عَجِبتُ مِنَ الأَيّامِ كَيفَ تَقَلَّبَت

عَجِبتُ مِنَ الأَيّامِ كَيفَ تَقَلَّبَت

بِنا فَتَفَرَّقنا كَأَن لَم نُجَمَّعِ

بِنا فَتَفَرَّقنا كَأَن لَم نُجَمَّعِ

I marvel at the days—how they turned

I marvelled at the days, at how they changed

I'm amazed at how the days have changed

I marveled at the days, how they turned against us,

against us, scattering us as though we had never gathered.

our lot, so we scattered as though we had never been united.

Separating us as if we were never together

Casting us apart, as if we had never been united.

عَباديدُ شَتّى مِثلَ ما نَثَرَ الأَسى

عَباديدُ شَتّى مِثلَ ما نَثَرَ الأَسى

فَرائِد مِن دَمعِ الفُؤادِ المُفَجَّعِ

فَرائِد مِن دَمعِ الفُؤادِ المُفَجَّعِ

Scattered bands, far apart, as sorrow scattered

Scattered groups, far apart, like what sorrow strewed:

Scattered tears like the sorrow has scattered

Scattered remnants, strewn about just as sorrow scatters

single pearls of tears from a grief-stricken heart.

precious pearls from the tears of a grief-stricken heart.

Pillows wet with tears from my broken heart

The solitary pearls of tears from a grief-stricken heart.

عِدوني فَإِن لَم تُنجِزوا رُبَّ مَوعِدٍ

عِدوني فَإِن لَم تُنجِزوا رُبَّ مَوعِدٍ

شَفا غُلَّتي مِنكُم وَإِن خابَ مَطمَعي

شَفا غُلَّتي مِنكُم وَإِن خابَ مَطمَعي

Promise me; even if you do not fulfill it, many a promise

Promise me—even if you do not fulfil it, many a promise

My enemies, if you don't fulfill your promises

Make me a promise—even if you do not fulfill it—for often a promise

from you has quenched my thirst, though my hope came to nothing.

has quenched my burning thirst for you, though my hope was dashed.

My anguish for you will heal though my hopes are dashed

Has healed my burning thirst for you, though my hopes were dashed.

عَلى الدَهرُ أَيمان بأن لا يُرى لَنا

عَلى الدَهرُ أَيمان بأن لا يُرى لَنا

شَتاتٌ وَأبعادٌ لِجَمع مُلَمَّعِ

شَتاتٌ وَأبعادٌ لِجَمع مُلَمَّعِ

Time stood bound by oaths that we should never know

Time is bound by oaths that we shall see no

I vow to time that we'll never be seen

Fate has sworn solemn oaths that there shall be seen for us

dispersion or distance within our many-hued company.

scattering or separation of a company pieced together.

Scattered and separated, a broken whole

Only dispersion and distance for a gathering once so bright.

عَسى الطَيف أَن يَزدارَني فَأَبثّهُ

عَسى الطَيف أَن يَزدارَني فَأَبثّهُ

سَرائِرَ شَوقٍ لِلحَبيبِ المُوَدّعِ

سَرائِرَ شَوقٍ لِلحَبيبِ المُوَدّعِ

Perhaps your phantom will visit me, and I shall confide to it

May the phantom visit me, so I may confide to it

Perhaps an apparition will make me forget

Perhaps the phantom of your image will visit me, that I may pour out to it

the secrets of yearning for the beloved I bade farewell.

the secrets of longing for the beloved I bade farewell.

The longing in my heart for the departed beloved

The hidden secrets of yearning for the beloved who bade farewell.

عَهِدتُ الهَوى حُلواً فَلَمّا شَرِبتُهُ

عَهِدتُ الهَوى حُلواً فَلَمّا شَرِبتُهُ

تَجَرَّعتُ مِنهُ غُصَّة المُتجَرِّعِ

تَجَرَّعتُ مِنهُ غُصَّة المُتجَرِّعِ

I had known love as sweet; but when I drank it,

I knew love to be sweet, but when I drank it,

I knew love to be sweet but when I drank it

I once deemed passion sweet, but when I drank of it,

I gulped from it the choking anguish of one forced to drink.

I gulped from it the choking pang of one who struggles to swallow.

I tasted in it the bitterness of the suffering

I gulped down the choking bitterness that a sufferer endures.

عَشِيّات أَيّام الحِمى جادَكَ الحَيا

عَشِيّات أَيّام الحِمى جادَكَ الحَيا

لَقَد كُنت ريحانَ المُحِبّينَ فَاِرجِعي

لَقَد كُنت ريحانَ المُحِبّينَ فَاِرجِعي

O evenings of the days at al-Ḥimā, may the rain-cloud bless you!

O evenings of the days in the sheltered grounds, may rain shower you generously!

The evenings of ardour's days, life was generous to you

O evenings of the days at al-Hima, may the rains water you liberally;

You were the lovers’ sweet basil—come back.

You were indeed the lovers' sweet basil—return!

You were the basil of lovers, so come back

You were the sweet basil of lovers, so return!

عَذارُك مِسكٌ أَذفرٌ في أُنوفنا

عَذارُك مِسكٌ أَذفرٌ في أُنوفنا

فَشَوقاً إِلى مَشمومك المُتَضَوِّعِ

فَشَوقاً إِلى مَشمومك المُتَضَوِّعِ

Your dusky cheek is richest musk in our nostrils;

Your cheek's down is strongly fragrant musk in our nostrils;

Your fragrance is musk, saffron in our noses

The down upon your cheek is pungent musk to our senses,

ah, how we long to breathe your wafting fragrance!

so, how I long for your wafting fragrance!

Yearning for your perfumed embrace

And oh, the longing for your fragrance that wafts abroad.

عَميدُ الهَوى يُشفى بِهِ من سقامه

عَميدُ الهَوى يُشفى بِهِ من سقامه

فَأهدِ إِلَينا نَشرهُ نَتَمَتَّعِ

فَأهدِ إِلَينا نَشرهُ نَتَمَتَّعِ

The one laid low by love is healed by it of his sickness;

One stricken by love is healed by it of his illness;

Love's pillar, healing its sickness

The one sick with love is cured by it of his ailment,

so send its perfume to us, that we may delight in it.

so send us its fragrance, that we may delight in it.

Send its blossoms to us, let us delight

So gift us its scent, that we may find delight.

عَفا اللَهُ عَن ذا الدَهر إِن رَدَّ شَملنا

عَفا اللَهُ عَن ذا الدَهر إِن رَدَّ شَملنا

وَشَعَّبَ مِنّا كُلَّ قَلبٍ مُصَدَّعِ

وَشَعَّبَ مِنّا كُلَّ قَلبٍ مُصَدَّعِ

May God forgive this Time, if it restores our union

May God pardon this age if it reunites us

May God forgive the days if they reunite us

May God pardon this Fate if it restores our reunion,

and mends every shattered heart among us.

and mends every fractured heart among us.

And cleave each broken heart

And mends the cracks in every shattered heart among us.