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 sweetness in estrangement,

The yearning of a soul that finds no sweetness in separation,

And a heart’s ardor that finds no cure in union.

And the passion of a heart that finds no healing in union.

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 sway of longing and love,

I submitted to the rule of longing and passion,

And came to grant my beloved what he grants not me.

So I came to accord my beloved what he does not accord 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 never hope in a miser,

And were it not for passion, I would not place my hopes in a miser,

Defend a tyrant, or remember one who forgets.

And [praise] an oppressor, and remember one who forgets.

وَمِن شَأنِهِ أَنّي إِذا ما حَضَرتُهُ

وَمِن شَأنِهِ أَنّي إِذا ما حَضَرتُهُ

جَفاني وَسَمّاني إِذا غِبتُ جافِيا

جَفاني وَسَمّاني إِذا غِبتُ جافِيا

It is his way that whenever I am in his presence,

And his way is this: whenever I am with him,

He shuns me, yet when I am absent calls me the shunner.

He shuns me, and calls me aloof when I am absent.

عَلى أَنَّني أَنأى فَأَدنو تَذَكُّراً

عَلى أَنَّني أَنأى فَأَدنو تَذَكُّراً

وَلَستُ كَمَن يَدنو فَيَنأى تَناسِيا

وَلَستُ كَمَن يَدنو فَيَنأى تَناسِيا

And though I draw away, remembrance brings me near;

Though I draw away, I draw near through remembrance,

I am not like one who draws near, then retreats in forgetfulness.

And I am not like one who draws near, then withdraws through deliberate forgetting.

وَيُعجِبُني حُبّي لَهُ وَصَبابَتي

وَيُعجِبُني حُبّي لَهُ وَصَبابَتي

إِلَيهِ وَإِمساكي عَلَيهِ وِدادِيا

إِلَيهِ وَإِمساكي عَلَيهِ وِدادِيا

I delight in my love for him and in my yearning

And I delight in my love for him and my yearning

For him, and in keeping my affection fixed upon him.

For him, and in keeping my affection for him.

فَلَو ظَنَّني أَسلوهُ لَم يَكُ هاجِراً

فَلَو ظَنَّني أَسلوهُ لَم يَكُ هاجِراً

وَلَو خالَني أَنساهُ لَم يَكُ نائِيا

وَلَو خالَني أَنساهُ لَم يَكُ نائِيا

Had he thought that I might cease to love him, he would not forsake me;

For if he thought I were ceasing to love him, he would not shun me,

Had he imagined I might forget him, he would not stay away.

And if he supposed I were forgetting him, he would not stay distant.

وَلَكِنَّ عِشقي في ضَمانٍ جُفونِهِ

وَلَكِنَّ عِشقي في ضَمانٍ جُفونِهِ

فَيَأمَنُ سَلواني وَيَرجو غَرامِيا

فَيَأمَنُ سَلواني وَيَرجو غَرامِيا

But my passion lies secured within his eyelids,

But my passion is in the keeping of his eyelids,

So he feels safe from my forgetting and expects my enduring passion.

So he feels safe from my forgetting him, and hopes for my ardent love.