يا لهفَ نفسي للأحبَّهْ

يا لهفَ نفسي للأحبَّهْ

ورجائِهِم غَوْثَ الأطبَّهْ

ورجائِهِم غَوْثَ الأطبَّهْ

Oh, my soul's anguish for the beloved ones,

Oh how my soul yearns for the beloved

and for their hope of the physicians' aid!

And hopes for their relief, the remedy of remedies

لم يَشْفِهِمْ كدُّ الطبيـ

لم يَشْفِهِمْ كدُّ الطبيـ

ـبِ ولا عنايتُهُ المُكِبَّهْ

ـبِ ولا عنايتُهُ المُكِبَّهْ

The physician's toil did not heal them,

The torment of the healer does not heal them

nor did his devoted care.

Nor does the attentive care of the devoted

لم تُقْضَ حاجتُهم ولا

لم تُقْضَ حاجتُهم ولا

نَفعتْهُمُ نفسٌ مُحِبّهْ

نَفعتْهُمُ نفسٌ مُحِبّهْ

Their need was not fulfilled, nor

Their needs are not fulfilled, nor

did a loving soul help them.

Does a loving soul benefit them

ما زارهُم فرحٌ ولا

ما زارهُم فرحٌ ولا

كانت كُروبُهمُ مُغِبَّهْ

كانت كُروبُهمُ مُغِبَّهْ

No joy visited them, nor

No joy has visited them, nor

were their sorrows intermittent.

Have their sorrows been hidden

تَرْحاً لدارٍ إنما

تَرْحاً لدارٍ إنما

سكانُها رُفَقٌ مُخِبَّهْ

سكانُها رُفَقٌ مُخِبَّهْ

Woe to a dwelling whose only

Longing for a house, though

inhabitants are bands of hastening travelers.

Its dwellers are severed companions

تقتادُهم نحو الرَّدى

تقتادُهم نحو الرَّدى

طُرُقٌ إليه مُستتبَّهْ

طُرُقٌ إليه مُستتبَّهْ

They are led toward death

Paths leading to ruin guide them

by paths to it, firmly laid.

Well-trodden routes towards it

دارٌ غريبٌ خيرُها

دارٌ غريبٌ خيرُها

وترى الشرورَ بها مُرِبَّهْ

وترى الشرورَ بها مُرِبَّهْ

A dwelling where goodness is a stranger,

A strange home, though its good

and you see evils settled within her.

And evil you see interwoven

أدوَتْ وغابَ دَواؤُها

أدوَتْ وغابَ دَواؤُها

عن كل نفسٍ مُسْتطبَّهْ

عن كل نفسٍ مُسْتطبَّهْ

She fell ill, and her cure was hidden

Has wounded, while its cure

from every soul seeking treatment.

Escapes each aching soul

وصَفَتْ محبةُ أهلها

وصَفَتْ محبةُ أهلها

منها لمُدْغِلةٍ مُضِبَّهْ

منها لمُدْغِلةٍ مُضِبَّهْ

And her inhabitants' love grew pure,

The love of its people has described it

from each soul, for a treacherous, rancorous one.

To the fiercely hostile as beloved

ناموا على صيْحاتها

ناموا على صيْحاتها

بهمُ الشدادِ المُستهبَّهْ

بهمُ الشدادِ المُستهبَّهْ

They slept through her cries

They slept through its cries

at them, fierce and rousing.

Seized by overwhelming adversity

كم غرَّ قوماً حُلْوُها

كم غرَّ قوماً حُلْوُها

من مُرِّها إلا الألِبَّهْ

من مُرِّها إلا الألِبَّهْ

How many people her sweetness deceived

How it deceived many with its sweetness

about her bitterness—save the discerning!

Except for the resolute amongst them

فتهافتوا في شُهْدِها

فتهافتوا في شُهْدِها

فتهالكوا مثل الأذِبَّهْ

فتهالكوا مثل الأذِبَّهْ

So they plunged headlong into her honey,

So they rushed into its honey

and perished like flies.

And perished like moths

ما آنسَ الإنسانَ بال

ما آنسَ الإنسانَ بال

دُنيا الدَّبوبِ له المُدبَّهْ

دُنيا الدَّبوبِ له المُدبَّهْ

How at home man feels in the

Nothing makes man intimate but the

world that creeps against him and sets others creeping!

Deceptive world, which entraps those led astray

تغدو عليه عَدُوَّةً

تغدو عليه عَدُوَّةً

ويَعدُّها أمّاً وحِبَّهْ

ويَعدُّها أمّاً وحِبَّهْ

She goes forth against him as an enemy,

Becoming his enemy at dawn

yet he regards her as a mother and a beloved.

While he counts it as mother and beloved

يا لهف نفسي للأحبـ

يا لهف نفسي للأحبـ

ـبَة لو شَفى اللَّهْفُ الأحبَّهْ

ـبَة لو شَفى اللَّهْفُ الأحبَّهْ

Oh, my soul's anguish for the beloved ones—

Oh how my soul yearns for the beloved

if only anguish could heal the beloved ones!

If only the longing would heal the most ardent beloved