أَلا لَيتَ شِعري وَالفُؤادُ عَميدُ

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري وَالفُؤادُ عَميدُ

هَوايَ قَريبٌ أَم هَوايَ بَعيدُ

هَوايَ قَريبٌ أَم هَوايَ بَعيدُ

Ah, would that I knew, my heart stricken with love,

Alas, I wonder while my heart remains steadfast,

whether my love is near or my love is far.

Is my love near or far away?

وَفي القُربِ تَعذيبٌ وَفي البُعد حَسرَةٌ

وَفي القُربِ تَعذيبٌ وَفي البُعد حَسرَةٌ

وَما مِنهُما إِلاّ عَليّ شَديدُ

وَما مِنهُما إِلاّ عَليّ شَديدُ

And in nearness there is torment, and in distance, heartache;

In nearness is torment, in distance is longing,

and both are grievous to me.

Both try my soul in equal measure.

مُعَذِّبَتي فيمَ الصُدودُ وَما الَّذي

مُعَذِّبَتي فيمَ الصُدودُ وَما الَّذي

أُفَنِّدُ حَتّى لا يَكونَ صُدودُ

أُفَنِّدُ حَتّى لا يَكونَ صُدودُ

My tormentress, why this shunning, and what is it

My tormentor, why do you spurn me so? What have I done

that I must refute so that there may be no shunning?

That you continue to spurn me evermore?

أَصدّقتِ حُسّاداً وَكَذَّبتِ عاشِقاً

أَصدّقتِ حُسّاداً وَكَذَّبتِ عاشِقاً

وَليسَ سَواءً عاشِقٌ وَحَسودُ

وَليسَ سَواءً عاشِقٌ وَحَسودُ

Have you believed the envious and disbelieved a lover?

You believe the envious and doubt the lover,

And a lover and an envier are not alike.

Yet lover and envier can never be the same.