flood of my tears,

And I excuse my eyelids for my overflowing tears

Even had they shed blood for losing you both.

even if they overflowed with blood at losing you both.

Even if they had spilled, it would be blood for missing you both

وأدعو لها بالغمض وهو بمعزل

وأدعو لها بالغمض وهو بمعزل

لعلَّ خيالاً يطرق العين منكما

لعلَّ خيالاً يطرق العين منكما

I summon sleep to them, but sleep keeps far away,

And I pray for their slumber, though it remains far off,

I plead for them to close, though in isolation

In hope that some vision of you both may visit my eyes.

in hope that a vision of you both may visit my eye.

Perhaps an image of you will visit the eyes

تناءَيتُما عن وامقٍ فيكما شجٍ

تناءَيتُما عن وامقٍ فيكما شجٍ

فأَنْجَدْتُما يا صاحبيَّ وأَتْهَما

فأَنْجَدْتُما يا صاحبيَّ وأَتْهَما

You two have drawn far from a lover, heartsick for you,

You both have gone far from a lover grieving for you both;

You both avoided a painful separation

Journeying into Najd, my two companions, and down to Tihama.

so you went to Najd, my two companions, and to Tihama.

So you triumphed, my friends, and prevailed

فهل تريا بيناً رُمينا بسهمه

فهل تريا بيناً رُمينا بسهمه

درى أيّ قلب قد رماه وما رمى

درى أيّ قلب قد رماه وما رمى

Do you see the separation whose arrow struck us?

Do you both think that separation, whose arrow struck us,

Do you see someone struck by its arrow?

Did it know what heart it pierced—and what a shot it made?

knew which heart it had struck, and what it had struck?

Who knows which heart it hit and what it aimed?

وها أنا حتَّى تنقضي مدَّة النَّوى

وها أنا حتَّى تنقضي مدَّة النَّوى

أُعَلِّلُ قلبي في عسى ولربَّما

أُعَلِّلُ قلبي في عسى ولربَّما

And here I am, until the term of our parting ends,

And here I am, until the time of separation ends,

And here I am, until the period of pining is over

Sustaining my heart on “perhaps” and “it may yet be.”

soothing my heart with 'perhaps' and 'maybe.'

Justifying my heart with a perhaps and maybe

لذكركما أُصغي إذا ما ذُكِرْتُما

لذكركما أُصغي إذا ما ذُكِرْتُما

وأَذكرُ عَهداً منكما قد تقدَّما

وأَذكرُ عَهداً منكما قد تقدَّما

I listen keenly for mention of you whenever your names are spoken,

I listen closely for mention of you both whenever you are named,

To your mention I listen when you are spoken of

And remember a time with you both that has passed,

and I recall an earlier pledge from you both,

And I recall a past time with you both

وعيشاً قَضَيْناه نعيماً بقربكم

وعيشاً قَضَيْناه نعيماً بقربكم

ولله عيشٌ ما ألَذّ وأنعما

ولله عيشٌ ما ألَذّ وأنعما

And a life we spent in bliss beside you.

and a life we spent in bliss near you.

And a life we spent in bliss being near you

By God, what a life—how sweet, how full of joy!

And, by God, what a life—how sweet and blissful!

By God, no life is sweeter and more pleasant

وما اجتاز بي ركبٌ يجد بسيره

وما اجتاز بي ركبٌ يجد بسيره

من الرُّوم إلاَّ أَسأَلُ الرّكب عنكما

من الرُّوم إلاَّ أَسأَلُ الرّكب عنكما

No caravan from Byzantium passes me, pressing onward,

And no caravan has passed me, hastening on its journey

No caravan passed me on its journey

But that I ask the travelers for news of you both.

from Rum, without my asking its riders about you both.

From Rome except I asked the caravan about you both

وإنْ نُشِرَتْ صُحفُ الغرام لديكما

وإنْ نُشِرَتْ صُحفُ الغرام لديكما

ففي طيِّها منِّي السَّلام عليكما

ففي طيِّها منِّي السَّلام عليكما

And if the pages of love are unfolded before you,

And if love's pages are unfolded before you both,

And if the scrolls of passion are unfurled before you

Folded within them is my greeting of peace to you both.

then in their folds lie my greetings of peace to you both.

In their folds, my greetings to you both