صَبابَةُ نَفسٍ لا تَرى الهَجرَ حالِياً

صَبابَةُ نَفسٍ لا تَرى الهَجرَ حالِياً

وَصَبوَةُ قَلبٍ ما تَرى الوَصلَ شافِيا

وَصَبوَةُ قَلبٍ ما تَرى الوَصلَ شافِيا

A soul's yearning that finds no delight in separation,

The impatience of a soul that sees not separation as present,

and a heart's passion that finds no cure in union.

And the madness of a heart that sees not union as healing.

نَزَلتُ عَلى حُكمِ الصَبابَةِ وَالهَوى

نَزَلتُ عَلى حُكمِ الصَبابَةِ وَالهَوى

فَصِرتُ أَرى لِلخَلِّ ما لا يَرى لِيا

فَصِرتُ أَرى لِلخَلِّ ما لا يَرى لِيا

I submitted to the rule of longing and love,

I have fallen under the judgement of impatience and passion,

and came to accord my beloved what he does not accord me.

Thus I see for the separation what the separator sees not for me.

وَلَولا الهَوى ما كُنتُ آمَلُ باخِلاً

وَلَولا الهَوى ما كُنتُ آمَلُ باخِلاً

وَأَحَمُ ظَلّاماً وَأَذكُرُ ناسِيا

وَأَحَمُ ظَلّاماً وَأَذكُرُ ناسِيا

Were it not for love, I would not place my hopes in a miser,

And were it not for passion, I would not have hoped for a miser,

and [unclear verb] a cruel oppressor, and remember one who forgets me.

And carried darkness and remembered a forgetful one.

وَمِن شَأنِهِ أَنّي إِذا ما حَضَرتُهُ

وَمِن شَأنِهِ أَنّي إِذا ما حَضَرتُهُ

جَفاني وَسَمّاني إِذا غِبتُ جافِيا

جَفاني وَسَمّاني إِذا غِبتُ جافِيا

And it is his way that whenever I come into his presence,

It is in its nature that when I am in its presence,

he shuns me, yet calls me aloof when I am absent.

It is harsh to me and poisons me when I am absent, hostile.

عَلى أَنَّني أَنأى فَأَدنو تَذَكُّراً

عَلى أَنَّني أَنأى فَأَدنو تَذَكُّراً

وَلَستُ كَمَن يَدنو فَيَنأى تَناسِيا

وَلَستُ كَمَن يَدنو فَيَنأى تَناسِيا

Yet, though I go far away, I draw near through remembrance,

Yet I keep my distance and draw near in remembrance,

and am not like one who draws near, then withdraws in feigned forgetfulness.

And am not like one who draws near then keeps his distance, forgetting.

وَيُعجِبُني حُبّي لَهُ وَصَبابَتي

وَيُعجِبُني حُبّي لَهُ وَصَبابَتي

إِلَيهِ وَإِمساكي عَلَيهِ وِدادِيا

إِلَيهِ وَإِمساكي عَلَيهِ وِدادِيا

And I delight in my love for him and my yearning

And I love my love for it and my impatience towards it,

for him, and in preserving my affection for him.

And my adherence to it and my affection it.

فَلَو ظَنَّني أَسلوهُ لَم يَكُ هاجِراً

فَلَو ظَنَّني أَسلوهُ لَم يَكُ هاجِراً

وَلَو خالَني أَنساهُ لَم يَكُ نائِيا

وَلَو خالَني أَنساهُ لَم يَكُ نائِيا

For if he thought I could cease to love him, he would not forsake me;

For if it thought I asked it to reconcile, it would not be one who abandons,

and if he imagined I could forget him, he would not stay away.

And if it saw me forget it, it would not be one who distances.

وَلَكِنَّ عِشقي في ضَمانٍ جُفونِهِ

وَلَكِنَّ عِشقي في ضَمانٍ جُفونِهِ

فَيَأمَنُ سَلواني وَيَرجو غَرامِيا

فَيَأمَنُ سَلواني وَيَرجو غَرامِيا

And yet my passion is guaranteed by his eyelids,

But my love is under the protection of its eyelids,

so he fears no waning of my love and counts on my devotion.

So it feels safe from my asking and hopes for my passion.