رعا الله قلب المستهام الذي ذابا

رعا الله قلب المستهام الذي ذابا

فعاشر اغيارا وفارق احبابا

فعاشر اغيارا وفارق احبابا

May God watch over the heart of the love-stricken one that melted;

God have mercy on the heart that melted away

so he kept company with strangers and parted from loved ones.

For it associated with strangers and parted from loved ones

نأى عنه من يهواه والبين مزعج

نأى عنه من يهواه والبين مزعج

ولم يلق للبين المبرح اسبابا

ولم يلق للبين المبرح اسبابا

The one he loves has drawn far from him, and parting is distressing;

Those he loved distanced themselves though separation is hard

and he found no reasons for the agonizing separation.

And he found no cause for the sudden estrangement

الا يا حبيبا قد رأى الهجر مذهبا

الا يا حبيبا قد رأى الهجر مذهبا

فتحت لاقوال العواذل ابوابا

فتحت لاقوال العواذل ابوابا

Ah, beloved who has chosen estrangement as his path,

Oh my love, he saw separation as the way

you opened doors to the words of the reproaching women,

So he opened the doors to the words of coquettes

واحزنت عمدا بالتباعد صادقا

واحزنت عمدا بالتباعد صادقا

وفرحت بالمضنى الموله كذابا

وفرحت بالمضنى الموله كذابا

and deliberately grieved a sincere lover by keeping your distance,

And willfully grieved with distance in truth

and gladdened a liar at the expense of the worn-out, love-bewildered one.

And happily accepted the invented sorrows of the infatuated liar

فان كان عن ذنب وكان لغفلة

فان كان عن ذنب وكان لغفلة

محبك يا مولاي عنه لقد تابا

محبك يا مولاي عنه لقد تابا

If it was for a sin, and that sin arose from heedlessness,

If it was due to a sin and caused by neglect

your lover, my lord, has surely repented of it.

My Lord, your lover has repented

وان كان عدوانا فللبغي عثرة

وان كان عدوانا فللبغي عثرة

تفرق مجموعا وتهدم محرابا

تفرق مجموعا وتهدم محرابا

But if it was injustice, wrongdoing has its downfall,

And if it was transgression, the treacherous have stumbled

which scatters what is united and demolishes a sanctuary.

Scattering those united and destroying places of worship

ومثلك من يعلو عن البغي طبعه

ومثلك من يعلو عن البغي طبعه

ويكرم احبابا ويرحم اصحابا

ويكرم احبابا ويرحم اصحابا

And one like you has a nature that rises above wrongdoing,

And one like you whose nature rises above treachery

and honors loved ones and shows mercy to companions.

Who honors loved ones and has mercy on companions

كفى يا غزال الرقمتين فانني

كفى يا غزال الرقمتين فانني

لبست من الاحزان للبعد أثوابا

لبست من الاحزان للبعد أثوابا

Enough, O gazelle of al-Raqmatayn, for I

Enough, oh graceful gazelle, for I have worn

have donned robes of sorrow because of separation.

The garments of sorrow from your absence

أحن لارض انت فيها وان تكن

أحن لارض انت فيها وان تكن

حوت هي من اقصى الاباعد اغرابا

حوت هي من اقصى الاباعد اغرابا

I yearn for a land where you dwell, even if it

I yearn for the land where you are even if

harbors strangers from among the most distant outsiders.

It contains the strangeness of the furthest distances

ورحت بآلامي ومن لوعة الجفا

ورحت بآلامي ومن لوعة الجفا

اتخذت من الصبر المحقق جلبابا

اتخذت من الصبر المحقق جلبابا

And I went on with my pains; out of the burning anguish of estrangement,

And I have gone with my pain and agony of estrangement

I took a cloak of true patience.

Taking the cloak of certain patience

فاسعف حماك الله بالقرب مدنفا

فاسعف حماك الله بالقرب مدنفا

متى حضر الحادي وفيك حداغابا

متى حضر الحادي وفيك حداغابا

So bring relief through nearness—may God protect you—to one wasting away,

So help your protector whom God has preserved

who loses himself whenever the camel-driver arrives and chants of you.

Whenever the separation comes and discord grows