من منصفي من دمعي المتدفق

من منصفي من دمعي المتدفق

اضنى فؤادي بسابح لم يسبق

اضنى فؤادي بسابح لم يسبق

Who will grant me redress against my streaming tears,

Who can sympathize with my flowing tears

which have worn out my heart with a courser never outstripped,

My heart is grief-stricken for an unrivaled swimmer

وعليل قلب قد تناهبه النوى

وعليل قلب قد تناهبه النوى

لسوى حديث حبيبه لم يخفق

لسوى حديث حبيبه لم يخفق

and an ailing heart that separation has ravaged,

And a sick heart ravaged by sorrows

which never beat except at its beloved’s words?

For nothing but the words of his beloved that did not flutter

عهدي بقلبي قبل ان عرف الهوى

عهدي بقلبي قبل ان عرف الهوى

والوجد كالطود المتين الابلق

والوجد كالطود المتين الابلق

I remember my heart before it knew love

My promise to my heart before I knew passion

and longing—like a firm, piebald mountain.

And fervor is like the solid, smooth mountain

لعبت به ايدي الغرام فسار من

لعبت به ايدي الغرام فسار من

آلامه ابدا بقيد مطلق

آلامه ابدا بقيد مطلق

Passion’s hands toyed with it; it journeyed, driven by

The hands of love have toyed with it, so it walked

its torments, forever in an unbounded fetter.

Forever from its pains unleashed

قلب بغير ضرام نيران الجفا

قلب بغير ضرام نيران الجفا

وشؤنها أي والوفا لم يحرق

وشؤنها أي والوفا لم يحرق

A heart, except by the blaze of estrangement’s fires

A heart without the embers of rejection’s fire

and all they bring—yes, by fidelity!—has never been burned.

And its affairs - how could loyalty burn it?

والوجد يعرف اهله فوجوههم

والوجد يعرف اهله فوجوههم

مزدانة منه باوضح رونق

مزدانة منه باوضح رونق

And longing knows its own; their faces

And fervor recognizes its people, so their faces

are adorned by it with the clearest radiance.

Are adorned by it with the clearest glow

والهفتاه لوقت قرب مرلي

والهفتاه لوقت قرب مرلي

مع من احب مضى وآه لو بقي

مع من احب مضى وآه لو بقي

Ah, my longing for a time of closeness I once knew

And longing for the time of nearing a bender

with the one I love! It has passed—ah, if only it had remained!

With whom I loved who left, oh if only he stayed

والروض يزهر والحدائق تزدهي

والروض يزهر والحدائق تزدهي

ببنفسج وبسوسن وبزنبق

ببنفسج وبسوسن وبزنبق

And the garden blooms, and the gardens are resplendent

The meadow blossoms and the gardens bloom

with violets, and with irises, and with lilies.

With violets, lilies and bluebells

والورد ينفح اذ يميل باحمر

والورد ينفح اذ يميل باحمر

من لونه وباصفر وبازرق

من لونه وباصفر وبازرق

And the rose wafts fragrance as it sways, with red

The roses diffuse as they lean with their

in its coloring, and with yellow, and with blue.

Red, yellow and blue hues

والحب ما بين الرياض يميس كال

والحب ما بين الرياض يميس كال

غصن الرشيق تقول برق الابرق

غصن الرشيق تقول برق الابرق

And the beloved sways among the gardens like the

And love roams between the gardens like a

slender bough—you would say, “The lightning of al-Abraq!”

Swaying branch - if only sorrows were not created

كانت اويقات فمزق شملها

كانت اويقات فمزق شملها

جيش النوى ليت النوى لم يخلق

جيش النوى ليت النوى لم يخلق

They were brief moments; their togetherness was torn apart

by separation’s army—would that separation had never been created!