جرى رَسمُ الأحِبَّة إنْ ناوا

جرى رَسمُ الأحِبَّة إنْ ناوا

بشَكوى ما جَنَتْهُ يَدُ البِعادِ

بشَكوى ما جَنَتْهُ يَدُ البِعادِ

It is lovers’ custom, when they draw far apart,

It is the custom of lovers, if they go far away,

to lament what separation’s hand has wrought,

to lament what the hand of separation has wrought.

وإن سواصفوا مضَضَ الفُؤادِ

وإن سواصفوا مضَضَ الفُؤادِ

وما يلقونَ مِن مضَضِ المِهادِ

وما يلقونَ مِن مضَضِ المِهادِ

and to recount to one another the heart’s anguish

And if [word unclear] the anguish of the heart,

and the agony they endure upon their beds.

and the torment they suffer in bed.

ولو أبقى فِراقُكَ لي فُؤاداً

ولو أبقى فِراقُكَ لي فُؤاداً

وجَفْناً كنتُ أجزَعُ مِن سُهادِ

وجَفْناً كنتُ أجزَعُ مِن سُهادِ

Had your parting spared me a heart

And had your parting left me a heart

and an eyelid, I would have been distraught by sleeplessness;

and an eyelid, I would have dreaded sleeplessness.

ولكنْ لا سُهادَ بغَيرِ جَفْنٍ

ولكنْ لا سُهادَ بغَيرِ جَفْنٍ

كما وَجْدَ إلاّ بالفُؤادِ

كما وَجْدَ إلاّ بالفُؤادِ

but sleeplessness cannot exist without an eyelid,

And yet there is no sleeplessness without an eyelid,

just as passionate longing exists only in the heart.

just as longing exists only with a heart.