قد ذكرناكُم على بُعد المزار

قد ذكرناكُم على بُعد المزار

فانتَشينا بمُدام الادّكار

فانتَشينا بمُدام الادّكار

We have remembered you, though the journey to you is long,

We have mentioned you from afar,

and grown intoxicated on the wine of remembrance.

So we were revived by the wine of memories,

وتعاطينا حُميّا ذكركم

وتعاطينا حُميّا ذكركم

فَغنينا عن معاطاة العقار

فَغنينا عن معاطاة العقار

And we shared the heady draught of remembering you,

And we took to passionately remembering you,

so we had no need to pass wine around.

Making us forget sober thought.

وتجاذَبنا أحاديثَ النوى

وتجاذَبنا أحاديثَ النوى

وزمانَ الوَصلِ في قرب الديار

وزمانَ الوَصلِ في قرب الديار

And we exchanged tales of separation,

We exchanged intimate conversations,

and of days together, when our homes were near.

And times of togetherness in the nearby homes.

فكثيراً ما تمنّى قربكم

فكثيراً ما تمنّى قربكم

ذائبُ الدَّمع قليل الاصطبار

ذائبُ الدَّمع قليل الاصطبار

So often has he longed to be near you—

Often I longed for your nearness,

one whose tears flow, whose endurance is scant.

My tears flowing, my patience little.

فكأنَّ الوَجْدَ في أحشائه

فكأنَّ الوَجْدَ في أحشائه

لِسَنا أوجُهِكم جذوة نار

لِسَنا أوجُهِكم جذوة نار

So it is as though the longing within him

It was as if the passion in his heart

were an ember of fire from your faces’ radiance.

Was for your faces, embers of fire.

ربَّ صَحْبٍ نظمت شملهم

ربَّ صَحْبٍ نظمت شملهم

ليلةٌ أحسن من نظم الدراري

ليلةٌ أحسن من نظم الدراري

Many a band of friends was strung together

What blessed company whose bond

by a night, more finely than the stars are strung.

One night was better than necklaces of pearls.

فكأنّي بينهم في روضة

فكأنّي بينهم في روضة

من شقيق وأقاحٍ وبهار

من شقيق وأقاحٍ وبهار

So, among them, I seem to be in a garden

It was as if I were among them in a garden

of anemones, daisies, and yellow oxeye flowers.

Of lavender, hawthorn, and spring flowers.

ينثر اللؤلؤ من ألفاظهم

ينثر اللؤلؤ من ألفاظهم

فتراني في نظام ونثار

فتراني في نظام ونثار

Pearls are scattered from their words,

They scattered pearls in their speech,

so you see me amid pearls, strung and scattered.

So I found myself in harmony and scattering.

أنا ما زِلت أُداري بينَهم

أنا ما زِلت أُداري بينَهم

غير أنّي في الهوى ممن يداري

غير أنّي في الهوى ممن يداري

I still show tact among them,

I still socialize among them,

yet in love I am one who seeks to please.

Yet in passion I am of those who pine.

فاذكرونا بكتاب منكم

فاذكرونا بكتاب منكم

أنا ما زِلتُ له بالانتظار

أنا ما زِلتُ له بالانتظار

So remember us with a letter from you;

So mention us in a letter from you,

I am still waiting for it.

As I still wait for it.