1. ناشَدتُكَ اللَهَ يا جَناني

    ما حالُ مَن فارَقَ الجِنان

    I adjure you by God, O my heart:

    what becomes of one parted from the gardens of paradise?

  2. أَم هَل إِلى الوَصلِ وَالتَداني

    مِن بَعدِ ذا الهَجرِ لي تَدان

    Or, toward reunion and closeness,

    can I draw near after this estrangement?

  3. مَن لي بِأَشهى الوَرى لِنَفسي

    بِمُنيَتي عِلقيَ النَفيس

    Who will bring me the person my soul most desires,

    my heart's desire, my precious treasure?

  4. فارَقتُهُ بَعدَ طولِ أنسي

    وَطالَما باتَ لي أَنيس

    I parted from him after long companionship,

    and so often he had been my companion by night.

  5. وَكَم شَفى بِالوِصالِ خَمسي

    وَالسَعدُ قَد حَلَّ في خَميس

    How often our union quenched my five-day thirst,

    and good fortune had alighted in an army.

  6. أَغزو بِهِ كُلَّ مَن عَناني

    وَفي يَمينِ الهَوى العِنان

    With it I assail all who beset me,

    and the reins lie in Love's right hand.

  7. فَلَو رأى حالَنا ابنُ هاني

    لَقالَ قَد نِلتُمُ التَهان

    Had Ibn Hani seen our state,

    he would have said, 'You have earned congratulations.'

  8. يا سائِلاً يَملا الجَوابي

    هَل سائِلٌ يَسمَعُ الجَواب

    O flowing one who fills the cisterns,

    is there a questioner to hear the answer

  9. مِن مُدنَفٍ مُغرَمٍ مُصابِ

    ذاقَ مِنَ الهَجرِ طَعمَ صاب

    from one wasted by sickness, lovesick, stricken,

    who tasted the bitter sap of estrangement,

  10. وَباتَ في رِبقَةِ العَذابِ

    شَوقاً لأخلاقِكَ العِذاب

    and spent the night in torment's noose,

    yearning for your sweet ways?

  11. وَفي أَليم الهَوى يُعاني

    وَالآنَ يَرجوهُ كالأَمان

    And in love's anguish he suffers,

    yet now he hopes for it as for safety.

  12. بَلِّغ سَلامي لَجَمعِ شَملي

    بِاللَهِ يا نَسمَةَ الشَمال

    Convey my greetings to my gathered companions,

    by God, O breeze of the north.

  13. وَهاتِ يا نَفحَةً وَقُل لي

    غُزلانُ إِيناسُ أَينَ قالَ

    And bring word, O breeze, and tell me:

    where did the gazelles of Inas rest at noon?

  14. وَأَنتَ يا مُهجَتي وَكُلّي

    لا تَخشَ مِن صَبِّكَ الكَلال

    And you, O my life's blood and my everything,

    do not fear your lovesick lover's weariness.

  15. فالحُبُّ يا بَدرُ قَد سَقاني

    كأساً مِنَ الخَندَريسِ قان

    For love, O full moon, has given me to drink

    a cup of crimson aged wine.

  16. وَاِجتَمَعَ الراحُ بِالقيانِ

    وَيا خليلَيّ أَسقيان

    And wine and singing girls have come together;

    and, O my two dear friends, give me drink!

  17. لَبِستُ ثَوبَ السُرورِ ضافِ

    لَمّا اِعتَنى بي أَبو الضياف

    I donned joy's ample robe

    when Abu al-Diyaf took care of me.

  18. وَكُنتُ مِن غَير ما خِلافِ

    لَولا تَلافيهِ في تَلاف

    And I would have been, without any doubt,

    in ruin, but for his rescue.

  19. إِذ لَفظُهُ لِلهُمومِ شافِ

    وَفي عُيونِ الوَرى يُشاف

    For his speech is a cure for sorrows,

    and in people's eyes he is seen

  20. ذو مَنزِلٍ شامِخٍ وَشانِ

    بالرَغمِ مِن أَنفِ كُلّ شان

    as a man of lofty standing and distinction,

    with every hater's nose humbled.

  21. دامَ مَدى الدَهرِ في تَهانِ

    وَمَن يُناويهِ في هَوانِ

    May he endure through all time amid felicitations,

    and may whoever opposes him be in disgrace.

  22. خُذها عَلى رَغمِ مَن قَلاها

    تَعلو عَلى اللَحنِ في المَقال

    Take her, despite whoever has scorned her:

    she rises above errors in speech,

  23. عَذراءَ غَرّاءَ في حُلاها

    وَسِحرُ أَلفاظِها حَلال

    a virgin, radiant in her adornments,

    and the magic of her words is lawful.

  24. لا يَشتَكي صَبّها قِلاها

    مَهما شَدا مُغرَمٌ وَقال

    Her lovesick admirer does not lament her disdain

    whenever a lover sings and says:

  25. ناشَدتُكَ اللَهَ يا جَناني

    ما حالُ مَن فارَقَ الجِنان

    I adjure you by God, O my heart:

    what becomes of one parted from the gardens of paradise?

  26. أَم هَل إِلى الوَصلِ وَالتَداني

    مِن بَعدِ ذا الهَجرِ لي تَدان

    Or, toward reunion and closeness,

    can I draw near after this estrangement?