إذَن غبتَ عني عامداً دون عودةِ

إذَن غبتَ عني عامداً دون عودةِ

كأَنَّكَ قد أحببتَ تخفيفَ لوعتي

كأَنَّكَ قد أحببتَ تخفيفَ لوعتي

So you have gone from me deliberately, never to return,

So you have been absent from me intentionally, without return

as though you had wished to ease my anguish.

As if you have loved to relieve my agony

تركُتكَ في الشمس الحنون مُدفَّأً

تركُتكَ في الشمس الحنون مُدفَّأً

برحمتها في رقدةٍ أي رقدة

برحمتها في رقدةٍ أي رقدة

I left you in the tender sun, warmed

I left you in the tender sunshine, warmed up

by her mercy, in a slumber—what a slumber!

By its mercy in a slumber, what a slumber

وكلمتني لما تركتك آسفاً

وكلمتني لما تركتك آسفاً

إلى عملي في لهجة مُستحيةِ

إلى عملي في لهجة مُستحيةِ

And you spoke to me as I sorrowfully left you

And it spoke to me when I left you regretfully

for my work, in a shy tone,

To my work in a shy accent

بها من غناءِ الأمسِ ترخيمُ عاشقٍ

بها من غناءِ الأمسِ ترخيمُ عاشقٍ

ومن ضَعفكَ البادي تراجيعُ حسرتي

ومن ضَعفكَ البادي تراجيعُ حسرتي

bearing, from yesterday's song, a lover's tender lilt,

In it the singsong of yesterday's love, the moaning of a lover

and, from your evident weakness, refrains of my sorrow.

And from your evident weakness, the setbacks of my sorrow

فياليتني آثرتُ قربك يومها

فياليتني آثرتُ قربك يومها

فيا طالما آثرتَ قربى وصحبتي

فيا طالما آثرتَ قربى وصحبتي

Would that I had chosen your nearness that day!

I wish I had preferred your nearness that day

For, oh, how often you chose my nearness and companionship!

For long you have preferred my closeness and companionship

ويا ليتني لم أخدع النفس واهماً

ويا ليتني لم أخدع النفس واهماً

شفاءَ دوائي أو نجاحي بحيلتي

شفاءَ دوائي أو نجاحي بحيلتي

And would that I had not deceived myself, imagining

And I wish I had not deceived myself vainly

a cure from my medicine, or success through my ingenuity.

The healing of my medicine or my success with my trickery

وساءلتُ عنكَ الأهلَ والجيرةَ التي

وساءلتُ عنكَ الأهلَ والجيرةَ التي

رأتنا أليفي نَشوةٍ ومحبةِ

رأتنا أليفي نَشوةٍ ومحبةِ

And I asked the household and the neighbors about you,

And I asked about you the family and the neighborhood that

who had seen us as two companions in rapture and love.

Saw us intimate, in bliss and love

فنادوا وراحوا يبحثون كأنهَّم

فنادوا وراحوا يبحثون كأنهَّم

على مَهمهِ قد ضُلِّلوا أيَّ ضَلَّة

على مَهمهِ قد ضُلِّلوا أيَّ ضَلَّة

They called out and went searching, as though

So they called out and went searching as if they

they had been led utterly astray in a trackless wilderness.

Were lost regarding an important task, what a loss

وعادوا إلى ياسي بيأسٍ مضاعَفٍ

وعادوا إلى ياسي بيأسٍ مضاعَفٍ

وعادُوا الى وَجديِ بوجدٍ وحيرة

وعادُوا الى وَجديِ بوجدٍ وحيرة

And they returned to my despair with despair redoubled,

And they returned to my despair multiplied

and returned to my anguish with anguish and bewilderment.

And they returned to my passion and confusion

لكم مرّةٍ غنيتَ بالشكرِ والرِضىَ

لكم مرّةٍ غنيتَ بالشكرِ والرِضىَ

وكم مرةٍ قَبلَّت عيني ووجنتي

وكم مرةٍ قَبلَّت عيني ووجنتي

How many times you sang with gratitude and contentment!

How many times you have sung praise and contentment

And how many times you kissed my eye and my cheek!

And how many times my eyes and cheeks have kissed

ويا طالما راقبتَ عَودِي كأنَّنا

ويا طالما راقبتَ عَودِي كأنَّنا

عشيقانِ لم يستمرئا أيَّ فرقُة

عشيقانِ لم يستمرئا أيَّ فرقُة

And, oh, how often you watched for my return, as though we were

And how long you have watched my return as if we were

two lovers who could bear no separation!

Lovers who have not tolerated any separation

فؤادُكَ لم أعرفه إلا ملاحماً

فؤادُكَ لم أعرفه إلا ملاحماً

وَفَنَّاً لسمعي ليلةً بعد ليلةِ

وَفَنَّاً لسمعي ليلةً بعد ليلةِ

I knew your heart only as epics

I have not known your heart except as melodies

and art for my ears, night after night.

And art for my hearing night after night

فمن بدَّل الصوَّت الجميلَ وَمن ترَى

فمن بدَّل الصوَّت الجميلَ وَمن ترَى

أَجازَ لصفوي أن يسيلِ بعبرتي

أَجازَ لصفوي أن يسيلِ بعبرتي

Who, then, changed the beautiful voice, and who, do you think,

So who has changed the beautiful voice and who do you think

allowed my serenity to flow away with my tears?

Has allowed my eyes to shed tears

هو الدهرُ من قد بَعثرَ الخلقَ مثلما

هو الدهرُ من قد بَعثرَ الخلقَ مثلما

تُبعثرُ ماءَ البحرِ ضرباتُ صخرةِ

تُبعثرُ ماءَ البحرِ ضرباتُ صخرةِ

It is Time that has scattered creation, just as

It is time that has scattered people just as

a rock's blows scatter the waters of the sea.

The blows of a rock scatter the sea’s water

فقدُتكَ يا خلي الحبيبَ وهكذا

فقدُتكَ يا خلي الحبيبَ وهكذا

سأفقدُ يوماً في المحيطِ كَذَرةِ

سأفقدُ يوماً في المحيطِ كَذَرةِ

I have lost you, my beloved friend, and so

I have lost you my intimate beloved and so

one day I too shall be lost in the ocean, like a speck.

One day I will lose a speck in the ocean

لكي وبحسبي أن أناديك مرةً

لكي وبحسبي أن أناديك مرةً

فتأتي وها قد خبتُ في كلّ دعوة

فتأتي وها قد خبتُ في كلّ دعوة

So that—and it was enough for me to call you once—

It is enough for me to call you once

you would come; but now every call has disappointed me.

And you would come while I have faltered in every call

ولو كنتَ لي طفلاً لما كان مد معي

ولو كنتَ لي طفلاً لما كان مد معي

أُحرَّ ولا ذكراى أدعى لحرقتي

أُحرَّ ولا ذكراى أدعى لحرقتي

Even had you been my child, my tears would not have been

And if you were a child for me I would not have stretched with me

hotter, nor my memories more apt to stir my burning grief.

More burning nor would I have claimed for my scorching

عرُفتكَ في الخمسِ السنين بصحبتي

عرُفتكَ في الخمسِ السنين بصحبتي

عفيفاً نزيهاً لم تُلوَّث بريبةِ

عفيفاً نزيهاً لم تُلوَّث بريبةِ

For the five years you were in my company, I knew you

I have known you in the five years of my companionship

chaste and upright, unstained by suspicion.

Chaste, decent, not blemished with any doubt

ويا ما أقلَّ الناس مثلك في الهدى

ويا ما أقلَّ الناس مثلك في الهدى

ولو أنهَّم كانوا لما اشتقتُ غُربتي

ولو أنهَّم كانوا لما اشتقتُ غُربتي

And, oh, how few people are like you in righteousness!

And how few people are like you in guidance

Had they been so, I would not have longed for my solitude.

If they were I would not have longed for my estrangement

ولو كنتَ منطيقاً لما كنتَ مُفصحاً

ولو كنتَ منطيقاً لما كنتَ مُفصحاً

بأبلغَ مما قد تركتَ بِمهجتي

بأبلغَ مما قد تركتَ بِمهجتي

Even had you been eloquent, you could not have expressed yourself

And if you were inarticulate you would not have been eloquent

more eloquently than through what you left in my heart.

With more than what you have left in my mind

حرامٌ سكوتي بعد صمتكَ ميتاً

حرامٌ سكوتي بعد صمتكَ ميتاً

فمن ذا يُوفِّى الدَّينَ قبلَ منيتي

فمن ذا يُوفِّى الدَّينَ قبلَ منيتي

My silence is forbidden after your silence in death;

It is forbidden that my silence after your dead muteness

who, then, will repay the debt before my death?

So who will fulfil the debt before my death

حرام وقد ألهمتني كلَّ ضَحكةٍ

حرام وقد ألهمتني كلَّ ضَحكةٍ

حُسدتُ عليها مثلَ إلهامِ دمعتي

حُسدتُ عليها مثلَ إلهامِ دمعتي

Forbidden—for you inspired every laugh

It is forbidden when every laugh has inspired me

for which I was envied, just as you inspired my tears.

I have envied it like the inspiration of my tear

إذا كان هذا الشعرُ نفسي فإنه

إذا كان هذا الشعرُ نفسي فإنه

كذلك بعضٌ منك في طيِّ نفحتي

كذلك بعضٌ منك في طيِّ نفحتي

If this poetry is my soul, then it is

If this poetry is my soul then it is

likewise a part of you, enfolded in my breath.

Also part of you in the fold of my breath

وان لم تُخلِّف للورَى أثراً يُرَى

وان لم تُخلِّف للورَى أثراً يُرَى

وان لم تخلف لي عزاءَ وَصيَّةِ

وان لم تخلف لي عزاءَ وَصيَّةِ

And though you left humankind no visible trace,

And if you have not left a visible trace for the people

and though you left me no testament to console me,

And if you have not left solace and bequest for me

فحسبُ الورىَ ساعاتُ أُنسٍ نظمتها

فحسبُ الورىَ ساعاتُ أُنسٍ نظمتها

وحسبُ أليفٍ غاب دمعي ووحدتي

وحسبُ أليفٍ غاب دمعي ووحدتي

the hours of fellowship you composed suffice for humankind,

It is enough for the people the hours of intimacy I have composed

and my tears and solitude suffice for a companion who is gone.

And enough for an intimate who has gone are my tears and loneliness