وَاصَلَنِي هَجْرُ مَنْ أُحِبُّ

وَاصَلَنِي هَجْرُ مَنْ أُحِبُّ

فَلَمْ يَغِبْ لاَ وَلاَ يَغِيبُ

فَلَمْ يَغِبْ لاَ وَلاَ يَغِيبُ

The estrangement of the one I love has kept me company;

The desertion of the one I love has kept me company;

it has never departed—nor will it depart.

So it has not been absent—no, nor will it be.

فَلَوْ يَكُونُ السُّلُوِّ حَياً

فَلَوْ يَكُونُ السُّلُوِّ حَياً

مَا مَاتَ مِنْ هَجْرِهِ المُحِبُّ

مَا مَاتَ مِنْ هَجْرِهِ المُحِبُّ

If only forgetfulness were a living thing,

Were solace alive,

the lover would not have died from his beloved’s desertion.

The lover would not have died of his beloved's desertion.

وَا رَحْمَتَا لاِنْكِسَارِ جَفْنِ

وَا رَحْمَتَا لاِنْكِسَارِ جَفْنِ

لاَ يَعْرِفُ الصَّحْوَ مِنْهُ هَدْبُ

لاَ يَعْرِفُ الصَّحْوَ مِنْهُ هَدْبُ

Oh, pity the drooping of an eyelid

Alas, pity for a drooping eyelid,

whose lashes know no waking sobriety!

Not one of whose lashes knows sobriety.

جَارَ عَلَيْهِ الخُمَارُ حَتَّى

جَارَ عَلَيْهِ الخُمَارُ حَتَّى

أَتْلَفَهُ والخُمَارُ صَعْبُ

أَتْلَفَهُ والخُمَارُ صَعْبُ

The languor of intoxication oppressed it until

The hangover oppressed it until

it destroyed it—and intoxication’s aftermath is cruel.

It destroyed it—and the hangover is harsh.

يَا غُصْناً لا يَمِيلُ نَحْوِي

يَا غُصْناً لا يَمِيلُ نَحْوِي

وَالمَيْلُ في الغُصنِ مُسْتَحَبُ

وَالمَيْلُ في الغُصنِ مُسْتَحَبُ

O supple branch that will not bend toward me,

O bough that does not bend toward me,

though bending is lovely in a branch,

And bending is pleasing in a bough,

صَيْرتَني كَالنَّسِيمِ سُقْماً

صَيْرتَني كَالنَّسِيمِ سُقْماً

لِمْ لاَ تَمِيلُ إذَا أَهِبُّ

لِمْ لاَ تَمِيلُ إذَا أَهِبُّ

you have made me as frail as the breeze with sickness;

You have made me, through sickness, like the breeze;

why do you not bend when I begin to blow?

Why do you not bend when I blow?