تَرى النازِلينَ بِأَرضِ العِراقِ

تَرى النازِلينَ بِأَرضِ العِراقِ

قَد عَلِموا أَنَّ وَجدي كَذا

قَد عَلِموا أَنَّ وَجدي كَذا

Do you think those dwelling in the land of Iraq

Those who have descended in Iraq's land

have learned that my longing is like this?

Know well that my passion is such

فَلا حَبَّذا بَلَدٌ بَعدَهُم

فَلا حَبَّذا بَلَدٌ بَعدَهُم

وَإِن واصَلوهُ فَيا حَبَّذا

وَإِن واصَلوهُ فَيا حَبَّذا

So no land is welcome in their absence;

So no country is good after them

but if they visit it, oh, how welcome it is!

Even if they reach it, oh how good!

دَنا طَرَبٌ وَالهَوى نازِح

دَنا طَرَبٌ وَالهَوى نازِح

فَيا بُعدَ ذاكَ وَيا قُربَ ذا

فَيا بُعدَ ذاكَ وَيا قُربَ ذا

Rapture has drawn near, while love is far away;

Near is unrest, and love moves house

oh, how far that is, and how near this!

So far is that, and so near this

هَوىً ما أَطَعت بِهِ العاذِلينَ

هَوىً ما أَطَعت بِهِ العاذِلينَ

وَما طاعَة الحُبِّ إِلّا أَذى

وَما طاعَة الحُبِّ إِلّا أَذى

A love in which I did not heed those who reproached me—

A passion I did not obey the blamers with

and obedience to love is nothing but pain.

And obedience in love is but harm

وَكُنتُ أَفدّي بِهِ ناظِرَيَ

وَكُنتُ أَفدّي بِهِ ناظِرَيَ

فَمذُ غابَ صارَ لِعَيني قَذى

فَمذُ غابَ صارَ لِعَيني قَذى

And I used to ransom my two eyes with it;

I used to ransom my two eyes for it

yet since it vanished, it has become a mote in my eye.

But since it vanished, it became specks in my eyes